The University of Nebraska Kearney track and field’s high jump group finished its season No. 1 in Division II competition, and Nolan Studley’s national title was a big reason why.
The high jumper won his first national title as a junior at the outdoor championships in Emporia, Kan., in May. Studley said that his competitive mind set along with the team’s drive helped the group succeed.
“I think we just got a lot of good high jumpers right now in our crew, and I think that since we’re all good it just makes each other better every day,” Studley told Hurrdat Sports. “In practice, it’s almost like a competitive track meet every time we have a jump day at practice, so we all just compete against each other. It’s like iron sharpens iron, where nobody wants to lose, so we’re all trying to get better and beat each other in practice every day, and that just translates to the meets.”
That was certainly the case for Studley. He came into the competition No. 1 in Division II and won the event with a jump of 7 feet, 2.25 inches on his first attempt. He beat freshman teammate Luke Brachle to claim the title.
“It was kind of just so hard to process at first,” Studley said of his reaction. “I was ranked first coming in, but I didn’t necessarily expect fully to win it. And then as I was going, I was staying clean through all the bars, and then coming down to my last jump, I had already won, so all of the pressure was kind of off. It just felt amazing to be able to celebrate with my teammates and my coach.”
Studley said he was nervous after watching the other competitors, but felt confident in his abilities.
“It means everything,” Studley said of winning the title. “It’s kind of always been a goal in the back of my head, but it just means a lot to be able to work almost year around for track. Doing track for however long, maybe seven or eight years now, and to be able to perform at such a high level, it really means a lot to me.”
The Hastings product is no stranger to competing on big stages. In 2023, Studley won the Class B state high jump title for Hastings.
At UNK, he broke former teammate and now assistant coach Brayden Sorensen’s school record at the Central Nebraska meet in March. Studley cleared 7 feet, 3 inches to break the program’s outdoor record.
“It was awesome, I was just on top of the world,” Studley said. “I almost got out the height before, so I was just a little flustered by that, but it was awesome to be able to break his record and have him celebrate with me. He was the one who coached me to break it, so it’s kind of funny in that sense.”
Studley said he’s enjoyed learning from Sorensen.
“He’s wonderful, he might be the person I know who knows the most about track,” Studley said. “He could just go on and on all day talking about track …
“Before he was my coach he was my teammate for a year, so to be able to have a coach that has been through the whole process and has jumped high before, it definitely helps a lot.”
Studley said Sorensen’s experience as an athlete and coach has helped the former tremendously.
“I don’t think I would be where I’m at without Brayden,” Studley said. “My freshman year when he was my teammate, he would be at the meets with me and he would just kind of tell me how to conduct yourself, and how to go about keeping a good competitive mindset and all that stuff. And then as a coach now, he still has that knowledge of what it’s like to be in an athlete’s shoes, but he’s also in a coaching position, so he just has more knowledge in that sense. So it definitely helps a lot.”
A four-time All-American, Studley became the sixth athlete in the division II era to win a national championship for the Lopers. He was the first to do so in the field for UNK since 2010.
“I’m not super big on wanting recognition,” Studley said. “I kind of just like to go out and jump over bars, because it’s rewarding to me, and it’s just a fun pastime for me. It is cool to get recognized for All-American and whatnot, but I’m kind of shy, so when the recognition comes I don’t really know how to act, necessarily.”
Studley said he’s enjoyed representing Hastings and Nebraska, while thanking those who helped him along the way.
“I met a lot of my lifetime best friends from Hastings, and I still keep in touch with my high school coaches, so it definitely means a lot to be able to come this far and give credit to my high school coaches,” Studley said. “Without them, I probably wouldn’t have even ended up doing track and field in the first place, so it definitely means a lot.”
Studley has left his mark on the Lopers’ track and field program, but he’s not done yet. He will return next season for one final year with the program.
“I just want to be the greatest high jumper to ever come through UNK,” Studley said.
