ALEXANDRIA

— 2025 will go down as a historic year for the Alexandria girls and boys track and field teams.

The Alexandria girls team won its second straight Class 2A team state title (third in program history) while the boys team earned its best team finish ever, placing second.

At the state championships, Alexandria won state titles and earned many all-state honors.

Payten Kor, Alison Krasky, Esryn Dahl, and Kaija Schneider won the girls 4×100-meter relay (48.06), while Lydia Oldenkamp placed second in the shot put (40-10.25) and discus (134-03). Kor, Krasky, Dahl, and Kaija Schneider placed second in the girls 4×200-meter relay (1:41.99). Soderholm also placed second in the 800m run (2:14.07).

Mila Warzecha, Johanna Kjolhaug, Emma Bassen, and Ainsleigh Lehmann placed third in the girls 4x800m (3:36.29), while Schneider placed fifth in the 100m dash (12.40), and Krasky placed fifth in the 400m dash (58.54).

Soderholm placed sixth in the 1600m run (4:55.98), and eighth in the 4x400m relay with Warzecha, Bassen, Lehmann, and Kjolhaug (9:34.09).

In the boys state championships, Trey Negen, Evan Kludt, Dane Olson, and Daniel Jackson won the 4x100m state title (41.74), while Olson, Kludt, Otto Anderson, and Jackson won the 4x200m (1:26.91). Anderson also won the 300m hurdles (37.34).

Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press

Jackson placed fourth in the 100m dash (10.91), while Anderson placed fifth in the 110m hurdles (14.42), and Kludt placed fifth in the 200m dash (22.08) and the long jump (22-04.00). Adrian Miles placed eighth in the shot put (50-03.50).

The Alexandria girls team won eight meets this season, including the Section 8-2A team title, the Section 8-3A True Team title, and both the Central Lakes Conference Indoor and Outdoor team titles, earning plenty of all-conference finishes and all-conference honorable mentions. The Alexandria girls placed third in the Class 3A True Team State Championship.

The Alexandria boys team won five meets this season, including the Section 8-2A team title, and both the Central Lakes Conference Outdoor and Indoor team titles, earning many CLC accolades.

After the season’s end, both teams handed out its yearly awards.

Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press

Anderson and Jackson split the boys Most Valuable Sprinter/Hurdler award, while Kludt was named the Most Valuable Field events athlete, Erick Bergerson was named the Most Valuable Distance Runner, and Austin Mohr received the Coaches award.

Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press

Krasky was named the Alexandria girls team’s Most Valuable Sprinter/Hurdler, Soderholm was named the Most Valuable Distance Runner, and Oldenkamp was named the Most Valuable Field events athlete. Kiera Christensen, Maia Fuglestad, Addison Gulbranson, and Bobbi Nichols shared the Coaches award.

Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press

Alexandria is set to move up to Class 3A in 2026.

Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press

Judith E. Nelson, age 86, died Friday, June 27, 2025, at the Genoa Community Hospital.

Funeral services 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Augustana Lutheran Church in Genoa. Visitation is 4-7 p.m. Monday at the church. Burial is in West Hill Cemetery.

Judith “Judy” Eldene (Johnson) Nelson, was born October 4th, 1938, in Norton, KS, to Francis (FB) and Erma (Garton) Johnson. She graduated from Danbury High School in 1956 with a graduating class of two where she played volleyball. She often reminded us volleyball looked very different back then!  

She attended McCook College and Fort Hays State College where she received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, a National Honor Society. She taught for several years in the towns of Western and Platte Center. 

Darrell and Judy met on a blind date by the NE State Capitol building for the NE State Fair Labor Day weekend 1962. They were united in marriage on November 17, 1963, at Augustana Lutheran Church in Genoa. They moved to the farm where she lived for 62 years. They raised two sons, John and Darren, who continue to farm their land today. 

