Hastings High Tiger Cub Students Head to Nebraska State Journalism

On Monday, April 27, 2026, three students from Hastings High School’s Tiger Cub Online Newspaper traveled to the NSAA 2026 Class B State Journalism Championships at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Senior Editor-in-Chief Tom Tran made his second appearance at the Nebraska State Journalism Championships, while Senior Staff Writer Lyberty Stockman and Sophomore Staff Writer Andee Mucklow competed at state for the first time, representing Hastings among some of the top student journalists in Nebraska.

“State was very nerve-wracking, and considering the fact that it’s my first year in Tiger Cub and I didn’t do [Beginning] Journalism, I was surprised I made the cut,” Stockman said. “I believe that it was a positive experience, not only being able to show off my writing skills, but getting to spend time with Sorgenfrei and Tom as well as learning more about Andee outside of class. It was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Following the competition, Stockman placed sixth in Newspaper News Writing and eighth in Newspaper Feature Writing, Tran placed seventh in Sports Feature Writing, and Mucklow placed eighth in Sports News Writing.

“I’m so proud of Lybby and Andee for doing so well at state, alongside making it to state in the first place,” Tran said. “Although it might seem disappointing to place lower on the podium, they should pride themselves on the fact they are top eight journalists in Nebraska.” 

The Nebraska State Journalism event brings together high school students from across Nebraska to compete in a variety of categories, including advertising, column, editorial, feature, sports writing, photography, and cartooning. Participants have the opportunity to demonstrate both their creativity and technical ability under timed conditions.

“Going into state, you never know what to expect,” Tran said. “Last year, during my live interview, I was writing about a farmers’ market. This year, it was about an old man having a heart attack. So, it’s always a bit stressful having to come up with something on spot, like ‘Don’t rush me!’”

According to 10-year Journalism Adviser and English teacher Elizabeth Sorgenfrei, the selection process is highly competitive and based on the strongest student work produced throughout the year. Sorgenfrei and Tran collaborated with English teacher David Witt to choose this year’s entries and submitted them earlier in March.

“They qualified by submitting the top stories,” Sorgenfrei said. “Tom, Mr. Witt and I went through each category available at State and picked out the strongest stories on Tiger Cub from this school year.”

Sorgenfrei explained only the top entries out of 3,499 submissions from 101 schools in the state ultimately advance to the competition, making qualification itself a significant achievement.

“Honestly, I was unaware about just how many entries are generally submitted, so learning that it was over 3,000 was insane to me,” Tran said. “I’m very proud that my staff, especially the first-timers, were able to show off their strengths and qualify alongside me.”

Each student represented Hastings in different writing categories. Tran competed in Sports Feature Writing, Mucklow in Sports Writing, and Stockman in both News Feature and News Writing.

“I knew going into State and competing in two categories that I was going to place in both, but I did not think that I was going to get higher than eighth place in the [News Feature] one,” Stockman said. “I ended up placing sixth, and that made me so happy, and I realized that I am a much better writer than I thought I was.”

Sorgenfrei also emphasized the preparation focused on helping students understand expectations while also learning to work independently under pressure.

“To prepare, I printed them the rubrics that the judges use at state and previous state prompts so they had an idea about what they were going into,” Sorgenfrei said. “I also told them to ask Tom any and all questions since he has competed at state before. He was truly their best resource.”

The NSAA State Journalism Championships are known for their intensity, especially because students must rely entirely on their own skills during timed writing sessions.

“I think State Journalism is extremely competitive every year,” Sorgenfrei said. “The hardest thing about State is when you qualify, those stories have gone through numerous rounds of edits. At State, you are all on your own. Your writing has to stand for itself. It showcases who relies on the editors and who is thorough in their own writing abilities.”

Tran said the atmosphere at the competition itself can also be intimidating for competitors.

“While waiting, you see so many students decked out in coordinated outfits or uniforms. Some are even carrying actual recorders, so you already know they are there for business, and that sometimes has me quaking in my boots,” Tran said.

Sorgenfrei also noted Hastings High’s journalism program operates differently from many larger schools, where students often specialize in one category.

“We have a small program compared to other Class B Journalism programs in the state,” Sorgenfrei said. “In our program, students write in all categories instead of specializing in a single writing area like other programs.”

Despite the challenges, Sorgenfrei said her expectations were focused on effort and growth rather than results.

“I was expecting them to write to the best of their abilities,” Sorgenfrei said. “The nice thing about State Journalism is they know going in that they will medal because only the top eight in the state compete at State, then they medal 1-8.”

Beyond competition results, Sorgenfrei emphasized the long-term benefits students gain from journalism experience. 

“The ability to write without others editing your work and doing it under time constraints is an important skill,” Sorgenfrei said. “It shows up on the ACT, in college classes, and even in the real world.” 

She added experiences like State help students build confidence and improve their writing under pressure.

“I am so proud of the resilience of this group,” Sorgenfrei said. “Tom was the editor-in-chief this year, and he aided in this accomplishment. Without his thorough editing, attention to details, and making sure stories were on time, we wouldn’t have had stories to submit.” 

In addition to the team’s overall achievement, Sorgenfrei highlighted the growth and success of each student, explaining how their dedication and improvement throughout the year contributed to their success at State Journalism.

“Andee is only a sophomore—she has two years to achieve her goals at State Journalism,” Sorgenfrei said. “Lybby came in her first year of Tiger Cub without ever taking Beginning Journalism and qualified in two events. That’s outstanding. They all had resilience and motivation to go and do well.”

The results highlight the strength and consistency of the Hastings High Tiger Cub journalism program, who have sent students to state for the previous seven years, as well as the students’ ability to perform under pressure against some of the top writers in the state. With journalists like Mucklow still early in her high school career, the program looks ahead to continued growth and future opportunities at upcoming journalism competitions. 

“I think it’s important to note that even though this isn’t a ‘sport’ and we don’t practice on a field, we still have skills we have to practice and keep fresh,” Sorgenfrei said. “Students who are looking to improve their writing and even make it better benefit from Tiger Cub.”