Coaching Staff
Dane Tobey
Assistant Coach
Dane TobeyWith the start of the 2021-22 season, former Loper Dane Tobey enters his 10th year as the throws coach for the Nebraska-Kearney track & field team.
Dane Tobey CoachIn the summer of 2016, he was elevated to UNK's top assistant working under head coach Brady Bonsall.
In his nine years in charge of the throwers, Tobey has coached 119 seasonal Provisional Qualifying marks, 34 Loper student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Indoor or Outdoor Championships while coaching 13 to All-American status. UNK throwers also annually place their name on the schools' all-time top 10 list.
This continues a tradition of throwing success for the Lopers that was heavily influenced by Tobey’s mentor, former UNK head coach Andy Meyer. The Tobeys 2021
Tobey is the most decorated Loper Division II male track & field athlete as he earned eight All-American honors between 2006-11. All eight of his All-American honors were top four finishes; that includes the 2010 national title in the outdoor shot (62-7.25) and a 2010 national runner-up effort in the indoor shot (61-0).
Currently the school record holder in three events, Tobey won eight RMAC indoor individual titles, was the 2010 NCAA Division II Male Field Athlete-of-the-Year and qualified for the 2010 U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the shot put placing 13th. Finally, he helped UNK win its’ first-ever RMAC outdoor team title in May 2010 when he scored in four different events.
After graduating, the Waco native was an assistant wrestling coach at Kearney H.S. during the 2011-12 academic year. He lives in Kearney and has three children: Traxton (10), Blakeley (8) and Cooper (6).
Lonny Polacek
Assistant Coach
Lonny PolacekLonny Polacek enters his 12th year as an assistant coach with the Nebraska-Kearney track & field team. He works with the pole vaulters, high jumpers and multi-event athletes.
The UNK pole vault crew has shown steady progress under Polacek’s guidance. In 2013, Mark Seeba qualified for both the NCAA indoor and outdoor national meets. On the women’s side, Courtney Fegter set a new outdoor school record. The 2014 season brought more success as Seeba again qualified for both the NCAA indoor and outdoor meets and was joined at the indoor championships by Jay Kilpatrick and David Krumland. Next, Brooke Frederick set new indoor and outdoor schools records while falling just short of qualifying for nationals.
In 2015 five Loper vaulters were NCAA provisional qualifiers with the men and women combining for eight new marks in the UNK top 10. Three years later Bailey Stapleman not only was the MIAA outdoor champion but also earned All-American honors during both seasons. Finally, Grant Myers was a two-time NCAA qualifier and a 2019 outdoor All-American with Baylie Bryant setting a new school outdoor mark in 2021.
In the high jump, Polacek saw Jakob Estrada earn 2018 indoor second-team All-American honors. Next, Emily Everitt earned indoor All-American honors in both 2016 and 2017 and also was a CoSIDA Academic All-American. Her younger sister, Abby, followed in her footsteps by earning second-team All-American honors in 2021. Running back/wide receiver Montrez Jackson broke the school record in the outdoor high jump (7-05) in 2019, was the MIAA outdoor champ and went on to earn All-American honors. He earned the same status in the 2020 indoor season. Finally, Brayden Sorensen had a 2021 season to remember, being the national indoor runner up, placing third at the NCAA outdoor meet, winning the MIAA outdoor title and breaking UNK's indoor and outdoor records.
Polacek retired from public education in 2012 after a career as an administrator, teacher, and coach. He has also served as a committee member for the Nebraska School Activities Association.
As a track & field coach at Newcastle High School, he coached athletes to 20 state titles and 12 state runner-up finishes. On four occasions, his team came home with the state runner-up trophy. Polacek went on to be the Activities Director at Holdrege High School before wrapping up his career in education as a teacher and coach at Horizon Middle School in Kearney.
Polacek’s wife, Shawn, also works in education. Their son, Nate, was an All-American pole vaulter for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln track team along with being a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
J.R. Blackwood
Assistant Coach
Jodi-Rae (J.R.) Blackwood, beginning with the 2020-21 academic year, is in his third season as a Nebraska-Kearney track and field coach.
A native of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Blackwood was a hurdler at Nebraska-Lincoln from 2011-14. He was a two-time outdoor All-American in the 400 hurdles and a 2014 second-team outdoor All-American as a member of the Huskers 4x1 relay team.
Graduating with a Psychology degree, Blackwood was a four-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and a 2010 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll qualifier. During his career, he placed in the top eight six times at the Big 10 and Big XII Conference indoor and outdoor championships. Blackwood’s team points came in the 400 hurdles and as a member of the 4x1 and 4x4 relay teams.
He prepped at Munro College where he placed first in the 400 hurdles at the 2010 Jamaican High School Championships.
Tim Hedges
Volunteer Assistant Coach
