Foundation Builders: Inaugural freshmen class sets the standard for Elkhorn North female athletics

ELKHORN — It is still hard to believe with the level of success Elkhorn North has had that this is only year No. 4 for the Wolves as a school. In less than four years. Elkhorn North has captured 10 Class B State Championships, five state runner-up trophies and 18 teams have qualified for the state tournament. 

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Out of those previous numbers seven female squads won state crowns, four female teams earned runner-up honors and 11 of the 18 state qualifying teams were female teams. Twelve individual females brought home gold medals from state meets as well.

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“It’s kind of unheard of,” Elkhorn North senior Sydney Stodden noted. “My family has been super successful athletically, but they haven’t won three basketball state championships or a track state championships like we have. It is so cool to be a part of this.”

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The success of the female athletics program culminated with Wednesday’s National Signing Day. Eleven of the 18 seniors who signed their letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level were female student-athletes. Five seniors signed with Division I programs, with Stodden expected to sign her letter of intent to a Division I track and field program later this school year. The class of 2024 was the inaugural freshman class back in 2020 when Elkhorn North opened its doors. 

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“It is super special,” Elkhorn North senior and University of Nebraska-Lincoln women’s basketball commit Britt Prince commented. “It shows all the hard work we put in. We were the first class to go all four years here and we did a really good job of laying the foundation. Every single sport has been doing well and there is a winning culture here. It’s really special.”

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Elkhorn North’s success began shortly after its opening in August of 2020 as the girls golf team placed third at the Class B State Championship.

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“We were super excited,” Elkhorn North senior and Creighton University golf commit Julia Karmazin recalled. “My sister (Emily Karmazin, a four-time state medalist and current golfer on the University of Nebraska-Omaha women’s golf team) and I knew if we could get some good girls behind us, we could have a solid team and a solid shot at state. Getting third lit a fire for us and we knew we could do better the next year.”

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The girls golf team won the program’s first state championship the following year, as Julia Karmazin bested her older sister Emily for the individual state crown as well,

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In their inaugural school year, the Wolves won the Class B girls basketball title, were runners-up as a team at the Class B State Track and Field Championships and placed third as a team at the state golf meet.

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“We have a lot of great multi-sport athletes that are hard working and love to compete,” Elkhorn North senior and University of Northern Iowa volleyball commit Reese Booth spoke. “We have a great community and good chemistry throughout all the sports. That helps a lot.”

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The early success was due in large part to the culture and mindset that was set by the coaches who were hired to lead the new programs.

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“You had a group of coaches that set the core philosophy of what we are going to be about,” Elkhorn North activities director Luke Ford stated. “We wanted high participation numbers, we wanted to teach these kids to work really hard and we wanted accountability. You look at our offseason training and our weight program in the morning at 6 a.m. is better than 95-percent participation. When you set the expectations for the kids and the coaches are willing to work just as hard as the kids, the teams will meet those expectations, work hard and they go after it. The proof is in the pudding.”

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The student-athletes bought into their coaches’ and athletic department’s culture and put in the work that was needed to thrive on the playing field.

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“Usually at new schools, you're the floor mat for others,” Ford continued. “But we had this really talented group of freshmen that kept working and working. Someone is on the tennis courts constantly, the weight room is being used, athletes are on the gym floor for basketball and volleyball. It shows that hard work pays off. Britt (Prince), who is the big name everyone was talking about this weekend (when Prince announced her commitment to Nebraska), is in the gym more than anyone. She is the first one there and the last one to leave. I’ll come up to school on a Sunday afternoon to lift and she is in the gym shooting. It is not an accident that these kids have had this level of success because of the work they put in. Today (signing day), put a bow on it for the hard work they put in.”

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The inaugural freshmen class, and the upperclassmen, embodied the winning culture and pushed their teammates to buy in as well. A welcoming atmosphere allowed new teammates to ingrain themselves into the team’s philosophy instantly.

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“I was really grateful when my dad got a job here because I knew Elkhorn North had already had a lot of success and had great academics,” Elkhorn North senior and Colorado State women’s basketball commit McKenna Murphy remarked. “They have a great mix of academics, athletics and great people. They were very accepting and this culture is amazing. It’s a winning culture and being a part of it is really special.”

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Along with the culture, several other key factors led to the Wolves’ unprecedented early success. The bulk of the Elkhorn North student-athletes compete in more than one sport.

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“There are a lot of students around here that are multi-sport athletes,” Prince said. “Participating in multiple sports is only going to make you better. A lot of the top athletes here compete in multiple sports and I think that makes a huge difference.”

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Competing against top-level athletes every day and all-year round, pushed the Wolves in practice which led the wins on game day.

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“Playing against athletes like Britt (Prince) every single day is something not a lot of people get to do,” Murphy added. “It pushes me every day and it will set me above other people when I go to college. Going up against great athletes and great people in practice every day is going to set up a lot of people for success.”

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Another key element to Elkhorn North’s meteoric rise ties in with the first part of student-athlete. Some of Elkhorn North’s best athletes are also their best students. It is no coincidence that their performances in the classroom is reflected by their performances on the playing field.

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“Being confident in yourself, your academics and your sport is huge,” Karmazin noted. “You miss a lot of school for sports, so you learn how to stay on top of it. Knowing how to stay on top of your school work, keeps you on top of everything. When you miss, you have to make it up, whether that’s school work or practice. That helps lead to success.”

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The class of 2024 has certainly played a huge part in Elkhorn North’s success and has laid a solid foundation for future Wolves to come.

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“It is a really cool opportunity to come in and set the foundation for everyone,” Booth commented. “The teams will build on forever from what we started. Something we talked about in volleyball was building that foundation and culture because that will get carried on for years to come. That’s something we focused on and did a good job of.”

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The bar has been set high for Elkhorn North and the underclassmen know what it takes to succeed thanks to the work of the classes before them.

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“We not only laid a really good foundation with a winning culture, but we know how to work hard,” Stodden concluded. “That work ethic is going to be reflected to the underclassmen and younger ones and they are going to look up to us. The working hard mentality has really played a big part in this school.”