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Rosener, Buschkamp wind up successful HNS careers
OMAHA - Cole Rosener and Carmen Buschkamp led their respective teams to Burke Stadium May 23-24 for the Class D Nebraska Track and Field Championships.
Although things didn’t work out in Omaha as planned or dreamed, both seniors leave Hartington-Newcastle after great careers and a great senior campaign.
“Sports will teach you a lot about life,” Rosener said. “Sometimes the lessons are hard and brutal, but if you look back overall, they were positive and a lot of fun.”
Take for instance, Rosner’s qualifying for the state meet in four events this year and all four years of his high school career... and he brought home a couple of medals for his hard work and even take into account the way he qualified for his bread and butter, the long jump, this year.
“I was leading with a jump of 20-feet-5.75-inches and I’ve been kind of nursing a hamstring problem, so I decided to pass once we got to the finals to save my legs for later in the meet,” Rosener said. “Well, the kid in second place beat me by a quarter-of-an-inch on his last jump, but I still had one jump left. I jumped and after I landed and stood up, I was on cement, so I knew I hit a good jump. I thought to myself, ‘good grief, that might be a 22-foot jump’ and it was.”
He registered the longest jump of his career to win the district title, hitting the sand after 22-feet-00.25-inches.
“Those will be the memories I take with me,” he said.
“We are very proud of the career Cole had here,” said head Wildcat Coach, Dylan Behnk. “He was a four-time state qualifier and a twotime medalist in the long jump.
And don’t think he had a state meet flop by any means. He still ran a 53.42-second 400, a 24.10 second 200, long jumped over 20 feet and ran a leg in the Wildcat 4x100-meter relay team...with a “hamstring problem.”
“I really wanted to medal in the long jump and I usually get my best jump on my first jump to the last one,” he said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t make the finals so my last jump was my third jump and I didn’t get the other three jumps.” In the end, he still has plenty to hang his hat on as he moves along in his life.
“If you feel like you did everything you possibly could to be at your best, you should have no regrets,” said Rosener. “Sports will teach you sometimes you just have a bad day. It’s a tough lesson, but it’s one you will get taught if you compete in anything. I’ll remember it, but I’ll also remember the great times.”
Buschkamp, the other senior qualifier for HNS, made her first trip to Omaha in her last season for the Lady Wildcats, and she did it in two events, the 1,600 and the 3,200.
And her first state experience was a symbol of her career.
She ran her personal best in the 3,200 by 27 seconds (12:50.88) and finished the 1,600 just 11 seconds off of a personal record after falling at the beginning of the race.
“Carmen had a successful final season for us,” said Lady Wildcat coach, Mandy Hochstein. “Her hard work paid off and she finished career with her first state appearance in not one, but two events. We will miss her smile whimsical personality and team spirit next year.”
Behnk also took a group of underclassmen to Omaha in the 4x100 relay, the sprints and some jumps.
“I’m very optimistic about the future of our track program,” the coach said. “Considering we had a junior (Mason Krause) and two sophomores (Will Feilmeier and Maximus McCray) qualify in multiple events, I’m already looking forward to the prospect of next year.”
Rosener, Feilmeier, McCray and Krause joined forces to circle the track once in 45.29 seconds to place 12th in the 4x100 relay.
Krause and McCray finished 15th and 18th respectively in the triple jump. Krause had a best of 40-feet-8.25-inches and McCray jumped 40-01.50.
Feilmeier used an 11.55 100-meters to place 16th and ran the 200 in 23.71 which was good enough for 18th.
Hochstein added a couple of freshmen and her daughter, Hazel to her state meet slate.
Vayda Lippert was a busy freshman for her first meet.
“She ran a personal record of 2:28.06 in the 800, placed 14th in the 400 in 1:01.60 and placed 15th in the high jump with a 4-09,” Hochstein said. “Vayda was the only athlete to qualify in three events, she will be a dominating member of our future track teams.”
Her freshmen teammate, Ella Eickhoff, competed in two events at state.
“She made the opening height in the pole vault and ran a gritty race in the 300 hurdles,” said her coach. “She will continue to be a force on the track field in upcoming years.”
