Mid East Conference

After two years of no conference affiliation in the aftermath of the dissolution of the sprawling Mid State conference, Hastings joined four other Mid State castoffs, Crete, Beatrice, Fairbury, and York in forming a more geographically tight conference. One new school joined the organization, suburban Lincoln Jackson High School which was in the Nebraska Wesleyan University Place area. The Mid East conference held its first event in 1938; Hastings won the track championship.

Hastings shared the basketball title in the winter of 1939 with Jackson and York, and then the Tigers swept football, basketball and track in the 1940-41 school year. After that year, Jackson closed (along with Bethany and Havelock schools, also in northeast Lincoln) and was replaced with Lincoln Northeast, which took Jackson's place in the Mid East and instantly became a great rival for Hastings. The two battled for conference, and sometimes state, honors. In 1949 the Rockets edged the Tigers for the state basketball title. [pictured]

The Mid East continued as a full conference even after HHS helped form the Nebraska Big Ten in 1945. The Tigers would be dual-conference members for the next 40 years.

After the 1949 track meet, Crete left the conference having never won a Mid East title, and was replaced by Columbus. The Discoverers played in the league for two years and then exited. York left after the 1951-52 school year, leaving the Tigers, Northeast, Fairbury and Beatrice. Hastings won three basketball titles, two football crowns and a conference track meet in the next three years.

In 1955 a south Lincoln suburban school, the College View Viewmen, joined the league in the school's last year of existence. It was closed in the spring of '55 and was replaced by the third Lincoln Public High School, Southeast. With the addition of the Knights (like Hastings with a new building that included a swimming pool), the Mid East added several new sports: swimming, gymnastics, golf and tennis.

The strength of the Tigers in the 1950s continued as Hastings won seven of the 14 conference trophies handed out in the next two years. Fast-growing suburban Omaha Westside joined Mid East for 1958 track meet. They participated in all conference events except basketball and football for two years. The Warriors won two meets while Hastings claimed four conference championships. Before football and basketball schedules could be adjusted to fully integrate Westside, the Warriors left to take an invitation to the Intercity League with several Omaha Public Schools and Lincoln High among others.

The Mid East continued as a five-team loop until the spring of 1964 when it was disbanded during the attempted formation of the Quin-Cities League. That league was spearheaded in 1962 by Hastings and Grand Island which attempted to form a new conference with the three Lincoln schools (High, Northeast and Southeast) and two booming Omaha suburban schools (Westside and Bellevue High). The original idea was for a seven team conference awaiting the planned opening of Lincoln East for an even eight.

The Quin-Cities died before ever making it to a playing field. Right away it faced criticism from Omaha, as many wondered why Boys Town was not being included, and out-state, as HHS and GI's Big Ten brethren wondered why they were being left behind. By 1963 the league idea had grown with Omaha Bishop Ryan (a South Omaha Catholic School) joining the original schools (minus Westside) in one division, and another division of Westside, Creighton Prep and the five OPS high schools (Central, South, North, Tech and Benson). It didn't take long for the 14-school behemoth to collapse under its own weight when scheduling quickly proved impossible.

Hastings, which had won the first Mid East event, the 1938 track meet, also won the finale, the 1964 track meet. [64 track team pictured]

The Trans-Nebraska Conference rose out of the ashes of the Quin-Cities minus the Omaha schools which formed the modern Metro conference from their portion of the ash heap. The Nebraska Big Ten stayed together and HHS continued to hold memberships in two conferences.

Mid East Conference Champions

Founded with Hastings, Jackson, Crete, Beatrice, Fairbury, and York.

1938 track HASTINGS

1938 football Lincoln Jackson

1939 Basketball HASTINGS, York and Lincoln Jackson

1939 Track Fairbury

1939 Football Jackson and Beatrice

1940 Basketball Lincoln Jackson

1940 Track Lincoln Jackson

1940 football HASTINGS

1941 basketball Lincoln Jackson and HASTINGS

1941 track HASTINGS

Lincoln Jackson closing and leaving Mid East after spring 1941. Lincoln Northeast taking over Jackson spot. The opening of LNE was hurried after a fire destroyed the Jackson gym in 1939.

