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Aurora seniors Garrett Bellis (left) and Devin Danielson make up the treasurer and sentinel roles for the Huskies FFA chapter. -
Hampton senior Brooke Lubke stands near the Hawk Herd pen behind the school. “It sounds crazy to say I get to see a cow at school, but it is really amazing to see that,” she said. -
Aurora’s Jack Allen capped a stellar senior wrestling season by winning the Class B heavyweight championship Saturday at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. -
HPC’s Wyatt Urkoski was a runner-up finisher at the Nebraska state wrestling championships, earning his second medal in his third time at the event. -
Kehlanee Bengtson was a runner-up finisher for Aurora’s girls wrestling team at the state championships over the weekend. -
Hampton senior Shayna Klute signed on to participate with the cheer team at Hastings College Feb. 7.
Aurora duo talk FFA officer roles, leadership
Finishing out their senior years at Aurora High School in FFA style, Devin Danielson and Garrett Bellis make up a small portion of a pretty impressive FFA officer team for the current school year.
Each Husky may have had their own reason for joining and wanting to be an officer, but it seemed the duo had been somewhat stuck together since the start.
“I am the treasurer this year,” Bellis began. “Devin and I kind of flip flop every year. I started off as the treasurer and he was the sentinel. Then last year I was the sentinel and he was the treasurer. Now I’m treasurer again.”
Lubke gains new perspective on life, agriculture through FFA
Brooke Lubke didn’t grow up on a farm or have much ag awareness when she joined the Hampton FFA chapter as a freshman, but as she prepares to graduate she says her younger self would be amazed by how much the organization has impacted her life and perspective.
“I’m from Norfolk originally and I’ve always lived in town, so I have never really experienced agriculture,” Lubke shared. “I was really drawn to FFA because of the leadership side and getting to meet new people. I was just inspired to explore a different area I’m not familiar with.”
Aurora’s heavyweight champ
Jack Allen was penciled in as one of Class B’s top heavyweights at the start of the 2022-23 season. Late Saturday night, in the last match wrestled to completion, the Aurora senior used a Sharpie to stake that claim.
Allen won Class B’s heavyweight crown at the weekend’s NSAA state wrestling championships from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, completing a 48-1 season while becoming Aurora’s 12th individual champion and 15th overall in school history.
Silver medal duo
Bengtson earns first medal, falls one win short of title
Kehlanee Bengtson is a quiet competitor. She doesn’t say much, but her ability in competition speaks volumes.
In the second year of NSAA girls sanctioned wrestling, Bengtson became Aurora’s second state finalist, but couldn’t break through the glass in a loss to Omaha Westside’s Regan Rosseter via pinfall at Saturday’s state wrestling championships from the CHI Health Center in Omaha.
Urkoski earns silver medal
Even after the 2022-23 wrestling season began, Wyatt Urkoski wasn’t sure what weight was best for him to try and win a state championship.
It was after defeating Neligh-Oakdale’s Levi Drueke by a 5-4 decision at the Osceola Invite that he and High Plains coach Martin Phillips decided a run at 160 may be the best option.
Klute excited for new cheer experiences at Hastings
While she’s enjoyed playing sports like volleyball, cheering has always been Shayna Klute’s passion.
That passion and love for sport has turned into not only one of her favorite high school activities, but an avenue toward college.
The Hampton senior signed on with Hastings College Feb. 7 in front of her friends and family to join the Bronco cheer team.
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