BEARCAT ATHLETICS ADDS GIRLS WRESTLING, SEEKS COACHES:
Kearney High Athletics announced today that they will be adding Girls Wrestling as an NSAA Sanctioned sport as of the 2023-24 school year.
KHS is looking for two girls’ wrestling coaches in addition to the program – a head coach and assistant coach. Job postings for both positions will be available at a later date at kearneypublicschools.com.
KEARNEY BOOSTERS RECEIVE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARDS:
The Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association announced their 2023 Spring Awards Banquet recipients for their upcoming meeting in March. Prominent Kearney High Athletic boosters received recognition for their service to Bearcat Athletics, being awarded the Outstanding Service Award from the NSIAAA.
Tim & Sue Higgins – longtime boosters of Kearney High – have been awarded an Outstanding Service Award for their contributions to local athletes for the Bearcats. In 2022, the Higgins family donated $10,000 towards Kearney High Athletics, contributing to their over $30,000 in donations over the past 17 years.
Additionally, Kearney’s Mike Peck has also been awarded an Outstanding Service Award.
BANDOUMEL TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON FOR HUSKERS:
Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Monday afternoon that senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s game at Penn State.
Bandoumel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Quebec City, Quebec, suffered the injury in the first half of Saturday’s game. He will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, ending his collegiate career.
Bandoumel started all 20 games for the Huskers this season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. At the time of his injury, he was the only player to start all 20 games for the Huskers and has helped Nebraska rank in the top 35 nationally in defensive efficiency.
Bandoumel had started 84 consecutive games dating back to his first season at SMU. In his Division I career, he played in 100 games and totaled 880 points, 351 rebounds and 160 assists during three seasons at SMU and one season at Nebraska.
Bandoumel’s injury is the second significant injury to a Nebraska starter in the last two weeks, as Juwan Gary is also out for the season with a shoulder injury.
HUSKERS’ BILLIE ANDREWS NAMED TO PRESEASON TOP 100:
Billie Andrews was named No. 45 on the Preseason Top 100 list announced by Softball America.
Andrews adds this honor after being named No. 46 in the Extra Innings Extra Elite 100 list and named No. 8 on the preseason shortstops list last week. The junior was also named to the preseason Top 100 list at No. 58 by D1Softball.
The Gretna, Neb., native, is coming off of a record-breaking sophomore season in 2022. The second-team All-Big Ten selection recorded 20 home runs during the year, setting a sophomore school record and finishing the season ranked 13th in the NCAA.
HUSKER WOMEN DROPPED BY TERPS:
Nebraska slumped from the start, falling behind 37-14 at the half on its way to a 69-54 women’s basketball loss to No. 11 Maryland at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday.
The Huskers (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) went just 4-for-24 from the field in the first 20 minutes while losing the first-half turnover battle 14-2 against the Terrapins (16-4, 7-2 Big Ten). Maryland used the extra opportunities to outscore Nebraska 17-0 in points off turnovers in the half.
Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Sam Haiby and Annika Stewart just missed double-doubles for the Big Red.
Nebraska will take the midweek off from competition before returning to Big Ten road action at No. 10 Iowa on Saturday.
LOPER WOMEN WIN IN TOPEKA; MEN FALL TO WASHBURN:
Another split Saturday in Kansas for Loper basketball resulted in the UNK Women winning over Washburn while the men fell to the Ichabods.
The 16th-ranked Nebraska Kearney women’s basketball team got 14 points and 10 rebounds from both Klaire Kirsch and Shiloh McCool to get past Washburn, 55-51, Saturday afternoon. UNK is now 18-3 overall and 11-2 in MIAA play.
Junior guard Tyler Nelson scored a career-high 25 points and the last second three didn’t fall for Nebraska Kearney as the Washburn Ichabods posted a 65-62 win. The Lopers fell to 3-15 overall and 1-11 in conference action.
Both Loper squads will host Northwest Missouri State on Thursday night at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney.
HUSKER T&F MEN RANKED 10th IN NATIONAL POLL:
The Nebraska men’s track and field team achieved its highest national ranking in eight years as it came in at No. 10 in the USTFCCCA National Track & Field Rankings released on Monday.
The Nebraska men were last ranked in the top 10 during the 2015 season. The Huskers are the highest ranked Big Ten team in the national poll.
