KEARNEY — He did it.
A state meet record watch was in effect on Friday and Fremont senior Juan Gonzalez took high school cross country in the state by storm with a state meet-record run.
The fastest time in the 65-year history of the meet is now Gonzalez’s 14 minutes, 52 seconds.
The three-time Class A cross country champion improved the meet record by 6 seconds, set by Carson Noecker of Hartington-Newcastle two years ago.
Gonzalez’s goal Friday was to better Noecker’s course record of 14:51, but he was still thrilled to help Fremont win the team state championship and set a meet record.
About one mile into the race, Gonzalez knew he needed to pick up the pace, but by the 2-mile mark, he felt like he was back on pace for a record run.
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“I was just trying to keep my foot on the gas the whole time,†Gonzalez said. “I saw I went out at 4:42 (for one mile) and I was like, ‘I need to speed it up.’ I just stayed relaxed on the hills, and then every time we got a little downhill, I’d make a move and keep my foot on the gas and see what I could do in the last mile.â€
Fremont coach Sean McMahon said it’s difficult for most people to comprehend the speed and endurance it takes to run 14:52 for 5,000 meters (3.1 miles).
“You’re talking about averaging 4:40 something per mile,†McMahon said. “Most human beings can never comprehend running one lap of a 4:40 mile. Today every time I saw him, he was smiling at me. I’m glad he had a good time out there.â€
Fremont senior Juan Gonzalez set a state meet record on Oct. 25, winning the Class A title in 14 minutes, 52 seconds at the Kearney Country Club.
Gonzalez is arguably the most successful boys distance runner in state history for what he’s done in cross country, his state records in track and his 10th-place finish at the Foot Locker national meet last year.
Overall, he has 19 career wins in cross country — four as a sophomore, seven as a junior and eight this season.
He’s just the sixth three-time champion for boys and fourth in Class A. He has course records in three states — Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. On Saturday morning, he leaves for a recruiting trip to Oregon, one of the top distance running programs in the country.
Fremont had a five-runner score of 47 for the team championship, coming one year after the Tigers lost a tiebreaker for the team championship. Fremont has five titles in the last seven years and 12 overall.
Runner-up Lincoln North Star was in second place with 62 points. North Star’s finish was its best in program history, coming in the first year for head coach Brian Wandzilak. It's also just the second state runner-up trophy in school history, joining softball in 2009.
Lincoln East finished third for its highest finish in 40 years.
North Star had an impressive showing with four runners in the top 10 — Josiah Bitker (second), Easton Zastrow (fourth), first-year runner J’Shawn Afuh (seventh) and Tyler Smith (ninth).
Fremont’s advantage over North Star was that its fifth runner finished 28th and the Gators’ fifth was 52nd.
Fremont had a great race. Its third runner, Michael Nichols, finished eighth. Two weeks earlier on the same course, he was 17th in a smaller meet.
“(Nichols) wanted to be one of those guys up there with a gold medal really bad,†McMahon said. “And Jase Laday (11th place), always loves running at Kearney. Ever since he was a freshman, this has been his favorite course, and he saved his best for last getting 11th place when nobody had those guys on their radar to medal. I think deep down they did.â€
Other medalists from Lincoln were East’s Caleb Ruch in 13th and Southwest’s Connor Boyle in 14th.
Millard West won the Class A girls state championship with a 54-93 advantage over runner-up Lincoln Southwest.
Millard West’s title ends the six-year hold Lincoln East had on the Class A title. East was eighth this year.
Kearney senior Abigail Burger was the girls champion, and it came with a memorable scene. She crossed the finish line just 2 miles from her school to give the Kearney girls their first champion in 26 years. This time, the local event staff working the finish line were able to identify the frontrunner by name when the leaders rounded the corner into the homestretch.
“I would say it’s an advantage not having to travel, and this is my fourth time this year running (this course),†Burger said. “Sometimes it can get a little boring, but I feel like it’s an advantage.â€
Burger tripped early in the race -- possible on a tree root -- but quickly got up and won by 4 seconds.
Two runners from Lincoln earned top 15 medals — North Star senior Hope Riedel in 12th and Lincoln High junior Sydney Wendt in 14th.
Top Journal Star photos for October 2024
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Voters wait in line outside of the Lancaster County Election Commission Office to register and vote early on Monday.
Gov. Jim Pillen answers questions from reporters during a news conference on Tuesday at the Capitol.
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Oliver Degner, 4, (from left) Charlotte Degner, 6, and Noelle Gormley, 7, all of Lincoln, run to the finish line during the Pumpkin Run on Sunday in Lincoln's Haymarket.
Erika Madison, Capital Humane Society animal welfare specialist manager, weighs a Goldendoodle on a scale during intake on Friday. The city of Lincoln is balking at signing a new long-term contract with the humane society to provide shelter for stray animals after the amount nearly tripled over previous years.
Russ Marr works on a wooden portion of "Vlad the Impaler" — an art piece depicting a goose that has the fangs of a vampire, the tongue of a serpent and the tail of a rattlesnake. The body of the piece uses an original tank from a 1977 Harley-Davidson Super Glide.
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As seen from outside the UNL Union, Sen. Deb Fischer (right) speaks about her responsibilities as a senator and answers questions from students during a UNL College Republicans meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, at the UNL Union. Fischer, the Republican from Nebraska seeking her third term in the US Senate.
Lincoln Southwest's Ja'Sara Wilson kicks up dirt as she slides into second base in the first inning of the A-2 district championship on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Doris Bair Complex .
Henry Oetjen augers corn from his combine into a grain cart while harvesting on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, at Oetjen Farms near Walton.
Pius X's Faith Venable (left) is mobbed by her teammates after scoring the set winning kill in the second set on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, at Lincoln Lutheran High School
From left, Nola Broderick, 7, and her twin Rose Broderick ride their bikes past the Halloween decorations at the home of Wade and Debbie McGinnis at 5043 Leighton Avenue is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Lincoln.
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Reach Brent C. Wagner at bwagner@journalstar.com or 402-473-7435.
Brent Wagner
Husker volleyball/women's basketball reporter
