Nosh Restaurant Brings Fun Back to Fine Dining
Teen Filmmaker Sage Doubet Makes Her Mark in Cinema
LETTER from the EDITOR
June is
one of the most beautiful months in the Midwest. Sunshine and socializing are the perfect combination for feel-good moments. That’s something Edge Magazine has always strived for: creating feel-good moments while reading its stories, and this issue won’t disappoint.
Our cover feature is the epitome of feeling good. Degree Wellness is Omaha’s premier self-care studio, offering infrared sauna, cold plunge, contrast therapy, cryotherapy, red light therapy, and IV wellness all in one membership in a serene studio. Contrast therapy—going from the sauna to the cold plunge and back—is the most popular (cryotherapy and red light are my personal favs!)
Curt Hofer is a name recognized for its custom craftsmanship and bringing visions to life. This is apparent with our Home feature that highlights Vintage Gables—a home that Hofer’s team has expanded and renovated five times over the last decade to adapt with its homeowners.
There’s nothing like the feeling of enjoying a scrumptious meal, and Nosh Restaurant in downtown Omaha is all about food and fun. From bao buns to bruschetta flights, Nosh focuses on exceptional food in a relaxed atmosphere— they are now open for lunch, too!
Check out our Youth and Varsity Corner sections, which highlight a notable rising filmmaker and a college-bound bowler. For a new local hot spot, stop by Oto HiFi Lounge in Aksarben Village for conversation, cocktails, and soothing sounds.
Finally, this issue marks my last with Edge Magazine. The past decade has been full of more feel-good moments than I can count. It has been an honor to have shared a multitude of inspiring stories from across our community. I will be continuing my passion for storytelling
through my book writing and editing business that helps entrepreneurs become published authors. Thank you to everyone who has supported Edge Magazine. I will be forever grateful!
Kathy Rygg Executive Editor
Cover photo by OMAHA HEADSHOT COMPANY
PUBLISHER AND OWNER
Carole Sprunk (402) 587-2259 // Carole@EdgeMagazine.com
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Kathy Rygg (402) 490-3213 // Kathy@EdgeMagazine.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Natalie Veloso (402) 210-3616 // Natalie@OmahaPublications.com
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Kasie Wilcox (402) 957-8780 // Kasie@EdgeMagazine.com
ACCOUNT COORDINATOR
Dave Trouba Dave@OmahaPublications.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Tamsen Butler, Kyle Eustice, Holly McAtee, Mike Watkins, Andy Williams
DESIGNER
Kelly Murkins (402) 980-0607 // hello@kellylainedesign.com
PHOTO STAFF
Omaha Headshot Company (402) 677-3096
Yum Omaha (402) 541-8457
CONTACT US P: (402) 587-2259 Carole@EdgeMagazine.com
Step inside Omaha’s newest destination for elevated interiors.
The B. Morton Design showroom and design studio opens July 2026 at Heartwood Preserve.
Scan to discover more
Photo
DESIGNED FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE. BUILT FOR YOUR FUTURE.
Great Design Begins with Listening
At Curt Hofer, we listen to our clients first, not only about square footage and the number of bedrooms, but about how they live each day: how mornings unfold, how meals are prepared, and how celebrations and gatherings take place.
In these conversations, we often uncover complex needs and a wide range of requests. Rather than simplifying a client’s vision, we lean into it, finding creative ways to bring each element together without compromising the overall design. Throughout, we look for ways to introduce moments of delight, both big and small.
With over 30 years of experience, we balance aesthetics with functionality, creating spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to support the way you live today and over time.
A PARTNER AT EVERY STAGE
Residential Real Estate
Custom Homes
Renovations
Property Care
Start Planning with Us Today
Whether you’re considering a new custom home, the right piece of land, or a thoughtful renovation, the Curt Hofer team brings clarity to the earliest stages of the process. Connect with us to start the conversation and bring your vision to life.
One Home, Many Chapters
The Story of One Curt Hofer Home and Five Additions
Some homes are admired for their architecture. Others for their craftsmanship.
Vintage Gables, an Omaha-area home designed and constructed by Curt Hofer, is admired for both, but even more so, its evolution.
