Top 10 Nebraska schools with the most state championships since 1999-2000

Relying on strong swimming and diving programs, Omaha Creighton Prep, an all boys school, and Omaha Marian, an all girls school, have competed mightily on the Nebraska state championship stage over the last decade and a half.

Despite being eligible to compete in about half of the 19 sports that are sponsored by the Nebraska School Activities Association, Creighton Prep and Marian have taken home more than their share of the championship hardware, claiming 142 and 141 team and individual state championships, respectively, since 1999-2000.

The Junior Jays lead the way with 37 state championship team trophies and 105 solo titles since the turn of the century, while the Crusaders have added 38 state championship team trophies to their already massive collection and 103 solo championships.

However, as these two power programs head into their bread and butter swimming and diving seasons, the Crusaders will have some ground to make up. Creighton Prep's John Nownes and the Junior Jay harrier squad swept medalist honors and the team championship at the boys Class A state cross country meet in October.

Brett Slezak, meanwhile, claimed a state championship in No. 2 singles and the doubles teams of Thomas Kennedy and Nathan Singh and Stavros Piperis and Brendan Eglseder sealed the Class A state tennis team championship for the Junior Jays by serving and lobbing their way to the No. 1 and No. 2 tennis doubles titles, respectively.

Omaha Marian did win a Class A volleyball championship in November, but now trails its peers 148 to 142 in the state championship count.

Omaha Skutt Catholic is within striking distance of the state's leaders with 132 total state championships, while Millard West and Kearney sit fourth and fifth, respectively, with 108 and 96 state championships over the past 15 seasons.

Because the state's smaller schools don't have the enrollment numbers to compete in all of the sports their big school counterparts do, we have included Top 5 standings from Class B on down. The 2014-15 basketball classifications breakdown was used to determine which classification a school should be placed in.

While poring through the numbers we noticed that some schools jumped in and out of consolidations from year to year. It was decided to give one state championship to each school that won a state title whether by themselves or while competing with another school or schools.


1. Creighton Prep (Omaha), 142
Football – team, 2. Boys tennis – team, 10; individual, 24. Boys basketball – team, 1. Boys swimming and diving – team, 11; individual, 58. Boys wrestling – individual, 15. Baseball – team, 4. Boys golf – team, 5; individual, 4. Boys soccer – team, 4. Boys track and field – individual, 4.

2. Marian (Omaha), 141
Girls cross country – team, 6; individual 4. Girls golf – team, 6; individual, 3. Volleyball – team, 3. Girls basketball – team, 2. Girls swimming and diving – team, 8; individual, 63. Girls soccer – team, 7. Girls tennis – team, 6; individual, 19. Girls track and field – individual, 14.

3. Skutt Catholic (Omaha), 132
Football – team, 2. Girls softball – team, 2. Boys tennis – team, 1; individual, 4. Boys basketball – team, 3. Wrestling – team, 14; individual, 56. Baseball – team, 1. Boys golf – team, 1. Boys soccer – team, 5. Girls soccer – team, 5. Girls tennis – team, 9; individual, 22. Boys track and field – individual, 5. Girls track and field – individual, 2.

4. Millard West (Omaha), 108
Boys cross country – team, 2; individual, 1. Girls cross country – team, 1; individual, 2. Football – team, 2. Boys swimming and diving – individual, 5. Girls swimming and diving – team, 5; individual, 46. Wrestling – individual, 5. Boys soccer – team, 1. Girls soccer – team, 3. Girls tennis – individual, 3. Boys track and field – individual, 14. Girls track and field – team, 2; individual, 16.

5. Kearney, 96
Boys cross country – team, 3; individual, 5. Football – team, 1. Boys tennis – individual, 1. Boys swimming and diving – individual, 5. Wrestling – individual, 18. Boys track and field – team, 10; individual, 40. Girls track and field – individual, 13.

6. Millard North (Omaha), 88
Boys cross country – individual, 2. Girls cross country – individual, 1. Football – team, 4. Girls golf – individual, 1. Boys tennis – individual, 7. Boys swimming and diving – individual, 3. Girls swimming and diving – individual, 13. Wrestling – individual, 9. Baseball – team, 1. Boys golf – team, 1. Boys soccer – team, 1. Girls soccer – team, 3. Girls tennis – team, 2; individual, 6. Boys track and field – individual, 13. Girls track and field – team, 3; individual, 18.

7. Lincoln Southeast, 79
Boys cross country – team, 1. Girls cross country – team, 2. Football – team, 3. Girls golf – team, 2; individual, 2. Boys tennis – team, 3; individual, 8. Girls basketball – team, 3. Boys swimming and diving – individual, 4. Girls swimming and diving – individual, 12. Boys golf – team, 1; individual, 1. Boys soccer – team, 1. Girls tennis – team, 1; individual, 6. Boys track and field – individual, 9. Girls track and field – team, 4; individual, 16.

