Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

The boys cross country team from Pius X High School in Lincoln is set to compete in the Nike National Cross Country Championship on December 6 in Portland, Oregon. This marks the first time a Nebraska high school cross country team has qualified for this national event.

Pius X earned its spot at nationals after winning the Class B state championship as a team, with David Krier taking the individual title. The team then finished second at the NXR Heartland Regional in South Dakota, which secured their qualification for nationals—a milestone achievement for Nebraska high school athletics.

Faith plays an important role for the Pius X runners. David Krier, who won the 2025 Class B state championship, said, “I think our faith—my own and our team’s—really helps us bond. Being able to pray together before our races, and sometimes after, keeps us united. Seeing each other at other faith events strengthens that bond even more. We wouldn’t be the team we are without God. Having Him with us, and having a team that’s truly bought into the faith, makes us incredibly strong together.”

Senior runner Joe Majerus echoed these thoughts: “I think faith definitely brings us together. We pray at every practice and try to pray a decade of the rosary before our races. Faith is a huge part of our community, too. It draws everyone together, not only during the season, but in the off-season and outside of practice as well.”

Lucas Schlautman, another senior runner on the team, spoke about relying on something greater than themselves: “A lot of it is knowing we don’t always have to rely on our own strength or even just the team’s strength—God can be our strength too. Knowing He’s with us helps us push through the hard days.”

Junior Henry Vrooman added perspective about identity: “We always remember that our identity is found in Christ,” he said. “Striving for excellence flows from that; it’s at the heart of what we’re doing.”

Prayer is part of their pre-race routine. Head coach Bill Rice noted that a unique line included in their prayer—“Our Lady, Queen of Acceleration, don’t fail us now!”—originates from the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers" rather than being an official Marian title.

As they prepare for nationals in Oregon, excitement runs high among teammates reflecting on this historic moment.

“I’m just really excited,” Krier said. “Getting to go with the team is incredible—there’s nothing like it. I don’t know exactly what to expect, but whatever it is, I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

“It feels great,” Schlautman said. “It was always in the back of our minds as a possibility, but now that it’s actually happening, we’re all really excited. It’s still hard to believe sometimes, but yeah—we’re psyched.”

Majerus added: “It’s awesome. I’m super excited to have another trip with the team, to have fun out there, and to run, knowing that God is our strength and that we’re running for a greater purpose.”

The race will begin at 12:05 p.m. CST (10:05 PST) on December 6th in Portland.

More information about results and video coverage can be found at https://nxn.runnerspace.com/.

A video interview featuring members of Pius X's boys cross country team can also be viewed on @CatholicDioceseofLincoln's YouTube channel.