It’s a rare property that has been reimagined not once, but five times, with each transformation guided by the same builder who first brought it to life. Named for its architecturally striking gables, the home
stands as a testament to the firm’s ability to create homes that grow and adapt as homeowners’ needs change.
“The special thing about this home is how it has evolved over time,” said Steve Huber, Vice President of Curt Hofer. “Originally building the house and then being involved in five additions and renovations in the past 10 years is rare. The incredible thing about all of those additions is how the home has become more special over time.”
STORY BY MIKE WATKINS
PHOTOS BY
EMMA MOREM & JEFFREY BEBEE
GUEST BATH SPACE
FLOOR TO CEILING FIREPLACE
Huber said that typically, when a property goes through the number of additions Vintage Gables has, it will start to feel odd or disconnected, especially considering that these five remodels spanned across two different homeowners. In his view, however, this home has the feeling of an incredibly thoughtful plan executed over a decade.
“That credit goes to our design team for matching the architectural intent, being subtle in the details, and making sure the massing is appropriate,” Huber said.
A celebration of the American farmhouse style, Vintage Gables began as a modern interpretation of a timeless classic. Its gabled roofline, dimensional
exteriors, and inspired indoor spaces were crafted to support a lifestyle that balances entertaining with family living.
The home’s original design has proven to be both enduring and adaptable. It has been thoughtfully reshaped, expanded, and refined while maintaining its core integrity. Curt Hofer’s team has been honored to be continually entrusted with leading each addition, ensuring every update builds seamlessly on what came before.
Built in 2015, the home began as a one-of-a-kind custom build of 5,776 square feet with every detail intentional. The focus is centered on the expansive
ORIGINAL MAIN KITCHEN
living room, fully lined with windows that flood the space with natural light. A two-sided stone fireplace serves as the focal point, naturally dividing the space while adding warmth and encouraging gathering.
As family needs evolved, the home did too. The primary suite was expanded in 2017, seamlessly adding space while maintaining the original design and feel, adding 945 square feet to the original floor plan.
When the home transitioned to a new family three years later, a new chapter began to accommodate a new lifestyle and energy. To match a desire for more active spaces in the home, a sports court and gym were added in 2021—creating space for morning fitness routines, after-dinner free throws, and last-minute neighborhood pick-up games. This added 1,210 square feet to the home. Huber said the sports court features a second story viewing area, along with a garage door that opens seamlessly to a backyard fire pit, creating a true indoor-outdoor
experience for gathering and entertaining.
In 2022, the owners added a new pool and pool house to transform the backyard into a central gathering place, shaping how the family spent time together, especially in the summers. An office also was added to the home at 756 square feet, adding flexibility for increased work/life balance and allowing more time to enjoy the new indoor and outdoor spaces.
Entertaining is especially important to the home’s current owners. As frequent hosts of dinners and overnight guests, the family sought to create more space for cooking and preparation while providing privacy and comfort for their guests. The result is a 2,201-square-foot addition that includes a fully appointed second-floor guest residence and a new kitchen, complete with a separate but connected greenhouse.
“The clients frequently welcome a private chef to utilize this space, with the greenhouse supplying
fresh vegetables and herbs for each meal,” Huber said. “As this addition seamlessly connected to the main living areas, Curt Hofer also reimagined and fully updated the primary kitchen and dining room to match the home’s next chapter.”
As avid golfers—like many of their guests—the homeowners partnered with the Curt Hofer team to seamlessly integrate a state-of-the-art golf simulator into the entertainment space. The room also features one of the first articulating putting greens in a residential house in the United States, elevating both the experience and the level of play within the home.
Throughout this renovation, the Curt Hofer team creatively incorporated the family’s many needs and desires, finding thoughtful solutions to bring each one
to life while also enhancing function and convenience. This included the addition of a sauna in the sports area and a heated driveway, eliminating the need for snow removal, an appreciated detail in Nebraska’s winter months.
Despite all of these additions and changes, Huber said the continuity in vision and expectations have allowed the home to evolve without losing its identity, resulting in a property that feels both timeless and continually renewed.
