BOYS STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS:
The winter high school sports season wrapped on Saturday, as Boys State Basketball championships were determined in Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
In Class A, Bellevue West overcame two straight years of state title losses to Millard North to finish a perfect season and state champions in Class A.
Class B had Omaha Skutt Catholic taking down Platteview 57-50.
Class C1 saw Ashland-Greenwood crush underdog Auburn 54-24, while Ogallala ended third overall with a win over Omaha Concordia.
Class C2 had Freeman win 53-35 over runner-up Amherst.
In Class D1 Johnson-Brock took down North Platte St. Pats while Dundy County Stratton was third in a win over Maywood-Hayes Center.
Finally, Class D2 saw Lincoln’s Parkview Christian claim the title over Wynot 52-49 while SEM nabbed third place over Shelton.
Full bracket results can be found at the NSAA website. Spring sports – including soccer, track and field, baseball, and boys golf competitions will begin this week.
LOPER WRESTLING’S ELDREDGE CLAIMS NATIONAL TITLE:
Nebraska Kearney redshirt senior Austin Eldredgehad two takedowns and racked up six near fall points to win the 174-pound national title match, 12-4, over previously unbeaten Abner Romero of St. Cloud State Saturday night in Cedar Rapids, Ia.
This was the second and final day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships. The seventh-ranked Lopers came in with six qualifiers and finished with three All-Americans. Heavyweight Lee Herrington was seventh with Billy Higgins sixth at 184 lbs.
UNK scored 43 team points to finish eighth; this is the 21st straight year (not counting 2020) the program has finished in the top eight.
HUSKER MEN SHUT OUT OF POSTSEASON HOOPS:
Despite getting hot in February, the Huskers’ Men basketball team will not be selected to the 2023 NIT field of 32 that was released on Sunday.
The Huskers finished the 2022-23 season 16-16. Three other Big Ten teams get the nod including Wisconsin, Rutgers and Michigan.
Nebraska beat both Wisconsin and Rutgers in February while also finishing ahead of the Badgers in the Big Ten standings.
NEBRASKA WOMEN’S HOOPS SELECTED TO NIT; SNUBBED FROM NCAA TOURNEY:
The Nebraska women’s basketball team earned its third consecutive postseason berth on Sunday night, when the Huskers were selected to play in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
The Huskers (16-14) claimed the Big Ten Conference’s automatic bid into the 64-team field after finishing with an 8-10 league mark. Nebraska, which closed the season at No. 43 in the NCAA NET rankings, is hopeful to host a first-round game in the 64-team field, which begins with first-round play March 15-17. The full bracket for the field will be announced later today.
The Huskers faced the toughest schedule in school history in 2022-23, playing a school-record 12 games against Associated Press Top 25 teams at game time, including six games against teams currently ranked in the top six of the AP Poll.
HUSKER BASEBALL ENDS SHORT SERIES IN SWEEP OF ILLINOIS STATE:
Despite Sunday’s baseball game between Nebraska and Illinois State being canceled due to cold temperatures, the Huskers still continued their winning ways on Friday and Saturday at home.
Jace Kaminska allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings, leading the Huskers to a 12-0 win against Illinois State at Hawks Field on Saturday.
The Huskers (9-4-1) recorded their ninth win in the last 10 games with 12 runs on 10 hits and one error on Saturday.
Nebraska continues its homestand next week, hosting Omaha on Tuesday, March 14 at Hawks Field. First pitch between the Huskers and Mavericks is set for 6:05 p.m.
STORM COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP IN DES MOINES:
The Tri-City Storm completed a two-game weekend sweep of the Des Moines Buccaneers Saturday night at Buccaneer Arena in a 4-2 victory. The Storm improved to 8-1-0-0 on the season in net for Tri-City.
The Storm extended its season-high eight-game winning streak, and nine-game point streak in the victory.
Tri-City is now set to return home for five consecutive games at the Viaero Center, including two next weekend against the Sioux City Musketeers.
UNK’S FERGUSON RUNS 2nd FASTEST 800 TIME IN D2 HISTORY:
Wes Ferguson was National Runner Up in the 800, Luke Stuckey finished third in the mile and Alex Homan earned second-team All-American honors in the pole vault to lead Nebraska Kearney on the final day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach.
Including the eighth-place distance medley team, UNK finished with seven All-Americans at this meet for a second straight year.
Ferguson (Fremont) was aiming to defend his 800-meter national title and promptly turned in the second-fastest time in D2 history (1:47.16). However, 24-year-old Moroccan freshman Oussama El Bouchayby managed the best time in D2 history (1:46.78) to win the gold.