Judy was passionate about her music. She learned piano as a young girl. She dedicated over 50 years to music by singing in choir, accompanying worship services at Augustana and the Congregational Church. She also shared her talents at countless weddings, funerals, Genoa/Twin River concerts, and special events. She even played once at the Nebraska Synod Assembly in Kearney.  

In addition to her love for music, she valued travel. Darrell and Judy enjoyed many national and international adventures together including (but not limited to) the countries of Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Vatican City. Judy did bus trips for about ten years following Darrell’s death. Last year, she visited all 70 stops on the Nebraska Passport Program with one of her friends. She was proud to have visited 49 states, missing only Delaware. 

Judy was a collector of history. She documented much of Darrell’s and her family history. Judy was one of the creators of Augustana’s 100th Anniversary History book. She was a volunteer for the Genoa Museum and Genoa Indian School and had recently been collecting spoons and postcards honoring the history of Genoa, Monroe, and Danbury in Nebraska and Kanona and Oberlin in Kansas. She was a member of the Genoa American Legion Auxiliary Post No. 144. 

She enjoyed watching college sports, especially Husker volleyball. She enjoyed coffee with the coffee ladies every morning at the Great Plains Café. During Covid, her dear friend, Jean, and her started talking to each other on the phone every night at 7:00 p.m. that they’re both home. She enjoyed watching the sunset from her porch. 

Most importantly, Judy loved her grandchildren. She attended every sporting event, play, speech night, award night, or any opportunity to support her five grandchildren. She cared so deeply for them and spent a lot of time collecting newspaper clippings of them. Her family was the joy of her life. 

Judy is survived by: 

Son: John (Susan) Nelson of Monroe, 

Son: Darren (Stacy) Nelson of St. Edward, 

Grandchildren: Courtney (Chris), Andrew, Macy, Marshall, and Merritt 

Sister-in-law: Helen Welin 

Judy is preceded in death by:  

Husband: Darrell 

Parents: Erma and Francis (FB) 

In-laws: Elmer and Helga 

Sister-in-law: Eunah Goering, Verna Wilke 

Brother-in-law: Norman Nelson, Robert Nelson

To send a flower arrangement in memory of
Judith Nelson, please click here to visit our sympathy store.

The group behind a potentially audacious bid to bring the 2036 Olympics to Hong Kong said the IOC president’s decision to revisit the bidding process “created an important window of opportunity” for the city.

On Friday, Kirsty Coventry announced she had paused the fast-tracking of a preferred bidder, a signature policy of predecessor Thomas Bach, in a concession to International Olympic Committee members who have wanted more say in decisions under new leadership.

That was seen as not only stalling the momentum India was believed to have built as favourites to win hosting rights, but also opening the door to a Hong Kong-driven bid to bring an Olympics to China for a third time.

A working group, comprised of business leaders and sports officials, has quietly been building support behind the scenes, with the intention of bidding to stage the Games in the Greater Bay Area.

In a statement sent to the Post on Saturday, it said “discussions to date have been extremely positive and, from our perspective, heading in the right direction”.

Sources said business chambers in the city had reacted positively to the group’s proposal, while influential figures in several sporting governing bodies had given it serious consideration.

Olympic medalist and two-time NCAA champion, Oregon track and field coach and distance runner Bill Dellinger died Friday. He was 91.

Dellinger won five National Championships as Oregon head coach, four in cross country. In 1984 his Duck outdoor Track and Field squad set an NCAA record with 108 points to win the team title at Hayward Field.

Dellinger mentored Steve Prefontaine, 81 All-Americans. Running for Bill Bowerman he won the 1954 national championship in the mile and in 1956 he captured NCAA gold in the 5000 meters.

His athletes set 18 U.S. records and won a dozen NCAA individual crowns, appearing in the Olympic Games 17 times.

After college he joined the Air Force, training alone outside a radar station on the Olympic Peninsula, twice-daily workouts on the beach, counting his steps to simulate track distances. He made the U.S. Olympic team three times, winning a bronze medal in the 5000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

Born in Grants Pass and raised in Springfield, Dellinger became Bill Bowerman’s assistant at Oregon in 1968, succeeding him as head coach in 1973.

