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It’s been awhile. Most assuredly, a fair bit of you didn’t miss us. And, yet, for some of you this might be your first-ever Harvest Sports Newsletter. So, thanks for subscribing. You’ll get a little slower paced group with us in the summer. Once a week, maybe?

Some of us have real jobs, but the main goal for many of us this summer will be to see if we can get 18 holes in under 80, 90 or, heck, 100 shots. If we can figure it all out, we might share some of that here. But, don’t hold us to it. We will also be getting ready for a new season — a new school year — of sports. It will be here before we know it.

We thought we’d send a quick letter here to share what we did this spring. And, maybe set you up for the few summer items we might try to put together. We are a low pressure newsletter. Share with your friends if you like. We’d love to have them too.

The Spring Trophies

Our partnership with the Nebraska School Activities Association this school year was a good one. We think, anyway. We hope to make our content even better for you during our second year (if they have us back, take nothing for granted). Here’s a quick recap of our words and photos from the spring season.

Soccer: A pair of thrilling boys finals capped the state soccer tournament at Creighton’s Morrison Stadium.

A crowd of over 7,000 watched as Omaha Westside won their first state championship since 2004 in Class A. Schuyler won the first state soccer championship in school history and just their fourth in any sport as they defeated Bennington for the Class B title.

In the girls games, Lincoln Southwest earned a Class A repeat over Omaha Marian and Gretna East continued their domination of Class B with a second straight title and win over Lincoln Pius X. FULL SOCCER RECAP

Baseball: The state baseball tournament produced some continued dynasties and a brand new champion on a damp and cool Friday at Omaha’s Werner Park.

Lincoln East won their second title in three years with a win over Millard North. Gretna East shut out Bennington 2-0 in Class B and Malcolm won their third straight title in Class C with a run rule victory over Central City/Centura. FULL BASEBALL RECAP

Track and Field: Records fell and some of the top track athletes of all time ended their Nebraska high school careers during the 2025 state meet at Omaha Burke from May 21-24. In all, 18 state or state meet records fell in the four day event.

Team champions on the boys side included Kearney, Waverly, Perkins County and Dundy County-Stratton. In the girls races, Papillon-La Vista South, Bennington, Kearney Catholic and Dundy County-Stratton won state championships. FULL TRACK AND FIELD RECAP

Girls Tennis: The state tennis tournament ended its four-day run at the Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln on Wednesday, May 27 as Lincoln East captured the Class A tournament for their seventh title in school history.

Previously in the Class B tournament, McCook earned their second title in school history by outlasting a balanced field of contenders. The Bison had previously won Class B in 2017. FULL STATE GIRLS TENNIS RECAP

Boys Golf: If you are into drama on the golf course, the final championship event of the 2024-25 school year provided plenty.

There were playoffs in three of the four classes for the individual championships with Lincoln East’s Max Moss, Elkhorn North’s Andrew Nietfeldt and Creighton’s Calvin Willmes all winning their gold medals in extra holes. Kearney Catholic’s Nash Malone – after losing in a playoff last year – earned his title in regulation over teammate Tate Redinger.

Team champions were Lincoln East, by two shots over Omaha Westside, in Class A. Elkhorn North in Class B, Kearney Catholic in Class C and Creighton in Class D. FULL BOYS GOLF RECAP

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Photoshop — Some Of Our Spring Favorites

Things We Wanted To Share

THE NERDS. The Newsletter dabbled in the Prep Running Nerd world for a few falls and springs. We couldn’t quite commit to as many photos this spring. Never fear. The Nerds were still our in full force. How full? Try 21,000 state track photos.

THE PODCAST. You may listen to podcast’s, you may not. Our weekly listen is to Ryan Hawk’s Learning Leader Podcast. If you are into football, Ryan is the brother to former Green Bay Packer linebacker AJ. They are from Centerville, OH where Ryan played quarterback a few years after Kirk Herbstreit. This recent conversation with Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan is well worth your time.

GOLF SEASON. The Nebraska Golf Assocation’s championship season is well underway. It was cloudy skies this week at Beatrice Country Club, but Nebraska golfer Eden Lohrbach from Ames, IA earned a trip to the US Women’s Amateur with her state title on Thursday. Jealous of that Bandon Dunes trip.

She topped Omaha’s Kate Ruge — the defending champion — with a final round 69 that erased a four-shot deficit heading into the final 18 holes. Championship Recap

Stick to the Newsletter this summer. Those junior championships are a little close to home and we may get you an inside look when they come see us in central Nebraska.

ONE LAST THING: The Newsletter will continue to come to your inbox for FREE for as long as we can do it. To do that, we need sponsors. If you think your business might be a good fit, we’d love to share our message with you. Just hit reply. 

But, since we are allowing you to read for free, we sometimes ask you to reach into your pocket (or Apple wallet). Our just graduated Olivia has pledged to run the St. Jude Children’s Hospital marathon in December. Her first ever. She had a blast last year, raising over $4,000 for her half marathon adventure.

She’d like to be halfway to her big $6,500 goal when she starts training in early July. The good news? She’s almost there. But, you could help her get even closer by pledging any amount to her cause. It’s truly been a life-changing experience for our family.