Nate Polacek, KHS Girls Cross Country
KEARNEY – Kearney High School is proud to announce the appointment of Nate Polacek as the new Head Coach for the Girls Cross Country team. Polacek will continue to serve as the Head Girls Track Coach and English teacher at KHS and will assume his additional role following the retirement of the esteemed Coach Pat McFadden at the end of this season.
Ryan Hogue, KPS Activities Director and KHS Assistant Principal, shared his enthusiasm about Polacek’s new position, “I am excited to promote Coach Polacek as the next head coach of the Bearcat Girls Cross Country program. With his love for the sport, dedication to athlete development, and his strength in motivating his athletes to compete at a high level, I am very confident Coach Polacek will carry on the strong successful tradition of our Girls Cross Country program. Coach bleeds Blue and Gold and I know he will take on this new role and challenge our current and future athletes to uphold the standard of excellence for years to come……The Bearcat Way!”
In his new role, Nate Polacek said, “I am thrilled to be able to carry on the 15-year legacy that Coach McFadden has created within this program. It has been an honor to be able to coach alongside Pat on the cross country team for the past three years. I am very grateful for this new opportunity.”
Polacek began his coaching career in 2013 at Columbus High School, coaching football and track and field. He returned to his alma mater, Kearney High School, in 2017 and has coached football, track and field, and cross country. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Curriculum and Instruction Degree from the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
A former state champion pole vaulter for the Bearcats, Polacek was an All-American and team captain for the Husker Mens’ Husker Track and Field team. His role as an English teacher at KHS also gives him a strong connection to the student body, which he believes is beneficial in his coaching duties.