8. Papillion-LaVista, 75
Softball – team, 9. Volleyball – team, 5. Boys swimming and diving – team, 1; individual, 23. Wrestling – team, 1; individual, 7. Girls tennis – individual, 1. Boys track and field – individual, 22. Girls track and field – individual, 6.

9. Pius X (Lincoln), 74
Boys cross country – team, 1. Girls cross country – team, 5; individual, 2. Football – team, 1. Softball – team, 2. Girls golf – team, 3; individual, 2. Boys tennis – team, 5; individual, 11. Volleyball – team, 4. Boys basketball – team, 2. Wrestling – individual, 4. Baseball – team, 2. Boys soccer – team, 2. Girls soccer – team, 2. Girls tennis – team, 1; individual, 2. Boys track and field – individual, 7. Girls track and field – individual, 16.

10. Omaha Westside, 73
Boys tennis – individual, 6. Boys swimming and diving – team, 3; individual, 21. Girls swimming and diving – team, 1; individual, 6. Wrestling – individual, 3. Baseball – team, 5. Boys soccer – team, 1; Girls tennis – team, 6; individual, 14. Boys track and field – individual, 1. Girls track and field – individual, 6.

Second 11
1. Omaha North, 72
2. Scottsbluff, 69
3. Howells-Dodge, 66
4. Millard South (Omaha), 66
5. Omaha Central, 65
6. Lincoln East, 62
7. Grand Island, 60
8. McCook, 56
9. Elkhorn, 54
10. Kearney Catholic, 52
11. Crofton, 50

Top 5 teams by class

Class B
Omaha Skutt Catholic, 132
Lincoln Pius X, 76
Scottsbluff, 69
McCook, 56
Elkhorn, 54

Class C1
Kearney Catholic, 52
Boys Town, 39
Scotus (Columbus), 38
Cozad, 24
Central City, 21

Class C2
Crofton, 50
St. Cecilia (Hastings), 48
Aquinas (David City), 46
Humphrey/Holy Family (Humphrey), 45
Thayer Central (Hebron), 27
Cambridge, 27
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, 27

Class D1
Howells-Dodge, 66
Amherst, 34
Pawnee City, 29
St. Francis (Humphrey), 27
St. Mary's (O'Neill), 25

Class D2
Bertrand, 29
Sacred Heart (Falls City), 26
Alma, 19
Winside, 13
Loomis, 13

2014-15 Nebraska fall sports state championships

Boys Cross Country (individual medalist; team champion)
Class A – John Nownes, Omaha Creighton Prep; Omaha Creighton Prep
Class B – Matthew Barraza, Scottsbluff; Scottsbluff
Class C – Tylin Masco, Milford; Milford
Class D – Zachary Welch, Ainsworth; Nebraska Christian (Central City)

Girls Cross Country
Class A – Jeralyn Poe, Lincoln North Star; Papillion-LaVista South
Class B – Willa Koenig, Lincoln Pius X; Lincoln Pius X
Class C – Celeste Cardona, Mitchell; Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion)
Class D – Sheridan Wellnitz, Gordon-Rushville; Crofton

Football
Class A – Omaha North
Class B – Omaha Skutt Catholic
Class C1 – Boone Central-Newman Grove
Class C2 – David City Aquinas
Class D1 – Hemingford
Class D2 – Exeter-Milligan

Softball
Class A – Millard South (Omaha)
Class B – Elkhorn
Class C – Guardian Angels Central Catholic (West Point)

Girls Golf
Class A – Nia Station, Omaha Burke; Elkhorn South
Class B – Jordan York, Scottsbluff; Scottsbluff
Class C – Morgan Thiele, Kearney Catholic; Minden

Boys Tennis
Class A
No. 1 singles: Christopher Dean, Papillion-LaVista South
No. 2 singles: Brett Slezak, Omaha Creighton Prep
No. 1 doubles: Thomas Kennedy and Nathan Singh, Omaha Creighton Prep
No. 2 doubles: Stavros Piperis and Brendan Eglseder, Omaha Creighton Prep
Team champion: Omaha Creighton Prep

Class B
No.1 singles: Mason Meier, Elkhorn South
No. 2 singles: Ryan Vitera, Grand Island Central Catholic
No. 1 doubles: Jonah Clark and Zahler Zandt, Elkhorn South
No. 2 doubles: Jacob Lortz and Drake Schaphorst, Elkhorn South
Team champion: Elkhorn South

Volleyball
Class A – Omaha Marian
Class B – Norris (Firth)
Class C1 – Kearney Catholic
Class C2 – Freeman (Adams)
Class D1 – O'Neill St. Mary's
Class D2 - Giltner