In short, Vintage Gables has evolved from a beautifully built farmhouse into a sophisticated, hospitality-driven estate— one that has grown through major transformations while retaining the architectural soul of the original build.
“While so many renovations and additions obviously weren’t the plan from the beginning, living in a home has a way of teaching you what truly matters, especially when there is a change in ownership,” Huber said. “As the family grew and routines evolved, the home followed—adapting to better reflect how they wanted to live.”
GUEST KITCHEN
Elevated amenities and finely tuned elegance are instrumental to the Symphony Pointe experience. Whether you’re enjoying morning water aerobics in our heated indoor pool, spirited afternoon pickleball matches, or sharing cocktails or a delicious meal with friends, it’s easy to find your rhythm here.
Ready to start planning for life’s next beautiful verse? Scan the QR code, reach out to us at info@symphonypointe.com, or call 402-502-8577 to schedule a visit.
reset button
Degree Wellness Makes Recovery Part of Your Routine
Liz Rease was done.
After years of grinding through a high-pressure healthcare staffing career from behind a home office door—the long hours, the constant stress, the restful sleep that eluded her—she hit a wall that felt less like burnout and more like a reckoning. “I’m at the back end of my career,” Rease told herself, “but there’s a lot of work left in me, and I want to do something more meaningful.”
She also knew it wasn’t just her who was white-knuckling her way through the day. “I wasn’t the only one feeling burned out, stressed out, losing sleep,” she said about her turning point. “I was looking for something that would make me happy in a career—but that would also help people experiencing the same thing.”
What she found was Degree Wellness, a fast-growing national franchise that offers an arsenal of recovery therapies—infrared sauna, cold plunge, contrast therapy, cryotherapy, red light therapy, IV drips—all under one roof and one membership. Open for just over a month in a new commercial center at 172nd and West Maple in Omaha, Rease’s franchise is the tenth Degree Wellness location in the country and the first in the Midwest.
Story by ANDY WILLIAMS
Photos by OMAHA HEADSHOT COMPANY
Degree Wellness owner
Liz Rease in the red light therapy suite
And if the early buzz is any indication, it may be exactly what this city didn’t know it needed. Early returns have exceeded even her own expectations.
“Most of the time, it’s both physical and mental,” Rease said of the uplift members report after regular visits. “They notice better energy, improved sleep, less stress—just an overall sense of feeling more like themselves again.”
Step inside Degree Wellness and the first thing you notice is what’s missing: the noise, the crowds, the hustle, the vague smell of a gym locker room. In its place is a quiet, intentional space where every room is designed to do one thing: Help you feel better when you leave.
The centerpiece is contrast therapy, offered in private rooms each equipped with a sauna, a cold plunge tub, and a shower. A small fridge stocked with water and a towel drop offer thoughtful amenities. The alternating heat and cold work together to reduce inflammation, support muscle recovery, aid in detoxifying the body, and—perhaps most importantly for the chronically overextended—deliver a genuine mental reset.
“We have a mom who comes in a couple times a week and does contrast therapy,” Rease said. “She told us it’s helped her mental health so much—just
helping to reset, get out of the house for a little bit, help with her energy. Little stories like that make it all worthwhile.”
For those who want to push the recovery deeper, the cryotherapy chamber takes things to another level. The whole-body chamber can drop up to negative-175 degrees, and sessions up to 3 minutes and 45 seconds long help boost immunity, fire up metabolism, and knock out aches and pains. “It’s one of my favorites,” Rease said with a grin. Members agree, like the client who has worked cryotherapy into his every-morning routine and leaves “hooting and hollering, he feels so good,” Rease added. “He says it’s the best part of his day.”
Red light therapy rounds out the physical recovery offerings—two full-body panels work to support skin health, reduce inflammation, enhance muscle recovery, and improve sleep. Members who incorporate it regularly report it’s become a non-negotiable part of their routine.
Then there’s the IV lounge, where registered nurses administer targeted drips designed for metabolism, pain relief, beauty, energy, and immunity—with vitamin booster shots available for members short on time. The setting is private and unhurried, designed to support a more proactive
Leg compression and IV therapy
Cold plunge
Cryotherapy
approach to wellness rather than a reactive one. “If they’re feeling run down, our RNs can recommend what might be best for them,” Rease said. “Each one is tailored to what their goals might be— there’s not a lot of guessing involved.”
