Ecstatic activities director James Shada couldn't wait.
The Arlington High School track and field boys were about to hold up the NSAA Class C runner-up trophy Saturday evening and he was going to be in position to document the moment. The A.D. stepped away from the gathered crowd and took a knee in front of the Omaha Burke Stadium stage, phone in hand, waiting for the announcement of the Eagles.
They weren't up first, so Shada took his thumb off of the button.
Coach Kyle Buckingham's AHS team wasn't second either, leaving its A.D. on one knee. It did eventually get its time in the spotlight, though, and Shada was there for the pic.
The Eagles finished second to champion Chase County, but bested third-place Lincoln Lutheran, 49-46.5, for a Nebraska-shaped trophy memorializing their accomplishment.
“It's about time,” senior Nolan May said after four years running cross-country and track in AHS colors. “It's about time this hard work paid off.”
It was a proud moment less than 24 hours before graduation ceremonies.
“It feels so good to end in a positive way for once,” he said one year after the Eagles scored zero points in Class B. “I couldn't be happier for my team.”
Classmate Kevin Flesner competed alongside May the whole way through both of their prep careers.
“A lot of sacrifices,” he said when asked what it took to secure AHS' best state track finish in school history.
The result ultimately came down to the final race — the 1,600-meter relay — with May, Flesner, junior Dallin Franzluebbers and senior Kaden Foust all contributing. They finished fourth, earning the team points they knew would cinch up second place.
Foust said he ran the race for “the three guys next to me. That's what it's been about all year.”
It's a great group, Franzluebbers said
“They're family,” he explained. “That's what they are to me.”
Altogether, the Arlington boys and girls earned 11 top-eight finishes for podium spots Friday and Saturday in Omaha. Eagles stood on the very top of that Class C podium twice.
Eagles earn gold medals
Junior Hailey O'Daniel sat down on Burke Stadium grass, legs sprawled out as she caught her breath.
After 1,600 meters Saturday at the NSAA State Track and Field Championships, the Eagle was one of five 2024 state champions on Coach Buckingham's team.
“That's so surreal,” O'Daniel said after a race that took her just 5:14.99. “I never thought I could be here.”
Flesner, Franzluebbers, Foust and May won their state title in the 3,200 relay on Friday before their distance-running teammate won her's a day later.
O'Daniel — who set a new school record in the 800 for second — fell behind a lead runner early, but trusted her training to overcome the challenge with a dominant back half. She thanked her parents, distance coach Michaela Curran and her team. Many of them watched her post-race interview from behind a chain-linked fence near where she sat.
“I'm so blessed for the opportunity to be at the top like this,” the junior said. “It still hasn't settled in that I just won state.”
May, however, felt it right away after running the anchor leg of the 2-mile relay a day earlier.
“Feels amazing,” he said after the 8:06.88 effort — another new school record. “Feels like a lot of hard work finally paid off for something.”
“It's just nice to get one win with the boys,” Flesner added. “One for the team.”
AHS bested the second-place relay lineup by more than 8 seconds.
“This was kind of a goal I had personally and I know these guys did, too,” Franzluebbers said.
In addition to their relay work, Foust, May and Flesner medaled individually at Burke. May was second in the individual 3,200 and added a bronze medal in the 1,600.
Foust, meanwhile, broke his own school record in the long jump for a silver medal. His best attempt covered 22 feet, 1.5 inches, while his 400 dash time — 50.21 — secured fourth.
Additionally, Flesner finished the individual 800 meters in 2:00.41 for fifth.
The Eagles Kolby Tighe contributed three team points at state, too. He finished the 3,200 in 10:10.14 behind May for sixth in the state.
Tighe started the 2-mile race fast, leading the way during its early stages.
“I got there to push myself and I was one second off of my (personal record),” he said. “Maybe it wasn't the best strategy, but my brain told me to do it in the heat of the moment.”
While O'Daniel led the Arlington girls team at state, Hayley Arp and Whitney Wollberg helped it to a seventh-place finish, too. The pair combined for eight team points with top-six finishes.
Arp secured fourth in the discus, producing a 128-3 mark on just her second attempt.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” the freshman said. “I was having — and in practice, too — I was having a rough week, but, yeah, that one was my best throw by far because that was really the only good one.”
She was the only non-senior to finish in the top-eight of the Class C event.
“I didn't think I would do very good,” Arp said with a smile.
Wollberg, however, earned her sixth-place result in the pole vault. The junior cleared the bar at 10 feet for her first state medal in the event.
“I think it was just great experience for even next year, but also just reminiscing about this and being happy about how I did here,” Wollberg said.
The AHS standout produced results by clearing her mind.
“I think I just did well at just staying out of my head,” she said. “Vaulting my own and not paying attention everyone else. Just staying in my own head and doing what I know how to do.”
In addition to their medalists, the Eagles' Trey Hill, Trent Koger, Taylor Arp, Austyn Flesner, Kelise Krivohlavek and Brooke Hilgenkamp participated at state Friday and Saturday. They competed during Arlington's best state weekend in school history.
CLASS C TEAM SCORES
Friday-Saturday at Omaha Burke Stadium
Top-15 boys teams: Chase County 65 team points, Arlington 49, Lincoln Lutheran 46.5, North Platte St. Patrick's 45.5, Perkins County 35, Battle Creek 31, Hastings St. Cecilia 30, Wahoo Neumann 28, Elmwood-Murdock 28, West Holt 27, Stanton 26, North Bend Central 16, Ainsworth 16, Freeman 15, Syracuse 14, St. Paul 14.
Top-15 girls teams: Kearney Catholic 86.5 team points, Neumann 60, Syracuse 40, Crofton 36, West Holt 30, Grand Island Central Catholic 29, Arlington 26, Yutan 24, David City 20, Wakefield 20, Doniphan-Trumbull 19, Battle Creek 18, David City Aquinas 18, Norfolk Catholic 17, Chase County 14, Ponca 14.
