New Head Track & Field Coach Stephanie Buzek is up and running with the first season for the H&H Bearcats!
Another first for the Hampton and Heartland H&H Bearcat sports coop is the inaugural 2026 Track & Field season.
The Bearcats pose for their team photo with 56 students out for varsity track – photo courtesy Cody Farrall
New Bearcat Head Track & Field Coach, Stephanie Buzek, is excited about bringing together the two programs and readily admits that she “loves track!” She grew up in Stromsburg, where her dad was the principal and track coach, and she ran middle distances.
She is a Heartland math teacher and technology coordinator who brings a full resume of coaching experience in track to the job. She has 18 years of coaching experience across multiple schools, including junior high and high school.
Coach Buzek began her track coaching career in Beatrice, then at Fairbury, where she was the head junior high girls coach for five years, an assistant high school coach at Centennial for six years, and, before coming to Heartland, head coach at Cross Country for three years.
She will have her hands full this first season with 56 reporting out for the high school team and just as many for junior high. But she’s no stranger to handling those kinds of high numbers. “When I was coaching at Fairbury, we had 52 girls out, so I learned real quick how to have rules and expectations in place for managing that many kids.”
Track practice for high school officially began on Monday, March 2, as they prepare for the annual indoor Doan University meet on March 20. Hampton has seven boys and four girls on the high school team, with the rest from Heartland. Junior High track begins on Monday, March 16th, with an estimated 56 students participating, according to Coach Buzek.
“We don’t do a conditioning week because I’ve been coaching long enough to know that sometimes your first few weeks will be great weather, and then the next three weeks in March might bring us inside because of snow. So honestly, if we can get outside, we are going to start working on events,” said Coach Buzek.
The first week of track practice was enjoyed outside in perfect conditions – HeartlandBeat photos
Something new for the Heartland kids was joining in on an opening-track season Hampton tradition on Friday, March, in what they call the ‘Hampton Mile.’ The team warmed up in the Hampton gym and then ran a mile route around Hampton on Friday morning. Hampton doesn’t have a track, so all practices and home meets will take place at Heartland.
“We have some very skilled coaches this year that I’m excited about, and so far we’ve had really good communication.” Coach Buzek recognizes the importance of good communication with the coaching staff, given that they are split between two schools. She has held meetings with students at both schools prior to the track season.
2026 Track & Field Assistant Coaches: Erik Wetjen (Heartland PE teacher) – JUMPS; Heidi Ruhl (Heartland math teacher) – HURDLES; Joel Miller (Hampton Ag Ed) – THROWS; Kate Schendt (Hampton Spanish teacher)- JR. HIGH & JUMPS. Community members assisting are Corbin Tessman (POLE VAULT), Austin Stuhr (SPRINTS/STARTS), and Malaina Schlautmann (DISTANCE).
Heartland varsity returners for the boys who should make an impact are Sam Friesen in the sprints and Trent Goertzen, Maddox Regier, and Holden Switzer in the middle distance range. Also helping will be Mason Wiens from Hampton, who qualified for state in the mile. “We have a good, solid core in the middle distance range and, barring injuries, I’m hoping to have some decent relay teams,” said Coach Buzek.
“Our boys’ pole vault will also be a strength this year as we have Nevada Gloystein and Waylon Tessman returning, who had some good performances last year,” said Buzek.
Returning Heartland girls who had some success last year are Sophie Minary in the discus, Hallie Tessman in the pole vault, and Maddie Janzen in the distance races. Junior Tara Buzek, who was a state contender in the 800-meter & placed 4th at state in the 1600-meter run her freshman year, is still recovering from an injury, but she should be ready to go full force by the middle of the season, according to Buzek.
Changing to the Bearcats also meant new uniforms and sweats, so Coach Buzek has been busy ordering and distributing them. Gone are the purple & crimson, and in are new Bearcat designs in black/white & silver.
