By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Running has been part of Kassidy Stuckey’s life since she was a young girl.
Long before she started collecting All-American honors and breaking school records at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, she was attending cross country meets and cheering for her older siblings, Luke and Lindsey. Both competed in high school and college, making running a family affair from an early age.
“Growing up, it was something my whole family bonded over,” Stuckey said. “From a young age, I loved running, I loved being at cross country meets, I loved cheering on my siblings. I know it seems like such an individual sport, but there are so many amazing people who come together through running and share that experience.”
Naturally, she wanted to follow in these footsteps.
The McCool Junction native started cross country and track in middle school before becoming more serious about the sports at York High School, where she was an eight-time state medalist in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, including three Class B state championships. She finished inside the top seven at the state cross country meet all four years and competed at the 2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
Her older siblings provided a blueprint to follow.
Lindsey was a track and cross country athlete at Wayne State College, and Luke ran at UNK, where he was a five-time All-American. He still holds the school record in the 1,500 and was part of the fastest distance medley relay team in Loper history.
Having two collegiate runners in the family gave Stuckey someone to turn to with questions about everything from choosing the right shoes to developing a training routine.
“At the beginning of my career, I feel like I knew a lot more than other people who were just starting out in running because I had been in that environment,” she said. “There are a lot of benefits to having older siblings go through it before you.”
There’s some friendly competition, too. Stuckey often runs with Lindsey, and Luke’s accomplishments gave his younger sister something to chase.
“It’s a good way to be able to push myself, having older siblings who had some success,” she said.
Exceeding Expectations
Stuckey has certainly created her own list of accomplishments at UNK.
The junior is a two-time All-American in track and field, finishing sixth in the mile at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships and eighth in the 1,500 at the outdoor national meet. She owns school records in both events, running 4 minutes, 46.55 seconds in the indoor mile and 4:19.87 in the outdoor 1,500. Stuckey was also part of the group that set the distance medley relay record (11:50) earlier this year.
Those achievements have already surpassed the expectations she brought with her to UNK.
“Honestly, I never expected that coming in,” she said. “My one goal coming into college was to qualify for a national meet one time. Being able to qualify my sophomore year was insane to me. It was such a surreal moment.”
UNK head cross country and track and field coach Brady Bonsall isn’t interested in putting a ceiling on what comes next.
“Through the first two years, she’s exceeded what my expectations would have been, so I don’t want to put a cap or a limit on what she can do,” he said. “I don’t know what the final outcome is for her, but I know she’s working hard and trending in the right direction.”
Bonsall, who also coached Luke at UNK, sees similarities between the siblings. They’re strong students and runners who proved they can compete in both middle- and long-distance events.
He describes Stuckey as a thoughtful and prepared athlete whose approach extends well beyond practices and meets.
“She’s very mature in how she goes about things,” Bonsall said. “Not just on the day of the meet. Not just in the two hours you’re at practice. But in the other 22 hours in the day.”
That consistency has carried over to cross country.
Stuckey earned All-MIAA honors as a freshman and sophomore, adding All-Central Region recognition last fall after finishing ninth at the conference championships and 15th at the NCAA Central Regional. She helped the Lopers place third at regionals and earn their second-ever berth in the NCAA Division II Championships.
It’s a moment she’ll cherish forever.
“I just remember standing at the finish line and we were all huddled up, then coach Bonsall came over and told us we qualified for nationals and we were all jumping around and so excited,” she said. “It’s definitely the coolest experience in my college career so far.”
The Lopers begin their 2026 cross country season Saturday at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, and Stuckey enters the fall with the same team-first mindset.
Although she prefers the shorter distances on the track, Stuckey appreciates the team dynamic that comes with cross country. Each runner’s performance contributes to the overall result, making teammates dependent on one another throughout the season.
“At the end of the day, it’s your team that’s going to qualify for nationals, and you need every single person on the team in order to do that,” she said.
That attitude is another reason Stuckey has earned the respect of her teammates.
“She doesn’t want to be the out-in-front, vocal leader type,” Bonsall said. “But when she does speak up, people listen.”
Preparing for Dental School
Stuckey brings the same discipline to the classroom.
A biology major and pre-dentistry student in the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP), she carries a 3.97 GPA while participating in the UNK Honors Program, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her academic achievements include the MIAA Academic Excellence Award, MIAA Scholar-Athlete, MIAA Academic Honor Roll, U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition.
“Academics are extremely important to me because I know that is going to affect the rest of my life,” Stuckey said. “One of the reasons that I chose to come to UNK was because of the academic scholarships and opportunities here. I knew UNK would prepare me well for dental school.”
KHOP provides full-tuition scholarships to UNK and guaranteed admission to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for students who meet all program requirements. It’s designed for students from rural Nebraska who are committed to returning to these areas to practice as healthcare professionals.
This is another area where Stuckey is following a family tradition.
Her father, Todd, participated in the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) at Wayne State before attending UNMC. He now practices family medicine at Syracuse Area Health. Stuckey’s siblings took similar routes, with Lindsey participating in RHOP as a pre-dentistry student and Luke joining KHOP at UNK as a pre-medical student.
After UNK, Stuckey plans to attend dental school at UNMC in Lincoln before practicing in a rural Nebraska community.
“I grew up in a small town, and I love that atmosphere and environment, the support from community members and how tight-knit it was,” she said. “Ultimately, I would love to return to a small town where I can build those personal relationships and give back to the people in my community.”
Stuckey has already found that same sense of community at UNK, particularly among the people who share her lifelong passion for running.
“I’ve met so many of my best friends on this team,” she said. “I’ve met people who have pushed me so much in running and also in life. I feel like we really focus on pushing each other, but ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s so much more than running.
“Just being able to compete here at UNK is such an amazing blessing, and there are so many things I’m grateful for. I truly wouldn’t trade being at UNK for anything else.”
