Hastings College is hosting the 2025 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3, thanks to a successful $1.1 million fundraising effort that began in October 2023. The funds supported a full renovation of the Jack Osborne Track Complex — a project made possible by the generosity of more than 140 donors and counting.
As part of the dedication festivities, which begin at 4:30 p.m. on May 2, Justin Osborne, son of Jack Osborne, will join his family at the starting line to fire the ceremonial starter pistol, officially reopening the upgraded facility.
The 2024-25 renovation transformed the Jack Osborne Track Complex into a state-of-the-art venue featuring:
- A resurfaced 400-meter, 8-lane track with high-performance material
- A new long jump runway with dual landing pits
- A new discus pad and net system
- A redesigned steeplechase area
- Seating for 500 spectators with new bleachers and concrete pads
- More than 900 feet of ADA-compliant sidewalks
- An updated, welcoming entrance
- A sleek black vinyl perimeter fence surrounding the track
The newly improved complex positions Hastings College as a premier host for regional athletic events and reaffirms its commitment to student-athletes and the community.
A full schedule of events for the GPAC Outdoor Championships can be found at gpacsports.com.
About the late Jack Osborne ‘63
The Honorary Trustee, Hastings business owner, community supporter, record-breaking athlete and Hastings College legacy John C. “Jack” Osborne lived an active life. Even after retirement, he continued going daily to his office at the multi-generational family business, Industrial-Irrigation Services, where he was CEO.
When Osborne joined the Hastings College Board of Trustees in 1992, he continued a family tradition that included his father, Charles Osborne ‘30, who served on the board from 1955 to 1982, and his grandfather, Thomas Osborne, a 1901 graduate and a trustee from 1910 to 1946. His brother, Dr. Tom W. Osborne ‘59, was a trustee from 2007 to 2010 and is currently an Honorary Trustee. His son, Justin C. Osborne, is currently a member of the board.
Osborne lettered in football at HC, but his specialty was on the oval, as he was a record-setting track competitor. In his junior and senior years, Osborne placed in at least one event in every track meet he participated in. He won multiple events at Nebraska College Conference meets during his career and, in 1962, set the College’s broad jump record with a leap of 24 feet, 4 and 1/2 inches—a record that was held until 2005.
He was inducted into the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990 and, for his long service to and support of the College, was inducted into the Pro Rege Society in 2007.
In 2008, the new track complex was named in his honor. The Hastings College Track & Field’s previous home, A.H. Jones Stadium, had borne the name of Jack Osborne’s great uncle. A.H. Jones was a 1900 Hastings College graduate who served on the College’s Board of Trustees for 43 years.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
