By Corbin Hubbell
Social media coordinator
The boys cross country team of Pius X High School in Lincoln will compete in Portland, Ore., Dec. 6 for the Nike National Cross Country Championship.
Winning the state championship as a team, and David Krier winning individually, running at Nike regionals and qualifying for Nike nationals is a huge accomplishment for Pius X High School, as well as a milestone in Nebraska high school cross country history.
A strong Catholic faith is a major component in this team. Krier, 2025 Class B state champion, said the bond he and his teammates share in faith strengthens the team.
“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,” he said.
Senior runner at Pius, Joe Majerus, seconded David’s claim.
“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,” Majerus said.
After winning the Class B state title, the team finished second at the NXR Heartland Regional in South Dakota, which qualified it for the Nike national competition in Oregon—a first for any Nebraska high school cross country team.
So what’s the team’s secret to success?
Lucas Schlautman, a senior runner at Pius, said, “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 runner Henry Vrooman spoke about identity in Christ.
“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.”
Team members incorporate prayer into their pre-race routine. Before the starter’s pistol goes off, the Pius X boys gather to pray:
“In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, amen. Dear Lord, inspire us with Your grace. Help us to do Your work and use our gifts and talents to inspire others, and help us to do well in Portland. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
Saint Pius X, pray for us.
Our Lady, Queen of Victory, pray for us.
Our Lady, Queen of Acceleration, don’t fail us now!
BOLTS!”
It is important to add that the last line in that prayer, “Our Lady, Queen of Acceleration, don’t fail us now!” is a line from the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers” and is not an official Marian title. Head coach Bill Rice confirmed the line has been included in the pre-race routine for years, but it is unclear when it started.
As the team members looked forward to the national meet in Oregon, they reflected on being the first Nebraska high school team in history to qualify for this meet.
“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,” added Schlautman. “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.”
“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.” Majerus said.
The Pius X boys cross country team will hit the starting line at 12:05 p.m. CST (10:05 PST) on Dec. 6. Information will be available at https://nxn.runnerspace.com/ with race results, video, and more.
A video interview with team members is available on the diocesan YouTube channel, @CatholicDioceseofLincoln.
