LOPER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NAMES FORMER NEWMAN COACH JOHNSON NEXT HEAD COACH:
Former Newman University head coach Drew Johnson has been hired as head women’s basketball coach at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Director of Athletics Marc Bauer announced today.
UNK will formally introduce Johnson as its eighth coach in team history at a 10 a.m. news conference Thursday (May 11) at UNK’s Health and Sports Center.
Johnson, 34, helped rebuild the women’s basketball programs at both MIAA-member Newman University (Wichita) and Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.).
UNK has gone 101-23 over the past four seasons, reaching three NCAA Division II Tournaments, winning the 2021 MIAA Tournament title and 2023 MIAA regular season title. Former Head Coach Carrie Eighmey moved on from the Lopers to Division I Idaho two weeks ago.
HUSKER BASEBALL DROPS SUSPENDED GAME; WIN SECOND CONTEST AT CREIGHTON:
Nebraska fell 6-5 in the resumption of last month’s suspended game on Tuesday evening at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
Nebraska had the tying run on third with two outs in the eighth after Matthews walked, stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw from the CU catcher, but the Huskers couldn’t bring home the tying run.
In the second contest Nebraska concluded its series against Creighton with a 7-4 win.
Nebraska (26-20-1) scored seven runs on 11 hits, while Creighton (23-19) had four runs on 11 hits and an error.
Nebraska returns to Big Ten play this weekend, as the Huskers welcome Penn State to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. First pitch of the series opener on Friday night is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
KEARNEY HIGH QUALIFIES NINE BOYS EVENTS, FOURTEEN GIRLS EVENTS AT DISTRICTS:
The Kearney Track and Field teams had a successful A-2 Districts at Kearney High School despite a later start due to severe weather to begin the day.
The Bearcat girls track team qualified eighteen athletes in fourteen events for the State Meet in Omaha next week, placing Kearney as runner-up in the A-2 District.
The Kearney boys qualified seven athletes and one relay, finishing third in the district.
The State Track & Field meet will begin a week from today at Omaha’s Burke Stadium. Full results from the A-2 District meet can be found at KGFW.com.
LOPER WOMEN’S HOOPS LOSE GUARD TO TRANSFER PORTAL:
UNK women’s basketball lost their head coach and their top guard from last season as both have moved on to the University of Idaho.
Sarah Schmitt announced her transfer commitment to Idaho Sunday. The incoming senior has one season of collegiate eligibility remaining and chose to follow her coach Carrie Eighmey, who just took the head coaching job with the Vandals.
Schmitt started her career at Omaha before spending the last two seasons at UNK. This past year, she was an All-MIAA honorable mention after averaging 10.0 points and 3.9 assists per game.
LOPER GOLF CONTINUES STRONG PERFORMANCES AT NCAA REGIONAL:
The Nebraska-Kearney women’s golf team had nine birdies and 28 pars on the back nine to retain its lead at the 2023 NCAA Central Regional Tuesday in Larchwood, Ia.
After a school-record 289 on Monday, the Lopers got off to a bit of a slow start in the morning as it was a bit crisp and windy. UNK briefly lost its five-stroke lead but, as the skies brightened, regained it thanks to a solid back nine. The 298 ties for the eighth-best tally in school-history with the overall score (587) ahead of 4th-ranked Harding (591), 41st-ranked Augustana (594), 21st-ranked Central Missouri (601) and 43rd-ranked Rogers State (602).
The final round begins Wednesday morning with overcast skies in the forecast. No UNK squad has ever reached the NCAA Championships but four different individuals have qualified, the last being Sara Wissing (Hastings) in 2010.
MATT RHULE – SPORTS NIGHTLY COMMENTS:
RHULE – PLAYER MEETINGS AFTER SPRING GAME:
Head Coach for Nebraska Football Matt Rhule spoke on Sports Nightly on Monday night saying he was happy to finally have some time to meet and greet his players during the off-time after the spring game…
Nebraska awaits the start of fall practices beginning in August.
