Friday Afternoon Sports – Stars Earn Third Place in C1, UNK Women Survive Duluth, State Champions Through Session 1, NSAA State Championship Schedule, Storm Look to Clinch Playoffs, UNK Wrestling Aims for Title

KEARNEY CATHOLIC EARNS THIRD PLACE IN C1 AFTER DOMINATING CINDERELLA:

The Kearney Catholic Stars wrapped up another stellar season with another postseason win at Lincoln East on Friday afternoon with a win over the Cinderella team of the tournament in #8 Fort Calhoun, 79-65. 

The Stars wrap up their season at 26-2 on the season and finish in third place in Class C1. 

UNK WOMEN SURVIVE DULUTH, ADVANCE IN NCAA TOURNEY:

In a back-and-forth offensive affair, the Lopers outgunned Minnesota-Duluth in Hays, Kansas on Friday afternoon to advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament in the Central Region. UNK won the second straight matchup with the Bulldogs, winning last year’s first round matchup as well. 

In front of over 350 fans at the home of Fort Hays State, UNK was led by Trinity Law with 21 points and sinking clutch triples to keep Minnesota-Duluth out of reach. Brooke Carlson had 13 points while Klaire Kirsch continued her strong rebounding game with a double-double of 10 points and 16 boards.

UNK awaits the winner of SW Oklahoma State and Missouri Western. 

STATE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND RESULTS:

FRIDAY CHAMPIONSHIP / THIRD PLACE GAMES:

GIRLS:

CLASS A Championship – #5 Lincoln Southwest v. #2 Fremont – 6 PM (Pinnacle Bank Arena)

CLASS C1 Championship – #1 Lincoln Lutheran v. #2 North Bend Central

• NORTH BEND CENTRAL 35 – 31 Lincoln Lutheran

CLASS C2 Third Place – #4 Crofton v. #7 Oakland-Craig

• OAKLAND-CRAIG 60 – 57 Crofton

CLASS D1 Third Place – #2 Bergan v. #8 Hartington Cedar Catholic – 3 PM (Lincoln East)

CLASS D2 Championship – #1 Falls City Sacred Heart v. #2 Humphrey St. Francis – 8 PM (Pinnacle Bank Arena)

BOYS:

CLASS B Championship – #1 Omaha Skutt v. #2 Omaha Roncalli

• OMAHA RONCALLI 52 – 37

CLASS C1 Third Place – #3 Kearney Catholic v. #8 Fort Calhoun

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC 79 – 65 Fort Calhoun

CLASS C2 Championship – #4 GICC v. #3 Humphrey/Lindsay-Holy Family – 4 PM (Pinnacle Bank Arena

CLASS D1 Championship – #3 Loomis v. #1 North Platte St. Patrick’s

• NORTH PLATTE ST. PATS 65 – 57 Loomis

CLASS D2 Third Place – #2 Falls City Sacred Heart v. #5 Osceola

• FALLS CITY SACRED HEART 63 – 40 Osceola

STORM LOOK TO CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH AT HOME TONIGHT:

The Tri-City Storm seeks to become the first team in the USHL this season to clinch a spot in the Clark Cup Playoffs in tonight’s home game at the Viaero Center against the Fargo Force. The league-leading Storm can lock up a spot in the postseason with a win, overtime loss, or shootout loss in tonight’s game. 

The team can also earn a playoff berth tonight with a Des Moines Buccaneers regulation loss, overtime loss, or shootout loss in the team’s road game against the Sioux Falls Stampede. 

Tonight’s home game at the Viaero Center is “Ladies Night”. The game is also a “$5 Kids’ Friday”. Puck drop is set for 7:05pm CT.

LOPER WRESTLING AIMS TO BRING BACK FOURTH NATIONAL TITLE:

The Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team heads to St. Louis this weekend with the goal of bringing home the program’s fourth national team title and nine All-Americans.

The two-day, double elimination tournament runs March 11-12 at the Chaifetz Arena, home to Saint Louis University. Co-hosts of the event are Maryville U. and the St. Louis Sports Commission.  Live results and a free live video stream are available at trackwrestling.com or ncaa.com. Action begins at 11 a.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday with finals set for 7 p.m. Saturday night.

