Thursday Afternoon Sports – Runza Seniors Began Season in Grand Island, Nebraska Football Announces Seven Kickoff Times, Final State Golf Results, Husker Baseball Thinned by Transfer Portal

RUNZA SENIOR LEGION BEGINS SEASON IN GRAND ISLAND:

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 tonight.

Pregame will begin on KGFW at 7:20 PM as first pitch comes at 7:30 PM. Join Austin Jacobsen and Alex Hammeke on the call from 1340 AM, 96.1 FM, at the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.

NEBRASKA FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES KICK-OFF TIMES FOR SEVEN GAMES:

An evening kickoff in Dublin and a national stage for a traditional rivalry highlight seven Nebraska kickoff times announced by the Big Ten Conference.

Nebraska will open its 2022 season Week Zero against Northwestern in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Kickoff will be at 5:30 local time in Dublin (11:30 a.m. CT) with the game televised on FOX.

Following the opener, Nebraska returns to Lincoln for a four-game homestand, including three non-conference matchups. The highlight of the homestand is a Sept. 17 visit to Memorial Stadium by Oklahoma. The matchup of long-time rivals will be televised as part of FOX’s Big Noon package with kickoff at 11 a.m. Central. Fox will also bring the Big Noon Kickoff pregame show to Lincoln for the Nebraska-Oklahoma tilt.

Nebraska’s home opener against North Dakota on Sept. 3 will kick off at 2:30 p.m. (Central) on BTN. The Sept. 10 home contest against Georgia Southern will be televised under the lights at Memorial Stadium with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on FS1.

Nebraska’s contests with Indiana will be set in a prime-time matchup, while the Friday, Oct. 7 contest at Rutgers receives a 6 PM kickoff. Finally, the Black Friday matchup with Iowa is staged for a 3 PM game. 

FINAL BOYS STATE GOLF RESULTS:

The final day of Nebraska State Golf meets concluded across the state on Wednesday. In Class A at Norfolk, Lincoln East won the top spot while the Kearney Bearcats finished 8th as a team. 

Individually, the Bearcats Cole Schroer finished tied for 11th ending +7, Cole Feddersen was tied for 25th at +13, Perry Swarm was tied for 41st at +20, Dylan Dahlstedt was tied at 46th sitting +22, and Owen Bartee was 62nd at +29. 

In Class C at Columbus, Kearney Catholic ended 4th as a team with strong individual performances from Quentin Hogeland ending tied for 16th at +24, Alex Abels tied for 19th at +25, Jackson Dunham was tied for 30th at +29, Landon Edeal was tied for 53rd at +42, and Taten Shoemaker was tied for 62nd at +46. 

Area team results can be found here:

CLASS A: LINCOLN EAST (596, 1st); Grand Island (630, 6th); Kearney (636, 8th)

CLASS B: NORRIS (598, 1st); York (646, 3rd); Minden (691, 8th), McCook (722, 11th)

CLASS C: COLUMBUS SCOTUS (640, 1st); Doniphan-Trumbull (671, 2nd); Kearney Catholic (694, 4th); Grand Island Central Catholic (704, 5th); Amherst (710, T-6th); Heartland (757, 13th)

CLASS D: OVERTON (681, 1st); North Platte St. Patrick’s (684, 2nd); Loomis (723, 6th); Southern Valley (731, 8th)

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.

FORMER HUSKER O-LINEMAN JOINS NEBRASKA RECRUITING:

Former Nebraska offensive lineman Keith Williams has been added to the Nebraska recruiting staff, with the title of assistant director of player personnel.

The St. Louis native was part of the Husker football team from 2006-10, a three-year starter to finish his career. He previously was an offensive coordinator and O-line coach at Bethel University.

Before entering the coaching profession, Williams spent time in the NFL as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills organizations. He was a 6th-round pick for the Steelers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Williams also won a championship with the Arizona Rattlers in the AFL.

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.​

NBA CONFERENCE FINALS SCORES:

WEDNESDAY EASTERN CONFERENCE RESULTS:

Boston Celtics 93 – 80 Miami Heat (BOS 3-2)

THURSDAY WESTERN CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors – 8 PM (GSW 3-1)

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • BOYS GOLF: State Championships @ Norfolk Country Club
    • 8th team finish
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • BOYS GOLF: State Championships @ Columbus
    • 4th team finish

THURSDAY:

• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ NCAA Championships @ Allendale, MI
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • M/W T&F: @ NAIA Championships @ Gulf Shores, AL

FRIDAY:

• 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