The Loper track and field team is hosting two meets before the new year. The team will host the Blue/Gold Intrasquad and Pre-Holiday Classic in Cushing Coliseum.
“I am excited to see how much their (the Lopers) confidence has grown in this off-season,” said Brady Bonsall, UNK track and field coach.
The Blue/Gold Intrasquad is Dec. 5 and the Pre-Holiday Classic is Dec. 12. It is one of the faster turnarounds for members also on the cross country team, which ended its season Nov. 22 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Preseason is when Bonsall gets to see all athletes come together, before the different events separate and focus on their events.
“That is definitely one of my favorite parts of the season, because the switch can be so sudden, but it is something that I look forward to when one season ends,” Bonsall said.
Looking back at last indoor and outdoor season, Lily Novacek is one Loper that stands out, not just her athletic abilities, but her character on and off the field.
“Lily is someone that is always putting people before herself,” Bonsall said. “She was ready to go to nursing school, but didn’t want to leave the program yet. We just wanted to set her up for success for her future.”
Novacek, a redshirt senior from Kearney who won the NCAA Division II National Championship in the hammer throw during the outdoor season last spring, talked about her growth, not just athletically but mentally.
“It goes back to my confidence,” Novacek said. “It all goes back to my coaches though. They believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Last year at the Pre-Holiday Classic, Novacek took first in shot put and weight throw.
“(Novacek’s) growth is something special,” Bonsall said. “We have a younger team, with new recruits, but having someone like Lily makes this transition for those athletes a little easier.”
Bonsall has high hopes for the season with lots of standout athletes returning.
“There are so many athletes with incredible talents, and we have a few multi-sport athletes,” Bonsall said. “I am hopeful with their ambition coming off of their fall season going into this one. We have some football players and some volleyball (players).”
Football ended its season a little earlier than volleyball, so those athletes have had more of a transition period than the volleyball team The Loper volleyball team hasn’t ended their season, yet the team has a record of 29-3 and will host the regional tournament this weekend at the Health and Sports Center.
“It all depends on what their coaches come up with for their return and how much recovery time they need,” Bonsall said.
After these opening meets, UNK will resume competition in mid-January. The Lopers head east on I-80 to Lincoln for the Graduate Classic, and the following weekend up to Wayne for the Wayne State Classic. The Lopers will host two more indoor meets in January and February, with the indoor season ending in March at the NCAA Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
