Excelling in Every Lane: UNK senior Ella Buhlke is ‘the epitome of a student-athlete’
KEARNEY – Ella Buhlke prepares for every race like it could be her last.
That mindset isn’t rooted in pressure or fear – it’s perspective.
Two years ago, the University of Nebraska at Kearney senior was in a boating accident while vacationing with her family.
Buhlke sustained a broken sternum, multiple facial fractures and a concussion. Her father and youngest sister were seriously injured, too. All three required extensive hospital care.
“It was a terrifying experience,” Buhlke said. “If it had gone differently, I may not have been able to race again.”
After multiple surgeries, the Loper cross country and distance runner returned for the end of the indoor track season, knowing how quickly everything can change.
“It gave me a totally new outlook on cross country, racing and even being a student,” Buhlke said. “I started thinking, if the last race I ran was truly the last one of my career, would I be OK with that? Did I leave everything out there? Now I approach every race in a way that I can answer yes.”
This weekend, she’ll bring that mindset to the biggest stage in NCAA Division II distance running.
Buhlke and the 16th-ranked Lopers will compete Saturday at the DII Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin – the program’s second-ever team appearance in the event and first automatic qualification. It’s the second straight national meet for Buhlke, who qualified individually last season.
This one feels different, though.
“It was so exciting to cross the finish line at regionals knowing we got third,” she said. “Everyone was crying. As seniors, knowing we get one more race together is special. I think it’s a testament to both how hard our team works and how much we care about each other, because you don’t have a race like we did at regionals if you don’t get to the line and love every person standing next to you.”
Buhlke finished 17th individually at the Nov. 8 meet in Joplin, Missouri, becoming just the second Loper woman to earn All-Region honors multiple times. The 31st-ranked UNK men also secured a spot in the DII Championships after receiving an at-large selection. They’ve reached nationals four times in the past five years.
Relentless Competitor
UNK head coach Brady Bonsall describes Buhlke with three words: driven, competitive and intentional.
“She’s super goal-oriented,” he said. “Ella is someone who believes in taking whatever ability you have and doing everything you can to maximize it. She’s a very good example of that.”
What she’s overcome only underscores that.
The Central City native has battled a recurring Achilles tendon injury throughout her collegiate career, often wearing a walking boot throughout the day before removing it for practice.
“I’ll just put the boot on, then I’ll be running at practice. It’s fine,” she joked.
Even in limited track seasons, she’s become one of the program’s top performers, ranking fourth all-time in the outdoor 5,000 and sixth in the steeplechase.
“She’s never really missed a cross country season,” Bonsall said, “but she’s missed a lot of track. There have been many days where she’s at practice but can’t run. That makes what she’s accomplished even more impressive, because she hasn’t even reached her full potential.”
Bonsall believes she’s the type of athlete who can elevate a program.
“Ella is someone I can use as an example in recruiting,” he said. “A runner who got an opportunity, took it and made the most of it. She’s a pretty darn good story.”
Future Physician
A biology major with a health science emphasis, Buhlke is equally impressive in the classroom, where she holds a perfect 4.0 GPA. The pre-medical student is part of the UNK Honors Program, Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP) and Undergraduate Research Fellows program, and she’s received numerous academic honors from the MIAA, College Sports Communicators and U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Buhlke has conducted research with biology professor Kim Carlson since 2019, when she joined the UNK lab as a high school sophomore. Her virology studies have been published in international journals and presented at national conferences.
“Ella is one of a kind,” said Carlson, now assistant vice chancellor for research and creative activity at UNK. “She is funny, smart and the kind of student you want to work with. She takes every task very seriously – studying, research, running – and she brings joy wherever she goes.”
Simply put, she’s “the epitome of a student-athlete.”
“She excels in the classroom, in the lab and on the course,” Carlson said. “She’s a true role model for younger students. Ella has the personality to be an exceptional physician – kind, caring, a great listener – and I hope she continues research because she’s excellent at that, too.”
After graduating in May, Buhlke will stay at UNK for an additional year to use her remaining track eligibility while earning a master’s degree in health sciences. She’ll start her professional program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2027, currently planning to become a surgeon.
“You only get one opportunity to be a college athlete,” she said. “I don’t want to look back and regret not taking full advantage of that.”
Proud Loper
Buhlke comes from a family steeped in health care and UNK pride. Her father, Brian, is a family medicine physician and her mother, Amy, is a physical therapist. Both are UNK graduates. Her sister Addie is a sophomore on the Loper cheer team and a fellow KHOP scholar.
That support system shaped her drive, her compassion and her appreciation for the past four years.
“I’ve loved being a Loper,” Buhlke said. “That’s why I wanted to take my fifth year. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet. The Loper community is so supportive of the students and the athletes, and that means the absolute world to me.”
The cross country program, she added, is where she found her people.
“The girls on this team are my best friends – 100%,” she said. “I have three roommates, and they’re all members of this team. I was just at lunch, and everyone at my table was a men’s or women’s cross country runner. This team really gave me my community on campus, and that’s huge for me.”
As she looks toward Saturday’s meet and beyond, Buhlke plans to savor every moment running with them. And she hopes they all compete like it could be their final race.
“I’m super, super proud of this team, and I hope everyone shows up at nationals with the confidence that they can compete,” she said. “That’s what we’ve become over the last four years, and that’s the legacy I want to leave. I want everyone to have that sense of competitiveness and know that the Lopers are capable of performing on those stages.”