OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — In track you're racing against other runners and the clock.
What if I told you two local athletes competed against each other this year without ever being in the same race?
That might sound confusing, but it's a unique dynamic that shattered state records and has taken Nebraska high school running to a new level.
WATCH KELSEY'S STORY:
- Fremont’s Juan Gonzalez and Gretna East’s Braden Lofquest did not race each other on the track this spring, but ran similar times in the 1600 meters.
- In early May, Braden broke Juan’s all-class record, then Juan took it back at a different meet less than an hour later.
- The two will face off at the “Night of Stars” meet at Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday, aiming for personal bests in the mile.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Fremont's Juan Gonzalez and Gretna East's Braden Lofquest never lined up next to each other, but still the two went head-to-head all season.
"Obviously we want to be better than each other,” Gonzalez said. “It's obviously not something we hide."
"It's always like I see his times go down, which drives me to push my time down even further,” Lofquest said.
Here's what happened on May 6:
Braden ran a 4:06 1600 at the Eastern Midland Conference meet, breaking Juan's all-class record of 4:08.
Less than an hour later, Juan ran a 4:03, reclaiming the record.
"I had 30 minutes to be happy, then I saw that and… not be mad about it but just want to keep pushing just 30 minutes after I ran,” Lofquest said. “It's good motivation to have someone like that in the state."
"It's a weird situation,” Gonzalez said. “Like how does someone you don't even race push you like that? But it's really special. I mean it's something you don't really see in Nebraska that often."
At state, Braden ran 4:18 to win Class B and Juan ran 4:11 to win Class A.
Saturday night they're finally going toe-to-toe in the mile at Nebraska Wesleyan's “Night of Stars” meet.
"I had that in the back of my head, so I was like we'll get a fast time there under four,” Lofquest said at the state meet.
And they want to put on a show.
"We'll go have some fun after state, run some fast times together possibly,” Gonzalez said. “Just really put Nebraska on the map."
And they're taking their talents to the Division I level this fall: Juan is headed to Oregon to run for the Ducks, while Braden is headed east to run for Duke.