Rounding out the menu: light facials with settings for both anti-aging and acne treatment, and a recovery lounge where members can decompress between sessions, grab some oxygen, and—more often than not—strike up a conversation with someone who came in feeling exactly the way they did. “Before, if you wanted a sauna, you’d have to have a membership, and then if you wanted IVs, it was another membership. It’s nice to have everything under one roof.”
Here’s the part that might surprise you: None of this is meant to be a rare treat. That’s the quiet but persistent message Rease wants Omaha to hear: The therapies offered at Degree Wellness aren’t spa-day splurges only for special occasions. They’re tools for your body. And like any tool, they work best when you use them regularly. “It’s not something you just do every once in a while as a luxury,” Rease explained. “It’s something you should be adding into your wellness routine several times a week.”
It’s a reframe that runs counter to the
way most people think about saunas and cold plunges and IV drips. The cumulative effect of contrast therapy, red light, cryotherapy, and IV nutrition isn’t fully realized in a single session. It builds. It compounds. After a few weeks, it starts to feel less like self-indulgence and more like maintenance—the same way a workout or a good night’s sleep stops feeling optional. The dream has always been bigger than the services themselves.
“My vision was to create a space that felt elevated, but still welcoming—where people could come in, take a break from everything, and genuinely feel taken care of,” she said. “Not rushed or overwhelmed. Just supported.”
Rease is also deliberate about who she’s building this for. While many people associate these services solely with athletic performance recovery, they extend well beyond that. The space is designed just as much for the overwhelmed parent, the burned-out professional, or anyone who feels run down and ready for a reset.
“You don’t have to be an athlete or into extreme wellness,” Rease said. “If you’re tired, overwhelmed, or just want to feel better in your day-to-day life, this is for you.”
Infrared sauna
Settings for cryotherapy
Cryotherapy suite
A CLEAR CHOICE
SEEING LIFE DIFFERENTLY WITH EVO ICL AT KUGLER VISION
Story and photos contributed by KUGLER VISION
Shreeya Mishra has sat across from hundreds of EVO ICL patients as an ophthalmic technician at Kugler Vision. She’s walked them through pre-op appointments, answered their questions, and watched them leave the clinic seeing their world in remarkable detail for the first time without glasses or contacts. Then one day, she became the patient in her own EVO ICL vision correction story.
Shreeya has worn glasses since she was five years old. Before getting EVO ICL, her uncorrected vision made ten minutes without glasses enough to trigger a headache. Contacts left her eyes dry and scratchy. She carried solution, cases, and backup pairs everywhere. “Glasses constantly got in the way,” she says, “like sliding down my face or fogging up when I walked outside.”
Shreeya Mishra and Dr. Drew Dickson
Working at Kugler Vision made the decision to explore EVO ICL easier, not harder. “Seeing [patient] results and how happy they were really convinced me,” she says of the EVO ICL patients she has supported. “I already knew what to expect and trusted the process.”
EVO ICL is a small lens implanted behind the iris that corrects vision without removing any corneal tissue — meaning the procedure is reversible if your eyes or needs ever change. It works for patients with thin corneas or high prescriptions, and it delivers some of the sharpest vision quality of any correction procedure available.
On the day of her procedure, she sat in the massage chair (a standard part of a Kugler Vision pre-op!), relaxed, and waited. “I loved seeing how excited everyone was for me,” she recalls, with the entire surgical team giving a cheer as she entered the room. “It made the whole experience feel really reassuring.”
When surgeon Dr. Drew Dickson started the first eye, it was over before she fully registered it had begun. “It was so quick that I didn’t even realize when it was done.” She remembers watching the light overhead grow clearer while the procedure was still happening. Immediately after, she could see faces across the room without glasses for the first time.
“LIFE NOW IS JUST SO MUCH EASIER. I DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MY VISION ANYMORE.”
SHREEYA MISHRA
And once she got home? “The moment it really hit me was when I could see my family’s faces clearly without glasses for the first time in a long time. That’s when I was like, okay, this really changed something for me.”
