RUNZA SENIORS, POST 52 PREPARE FOR WEEKEND TOURNAMENTS:
The Kearney Legion baseball Juniors and Seniors squads prepare for their respective weekend tournaments to help correct their records from the early start of the season.
The Post 52 Juniors will host the Kearney Invite, competing against North Platte and Grand Island on Friday along with Gretna and Millard West on Saturday.
The Runza Seniors will travel to Omaha Central for a wood-bat tournament, taking on Yutan at 5:15 PM tonight followed by a contest with Omaha Central after. On Saturday the Seniors will take on Omaha North and Syracuse.
NOREEN NAMED USHL COACH OF THE YEAR:
Tri-City Storm Head Coach Anthony Noreen has been named the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Coach of the Year for the 2021-2022 season.
Noreen led this year’s team to an organizational record of forty-seven wins during the regular season and an Anderson Cup Championship. He was previously named the USHL’s Coach of the Year for the 2014-2015, and 2018-2019 seasons.
Noreen is the only Head Coach in the Storm’s twenty-two-year history to be awarded USHL Coach of the Year honors.
This now makes five postseason awards for the Storm including: Noreen’s Coach of the Year, Arseni Seergeev’s Goaltender of the Year, Mitchell Miller earning Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year, and Jeremy Wilmer earning Forward of the Year.
NEBRASKA SHRINE BOWL PREPARES FOR 64th ANNUAL CONTEST SATURDAY:
The premier All-Star football contest across Nebraska High School football will showcase the top talent of over 80 athletes on Saturday at Kearney’s Ron & Carol Cope Stadium as the 64th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl takes place at 6 PM.
Coaching the North Squad will be Creighton Prep’s Tim Johnk, while the South team is manned by recently retired Omaha Westside legend Brett Froendt.
Tickets for the game are still available and can be found at the Nebraska Shrine Bowl website. Kickoff is set for 6 PM. Kearney High’s Parker Wise and Kearney Catholic’s Jake Masker will both be in action for the South team.
WARRIORS FALL TO CELTICS IN GAME ONE WITH HORFORD’S BIG DAY:
Once Boston’s balanced roster of NBA Finals first-timers found a groove from long range, the determined Celtics delivered a memorable comeback and rallied past Stephen Curry and the Golden State old guard.
Jaylen Brown fueled the late charge and scored 24 points, Al Horford hit six 3-pointers, and the Celtics rode the most lopsided fourth quarter in NBA Finals history to a 120-108 victory over the Warriors in Game 1 on Thursday night.
Horford finished with 26 points and the Celtics outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the final 12 minutes after trailing by 15 points late in the third quarter.
Game Two of the series returns to Golden State on Sunday.
HUSKER SOFTBALL’S YBARRA NAMED ALL-AMERICAN:
Senior Cam Ybarra was honored as an All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Wednesday.
Ybarra is the first Husker to be an All-American since Nebraska had two All-Americans in 2016. Ybarra is only the fourth second baseman to earn All-America honors in program history and the first since 2005.
The All-America award capped a decorated senior season for Ybarra. In addition to being recognized as an All-American, Ybarra was a first-team All-Midwest Region honoree and a first-team All-Big Ten selection while earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive team.
Ybarra hit .365 this spring with 14 doubles, 10 homers and 39 RBIs. She led Nebraska in hits (65), doubles (14) and triples (3), while ranking second on the team with a .646 slugging percentage.
WALLACE EARNS GOLD GLOVE AWARD FOR NEBRASKA SOFTBALL:
Senior pitcher Courtney Wallace was announced as a Rawlings/NFCA Gold Glove Award recipient by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday.
The 2022 season marks the first time that Rawlings Sporting Goods Company is presenting the Gold Glove Award to NCAA Division I softball athletes. Nine student-athletes from across the country – one at each defensive position – were presented the award by the NFCA, with Wallace earning the nod as the top defensive pitcher in the nation.
Wallace was also a third-team All-Midwest Region honoree and a Big Ten All-Defensive team selection. She was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after posting two wins in Nebraska’s three-game path to its first Big Ten Tournament title, including a relief victory over Michigan in the championship game.
Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL/NATIONAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- NBA FINALS: Game 1 @ Golden State
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- Boston Celtics 120 – 108 Golden State Warriors (BOS 1-0)
- NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:
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- Colorado Avalanche 4 – 0 Edmonton Oilers (COL 2-0)
FRIDAY:
- POST 52 Junior Baseball v. Kearney Junior Invite
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- v. North Platte FNBO Juniors – 12:30 PM
- v. Grand Island 5 Points Bank Juniors – 8 PM
- Runza Seniors Baseball @ Omaha Central Tournament
- v. Yutan – 5:15 PM (@ Omaha Central)
- @ Omaha Central – 7:30 PM
- NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Game 2 @ New York
- Tampa Bay Lightning @ New York Rangers – 7 PM
SATURDAY:
- POST 52 Junior Baseball v. Kearney Junior Invite
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- v. Gretna – 10 AM
- v. Millard West – 8 PM
- Runza Seniors Baseball @ Omaha Central Tournament
- @ Omaha North C&H Construction Vikings – 3 PM
- v. Syracuse Post 100 Seniors – 5:45 PM (@ Omaha Central)
- NEBRASKA SHRINE BOWL: North v. South – 6 PM @ Ron & Carol Cope Stadium
- NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Game 3 @ Colorado
- Edmonton Oilers @ Colorado Avalanche – 7 PM
SUNDAY:
- POST 52 Junior Baseball v. Kearney Junior Invite
- Runza Seniors Baseball @ Omaha Central Tournament
- NBA FINALS: Game 2 @ Golden State
- Boston Celtics @ Golden State Warriors – 7 PM
- NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Game 3 @ New York
- Tampa Bay Lightning @ New York Rangers – 7 PM
