Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney track and field team has qualified two women and nine men for the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships May 21-23 in Emporia, Kan.

The NCAA announced the list of qualifiers tonight (May 12); the top 22 decleared in each event heads to Kansas with the second-best time/mark breaking ties. MIAA-member Emporia State hosts this year's meet at Francis G. Welch Stadium with live results and live video (link changes daily) available. A top 12 finish is good for All-American status. 

Defending national champion Lily Novacek (Kearney H.S.) enters the meet tops in the hammer (218-0) by nearly eight feet. She's aiming to join Janet Boettcher (1999/weight throw & 2000/hammer) as the only UNK women to be a two-time D2 national champ. Novacek also qualifies in the discus (15th/162-0) for the second time in her career. Next on the women's side, sophomore Kassidy Stuckey (McCool Junction/York H.S.) is in her third NCAA Championship of the year after being 78th at the cross country meet in November and placing sixth in the mile during indoors. She ranks sixth in the 1,500 (school-record 4:24.92) and, like Novacek, competes on day one.

On the men's side, UNK is ranked first (Nolan Studley), fifth (Luke Brachle) and 14th (Garett Novacek) in the high jump. Studley (Hastings H.S.) is looking for his fourth AA honor with Brachle joining Studley in the Top 12 at this year's indoor meet. Next, senior Clayton Kelly (Gretna H.S.) looks to be a two-time AA in the triple jump with senior Nick Abdalla (Omaha South) and Carter Hohlen (Lincoln Christian) running the steeplechase. Abdalla earned AA cross country status in the fall and was 13th in the steeple last spring.

Both Rylan Basart (Stockton, Kan.) and Mitchell Deer (Sidney) are no strangers to the championships either. Basart hopes to be a three-time javelin AA with Deer previously cracking the top 12 as a member of the 2024 DMR team. He currently ranks ninth in the 400 hurdles (school-record 51.19). Finally, in the NCAA's for a first time are Hohlen and Ord redshirt sophomore Sam Boettcher (hammer/school-record 204-1). Hohlen was a member of UNK's 26th place cross country team in the fall.

UNK had four women and five men rank 23rd-31st in their event including three in the men's jav and two in the women's discus. 

 
Thursday, May 21
12:30 p.m. (Men's Hammer Finals) … Boettcher
3:30 p.m. (Women's Hammer Finals) … L. Novacek
5:25 pm. (Women's 1,500-Meter Prelims) … Stuckey
6:40 p.m. (Men's Steeple Prelims) … Abdalla & Hohlen
7:40 p.m. (Men's 400-Hurdle Prelims) … Deer
 
Friday, May 22
3:30 p.m. (Men's High Jump Finals) … Brachle, G. Novacek & Studley
4:30 p.m. (Women's Discus Finals) … L. Novacek
7:15 p.m. (Men's Steeple Finals) … potentially Abdalla & Hohlen
 
Saturday, May 23
12 p.m. (Men's Javelin Finals) … Basart
2:15 p.m. (Men's Triple Jump Finals) … Kelly
4:05 p.m. (Women's 1,500-Meter Finals) … potentially Stuckey
5:40 p.m. (Men's 400-Hurdle Finals) … potentially Deer