Berlyn Schutz is no stranger to breaking track and field records at every level, and she’s done it again for the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the 2025-2026 season.
The Nebraska junior distance runner set the woman’s program record for the 3,000-meter run, finishing in 9:06.41 at the Graduate Classic in mid-January. She also finished first in the 800-meter race at the Mark Colligan Memorial in late January. Schutz said that she and her coach set goals before every meet, knowing what it would take to break the record.
“Seeing the clock after you actually do it is another thing than thinking you can do it,” Schutz told Hail Varsity. “It feels really good to actually succeed in what your plan was, and what you know you can do. So I guess that’s my reaction, is just the feeling of accomplishment, and being proud of myself.”
During her freshman year, Schutz broke the indoor record for the fastest mile time in school history, posting a 4:37.45 time at the Tyson Invitational before improving on that to earn the Bronze medal at the Big Ten Championships with a 4:37.37 time.
As a sophomore, she broke the program record in the 3,000 meters (which she then shattered this season) and improved the record mile time at the Boston Valentine Invitational, running a 4:35.38.
“My coaches have instilled in me this belief that I probably wouldn’t have if I was anywhere else,” Schutz said. “I think coming from a high school in Lincoln and coming to college in the same town, I didn’t really know what I could do in college, so every year it’s kind of just dreaming bigger, and having coaches that believe in you and having teammates that can push you every day. I think that’s been the main source of success for me.”
The Lincoln East product had a successful high school career, winning the Class A state title in the 800- and 1600-meter races while setting the state record for the fastest mile time. Schutz won a tile in the four-by-800 relay contest and guided the Spartans to back-to-back district championships in 2022 and 2023.
Schutz said that she first considered running competitively as a freshman in high school, though she didn’t take it too seriously until her senior year.
“I never disliked running even though I was going through a bunch of changes or stuff in the world was happening,” Schutz said. “It was always something I could come back to and enjoy, and I think as I let my body start to do what it needed, I think my senior year it started to come together more for me, and running became even more fun because of that. I kind of realized like, ‘Hey, if I don’t believe myself, and I don’t try as much as I think I can do than I would regret it.’ So, I think I kind of just stuck with it through the years, and I knew it was something that I really enjoyed, so I might as well keep going with it.”
Schutz toured Creighton and Kansas before committing to Nebraska.
“I think I liked Nebraska because it was familiar in a different way,” Schutz said. “I knew that it would be a place that I knew and I’ve grown up with, but I also was excited to explore a different side of Lincoln that I hadn’t seen, which was being involved in university athletics. I also think when I toured Nebraska and I met everyone, they were all very excited and willing to help me with anything I did, whether it was academics, athletic support, anyone. They were just really happy to help you, and they just really value our athletic programs too, so that was exciting for me as a high school student to see.”
The Lincoln native is running for the team that her late mother, Cori Schutz, rooted for while wearing the Husker logo across her chest with pride every weekend.
“It’s really special,” Schutz said. “My family has grown up here, my mom was a big Husker fan, my grandparents are big Husker fans, so it kind of is like a family thing. It’s also really personal for me, just because I’ve grown up here, and now I can represent the university that I’ve looked at for years from a distance. So, I think that’s a really special thing to be a part of.”
Schutz is looking to inspire runners that want to follow in her footsteps, hoping they understand the importance of enjoying the journey along the way.
“I would say, especially to the young girls, just stick with it and have fun with it,” Schutz said. “It is not that serious when you’re in high school or middle school. You can do whatever you put your mind to, and I think if anything my college experience has taught me to dream bigger and to surround yourself with people who also believe in you to accomplish those dreams.”
Schutz and the Huskers will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday. The Meet begins at 11 a.m. CT.