Hazel Hochstein competed in the pole vault along with Eickhoff and just missed the opening height of 8-00 and was a mainstay in the Hartington-Newcastle relay squads all season.
“We are excited to see how these three Lady ‘Cats will be returning next year with state experience and expectations,” said Coach Hochstein. “”this season went well and the entire team showed improved skills and confidence with each performance.”
Dundy County-Stratton swept the team titles in Class D. The boys team ran past Axtell 87-62 while the girls’ squad more than doubled runner-up Nebraska Christian 8642.
2025 NEBRASKA CLASS D STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS May 23-24, Omaha Burke Stadium Boys Champs and HNS/Wynot Performances: 100: 1. Laken Wissink (DC-S) 11.07; 16. Will Feilmeier (HNS) 11.55.
200: 1. Laken Wissink (DC-S) 21.87; 18. Will Feilmeier (HNS) 23.71; 23. Cole Rosener (HNS) 24.10.
400: 1. Will Cacy (ARAP) 48.93; 18. Cole Rosener (HNS) 53.52.
800: 1. Luc Lopez (AXT) 1:58.28; 1,600: 1. Kael Garrett (MV) 4:35.37; 3,200: 1. Jacob Swanson (NeCh) 10:07.44; 110HH: 1. Jake Halvorsen (AXT) 15.34; 300IH: 1. Luke Bailey (A-L) 39.84; 4x100: 1. Dundy County-Stratton 42.88; 12. Hartington- Newcastle (Will Feilmeier, Mason Krause, Maximus McCray, Cole Rosener) 45.29.
4x400: 1. Central Valley 3:26.62; 4x800: 1. East Butler 8:17.44; SHOT PUT: 1. Brock Bailey (DC-S) 59-00.
DISCUS: 1. Brock Bailey (DC-S) 160-04.
HIGH JUMP: 1. Brock McCarter (OVTN) 6-08; 9. Lane Heimes (WYN) 6-02.
POLE VAULT: 1. Gage Hammond (SW) 13-06; LONG JUMP: 1. Maddox Wagoner (KEN) 21-09.25; 10. Cole Rosener (HNS) 20-02.75.
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Brody Sperling (HPC) 44-06.50; 15. Mason Krause (HNS) 40-08.25; 18. Maximus McCray (HNS) 40-01.50.
Girls Individual Champions and HNS/Wynot Performances:
100: 1. Clara Spargo (DC-S) 12.51.
200: 1. Clara Spargo (DC-S) 24.63.
400: 1. Clara Spargo (DC-S) 56.30; 14. Vayda Lippert (HNS) 101.60.
800: 1. Myleigh Weers (D-O) 2:20.87; 12. Vayda Lippert (HNS) 2:28.06; 22. Eliza Lange (WYN) 2:36.22.
1,600: 1. Ashley Robertson (WAL) 5:20.24; 24. Carmen Buschkamp (HNS) 6:13.26.
3,200: 1. Leah Dawson (McCJ) 11:35.58; 17. Carmen Buschkamp (HNS) 12:50.88.
100H: 1. Sheridan Falk (NeCh) 14.82.
300H: 1. Abigael Spargo (DC-S) 44.90; 16. Ella Eickhoff (HNS) 49.84.
4x100 RELAY: 1. Dundy County-Stratton 49.50.
4x400 RELAY: 1. Maywood-Hayes Center 4:06.82. 4x800 RELAY: 1. Maywood-Hayes Center 9:49.12. SHOT PUT: 1. Kennedy Bailey (DC-S) 43-04.25.
DISCUS: 1. Kennedy Bailey (DC-S) 133-09.
HIGH JUMP: 1. Marlea Donahey 5-03; 15. Vayda Lippert (HNS) 4-09.
POLE VAULT: 1. Janna Roberts (OSC) 11-06; 20. Ella Eickhoff (HNS) 8-00; Hazel Hochstein (HNS) NH.
LONG JUMP: 1. Sheridan Falk (NeCh) 18-01.75.
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Taylor McIntyre (CV) 36-11.50.