The outdoor season begins on March 24 at the Emporia State Relays in Kansas.
LOPER SOFTBALL SWEEPS BEARCATS IN HOME OPENER:
The Nebraska Kearney softball team belted five home runs, including a Grand Slam and going back-to-back twice, to sweep Northwest Missouri State, 16-12 and 10-2 (5 innings), Sunday afternoon at Patriot Park.
This was the home and MIAA opener for UNK. This weekend’s games were also pushed back two full days due to weather and field conditions. The Lopers (11-13, 2-0) host Missouri Western State (11-4, 1-1) today starting at noon.
HUSKER SOFTBALL END WEEKEND WITH WINS:
The Nebraska softball team finished the weekend with a 7-2 win over Missouri State (9-12) on Sunday afternoon in Wichita, Kan.
The Huskers (16-8) scored seven runs on 12 hits, while the Bears had two runs on nine hits.
Nebraska returns to action on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. (CT) in Omaha, Neb., to take on the Mavericks.
MADNESS BEGINS – TOP SEEDS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT:
The Alabama Crimson Tide, Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks and Purdue Boilermakers were named as the No. 1 seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament on Sunday.
The Kansas Jayhawks return as one of the top seeds after capturing the fourth national championship in school history last season.
The defending national champions are seeking to become the first back-to-back March Madness champions since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007. Kansas will play Howard in the first round.
The NCAA tournament is scheduled to tip off on March 14 and run through April 3.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
MONDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ Hillcat Classic, Owasso, OK
- Women’s Tennis: @ Rollins College @ Winter Park, FL – 10 AM
- Softball: v. Missouri Western State @ Patriot Park – 12 PM
- Softball: v. Missouri Western State @ Patriot Park – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Southeastern @ RussMatt Invite @ Lakeland, FL – 11 AM
- Men’s Tennis: v. Kentucky Wesleyan @ Nashville, TN – 11 AM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Kentucky Wesleyan @ Nashville, TN – 11 AM
- Baseball: v. Southeastern @ RussMatt Invite @ Lakeland, FL – 2 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- High School Coaches Show (5 PM – 6 PM)
- Sports Nightly w/ Husker Baseball HC Will Bolt (6 PM – 8 PM)
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ Hillcat Classic, Owasso, OK
- Volleyball: @ Eckerd College @ St. Petersburg, FL – 5:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Aquinas, MN @ Winter Haven, FL – 8 AM
- Men’s Tennis: v. Hanover @ Louisville, KY – 10 AM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Hanover @ Louisville, KY – 10 AM
- Baseball: v. Aquinas, MN @ Winter Haven, FL – 11 AM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Omaha (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- STATE SPEECH @ KHS
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Volleyball: @ Tampa, FL – 7:30 AM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Palm Beach Atlantic @ West Palm Beach, FL – 1:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Men’s Tennis: v. Oakland City @ Louisville, KY – 1 PM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Oakland City @ Louisville, KY – 1 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- STATE SPEECH @ KHS
- Boys Soccer: @ Lincoln Southwest @ Lincoln Northwest – 3 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Grand Island @ Kearney High School – 7 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 6:45 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Soccer: @ York – 5 PM
- Boys Soccer: @ York – 7 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Girls Soccer v. Grand Island (6:45 PM – 8:45 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- STATE SPEECH @ KHS
- Baseball: @ Lincoln Southeast @ Den Hartog Field – 12 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 11:45 AM
- T&F: @ UNK Indoor Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 1 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Wayne State @ St. Joseph, MO – 10 AM
- Softball: v. Upper Iowa @ St. Joseph, MO – 2 PM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Florida Southern @ Lakeland, FL – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: @ Dordt @ Sioux Center, IA – 4 PM
- Baseball: @ Dordt @ Sioux Center, IA – 7 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball @ Lincoln Southeast (11:45 AM – 2:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball v. Nicholls (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Soccer: KEARNEY HIGH INVITE @ KHS/UNK
- Boys Soccer: KEARNEY HIGH INVITE @ KHS/UNK
- Baseball: v. Fremont @ Memorial Field – 12 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 11:45 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- T&F: @ UNK Indoor Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 11 AM
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Bemidji State @ St. Joseph, MO – 12 PM
- Softball: v. St. Cloud State @ St. Joseph, MO – 4 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Softball: @ Peru State – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Peru State – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball v. Fremont (11:45 AM – 2:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball v. Nicholls (2:45 PM – 6 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Minnesota State @ St. Joseph, MO – 9 AM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Concordia – 1 PM
- Baseball: v. Concordia – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Nicholls (12:30 PM – 5 PM)