1941 football York

1942 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1942 track Fairbury

1942 football Lincoln Northeast

1943 basketball HASTINGS**

**Lincoln Northeast forfeited games to give Hastings the title.

1943 track Lincoln Northeast

1943 football Lincoln Northeast

1944 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1944 track York

1944 football Fairbury

1945 basketball HASTINGS

1945 track HASTINGS

1945 football HASTINGS

1946 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1946 track HASTINGS

1946 football Lincoln Northeast

1947 basketball York

1947 track HASTINGS

1947 football HASTINGS

1948 basketball HASTINGS and Lincoln Northeast

1948 track Lincoln Northeast

1948 football Fairbury

1949 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1949 track Beatrice

Crete left Mid East after spring 1949. Columbus joined.

1949 football Beatrice

1950 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1950 track Beatrice

1950 football Lincoln Northeast

1951 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1951 track Lincoln Northeast

Columbus left conference.

1951 football Lincoln Northeast

1952 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1952 track Beatrice

York did not enter the 1952 track meet and seems to have left conference then.

1952 football Lincoln Northeast

1953 basketball HASTINGS

1953 track Lincoln Northeast

1953 football HASTINGS

1954 basketball HASTINGS and Lincoln Northeast

1954 track HASTINGS

1954 football HASTINGS

1955 basketball HASTINGS

1955 track Beatrice

College View was at 1955 conference track. Were they in Mid East for other sports? Lincoln Southeast opens and joins conference in fall 1955.

1955 football Beatrice

1956 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1956 swimming HASTINGS

1956 gym Lincoln Northeast

1956 track HASTINGS

1956 golf HASTINGS

1956 tennis HASTINGS

1956 football HASTINGS

1957 swimming HASTINGS

1957 gym Lincoln Northeast

1957 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1957 track Beatrice

1957 golf Lincoln Southeast

1957 tennis HASTINGS

Westside joins Mid East for 1958 track meet. Basketball and football participation will wait for schedules to catch up.

1957 football HASTINGS

1958 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1958 gym Lincoln Northeast

1958 swim Lincoln Southeast

1958 track Omaha Westside

1958 golf HASTINGS

1958 tennis Lincoln Southeast

1958 football HASTINGS

1959 basketball Beatrice

1959 swim Lincoln Southeast

1959 gym HASTINGS

1959 golf Omaha Westside

1959 tennis Lincoln Southeast

1959 track Beatrice

Omaha Westside leaves league to join the Intercity League. Westside never played a football or basketball conference season, but did compete in spring of 1959.

1959 football Beatrice

1960 basketball Lincoln Northeast and Beatrice

1960 gym HASTINGS

1960 swim Lincoln Southeast

1960 track HASTINGS

1960 golf HASTINGS

1960 tennis Lincoln Southeast, Lincoln Northeast and Fairbury

1960 football HASTINGS, Lincoln Northeast and Fairbury

1960 cross country Beatrice

1961 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1961 gym Lincoln Southeast

1961 swim Lincoln Southeast

1961 track HASTINGS

1961 tennis Lincoln Northeast

1961 golf HASTINGS

1961 football Lincoln Northeast

1961 cross country Lincoln Southeast

1962 basketball Lincoln Northeast

1962 gym Lincoln Northeast

1962 swim Lincoln Southeast

1962 wrestling Lincoln Southeast

1962 track Fairbury

1962 tennis Lincoln Northeast

1962 golf Lincoln Northeast

1962 football HASTINGS

1962 cross country HASTINGS

1963 basketball HASTINGS and Lincoln Northeast

1963 gym Lincoln Northeast

1963 swim Lincoln Southeast

1963 wrestling Lincoln Southeast and Lincoln Northeast

1963 track HASTINGS

1963 golf Lincoln Southeast

1963 tennis Lincoln Southeast

1963 football Lincoln Northeast

1963 cross country HASTINGS

1964 basketball Fairbury and Lincoln Northeast

1964 gym Lincoln Northeast

1964 wrestling Lincoln Northeast

1964 swim Lincoln Southeast

1964 golf Lincoln Northeast

1964 tennis Lincoln Southeast

1964 track HASTINGS

Mid East disbands with the attempted formation of the Quin-Cities League. That league dissolves before even reaching its first school year. The Trans-Nebraska rises out of the rubble.

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