Axtell, Neb. – Track and field has been a staple in Axtell for many years. Since 2014, the girls have either won or placed second as team in every district meet. The boys are currently enjoying seven-straight division titles. The past two seasons, Axtell has swept the district and conference team titles.
The duo of Brad Nelson and Eric Havranek have led the Wildcats to success for a number of years. Havranek has been the boys’ head coach for 14 years, and Nelson has been leading the girls’ team for 25. During their times, Axtell has not only accumulated a fair amount of hardware, but they’ve also built a sustained system that keeps coming back year after year.
Last season, the Wildcat boys were particularly successful. Every meet Axtell attended; the boys finished in first place. That would remain the case until the state tournament when they managed to “only” finish in a three-way tie for runner-up in Class D. The boys 4×800 relay took home the gold with Keyton Cole, Tyler Hanson, Zach Arner, and Luc Lopez. Kassidy Wehrer’s outstanding triple jump performance came at the right time. Her stunning jump earned a gold medal in Class D as well.
The girls team boasts a hefty 19 athletes while the boys are staying steady with 15.
The Wildcats open up the 2024 season at the Wilcox-Hildreth meet on Friday, March 22.
