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Shaylie Kester envisioned a future as a veterinary technician. After working as a student teller at Cornerstone Bank's Clearwater branch, the Summerland FFA member is consider a career change. "This experience opened my eyes to the world of finance and made me realize how much I enjoy working in the field of business. Now, I plan to pursue a career in something on the financial side, like ag business." Kester, who serves as the local chapter president, initially considered showing fair cattle...
Summerland FFA sent 24 members to the Area 5 range judging contest, held south of O'Neill, on Sept. 19. Advisor Jacob Goldfuss reported, "Everyone did great and learned." In the senior division, out of 102 participants, Shaylie Kester, Ethan Kester and Logan Kester placed in the top 25 and received a green ribbon. The senior division team, comprised of the three Kesters and Carter Bergman, received seventh place. In the junior division, out of 169 participants, Breckyn Bergman place 20th and...
On Sept. 12, 26 Summerland FFA members attended the West Holt range judging competition south of Atkinson. In the junior division, Breckyn Bergman placed sixth out of 236 competitors. The junior division team, comprised of Bergman, Taylen Nilson, Marlin Krysl and Savannah Gallagher placed eighth. Ethan Kester finished in the top 25 in the senior division. One hundred fourteen students competed in the division. Kester, Jenna Funk, Clair Krysl and Shaylie Kester comprised the senior division team...
For several Summerland FFA students, school never is out of session, even during summer months. Through a Supervised Agriculture Experience, FFA members are able to explore career options and learn about workplace life. Summerland FFA Advisor Jacob Goldfuss said, "Essentially, it is some type of job or project that an FFA member should have to help them learn skills and knowledge that they can use in the classroom and in FFA contests." The sky's the limit when it comes to a job or project for an...
This month, three career and technical education organizations at Summerland Public Schools have attended state conventions, giving students an opportunity to show knowledge gained in the classroom and compete in a variet of events. FFA The Summerland FFA Chapter attended its state convention, in Lincoln, April 3 to 5. Two students received gold medals, including Jenna Funk in cooperative speaking and Braelyn Bergman, discovery speaking. Two groups received silver awards. The Conduct of Chapter...
Seventeen Summerland Public School students participated in the Northeast Community College Scholastic Contest, on March 27. Six students placed in seven events. Raina Krebs took first in accounting. Carter Bergman brought home two medals. He placed second in anatomy and physiology and third in personal finance. Aislynn Kester placed second in medical terminology. In parenting and child development, Emma King finished second. Sarah Wiese placed second in child development. In biology, Shaylie...
District 4 Leadership Development Events were held Dec. 6 at Lutheran High Northeast. Summerland FFA advisor Jacob Goldfuss said the local chapter took took 20 members and they all did very well. "There are 20 schools in our district and each chapter can send two individuals or teams for every contest, so to get top three and make it to state is quite hard," Goldfuss said. In addition to the two teams in the photos, several individuals qualifed or will be an alternate for state. Jenna Funk got...
As sunlight trickled through the window at the Bob and Rita Kester home on a recent Sunday morning, Helar Duran felt like he was transported to 2006, felt a sense of familiarity and peacefulness reminiscent of being home. "It feels like I'm 16 again. Waking up at the farm ... it's a good sensation," Duran said. The Cucúta, Colombia, native spent a year as an exchange student at Clearwater Public Schools. He recently returned to celebrate his host parents' 50th wedding anniversary. When Duran...
A sophomore and a senior punched their tickets to the 2023 Nebraska School Activities Association Class C State Track and Field Championships after qualifying at districts, last Thursday, in Atkinson. Bailey Ahlers claimed gold in high jump. She cleared 5' 3. Caydence Schumacher finished fourth and Lydia Robertson, fifth, in the event. Both cleared 4' 11. Cheatum won the 400m dash, setting the pace at 1:00.02, a season record for the University of South Dakota track commit. Cheatum hit gold a...
Summerland's track teams packed a one-two punch, May 4, at the Randolph Invite. The boys' team finished first,scoring 192 points in the five-team field. The Lady Cats finished second to Ponca, who won with 203 points. Summerland scored 140. Coach Shannon Schumacher said the girls' team had several highlights. "Hadley Cheatum led the team on her last meet before districts, with three golds in three events. Bailey Ahlers and Raina Krebs also got first in their events. Lydia Robertson, Caydence...
Coach Shannon Schumacher's boys' and girls' track and field teams had a "fantastic showing" at Saturday's Niobrara Valley Conference meet in Atkinson. Both teams finished third in their divisions. West Holt won the girls' division, scoring 191 points. St. Mary's totaled 91 for second place. The Bobcats and Elkhorn Valley tied for third, scoring 76. In the boys' division, West Holt scored 192 points to take the team title. EV took the runner-up trophy after scoring 141.5 points. The Bobcats...
The Bobcat track teams added two trophies to the awards case, April 17, after both earned runner-up titles at the Hartington Invite. In the girls' division, the Lady Cats scored 82.5 points, 19 points behind champion Stanton. Bobcat junior varsity ended 10th, scoring 12.5 points. Summerland scored 88.33 points in the boys' division while Stanton claimed the title with 111 points. Girls' division Hadley Cheatum struck gold in the 200m dash, finishing in 27.37. Aubrey Parker placed ninth, running...