UNK previously won national titles in 2013 (108.0 points), 2012 (107.0) and 2008 (108.5). The Lopers have knocked on the door since, finishing as runners up 2014, 2015 and 2021 (105.50). They have finished in the top eight 19 consecutive seasons.

The Blue & Gold are the new No. 1 team as they have a tourney-best nine qualifiers. No. 2 and MIAA rival Central Oklahoma and No. 3 and three-time defending national champ St. Cloud State will be the top competition with West Liberty (W.V.) the only other school with at least two top two seeds.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STRIKES A NEW DEAL:

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday afternoon, finally halting a 99-day owner-imposed lockout fraught with rampant tension and colored by heightened mistrust.

Twenty-six of the 38 union leaders voted in favor of a five-year CBA that saw its members make significant gains with regard to minimum salaries and the competitive balance tax threshold, among other areas. The 30 team owners ratified the deal by a unanimous vote, according to the league, finalizing a CBA that provided them with an expanded postseason field and the ability to place advertisements on uniforms.

With the end of the second-longest work stoppage in the game’s history, the market officially opened, paving the way for trades and free-agent signings. Players are required to report to their respective spring training facilities by Sunday, and the first exhibition games will take place four or five days later. Opening Day will come on April 7, a week later than originally scheduled, but 162 games will nonetheless be played.

UNK T&F LOOKS TO CAP INDOOR SEASON:

The Nebraska-Kearney men’s track and field team looks to cap a banner 2022 indoor season by having five All-American honors at the NCAA Division II Championships this weekend in Pittsburg, Kan.

UNK and the MIAA will be in familiar surroundings as the Gorillas are hosting the March 11-12 meet at the Robert W. Plaster Center. Check the meet web page for the complete schedule and free live results and streaming links.

The Lopers, runner up at the MIAA Championships for the first time, are currently ranked 20th nationally. The team has five individual qualifiers and a relay with a top eight finish earning first-team All-American status and slots nine through 12th good for second-team accolades. A relay has to crack the top eight to be first team and then ninth or 10th to make the second-team. 

NEBRASKA SOFTBALL HEADS WEST FOR NON-CONFERENCE PLAY:

The Nebraska softball team is set for a tournament in California hosted by Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State. The Huskers will play five games, starting with a matchup against Sacramento State on Friday, March 11 at 2 p.m. CT. 

Following game one, the Huskers will take on Cal State Fullerton on its home field at 4:30 p.m. CT. 

The Huskers will have one game on Sunday against Boston. NU will take on the 2021 Patriot League Championships at 11 a.m. CT. 

NU will finish the weekend with two games on Sunday. At 11 a.m. CT, the Huskers will face Central Florida. Later, Nebraska will face Long Beach State on its home field at 4 p.m. CT. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: State Third Place Game
    • #3 Kearney Catholic v. #8 Fort Calhoun
      • KCHS 79-65
• UNK:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ NCAA TOURNAMENT (Hays, KS)
    • UNK v. Minnesota-Duluth77-70
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • WOMENS WRESTLING: @ NAIA National Championships
  • SOFTBALL: @ McPherson Tournament
    • v. No. 24 Central Baptist College – 10:30 AM
    • v. Tabor College – 12:45 PM
  • BASEBALL: @ Rusmatt Tournament
    • v. Cornerstone University

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ NCAA TOURNAMENT (Hays, KS)
    • UNK v. SW Oklahoma State/Missouri Western State – 5 PM
  • UNK MENS TRACK: @ NCAA Indoor Championships, Pittsburg, KS
  • WRESTLING: @ NCAA Div. 2 Championships
  • WOMENS TENNIS: @ Angelo State
  • SOFTBALL: @ Northwest Missouri State – 12 PM, 2 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • WOMENS WRESTLING: @ NAIA National Championships
  • BASEBALL: @ Rusmatt Tournament
    • v. Cornerstone University