This weekend kicks off the 2025 high school track season and the South Loup boys’ team is looking forward to what they will be able to accomplish on the track and in the field this year. They will get the chance to see what they can do, as well as get a look at their competition, at the season opener UNK Indoor Track Invitational this Saturday.

Though this is his first year at the position of head coach, Andy

CONT. PAGE 13 Schwarz is far from a rookie when it comes to Bobcats track and field; he has been an assistant coach for the past 25 years. He will get help this season from a staff of volunteer assistants who include Rick Peterson, Zac Sweet, Nicole Recoy, and Lane Chesley.

The Bobcats are coming off a good season where they were the 2024 Southwest Conference boys team champions and had two state qualifiers. While one of them graduated, the other - Ethan Furne - is returning for his senior season after his state meet appearance in the long jump last year.

South Loup is returning a large contingency of letter winners to the 2025 team - 13 to be exact. Fellow seniors joining Furne are Uotong Haidle, CJ Quandt, Dawson Mason, Caleb McFate, and AJ Starr. Juniors are: Eli Hunt, Brayden Keeney, Zane Mercer, Conner Paulsen, Dylan Pandorf, Paxton Bierman, Josiah Coleman, Eli Rogers, and Caleb Furrow.

Sophomores on this year’s track and field team include Tatum Wiese, Walter Bierman, Elijah Cool, Wacey Schultz, and Malachi Neth. The Bobcats also have three freshmen joining the squad; Tysen Schacher, Jaden Baker, and Patrick Eggleston.

CJ Quandt is new to the team, and Coach Schwarz said he is looking forward to what the senior can potentially add to the team. “CJ is new to our team and we look for big things from him in the sprints, relays, and jumps,” said Coach.

Schwarz admits the coaches and team have set some big goals for themselves this season, but also believes those goals are very attainable. “Every year we have a goal of winning our conference meet. We will build our team to perform best in their events towards the end of the year when conference and districts take place,” Schwarz shared. “I am impressed with our first few days of practice, the attitude and desire to work and improve are easily seen!”

He expects the sprints and jumps to be strong areas for the boys. “We have veteran guys in those events who we will look to for leadership until we get our younger guys some confidence,” Coach Schwarz explained. “I’m excited to see our younger guys develop in the distance events; there is some talent there, we just need to be patient and let them develop. We are a little low on numbers in the throwing events so scoring points in those events will be tough.

“Most of our kids who are out for track are multiple sport athletes, so we are really trying to manage their workload to keep them healthy and enthused about the upcoming season.”

2025 South Loup Boys & Girls Track & Field Schedule:

March 22: @ UNK March 27: @ Loup City April 1: @ Elwood April 11: @ Arnold April 17: @ Burwell April 22: @ Overton May 2: MNAC @ Arnold May 6: @ Sutherland May 9: @ Arnold May 15: Districts @ Kearney