Shreeya is heading to medical school. She’s spent years working toward it, and she wanted nothing standing between her and that work — not dry contacts, not fogged lenses, no headaches from trying to work if glasses are misplaced. “I will now be able to give all of my attention to learning and to my patients.”
She also reflects on what the experience has given her as a future physician: “I’ve now been on the patient side of something I see every day, and I think that will help me connect with patients better and understand what they’re feeling on a deeper level.”
With new vision to support her goals, Shreeya’s future looks bright. “Life now is just so much easier. I don’t have to think about my vision anymore.”
To find out whether EVO ICL is a fit for your eyes, call Kugler Vision at 402-558-2211 or visit KuglerVision.com.
EVO ICL keeps up with Mishra’s busy schedule
A Big Dash of FLAVOR with a Sprinkle of HUMOR
LEMON SQUEEZY PASTA
Nosh Restaurant Owner Jamie Costine
Story
One glance at the menu at Nosh Restaurant on 1006 Dodge St., and it’s obvious the new owner, Jamie Costine, has a wicked sense of humor. Dishes like Hatch Me If You Can, What the Duck? and Broc It Like It’s Hot—and the latest cocktail, Citrus Got Real—jump off the page and invite diners to a taste of Costine’s eclectic palate.
“Food is supposed to be fun,” Costine said. “It’s not supposed to be so stuffy. I want it to have that elevated feel, but I don’t want it to be that stuffy that people come in here and say, ‘Oh my gosh, am I dressed appropriately for this?’ I’m like, ‘Yes, you can come in your pajamas if you want!’ I try to keep it light-hearted.”
by KYLE EUSTICE
Photos by YUM OMAHA
Costine, who was born in Arizona and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, grew up learning to cook dishes like lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) through frequent visits with her feisty Filipino grandmother. Since taking ownership of Nosh in April 2025, Costine has sprinkled the menu with her family’s influences, even naming one of the dishes after her grandmother, Lola Lee’s Lumpia.
Owning her own restaurant has been a lifelong dream, but Costine has always had an entrepreneurial spirit—from owning her own hot dog cart to stocking car washes with gum-ball machines.
After moving to Omaha in 2016, the opportunity presented itself in the midst of an illness. From
2024-2025, Costine said, she got “really sick” and was on disability.
“I was working in finance for nine years and all of a sudden I couldn’t go to work,” she said. “I had been bothering my husband about it for years and I’ve always wanted to own a restaurant. I’d pitched a couple other locations to him in the past, and he was like, ‘No, it’s not the right time. It’s not the right location.’
But when I was on disability, I cooked all the time. He saw how it calmed me down and made me really happy.”
While on disability, Costine found herself cooking constantly, reigniting her passion for food. When the opportunity to purchase Nosh from previous owner
Erick Niemeier arose, the timing felt serendipitous.
“On a Friday, we came and looked at it,” she explained.
“Monday, we put an offer in, and on Tuesday he accepted it. Everything just lined up perfectly and they wanted to close right away. It was a whirlwind.”
For the first six months, Costine experimented with the menu as she tried to determine which dishes she should keep or eliminate.
“It was a lot of trial and error,” she said. “We liked some of the dishes that they had on the original Nosh menu, and we have quite a following with a lot of the residents who live in the building, so we wanted to pick the most
OMAHA, OMAHA SIGNATURE SALAD
popular things. Then, I chose personally what I liked and what I liked to cook, and we would run specials to see what were the most popular. If something really wasn’t selling, we got rid of it.”
Though Costine is satisfied with the current menu, she still runs specials on the weekends to flex her creativity, and she’s figured out why her customers keep returning in droves.
“Lola Lee’s Lumpia has become really popular and so have our bruschetta flights,” she said. “People love to mix and match different flavors. The bao buns are really popular, too. We do the open-faced ones, so ours are a little heavier on the breading and a bit thicker, but they’re stuffed full with all of the toppings. They’re really pretty and made with vibrant colors. They’re something you really can’t find anywhere else in Omaha.”
Costine has faced some challenges over the past year, mainly the ongoing streetcar construction in downtown Omaha.
