School colors stay the same for Lukas

Cedar Grove-Belgium High School has a new athletic director who is already feeling right at home.

Nate Lukas is a 2014 Grafton High School graduate who finds more similarities between the two communities than the school colors of orange and black.

“I love the family feel of the Cedar Grove-Belgium Athletic Department. It really drew that job toward me,” he said. “It essentially reminds me of a smaller Grafton.”

Lukas earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., and in 2019 earned a master’s degree in sport management from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Lukas did plenty more than study sports, however. At Grafton, he made the North Shore Conference first team twice as a utility player in baseball. He was chosen to the all-state team twice and earned academic all-state honors twice. He also played forward on the basketball team.

At Truman State, the lefty starting pitcher participated in the 2015 Division II College World Series.

Lukas spent one season each as an assistant baseball coach for Port Washington High School and Wisconsin Lutheran College.

He has been the operations manager for Bigler Sports since 2019, a job he can keep thanks to his school district schedule. Both of his jobs, he said, allow him to work from home part of the time.

The athletic director is a part-time position. Lukas plans to be in the office Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Lukas said Supt. Chad Brakke and High School Principal Josh Ketterhagen have been helpful as he gets acquainted with the role, including understanding protocol, eligibility and scheduling games and officials.

Lukas is married and lives in Grafton. While baseball remains his passion, he loves just about any outdoor activity, including hiking and kayaking.