RHULE – QUARTERBACK ROOM STILL STRONG DESPITE TRANSFERS:
Three scholarship quarterbacks left Nebraska Football after the Red-White Spring Game, but Head Coach Matt Rhule is still confident in the quarterback room, especially in anticipated starter Jeff Sims…
The Huskers lost Casey Thompson, Logan Smothers, and Richard Torres to the portal after the Spring Game on April 22.
RHULE – WHITE ADAPTS WITH HIS DEFENSE:
Matt Rhule, Nebraska Football Head Coach, spoke on Sports Nightly on Monday night and was asked about what stands out the most about new defensive coordinator Tony White…
Nebraska’s new Blackshirt coordinator is installing a 3-3-5 defense that is used to create havoc according to White.
RHULE – COACHES ARE HONEST WITH TRANSFER CONVERSATIONS:
Matt Rhule, Nebraska Football Head Coach spoke on Sports Nightly on Monday night and was asked how his coaching staff handles conversations with players who are entering the transfer portal…
The Huskers were nearly at 100 scholarship players at the end of spring practices but have returned below 90 since multiple players entered the portal prior to April 30.
RHULE – JEFF SIMS GIVES HUSKERS CHANCE TO PUSH THE BALL DEEP:
Matt Rhule, Nebraska Football Head Coach, gushed over the athleticism and big play ability by transfer quarterback Jeff Sims during Monday’s Sports Nightly…
The Georgia Tech transfer is the presumed starter after the transfers of Casey Thompson, Logan Smothers, and Richard Torres. Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy remain on the roster as well for the Big Red.
STATE SOCCER SCORES/SCHEDULES:
TUESDAY RESULTS:
CLASS A GIRLS QUARTERFINALS:
Gretna 6-0 Papillion-LaVista
Omaha Westside 4-1 Omaha Marian
Lincoln Southwest 1-0 Lincoln Pius X (Shootout)
Lincoln East 3-2 Millard West (OT)
CLASS B BOYS QUARTERFINALS:
Bennington v. Conestoga – 12 PM
Schuyler v. South Sioux City – 2 PM
Skutt Catholic v. Elkhorn North – 5:30 PM
Lexington v. Columbus Scotus – 7:30 PM
NBA PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:
TUESDAY RESULTS:
Philadelphia 76ers 115-103 Boston Celtics (PHI leads 3-2)
Denver Nuggets 118-102 Phoenix Suns (DEN leads 3-2)
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:
Miami Heat @ New York Knicks (MIA leads 3-1) – 6:30 PM
Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors (LAL leads 3-1) – 9 PM
NHL PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:
TUESDAY RESULTS:
Carolina Hurricanes 6-1 New Jersey Devils (CAR leads 3-1)
Dallas Stars 6-3 Seattle Kraken (Tied 2-2)
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Florida Panthers (FLA leads 3-0) – 6 PM
Vegas Golden Knights @ Edmonton Oilers (VGK leads 2-1) – 9 PM
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Track & Field: A-2 DISTRICT TRACK @ Kearney High School
- GIRLS = 18 Athlete qualifiers, 14 events
- TEAM = A-2 Runner-Up
- BOYS = 7 Athlete qualifiers, 9 events
- TEAM = A-2 3rd place
- GIRLS = 18 Athlete qualifiers, 14 events
- Girls Tennis: @ Grand Island Dual @ GISH Tennis Courts
- KHS 7-2 GISH
- Track & Field: A-2 DISTRICT TRACK @ Kearney High School
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ NCAA Central Regional @ Larchwood, IA
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Boys Golf: @ Awarii Dunes Invite – 8:30 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Boys Golf: @ Awarii Dunes Invite – 8:30 AM
- Track & Field: DISTRICTS @ Southern Valley – 10 AM
- Girls Tennis: @ Gothenburg – 4 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 6:45 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Tennis: @ HAC Championships @ Woods Tennis Center – 8 AM
- Boys Golf: @ Norfolk Invite @ Norfolk Country Club – 9 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F @ Concordia Twilight @ Seward, NE – 12 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Penn State (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: v. Loper Twilight @ Kearney High School – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Penn State (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