BAO DOWN STUFFED STEAMED BUNS
LOX & LOADED TOAST
HATCH ME IF YOU CAN: A COLORADO STAPLE SMOKIN’ BOWL
“They blocked off all our parking during the holidays, which is our busiest season. They put a dumpster and a porta-potty right in front of our window. That is the last thing somebody wants to be looking at when they’re trying to enjoy a nice glass of wine and a meal,” she recalled with a laugh.
Despite the two-month inconvenience, Nosh is thriving and Costine is optimistic about the restaurant’s future, which includes dropping the previous “Wine Lounge” part of the name
and going solely by Nosh Restaurant.
“We still have the wine wall and the lounge area with couches and smaller tables, but we are making a huge push for our main dining room and corporate and private events,” she said. “Our cocktail list and beer list has also grown. We sell almost as many cocktails as we do wine now.”
Costine was also mindful of vegans and vegetarians, especially in the wake of vegan restaurants like Modern Love permanent-
ly closing. Non-meat options include Olive the Rave, Mack Attack & Cheese, I’m the Fungi, and the veggie lumpia.
“We are looking to eventually open up a second location probably out west,” she said. “We just started opening for lunch, too, and we can get people in and out in 30 minutes.
We’re really just focused on creating our own identity. As time goes on, people are seeing it as a completely different place, and that’s really cool.”
CHOC IT TO ME CHOCOLATE GANACHE BITES
Story by TAMSEN BUTLER
Photos courtesy of SAGE DOUBET
Sage Doubet: BOLD FILMMAKER & CREATIVE VISIONARY
Kyan Doubet intentionally decided to foster creativity in her daughter at an early age, and it shows. “She just breathes creativity,” said Kyan of her daughter Sage. “It’s part of her being.”
At 16 years old, homeschooled Sage Doubet is already making waves within the local film community. Her production company’s film Opening Night was an official selection at the 2026 Omaha Film Festival, and their film Raiven was an official selection at the 2026 Omaha Film Festival, the Benson Film Festival, and the Rising Stars Colorado Film Festival.
Sage’s production company, Saga Rising Productions, was created with her best friend Gracie Arbaugh while they were filming Raiven. It was around the halfway point in filming that they realized they wanted to make many more films together, so creating the production company seemed like a logical next step.
The two friends, who have been friends since the age of 4, both discovered their love of filmmaking separately from one another. When Gracie reached out asking if
Photo by SAMUEL MARTIN AND NIK FACKLER
Creating practical effects behind the scenes
Sage knew of any film classes—aware of her childhood dream of becoming an actress—the connection clicked. “I was like, ‘you’re into film?’” Sage said. It was really magical how we found filmmaking separately and our paths intertwined.”
Sage not only has the advantage of having a creative best friend with whom she can pursue filmmaking, but also a long roster of supporters and mentors who encourage her to explore her creativity. Among those named are her parents, Kimberly Faith Hickman, Nik and Kat Fackler, Rachel Benson, and Kate Robertson Pryor—all powerhouses within the Omaha arts scene.
Her film crew is mostly comprised of friends she met in theater productions. “We all help each other out. It’s awesome,” she said. Her siblings sometimes get involved in her films as well, helping behind the scenes or in front of the camera.
She’s heavily influenced by filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. “They do beautiful, emotional, powerful work,” Sage said. She also cites The Lord of the Rings as a major inspiration, calling it one of her favorite books and film series of all time. Yet, her true muse is the world around her. “The natural world is important to me and a big inspiration,” she said, adding that she also creates eco-friendly, biodegradable artwork and jewelry inspired by the natural world.
Sage’s advice to other young filmmakers is to seek out mentors who will be supportive. “I’m really glad I have all these people around me who encourage me and make me feel like I can achieve my dreams,” she said. She also urges young creatives to “just do it,” and not allow self-doubt to halt creative pursuits.
“During the making of Raiven, I kept watching it and thinking it was amazing, and then watching it and thinking it was terrible,” she revealed. “You’ll never learn and grow until you try.”
In the near future, Sage hopes to launch a YouTube channel for Saga Rising Productions. She’s also currently co-writing a feature film. Long-term, her hope is to write a book that she can then adapt into a movie.
