RUNZA SENIOR LEGION DELAYS SEASON OPENER TO THURSDAY:
Due to wet field conditions and continued rainfall, the Runza Senior Legion Baseball squad has pushed back their season opener another day, as the team will take on GI Home Federal in Grand Island on Thursday night.
Pregame will begin on KGFW at 7:20 PM as first pitch comes at 7:30 PM. Join Austin Jacobsen on the call from 1340 AM, 96.1 FM, at the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.
NINE LOPERS COMPETE AT NCAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Nine members of the Nebraska-Kearney track and field team will compete this weekend at the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships in Michigan.
The three-day meet (May 26-28) is hosted by Grand Valley State in suburban Grand Rapids. A free live video stream and live results are available.
McCool Junction native Luke Stuckey gets things started Thursday at 4:10 p.m. Central with the 1,500-meter prelims.
At 5:40 p.m. Thursday, Ainsworth junior Ben Arens takes part in the steeplechase prelims.
Three-time All-American Brayden Sorensen (Kearney) gets things started Friday in the high jump (2:30 p.m. Central) with super senior Anna Squiers (Kearney Catholic) throwing the discus at 4 p.m.
At 5 p.m. Friday Fremont native Wes Ferguson takes part in the 800-meter prelims. He was the national champ in this event at the indoor meet.
On Saturday, Kansas natives Evan Prohaska (9:30 a.m. Central) and Jaida McEwen (12:30 p.m. Central) throw the javelin.
Finally, O’Neill sophomore Abby Everitt looks to repeat as an All-American in the high jump (1:05 p.m. Central) on Saturday.
MORE HUSKER BASEBALL PLAYERS ENTER PORTAL:
Five Huskers have entered the transfer portal as of Wednesday, per a source, as the team conducts individual meetings and players prepare to scatter for summer-ball assignments. Departing players are infielder Jack Steil, outfielder Tyler Palmer and pitchers Braxton Bragg, Ethan Bradford and Quinn Mason.
Additionally, Nebraska’s everyday left fielder, Leighton Banjoff, announced Tuesday on social media he would be transferring. Banjoff started 38 games and hit .233.
The Huskers currently have a 17-man recruiting class set to arrive in the fall, headlined by 10 junior-college commits. Catcher Zachary Johnson out of Southeast C.C. became the latest to join Wednesday – the Millard North grad comes aboard after hitting 21 home runs and an NJCAA-leading .474 this spring.
DAY 1 STATE GOLF RESULTS:
The first day of Nebraska State Golf action concluded on Tuesday across the state for all classes, with local area teams continuing to compete today.
Kearney High qualified as a team and currently sits 8th at +30 over par and shooting 318 as a team in Norfolk for Class A. Individually, Cole Schroer leads the Bearcats tied for 8th while Perry Swarm is tied at 30th, Cole Feddersen tied for 40th, and Dylan Dahlstedt tied for 51st with Owen Bartee tied for 55th.
Kearney Catholic is currently tied for 4th with GICC shooting +62 at 350 strokes in the Class C State Championship in Columbus. Individually, Alex Abels is tied for 24th with Jackson Dunham as each are at 86, Quinten Hogeland sits tied for 31st at 87, Landon Edeal is tied at 44th with 91, and Taten Shoemaker is tied at 66th with 97 strokes.
Action continues in Round 2 across the state today.
HASTINGS COLLEGE NAMES NEW HEAD WRESTLING COACH:
Hastings College Athletic Director B.J. Pumroy announced that Trey Heckadon will be the next head men’s wrestling coach at Hastings College. He comes from Hiram College (OH) where he spent the last two years as an assistant coach.
During his time as a wrestler at Graceland University (IA), he was a four year starter, two time Leadership Award Winner, two-time captain and a two time national qualifier.
Heckadon was hired at Hiram in 2020 and was tasked with helping to start the men’s wrestling program at Hiram. One of his main points of emphasis was recruiting during the first year where he helped secure 11 new recruits including 10 freshmen.
Heckadon earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Graceland University in April 2020 and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies at Hiram College.
NEBRASKA BASEBALL EARNS ALL-BIG TEN HONORS:
Nebraska’s Emmett Olson and Garrett Anglim received All-Big Ten honors.Olson was named All-Big Ten Second Team, while Anglim was chosen to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Olson posted a 3-3 record in 19 appearances on the mound this season, including eight starts. He finished the regular season ranked third in the Big Ten with a 2.86 ERA and totaled 65 strikeouts in 66 innings.
Anglim appeared in 49 games, including 45 starts and hit a team-best .303 at the plate for the Huskers this season. The redshirt freshman tallied 11 doubles, four triples and four home runs, 28 RBI and 28 runs scored in his debut season.
UNK ATHLETES SQUIERS, MALCOM FINALISTS FOR MIAA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD:
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletes Association announced its five female and five male finalists for the 2021-22 Ken B. Jones Award.
The Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the Association’s top female and male student-athletes from the academic year. The criteria includes athletics, academics and community service.
UNK Volleyball’s Maddie Squiers (Kearney Catholic) and Loper Wrestling’s Matt Malcolm (Glenwood, IA) are finalists as female and male, respectively. Both graduated with cumulative GPA’s well over 3.50 – receiving Masters degrees in the process – and both did a variety of community service projects throughout the 2021-22 academic year.
On the court, Squiers was an All-American setter who helped guide the Lopers to 26 wins and a 22nd consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Finally, she reached the rare 6,000-career assist mark. On the mat, Malcom won a national title at 165 pounds by going 30-2 (24-0 vs. D2 competition). He was deemed D2’s Most Dominant Wrester of the Year for 20 bonus point wins while also being named the Super Region VI Wrestler of the Year. Finally, he helped UNK win its fourth National Team Championship.
Winners will be announced in Kansas City, MO on Monday, June 6.
HUSKER T&F HEADS TO ARKANSAS FOR NCAA REGIONAL:
The Nebraska track and field team earned a total of 34 bids to the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Fayetteville, Ark., and will compete this week from Wednesday-Saturday on John McDonnell Field on the University of Arkansas campus.
Athletes who rank among the top 48 in their respective events earned berths into the NCAA West Preliminary Round, as well as the 24 best relay times. Both the Husker men’s and women’s teams accounted for 17 qualifiers each.
The four-day regional meet will have the men compete on Wednesday and Friday, while the women will compete on Thursday and Saturday.
A full list of participating Huskers can be found here.
NBA CONFERENCE FINALS SCORES:
TUESDAY WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL RESULT:
Dallas Mavericks 119 – 109 Golden State Warriors (GSW 3-1)
WEDNESDAY EASTERN CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat – 7:30 PM (Tied 2-2)
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- BOYS GOLF: State Championships @ Norfolk Country Club
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- BOYS GOLF: State Championships @ Columbus
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ NAIA Championships @ Gulf Shores, AL
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ NCAA Championships @ Allendale, MI
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ NAIA Championships @ Gulf Shores, AL
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ NCAA Championships @ Allendale, MI
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ NAIA Championships @ Gulf Shores, AL
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ NCAA Championships @ Allendale, MI
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
