By Payton Tholstrup

Photo courtesy of Cloud County Community College Track and Field Facebook Page

Cloud County Community College track and field has announced the hiring of Rylan Cheney, the newest addition to the 2025-2026 coaching staff.

Cheney graduated from Cloud County in 2022 after a standout collegiate career with the T-Birds, during which he became a three-time NJCAA champion. He was part of the national title-winning 4×800-meter relay teams for both the 2021 indoor and outdoor seasons, as well as the 2021 indoor Distance Medley Relay national championship team.

After his time at Cloud County Community College, Cheney competed in cross-country and track and field at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. There, he was a two-time Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) indoor track qualifier in the mile run, and a 2025 conference outdoor track qualifier in the steeplechase.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. He also has an Associate of Arts degree from Cloud County Community College.

Cheney expressed his excitement about this new opportunity and shared that he is looking forward to working with the coaches who have had such an important impact on his life.

“My experience as a collegiate runner under two exceptional college programs has prepared me for coaching at Cloud County. My experiences running for the great coaching triune of Harry Kitchener, Ted Schmitz and Drew Mahin, as well as for coach Brady Bonsall at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, has equipped me with the skills, knowledge, and fortitude to take on this coaching job,” Cheney said. “I am eager to work closely with coach Mahin and coach Schmitz to achieve program goals, drive student-athlete development, and mentor young men and women.”