story by Ruth Nicolaus
Alison Stracke is the barrel racing director for the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association.
The 18-year-old cowgirl, who lives five miles outside Stuart, Nebraska, runs barrels and does the pole bending and the breakaway roping.
Her go-to horse is an eleven-year-old gray gelding named Marvin, who is her barrel horse and is also used for ranch work, like checking cows.
She just retired her pole horse, a 21-year-old sorrel gelding named Tuffy. Tuffy was her cousin’s horse before he became Alison’s, and she is grateful to him for helping her qualify for the state finals in the poles. Her new pole horse will be Fred, a six-year-old palomino and former cutting horse who shows promise in the poles.
She is a senior at Stuart High School, where she plays basketball and volleyball, is president of her school’s FFA chapter, plays saxophone in band, is a student council member and a quiz bowl member, and is on the dance team, speech team, and one-acts. She is on the Principal’s Honor Roll and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Alison loves her small school, especially her fellow classmates, teachers and the community. “Stuart offers a lot,” she said. “They genuinely care about the kids, and they want you to have a good education.” Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Patty Hanzlik. “I’ve had the privilege of having her in high school. She’s the teacher that inspired me in chemistry, and that’s what I want to major in, in college. She’s a great teacher and made it fun to learn.” Mrs. Hanzlik was her guidance counselor in elementary school, and in high school taught anatomy and physiology, physics, chemistry and career education. “We’re lucky to have her,” Alison said.
For fun, Alison likes to hang out with friends at high school sporting events, in the weight room, or, in the summers, at Calamus Lake or the Niobrara River.
This fall, she will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in chemistry. After she gets her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to go on to medical school and become an anesthesiologist.
She has competed at state finals the past three years, finishing eighth in the state in the barrels in 2016. She has also competed in some Mid-States Rodeos as well.
Alison is the oldest of four children, including sisters Madison and Reagan and brother Tyson. She is the daughter of Mike and Jenny Stracke.