“I’m going to make movies for as long as I can and as long as I want to,” she said.
Sage and Gracie present a Saga Rising Productions film
Speaking at the 2026 Omaha Film Festival. Courtesy of Omaha Film Festival
Beyond the Frame with Nathaniel Gust
Story by HOLLY MCATEE
Photos courtesy of NATHANIEL GUST
Millard North High School graduated senior Nathaniel Gust credits his success with working hard toward one goal for a long period of time. “When you work hard and you actually achieve your goal, it just hits harder,” Gust said.
Gust began bowling in a bumper league when he was 3 years old. His father, Del, was a lifetime bowler and sparked his interest in bowling. Gust’s tournaments began in elementary school. In middle school, he was competing against bowlers across the state. His journey took him twice to Junior Gold, a national bowling tournament, in Indianapolis.
As a three-year captain for both the Millard North Varsity and Unified teams, Gust qualified for the individual state tournament three times and helped guide several teammates to state as well. The Unified team also advanced to state in fall 2024, finishing as runner-up. “I’ve had a blast getting to know new people, not just through our team, but through competing against other teams as well,” Gust said.
He’s made great friendships through bowling over the years. When he was in middle school bowling, his team was made up of kids from the entire Millard
district and other schools in the Omaha metro area. Now that they are all in high school, he enjoys being able to compete against other bowlers who were once his teammates in middle school.
Although the tournaments are full of tense competition, there’s also a lot of fun. Gust recalls a funny moment during a tournament when his teammate had eaten too much junk food the night before a tournament, and the next day, the boy couldn’t get his thumb in the hole of his bowling ball. Someone told them that a potato could bring down the swelling, so his coach ran to the store to get a bag of potatoes. His teammate stuck his thumb in the potato for about an hour, and successfully reduced the swelling enough to compete.
Outside of bowling, Gust stays busy with many other activities. He’s in the Boy Scouts (recently becoming an Eagle Scout), band, theater, and show choir.
“In show choir, we have a saying where ‘yesterday’s 10 is today’s 8.’ We use this to try to keep ourselves motivated, and instead of focusing on just beating one other person or focusing on the score too much, we focus on being a better person today than you were yesterday,” Gust said. He brings that same motivation from show choir to his sport.
It’s this strong work ethic that impresses Head Varsity Coach, Tricia Rohde, and
Nathaniel Gust | Graduated Senior | Millard North High School
Photo by Sherri Harnisch Photography
makes him a pleasure to coach. “Nathaniel is receptive to feedback and actively listens to those who offer guidance,” Rohde said. “He is always looking for ways to refine his skills. He understands that improvement takes time, dedication, and consistent effort—and he’s more than willing to invest all three on the lanes.”
“With the Unified team, he’s very kind and supportive and encouraging to all athletes,” said Torri R. Merten, Head Coach of Unified Bowling and Assistant Varsity Coach. “As an athlete, he always has a question about his sport and is always thinking about how he can elevate his game.”
“Nathaniel is an exceptionally talented bowler with a strong ability to read lane conditions and make precise adjustments,” Rohde added. “He understands his own game, but also has a keen eye for analyzing others, offering thoughtful guidance to help his teammates improve. He consistently arrives at practices and competitions with a positive attitude and a strong willingness to contribute. Nathaniel is always ready to support his teammates, offering help and encouragement whenever it’s needed.”
Gust will attend Briar Cliff University in the fall to continue his bowling career. He plans to double major in math and business administration to become an actuary, hoping to work and live in Omaha after college.
While he’s faced challenges in his life, Gust keeps a steady outlook on the future no matter the challenges to come. “I prefer to see them as stepping-stones that don’t hold me back, but propel me forward,” he said. “They help me get better by making me work harder to achieve a goal.”
Neighbors who happen to be home loan experts
Debbie Lentz NMLS ID #536955
Mike Fosdick NMLS ID #422481
Evan Soneson NMLS ID #1851410
Malinie Staben NMLS ID #536957
LuAnne Stang NMLS ID #1382203
Brent Frahm NMLS ID #422443
Rosa Valle-Lopez NMLS ID #1936944