He guided the careers of Prefontaine, Alberto Salazar, Rudy Chapa and Matt Centrowitz Sr., named to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2001.

Chapa told Runner Space, “Coach Bill Dellinger was one of the greatest coaches ever. However, for those of us lucky enough to have been coached by him, what we treasured most was the genuine friendship he gave us long after our running days were over.”

“He gave us so much more than guidance on the track; he gave us his heart. Bill was deeply loved, and he will be profoundly missed by his athletes, the Eugene-Springfield community, and the entire world of track and field.”

As a distance runner Dellinger set five American and World records:

1956 American Record holder: 5000 meters 14:16.2

1958 American Record holder: 1500 meters 3:41.5

1959 World Record holder (indoors): 2 miles 8:49.9

1959 World Record holder (indoors): 3 miles 13:37.0

1960 American record holder: 2 miles 8:43.8

1. Kazakhstan attaches special importance to expanding partnership with international universities – President

President Tokayev announced the upcoming opening of the AlemAI International Centre for AI in Astana, alongside the development of “CryptoCity,” an experimental zone for digital assets where legal and tech solutions will be piloted, during the plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk, Belarus.

2. Astana hosts Kazakhstan-China cultural forum

From June 22 to 24, Nazarbayev University became a vibrant hub as attendees gathered under the theme “Bronze Meets the Golden Man” to deepen cultural exchanges between Kazakhstan and China.

3. President addresses Aibyn XI International Military-Patriotic Youth Gathering

President Tokayev opened the XI Aibyn youth forum in Aktobe, welcoming 800 participants from across six countries and marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and the centenary of Kazakh war hero Aliya Moldagulova.

4. Kazakh dried kumys and horse meat adapted to foreign market requirements

Kazakhstan is expanding production of powdered kumys and horse meat tailored to meet international veterinary standards. Thanks to state support, the horse population and related product output have grown significantly in recent years. Besides, Kazakhstan grants farmers soft loans and leasing options for buying horses and equipment.

5. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev states need to launch Safe City national platform

President Tokayev proposed the launch of a national Safe City platform to integrate video surveillance, facial recognition, and AI-driven analytics. The aim is to strengthen crime prevention and modernize law enforcement with digital tools.

6. Almost 90% of all transactions in Kazakhstan cashless, says Head of State

Over 89% of financial transactions in Kazakhstan are now cashless, driven by rapid growth in mobile banking. President Tokayev highlighted the country’s progress in digital finance and invited international partners to collaborate in developing digital and AI infrastructure.

7. NPP construction: Kazakhstan and Russia to sign intergovernmental agreement by year-end

Kazakhstan plans to sign a key agreement with Russia by the end of the year to build its first nuclear power plant. The project is expected to be worth over $14 billion and will be funded through a preferential loan. Preparatory studies and legal frameworks are already underway.

8. RES in Kazakhstan: what new projects will be launched by 2027

The Vice Minister said that 91 projects with an overall capacity of 2258MW are under implementation now, which includes: 20 wind power stations, 9 solar power stations, 58 small hydropower stations, 4 bioenergy facilities.

9. Kazakhstan wins bronze at Canoe Sprint Championships in Minsk

Tatyana Tokarnitskaya and Olga Shmeleva claimed the bronze medal in the Women’s K2 500m race. The tournament brought together athletes from 9 countries.

10.Kazakhstan wins first-ever gold at Asian U21 Beach Volleyball Championships

Ryukhov and Mastikhin overcame China’s third Liu Yuan and Mao Yuan 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) in the final of the men’s competition. It’s worth noting that the Kazakhstanis’ triumph marked the country’s historic first gold medal in this Asian Age Group competition.

You can read last week’s 10 key developments shaping Kazakhstan here.