The Husker women are ranked 31st nationally and are the third-highest ranked Big Ten team in the poll, which calculates performances from the 2023 indoor season only. The Huskers have yet to compete some of their top athletes in their best events.
UNK WRESTLING WIN ONE, DROP TWO AT MIDWEST DUALS:
The third-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team beat No. 23 Western Colorado, 23-16, and fell to both No. 17 Northern State, 22-20, and No. 8 Adams State, 21-18, Saturday afternoon at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.
The foursome of Nick James (141 lbs.), Austin Eldredge (174 lbs.), Billy Higgins (184 lbs.) and Lee Herrington (285 lbs.) went a combined 11-0 with four tech falls, three falls and a major.
UNK heads to NAIA defending national champ Grand View Friday in Des Moines.
NFL PLAYOFF SCORES/SCHEDULE
SATURDAY:
AFC – #1 Kansas City Chiefs 27-20 #4 Jacksonville Jaguars
NFC – #1 Philadelphia Eagles 38-7 #6 New York Giants
SUNDAY:
AFC – #3 Cincinnati Bengals 27-10 #2 Buffalo Bills
NFC – #2 San Francisco 49ers 19-12 #5 Dallas Cowboys
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
MONDAY:
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #9 Omaha Concordia @ #8 KCHS – @ Kearney Catholic – 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #11 KCHS @ #6 Hastings St. Cecilia – 6 PM
- Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- High School Coaches Show (5 PM – 6 PM)
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: Varsity Quad @ Kearney High School – 4 PM
- v. Columbus & Lincoln Pius X
- Wrestling: @ Columbus Dual – 7 PM
- Swimming & Diving: Varsity Quad @ Kearney High School – 4 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: Varsity Quad @ Kearney High School – 4 PM
- v. Columbus & Lincoln Pius X
- Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #8 KCHS v. TBD
- Boys Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #11 KCHS v. TBD
- Swimming & Diving: Varsity Quad @ Kearney High School – 4 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Women’s Wrestling: @ Doane Dual – 7 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. York College @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly w/ Athletic Director Trev Alberts (6 PM – 8 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Women’s Basketball: @ Concordia – 6 PM
- Men’s Basketball: @ Concordia – 7:45 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Men’s Basketball v. Northwestern (5 PM – 8:45 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #8 KCHS v. TBD (Semifinals)
- Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- UNK:
- Women’s Basketball: v. Northwest Missouri State @ Health & Sports Center – 5:30 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Northwest Missouri State @ Health & Sports Center – 7:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite
- Wrestling: @ Garden City Invite, Garden City, KS – 8 AM
- Girls Basketball: @ Lincoln North Star – 5:45 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Lincoln North Star – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame after KHS GBB
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite
- Boys Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #11 KCHS v. TBD (Semifinals)
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: v. Charlie Foster Classic Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 3 PM
- Wrestling: @ Grand View, Des Moines IA – 7 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ Charlie Foster Classic Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls Basketball @ Lincoln North Star (5:45 PM – 7:45 PM)
- Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Lincoln North Star (7:45 PM – 9:45 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite – 8 AM
- Wrestling: @ Garden City Invite, Garden City, KS
- Girls Basketball: @ Omaha Benson – 1 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 12:45 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Benson – 2:45 PM
- KGFW Pregame after KHS GBB
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite
- Wrestling: @ Doniphan-Trumbull Invite – 9:30 AM
- Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #8 KCHS v. TBD (Finals)
- Boys Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
- #11 KCHS v. TBD (Finals)
- UNK:
- Women’s Basketball: v. Missouri Western State @ Health & Sports Center – 2 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Missouri Western State @ Health & Sports Center – 4 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W Bowling: @ Bronco Baker Bash, Hastings, NE – 10 AM
- Men’s Wrestling: @ GPAC Duals: v. Morningside – 11 AM
- M/W Tennis: v. Tabor – 12 PM
- Men’s Wrestling: @ GPAC Duals: v. Northwestern – 12:30 PM
- Women’s Basketball: v. Dordt @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 2 PM
- Men’s Wrestling: @ GPAC Duals: v. Briar Cliff – 3:30 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Dordt @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 3:45 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Girls Basketball @ Omaha Benson (12:45 PM – 2:45 PM)
- Kearney Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Benson (2:45 PM – 4:45 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a