Nolan Studley, UNK Track & Field v. Loper Twilight 2024 // UNK Communications
KEARNEY – The Nebraska-Kearney track and field teams finished up their regular season by competing in the Concordia Twilight and the Loper Twilight meets this weekend.
The NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships field will be announced early next week; around the Top 20 in each event will head to Emporia May 23-25.
Likely punching his ticket to the national meet is Hastings freshman Nolan Studley who cleared 7-0.25 in the high jump Saturday at KHS. At the moment, he’s one of seven to clear that height to rank 11th nationally. Reaching the bar on his second attempt, Studley also moves into third place on UNK’s all-time list. Kearney senior Brayden Sorensen has already secured an NCAA spot and he won today’s competition (7-1.50).
Next, Giltner graduate Alex Goracke and Kearney sophomore Lily Novacek both helped their cause in the hammer. Goracke had a season-best throw of 197-9, just off his school-record of 198-1, to finish third in the invite section of the hammer with Novacek coming in second in the invite with a career-best toss of 192-0. That moves her up three spots to second on UNK’s all-time list. Coming into the weekend, Novacek ranked 17th in D2 with Goracke 20th.
Besides Sorensen, winning at the Loper Twilight was Kearney junior Colby Spangler in the triple jump (career-best 49-2.25), David City junior Payton Davis in the 1,500 (3:49.11) and Kansas junior Brooklyn Stabb in the discus (143-7). Spangler moves up five spots to fourth in UNK history with the 4×1 relay team coming in seventh but having the second-best time (41.11) in the annuals. That group, who ran a 41.13 last weekend, includes Kearney junior Theo Huber, Alliance senior Brock Brass, Kearney freshman Mathieu Domkpo and Fremont senior Jackson Clausen. Finally, Kearney senior Courtney Thee cleared a career-best 12-2.75 in the vault, Atlanta sophomore Hanna Stewart had a career-best javelin toss (141-9) for a second straight night and Kansas sophomore Abby Rose cracked the 400 all-time list (56.65).
At Concordia on Friday, Kenesaw redshirt freshman Eli Jensen won the discus/unseeded (161-0), Kansas sophomore Rylan Basart won the javelin (210-4), Novacek won the hammer/seeded (180-3) and Firth sophomore Tanner Cooper had a career-best 1:50.90 in the 800.