Hadley Cheatum led the Bobcat girls' track team at the April 13 O'Neill Invite, winning four gold medals. Coach Shannon Schumacher said he was proud of how the team performed. "They put up a lot of strong performances and personal bests. We ended up third out of 17 teams," the coach said. Three Bobcat jumpers earned medals in high jump. Bailey Ahlers finished second, at 5'; Caydence Schumacher, fourth, 4' 10 and Lydia Robertson, fifth, 4' 10, out of a total of 26 jumpers. "We had many others...
The Lady Bobcat track team earned multiple medals at the North Central Sandhills Invite. The team traveled to Bassett for the meet, April 3. Summerland finished second in team standings, with 73 points. West Holt claimed the top spot, accumulating 154.5 points; Burke, South Dakota, finished third, with 62 points, followed by Ainsworth, 61 and North Central, 49. Hadley Cheatum was named outstanding female athlete at the conclusion of the meet. The University of South Dakota track commit earned...
Two Lady Bobcats returned to Summerland with two medals from the 2023 Dan Lennon Track Invitational, held at the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion, March 28. Senior standout Hadley Cheatum, a USD track commit for next season, earned bronze in the 60m hurdles, finishing in 9.88. She placed fifth in the 400m, running 1:02.86. Bailey Ahlers finished fourth in high jump, clearing five feet. In the majority of events, more than 100 athletes participated in the Class B division, featuring schools from Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. Raina...
Summerland FFA Chapter members earned multiple awards at the 2023 FFA State Convention in Lincoln, March 29 - 31....
Ponca exploded after retrieving the opening tip and never looked back, gaining a 62-39 win over Summerland, Friday, Feb. 24, on the Indians' home court. The Indians opened the first quarter with 14 unanswered points until Bobcat senior Hadley Cheatum sunk a last-second basket at the end of the first quarter. The Bobcats settled into play during quarter two, holding Ponca to nine points and held steady with them following the break. But the Indians outscored Summerland 25-15 in the final...
Confirmation class • Catholic Parishes in Partnership held the liturgy of confirmation, Saturday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 30, at St. Bonaventure Church in Raeville. Archbishop George Lucas, served as celebrant, with assistance from Fr. John Norman and Fr. Joseph Sund....
Summerland competed in the D4 district cross country meet, on a windy Thursday, at the Ainsworth Country Club. Runners battled strong northwesterly winds, gusting more than 40 miles per hour at times. Alex Thiele ends his cross country career with a 38th place finish. Jesse Thiele ended in 52nd. In the girls' division, Aislynn Kester finished 22nd, Carlee Livingston, 31st, Danielle Schrunk, 45th and Shaylie Kester, 47th. In team scoring, the Lady Bobcats finished in seventh p...
A sunny day and cooler temperatures provided plenty of opportunity for Bobcat cross country competitors to showcase their abilities, Friday, at the Niobrara Valley Conference meet at the Atkinson-Stuart Country Club. The Lady Cats finished fifth, finishing with 48 points. West Holt claimed the team title, scoring 15 points, edging out runner-up Elkhorn Valley by one point. Neligh-Oakdale finished fourth, with 39 points; CWC, placed sixth, with 52 points and Niobrara/Verdigre ended sevenith,...
Ten members of Summerland's junior high and high school cross country teams participated in the Battle Creek Invite, Sept. 29. In the junior high boys' division, Bryce Rudloff led the squad with a 20th-place finish. Zander Cepel ended 24th, Lakin Cleveland, 47th and Jorden Cox, 56th. Homer claimed the junior high boys' title, earning 18 points. In the high school boys' division, Alex Thiele finished in 22:01.02, placing 42nd. Jesse thiele ended in 55th, running 23:08.26. Sixty-five runners...
Bobcat cross country competitor Shaylie Kester sets the pace for a group of runners during the Crofton Invite. Bobcat junior high and high school teams competed in the Sept. 22 meet. Individual and team standings were unavailable at press time....
Summerland’s cross country team was one of 14 competing in the high school division of Friday’s O’Neill Invite. The Bobcat girls’ team finished sixth in team standings, with 106 points. Crofton scored 22 in the race for the team title, followed by West Holt, with 38. A field of approximately 50 runners competed, with Carlee Livingston leading the Bobcats racers. She finished 23rd with a 25:22.70 run. Aislynn Kester crossed the finish line in 29th, running 26:21.70. Danielle Schrunk crossed in the 34th spot, running 27:01.30. Shaylie Kester plac...
Four high school and four junior high participants earned medals for the Bobcat squads at the Boyd County Cross Country Invitational. The meet, held Sept. 8, at the Butte Golf Course, was originally slated to start at 4 p.m., but due to impending high temperatures nearing the century mark, officials bumped the start time to 10 a.m. Yet, temperatures neared the mid-80s when races started and reached above 90 during the awards ceremony. In the high school girls' division, Aislynn Kester led the...
Summerland cross country runners didn't let the heat get to them, Thursday, as temperatures pushed into the low 90s at Burwell at the Calamus Golf Course. The Bobcat girls' team finished third overall, with two contestants earning medals. West Holt won the team title, scoring 10 points. CWC finished second, with 24. The Bobcat runners were paced by Aislynn Kester, who finished 12th, and Carlee Livingston, 13th. Kester ran the course in 21:24 and Livingston, 21:37. Both athletes said they felt go...