Fifty years ago, in 1975, Burke High School’s Cross Country team made history. Under Coach Skip Morris, the Bulldogs won the school’s very first state championship in any sport. It was the start of a legacy that would define Burke athletics for years.
This fall, during Homecoming week, those champions—and the coach who led them—came back together to celebrate that milestone. Former Harriers traveled from across the country, from Arizona to California, Colorado to Texas, just to be there. It wasn’t only about reliving a trophy moment—it was about honoring a coach, reconnecting with teammates, and passing on the spirit of perseverance to a new generation of Burke athletes.
The highlight of the two-day celebration came when the past met the present: Skip’s Harriers of the 1970s sitting down with today’s Burke Cross Country runners. I had the chance to talk to both groups and see firsthand how much this legacy still means.
I first spoke with senior runner Braden Pickett, who lit up when I asked how it felt to learn from former champions:
“Learning from a former championship holder inspires me in a way just because when they talk to me, it’s like good juju. You can feel their aura, honestly, just because they won a state championship. So it’s cool, them being back on these grounds. It makes it feel natural, like it’s human.”
For Braden, the moment was more than just a pep talk.
“This will help me motivational-wise, because not very many kids get to experience something like this. Knowing I got to see the first state championship team at Burke, it might push me a little bit more.”
When I asked him his biggest takeaway, he didn’t hesitate:
“Just why I love Burke so much. Events like this happen, and I’ve been a part of so many cool opportunities here. Getting to be part of something like this is really special.”
Then I turned to the man at the center of it all—Coach Skip Morris himself. He leaned back, smiling at the sight of his former athletes gathered together once again.
How did it feel being back after fifty years? His answer was simple:
“It’s great.”
And then, after a pause, he added with a laugh:
“How much time do you have? Of course, the school looks pretty much the same. A lot of improvements, beautiful shape, but it’s like they just opened the front doors after 50 years. The memorable part, of course, is all the former athletes I had the privilege of coaching. We were the very first team in any sport at Burke to win a state championship. Most of the runners on that team are here for this reunion.”
Morris made a point to recognize two trailblazers in attendance—June Costar-Mayher and Tracy Threan-Jerkovich, the first girls to ever compete in high school Cross Country in Nebraska, back in 1976.
For Morris, though, the real joy was simple:
“Mainly it’s catching up. Reliving the old days. Some of them even put on the jersey again and jogged around the course. I can’t single out one thing—it’s just been fantastic. This is the memory of my life.”
As the reunion wrapped up, the message was clear: championships fade, but the bond between a coach and his athletes lasts forever. And now, thanks to this celebration, that bond stretches across generations—connecting Skip’s Harriers of the past to Burke’s Harriers of today.