Greece came back from four goals down to beat Italy in the top match in Group B at the Women’s U16 European Water Polo Championships in Istanbul on Saturday. In the other highlighted match, in Group A, Spain left no chance for the Hungarians and secured the top spot and the quarter-final berth. Greece are also on their way to the quarters and to clinching first place in their group.

Women’s U16 European Water Polo Championships
Day 2 Results – Istanbul, Türkiye
Saturday 28 June 2025

Group A

Serbia 8-22 Netherlands
Spain 15-7 Hungary

Group B

Germany 8-6 Croatia
Greece 13-10 Italy

Group C

France 20-8 Slovakia
Türkiye 10-9 Czechia

Group D

Malta 13-12 Ukraine

In the first big match of the tournament, Greece overturned a four-goal deficit to beat Italy in a thrilling match. The Italians staged a pretty strong start, shutting out the Greeks for the entire first period while taking a 0-2 lead and added more to lead 1-5 three minutes into the second period.

What came next was the Rafaela Saltamanika show. The Greek captain hit three before half-time to lift her team and they managed to pull it back to 6-6 at the turnaround.

In the third, it was Saltamanika again who scored a stunning hat-trick after 7-7, while the Italians remained scoreless for four and a half minutes and that ultimately cost them the game.

Once down by three, their comeback attempts were halted by the Greeks right away, who sailed to a fine win, with Saltamanika finishing the match with an impressive seven-goal haul.

In the other Group B game, Germany stunned Croatia. It was a toe-to-toe battle until half-time when the Germans led 4-3, then they staged a 3-0 rush in the third which proved decisive.

The Croats managed to pull one back before the last break and another one early in the fourth, but the next four and half minutes were devoted to battling, and it was still 7-5 to Germany.

Mare Jankovic then hit one from action for 7-6, but before the Croats could have any thoughts of equalising, Bianca Mitterbauer put away an extra just 33 seconds later with 1:25 remaining, which not just halted the Germans’ seven minute-long scoreless run, but also closed down the contest.

In Group A, Spain took the upper-hand early on in their clash with Hungary. They stormed to a 6-3 lead and never looked back. Ona Jurado led the charge, hitting five of Spain’s first seven goals, while the Magyars couldn’t really outplay the Spanish defence – they missed three six on fives in a row late in the second, at 7-4, so no wonder they trailed 8-4 at half-time.

Soon, the Spanish killed the party with another 4-0 run – indeed, after thrashing the Dutch 20-6 on day one and now beating Hungary by eight goals, it was a pretty strong message about their title ambitions.

Elsewhere, Netherlands blew away the Serbs, as a 6-1 opening period put the match on its expected path and the Dutch eventually stopped their relentless barrage at 22.

As for the second division matches, Malta and Ukraine produced a really exciting encounter where the Ukrainians seemed to have the edge as they went 9-12 up midway through the last period.

However, the Maltese players hit back with a whirlwind-like rush, hitting three in just 44 seconds to level it up at 12-12 with 2:51 on the clock.

The decision came in the six on fives, as Ukraine missed their last two, while Nevise Agius netted the winner for Malta 28 seconds from time.

France had no headaches and thrashed Slovakia 20-8, while hosts Türkiye played out an epic end-to-end contest with Czechia that was full of twists and turns.

The hosts led 4-3 after the opening eight minutes, but in the second quarter the momentum was firmly with the Czechs as they staged a 0-5 surge to take control of the contest and led 4-8 at half-time.

Türkiye ended their 10-minute scoring drought early in the third through Gunes Pektas, then Eda Moroglu added another shortly after for 6-8.

Now, it was Czechia’s turn to struggle to score, and Türkiye stepped up another gear in the fourth to win the final quarter 3-0 and the game 10-9.

Defne Keremoglu completed Türkiye’s comeback in dramatic fashion, firing in the winner from outside 6m with just 14 seconds remaining, much to the delight of the large crowd inside the Istanbul arena.

Watch all the action live for free on the European Aquatics TV channel, which can be found by clicking here. For the full results/tables and schedule, click here.

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics