NPHS Boys Basketball District - North Platte Vs. Fremont

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to talk about the team's most recent win and how he thinks it will help propel the team back in the right direction.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
                        <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #16 2026 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=jmmvi-1a5854e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=654771&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><p>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to talk about the team's most recent win and how he thinks it will help propel the team back in the right direction.</p>

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #16 2026 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

NPHS Girls Basketball District - North Platte Vs. Omaha North

NPHS Girls Basketball District - Omaha South Vs. North Platte

The North Platte IronDawgs powerlifting team was at Omaha Central on Saturday, competing in the first fully-unified Nebraska High School Powerlifting Federation Championships. 

After the final deadlift hit the floor, the Girls' team walked out as state runners-up.

&nbsp;"This is the first year that Nebraska has had a fully-unified powerlifting championship," explained Coach Arttie Parker, "and we are competing against the best of the best across the state. It doesn't&nbsp;matter if you are Class A or Class D, the best lifters in the state are here, so this is an amazing accomplishment for these girls, and for this program. When you're competing against all of the Metro schools, you are competing against sheer numbers of athletes, but our kids came out and they moved some incredible amounts of weight and showed their grit and it paid off. I couldn't be more proud."

On the girls' side, four athletes finished as silver medalists, with Myah Porter, Abbie Hankla, Lauren Bowers, and Grace Wilke all finishing second. Additionally, Carlie Berliner grabbed a bronze medal, while Rylee Kissinger placed fourth." 

"Myah is dealing with some nagging injuries, or she would have been your state champion at 97 pounds. She was receiving treatment between the bench press and deadlift rounds, but she hung in there and fought for herself and her team. Grace set a state record in the bench press with her effort today, and set a couple more school records, Lauren broke all of her own school records today, and Abbie deadlifted 300 pounds at just 114 pounds of bodyweight. That's an insane number, when you think about it. Carlie is really hitting her stride at the right time of year, also, heading into Nationals."&nbsp; 

Also of note, Katie Titus set three more school marks, this time taking down the squat, bench, and three-lift total marks, while Rylee Kissinger, in her first year as a powerlifter, became the final NPHS qualifier for the USAPL High School Nationals meet in March.

On the boys' side, only three NPHS lifters qualified due to injury, and all three put on a good show. Juniors Alex Valdivia and Bode Kroon finished 5th and 6th respectively, while senior Cole Tomlinson also took home a 5th place medal. 

"We had a couple of lifters who have the numbers to be here, but Charlie Fonseca is injurerd right now, and Aadyn Smith missed the qualifying cut-off date as he had been dealing with a serious elbow injury from football. He's good to go for Nationals, however," Parker assured. "Alex is just finding out how strong he is, and he keeps setting school records as he grows. And Cole also set the school weight division record for bench press today. He just keeps finding little ways to get better all the time."&nbsp; &nbsp;

The IronDawgs will compete in a tune-up meet this coming Saturday at Niobrara-Verdigre, before taking a month to prepare for Nationals on March 27, 28, and 29 in Killeen, Texas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771822138471.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy North Platte IronDawgs)" />
                        <figcaption>(Courtesy North Platte IronDawgs)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The North Platte IronDawgs powerlifting team was at Omaha Central on Saturday, competing in the first fully-unified Nebraska High School Powerlifting Federation Championships. </p><p>After the final deadlift hit the floor, the Girls' team walked out as state runners-up.</p><p>&nbsp;"This is the first year that Nebraska has had a fully-unified powerlifting championship," explained Coach Arttie Parker, "and we are competing against the best of the best across the state. It doesn't&nbsp;matter if you are Class A or Class D, the best lifters in the state are here, so this is an amazing accomplishment for these girls, and for this program. When you're competing against all of the Metro schools, you are competing against sheer numbers of athletes, but our kids came out and they moved some incredible amounts of weight and showed their grit and it paid off. I couldn't be more proud."</p><p>On the girls' side, four athletes finished as silver medalists, with Myah Porter, Abbie Hankla, Lauren Bowers, and Grace Wilke all finishing second. Additionally, Carlie Berliner grabbed a bronze medal, while Rylee Kissinger placed fourth." </p><p>"Myah is dealing with some nagging injuries, or she would have been your state champion at 97 pounds. She was receiving treatment between the bench press and deadlift rounds, but she hung in there and fought for herself and her team. Grace set a state record in the bench press with her effort today, and set a couple more school records, Lauren broke all of her own school records today, and Abbie deadlifted 300 pounds at just 114 pounds of bodyweight. That's an insane number, when you think about it. Carlie is really hitting her stride at the right time of year, also, heading into Nationals."&nbsp; </p><p>Also of note, Katie Titus set three more school marks, this time taking down the squat, bench, and three-lift total marks, while Rylee Kissinger, in her first year as a powerlifter, became the final NPHS qualifier for the USAPL High School Nationals meet in March.</p><p>On the boys' side, only three NPHS lifters qualified due to injury, and all three put on a good show. Juniors Alex Valdivia and Bode Kroon finished 5th and 6th respectively, while senior Cole Tomlinson also took home a 5th place medal. </p><p>"We had a couple of lifters who have the numbers to be here, but Charlie Fonseca is injurerd right now, and Aadyn Smith missed the qualifying cut-off date as he had been dealing with a serious elbow injury from football. He's good to go for Nationals, however," Parker assured. "Alex is just finding out how strong he is, and he keeps setting school records as he grows. And Cole also set the school weight division record for bench press today. He just keeps finding little ways to get better all the time."&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>The IronDawgs will compete in a tune-up meet this coming Saturday at Niobrara-Verdigre, before taking a month to prepare for Nationals on March 27, 28, and 29 in Killeen, Texas.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

North Platte IronDawgs Place at First Ever Nebraska Fully-Unified Powerlifting Federation Championships

<i>Story by NU Athletic Communications</i>

Will Jesske’s early home run and a strong outing from Gavin Blachowicz led Nebraska to a 9-1 win against Grand Canyon on Sunday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.

Nebraska (3-0) recorded nine runs on 14 hits, while GCU totaled a run, four hits and an error.

Jesske had a 3-for-3 night with a homer, two runs driven in and three runs scored. Jett Buck drove in three runs with a 2-for-4 performance, while Joshua Overbeek was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Case Sanderson and Dylan Carey had a double and two hits apiece, and Miken Miller, Max Buettenback and Devin Nunez recorded one hit each.

Gavin Blachowicz had a career outing in his first career start, pitching a career-high 4.2 innings with a career-high five punchouts. The sophomore surrendered one run on two hits and a pair of walks.

Chase Olson improved to 1-0 on the season after dealing 1.1 scoreless frames with three strikeouts in his Husker debut. J’Shawn Unger threw two shutout innings with two strikeouts and a walk, while Jace Ziola entered the ninth and tossed a scoreless inning in his Husker debut.

Jesske broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the third with a 405-foot solo blast beyond the GCU bullpen in left field to give the Huskers a 1-0 lead.

The Husker offense added three more runs in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 4-0. Buettenback was hit by the pitch to start the inning, and Nunez ripped a single back up the middle and advanced to second on the throw to put runners on second and third with one out.

A wild pitch allowed Nunez to jog on home from third base, while an RBI single up the middle off the bat of Jesske plated the Big Red’s second run in the inning. Buck lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Jesske and make it a 4-0 game.

The GCU offense threatened for the first time in the bottom of the fourth inning, picking up their first hit of the evening with consecutive singles to open the inning. A walk loaded the bases for the Lopes with no outs, before a sacrifice fly to deep left field plated GCU’s first run of the evening.

Blachowicz struck out the next two batters to strand the two baserunners and keep NU’s lead at 4-1 through four innings.

Holding a 4-1 lead after the seventh, the NU offense erupted for five runs on five hits in the top of eighth to blow the game open at 9-1.

A leadoff walk to Mac Moyer, followed by Jesske’s third hit of the night had runners on first and second with no outs. An errant throw on a failed pickoff attempt moved the duo to second and third, setting up Buck’s two-RBI single through the left side.

Sanderson followed Buck with a ground-rule double, while Overbeek laced a two-RBI single through the left side to make it an 8-1 game. Carey capped the scoring with a first-pitch RBI double to left field that brought home Overbeek.

Unger worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth, and Ziola kept the Lopes off the board in the bottom of the ninth to preserve Nebraska’s 9-1 victory.

Nebraska wraps up opening weekend action in Arizona tomorrow afternoon, as the Huskers take on Stanford at Salt Rivers Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz. First pitch between the Big Red and Cardinal is set for 2 p.m. CT on MLB.com.

<p><i>Story by NU Athletic Communications</i></p><p>Will Jesske’s early home run and a strong outing from Gavin Blachowicz led Nebraska to a 9-1 win against Grand Canyon on Sunday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.</p><p>Nebraska (3-0) recorded nine runs on 14 hits, while GCU totaled a run, four hits and an error.</p><p>Jesske had a 3-for-3 night with a homer, two runs driven in and three runs scored. Jett Buck drove in three runs with a 2-for-4 performance, while Joshua Overbeek was 2-for-4 with two RBI.</p><p>Case Sanderson and Dylan Carey had a double and two hits apiece, and Miken Miller, Max Buettenback and Devin Nunez recorded one hit each.</p><p>Gavin Blachowicz had a career outing in his first career start, pitching a career-high 4.2 innings with a career-high five punchouts. The sophomore surrendered one run on two hits and a pair of walks.</p><p>Chase Olson improved to 1-0 on the season after dealing 1.1 scoreless frames with three strikeouts in his Husker debut. J’Shawn Unger threw two shutout innings with two strikeouts and a walk, while Jace Ziola entered the ninth and tossed a scoreless inning in his Husker debut.</p><p>Jesske broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the third with a 405-foot solo blast beyond the GCU bullpen in left field to give the Huskers a 1-0 lead.</p><p>The Husker offense added three more runs in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 4-0. Buettenback was hit by the pitch to start the inning, and Nunez ripped a single back up the middle and advanced to second on the throw to put runners on second and third with one out.</p><p>A wild pitch allowed Nunez to jog on home from third base, while an RBI single up the middle off the bat of Jesske plated the Big Red’s second run in the inning. Buck lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Jesske and make it a 4-0 game.</p><p>The GCU offense threatened for the first time in the bottom of the fourth inning, picking up their first hit of the evening with consecutive singles to open the inning. A walk loaded the bases for the Lopes with no outs, before a sacrifice fly to deep left field plated GCU’s first run of the evening.</p><p>Blachowicz struck out the next two batters to strand the two baserunners and keep NU’s lead at 4-1 through four innings.</p><p>Holding a 4-1 lead after the seventh, the NU offense erupted for five runs on five hits in the top of eighth to blow the game open at 9-1.</p><p>A leadoff walk to Mac Moyer, followed by Jesske’s third hit of the night had runners on first and second with no outs. An errant throw on a failed pickoff attempt moved the duo to second and third, setting up Buck’s two-RBI single through the left side.</p><p>Sanderson followed Buck with a ground-rule double, while Overbeek laced a two-RBI single through the left side to make it an 8-1 game. Carey capped the scoring with a first-pitch RBI double to left field that brought home Overbeek.</p><p>Unger worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth, and Ziola kept the Lopes off the board in the bottom of the ninth to preserve Nebraska’s 9-1 victory.</p><p>Nebraska wraps up opening weekend action in Arizona tomorrow afternoon, as the Huskers take on Stanford at Salt Rivers Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz. First pitch between the Big Red and Cardinal is set for 2 p.m. CT on MLB.com.</p>

Jesske, Blachowicz lead Huskers past GCU

NSAA Boys District Wrestling results

NPHS Basketball - Gering Vs. North Platte

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to talk about the team's most recent struggles and what could be the cause. We also discussed what he envisions the team needs to do going forward to get back to the successes the team had earlier in the semester.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
                        <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #15 2026 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=qquyh-1a45537-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=654771&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><p>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to talk about the team's most recent struggles and what could be the cause. We also discussed what he envisions the team needs to do going forward to get back to the successes the team had earlier in the semester.</p>

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #15 2026 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

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<table class="tg"><thead>
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-0lax">2026 Schedule</th>
    <th class="tg-0lax">2027 Schedule</th>
  </tr></thead>
<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 1 @Kearney</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 1 Kearney</td>
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  <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 2 @Grand Island</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 2 Grand Island</td>
  </tr>
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    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 3 Lincoln Standing Bear</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 3 @Lincoln Standing Bear</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 4 @Omaha Burke</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 4 Omaha Burke</td>
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    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 5 Millard West</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 5 @Millard West</td>
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    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 6 @Norfolk</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 6 Norfolk</td>
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    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 7 Omaha Northwest</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 7 @Omaha Northwest</td>
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    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 8 @Lincoln Northwest</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 8 Lincoln Northwest</td>
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    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 9 Columbus</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">Week 9 @Columbus</td>
  </tr>
</tbody></table></div>

Breaking - 2026 & 2027 NSAA Football Schedules for North Platte High School

Lincoln – No. 7 Nebraska erased a 22-point second-half deficit to get the game to overtime before No. 13 Purdue rallied for an 80-77 overtime win Tuesday night.&nbsp;

The Huskers (21-3. 10-3) trailed 46-24 with 18:55 remaining before mounting a frantic comeback. NU used an 18-2 run to get within 57-53 with 5:20 left after a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/sam-hoiberg">Sam Hoiberg</a>&nbsp;basket, only to see Purdue seemingly take control with a 10-0 run highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from C.J. Cox.&nbsp;

Nebraska trailed 67-63 with 2:45 left in regulation before making one last run, outscoring the Boilermakers, 15-1 down the stretch as&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/rienk-mast">Rienk Mast</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/jamarques-lawrence">Jamarques Lawrence</a>, who combined for 12 of the Huskers final 15 points in regulation.&nbsp;

Mast’s putback with 12.8 seconds left in regulation pulled NU even at 68, but the senior, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists, was unable to complete the 3-point play and NU forced a stop to send the game to overtime.&nbsp;

In the extra period, the Huskers trailed 75-70 after another Cox 3-pointer with 3:09 left, but has one more surge, as a pair of free throws form&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/pryce-sandfort">Pryce Sandfort</a>&nbsp;and a Lawrence 3-pointer tied the game, and NU took its only lead of the night on a Sandfort basket with 1:31 remaining in the extra period.&nbsp;

Cox finished with 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.

Leading 77-76 Oscar Cluff’s putbck with 4.1 seconds left gave Purdue the lead for good. Cluff, who finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds, missed the free throw and a tie-up gave the Huskers one last chance. Nebraska was not able to take advantage as Lawrence, who finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, slipped on a wet spot by the Purdue bench and Gicarri Harris hit a pair of free throws for the final margin.&nbsp;

Loyer led four Purdue players with 18 points, while Braden Smith had 13 points and 10 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 rebounds, as Purdue out-rebounded Nebraska, 54-37 and had a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points.&nbsp;

Purdue (20-4, 10-3 Big Ten) silenced the sellout crowd, joining to a 14-1 lead in the first 3:16 of the contest hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range. The Huskers were forced to play catchup, getting to within 16-9 after a pair of Mast 3-pointers with 13:55 left in the half.&nbsp;

Purdue held Nebraska to 32 percent shooting in the first half, led by as many as 17 in the first half and took a 40-24 lead to the locker room.&nbsp;

Nebraska will continue with the homestand this Saturday, Feb. 14, when the Huskers host Northwestern on Alumni Weekend. Tipoff is set for Noon (central) and the game will be on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network. &nbsp;

• Nebraska falls to 2-3 against ranked teams this season with tonight’s loss

• Tonight was Nebraska’s first overtime game this season and first since a double-overtime loss at Ohio State on March 4 of last year.

• This is the second time in the last three meetings in Lincoln that gone to overtime (also in 2022-23).

• Nebraska erased a 22-point deficit in the second half to force overtime. Tonight marked the second time in Big Ten play this season that the Huskers erased a second-half deficit of 15 or more points. NU rallied from a 16-point deficit to win at Indiana on Jan. 10.

• The Huskers fell to 4-2 in one-possession games this season. Nebraska had been 4-0 in one-possession games before a three-point loss at No. 3 Michigan on Jan. 27 and tonight’s three-point overtime loss to No. 13 Purdue.

• Nebraska had 21 assists in the game, its 11th game with 20 or more assists this season.

• The Huskers made 12 threes to mark the 10th time this season Nebraska hit 12 or more 3-pointers in a game this season. Nebraska now has 265 3-pointers to rank fourth on NU’s single-season chart.

• Rienk Mast had 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds before fouling out in overtime. Mast tied or led Nebraska in each of those categories.

• Sam Hoiberg had five assists and one turnover in the game. In five games against ranked teams this season, Hoiberg has recorded 27 assists and only one turnover.

• Jamarques Lawrence had 16 points to post his sixth straight game in double figures and 14th double-figure effort of the year. Lawrence’s 16 points were his third-highest output in a Big Ten game this season. Twelve of Lawrence’s 16 points came after halftime.

• Pryce Sandfort scored all 15 of his points after halftime.

• Purdue shot a school-record 46 3-pointers, which tied the Nebraska opponent record for 3-point attempts in a game and marked the most 3-point attempts a Division I opponent has ever taken against Nebraska.

• Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 rebounds, which tied the Pinnacle Bank Arena record for rebounds in a game. Maryland’s Bruno Fernando also had 19 rebounds against Nebraska on Feb. 6, 2019.

• Nebraska tied its season low points in a half with 24 in the first half against Purdue. The Huskers scored 24 in the first half against North Dakota on December 21st. 

“I thought our effort was great. We did a really good job executing. We had a lot of really, really good looks that didn’t go down, especially in that second half, but our guys kept playing hard. They got it going, and they had Rienk Mast going out of the game. You obviously benefit from that. They stretch us out. He’s a great player. Just look at his stat line. Our guys played hard. They kept getting rebounds. Trey (Kaufman-Renn) and Oscar (Cluff) had more rebounds than them in the first half. We ended up with 54 rebounds, and Nebraska has 37. When you have that many more possessions than someone else, the odds are that it’s going to help you. I thought the decisions and the effort were great.” 

“Oh it’s huge, it’s huge. We have 21 offensive rebounds, and they have six. It’s a big difference in the game. You have 20 more possessions than the other team. It’s kind of amazing that it’s a one-possession game right.  Where they got going there and made some shots, it’s just different right. 78 threes taken. It’s a lot of threes in a game. You’re going to have a lot of long rebounds, you’re going to have a lot of opportunities there. Neither team shot well from three. We didn't shoot great; we just got able to make the next play, and I thought our guys were off. Those guys you know have 10 offensive rebounds for one guy and 16 defensive rebounds for another guy, like that, that is pretty impressive.”

“A message to our guys was we lost that game the first three minutes. You dig and then you dig yourself out. Whatever it was, 14 and one, call the time out, and we're down, double digits, before the first media timeout. It's hard to climb out of a hole against a team like that that's got that experience, that type of leadership. Those guys are going to get playing together for a long time and it takes so much energy to dig out of it. That being said, we certainly showed we’re more capable of doing when we play the right way.  That first half completely got away from who we were, didn't have much movement... (we tried to go one on one). We tried to go one-on-one, which to me is trying to get it all back at once. The second half we got back to running our offense, we were very efficient. We changed some things up defensively, and I thought we did a better job with our hands and had good activity level. The bottom line is when I look at the box score, you give them 21 offensive rebounds and turn the ball over 14 times, and that’s the game. You say all you want about the start, but you find a way to climb back in. It’s a long game as we continue to remind our players. When you give a team that many extra bullets, it’s hard to come out on top. That being said, we had a chance at the end, and I thought we executed very well after going back down double digits. We unfortunately just didn’t have enough.” 

 “I thought Berke (Buyuktuncel) made a couple of plays out there for us. Getting a couple of steals. That to me kind of flipped it when BK made those couple of hustle plays. I thought our execution was really good. But it starts when you make plays like that. Cale (Jacobsen) was the one at Rutgers that I thought flipped it when he went in there and had a couple of deflections and that got us going on the other end. We were talking and pleading for someone to go make a play. I thought BK made a couple of good ones for us.” 

<p><i>Story by NU Athletic Communications</i></p><p>Lincoln – No. 7 Nebraska erased a 22-point second-half deficit to get the game to overtime before No. 13 Purdue rallied for an 80-77 overtime win Tuesday night.&nbsp;</p><p>The Huskers (21-3. 10-3) trailed 46-24 with 18:55 remaining before mounting a frantic comeback. NU used an 18-2 run to get within 57-53 with 5:20 left after a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/sam-hoiberg">Sam Hoiberg</a>&nbsp;basket, only to see Purdue seemingly take control with a 10-0 run highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from C.J. Cox.&nbsp;</p><p>Nebraska trailed 67-63 with 2:45 left in regulation before making one last run, outscoring the Boilermakers, 15-1 down the stretch as&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/rienk-mast">Rienk Mast</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/jamarques-lawrence">Jamarques Lawrence</a>, who combined for 12 of the Huskers final 15 points in regulation.&nbsp;</p><p>Mast’s putback with 12.8 seconds left in regulation pulled NU even at 68, but the senior, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists, was unable to complete the 3-point play and NU forced a stop to send the game to overtime.&nbsp;</p><p>In the extra period, the Huskers trailed 75-70 after another Cox 3-pointer with 3:09 left, but has one more surge, as a pair of free throws form&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/player/pryce-sandfort">Pryce Sandfort</a>&nbsp;and a Lawrence 3-pointer tied the game, and NU took its only lead of the night on a Sandfort basket with 1:31 remaining in the extra period.&nbsp;</p><p>Cox finished with 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.</p><p>Leading 77-76 Oscar Cluff’s putbck with 4.1 seconds left gave Purdue the lead for good. Cluff, who finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds, missed the free throw and a tie-up gave the Huskers one last chance. Nebraska was not able to take advantage as Lawrence, who finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, slipped on a wet spot by the Purdue bench and Gicarri Harris hit a pair of free throws for the final margin.&nbsp;</p><p>Loyer led four Purdue players with 18 points, while Braden Smith had 13 points and 10 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 rebounds, as Purdue out-rebounded Nebraska, 54-37 and had a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points.&nbsp;</p><p>Purdue (20-4, 10-3 Big Ten) silenced the sellout crowd, joining to a 14-1 lead in the first 3:16 of the contest hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range. The Huskers were forced to play catchup, getting to within 16-9 after a pair of Mast 3-pointers with 13:55 left in the half.&nbsp;</p><p>Purdue held Nebraska to 32 percent shooting in the first half, led by as many as 17 in the first half and took a 40-24 lead to the locker room.&nbsp;</p><p>Nebraska will continue with the homestand this Saturday, Feb. 14, when the Huskers host Northwestern on Alumni Weekend. Tipoff is set for Noon (central) and the game will be on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network. &nbsp;</p><p>Game Notes</p><p>• Nebraska falls to 2-3 against ranked teams this season with tonight’s loss</p><p>• Tonight was Nebraska’s first overtime game this season and first since a double-overtime loss at Ohio State on March 4 of last year.</p><p>• This is the second time in the last three meetings in Lincoln that gone to overtime (also in 2022-23).</p><p>• Nebraska erased a 22-point deficit in the second half to force overtime. Tonight marked the second time in Big Ten play this season that the Huskers erased a second-half deficit of 15 or more points. NU rallied from a 16-point deficit to win at Indiana on Jan. 10.</p><p>• The Huskers fell to 4-2 in one-possession games this season. Nebraska had been 4-0 in one-possession games before a three-point loss at No. 3 Michigan on Jan. 27 and tonight’s three-point overtime loss to No. 13 Purdue.</p><p>• Nebraska had 21 assists in the game, its 11th game with 20 or more assists this season.</p><p>• The Huskers made 12 threes to mark the 10th time this season Nebraska hit 12 or more 3-pointers in a game this season. Nebraska now has 265 3-pointers to rank fourth on NU’s single-season chart.</p><p>• Rienk Mast had 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds before fouling out in overtime. Mast tied or led Nebraska in each of those categories.</p><p>• Sam Hoiberg had five assists and one turnover in the game. In five games against ranked teams this season, Hoiberg has recorded 27 assists and only one turnover.</p><p>• Jamarques Lawrence had 16 points to post his sixth straight game in double figures and 14th double-figure effort of the year. Lawrence’s 16 points were his third-highest output in a Big Ten game this season. Twelve of Lawrence’s 16 points came after halftime.</p><p>• Pryce Sandfort scored all 15 of his points after halftime.</p><p>• Purdue shot a school-record 46 3-pointers, which tied the Nebraska opponent record for 3-point attempts in a game and marked the most 3-point attempts a Division I opponent has ever taken against Nebraska.</p><p>• Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 rebounds, which tied the Pinnacle Bank Arena record for rebounds in a game. Maryland’s Bruno Fernando also had 19 rebounds against Nebraska on Feb. 6, 2019.</p><p>• Nebraska tied its season low points in a half with 24 in the first half against Purdue. The Huskers scored 24 in the first half against North Dakota on December 21st. </p><p>Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter</p><p>“I thought our effort was great. We did a really good job executing. We had a lot of really, really good looks that didn’t go down, especially in that second half, but our guys kept playing hard. They got it going, and they had Rienk Mast going out of the game. You obviously benefit from that. They stretch us out. He’s a great player. Just look at his stat line. Our guys played hard. They kept getting rebounds. Trey (Kaufman-Renn) and Oscar (Cluff) had more rebounds than them in the first half. We ended up with 54 rebounds, and Nebraska has 37. When you have that many more possessions than someone else, the odds are that it’s going to help you. I thought the decisions and the effort were great.” </p><p>Rebounding from Trey and Oscar</p><p>“Oh it’s huge, it’s huge. We have 21 offensive rebounds, and they have six. It’s a big difference in the game. You have 20 more possessions than the other team. It’s kind of amazing that it’s a one-possession game right.  Where they got going there and made some shots, it’s just different right. 78 threes taken. It’s a lot of threes in a game. You’re going to have a lot of long rebounds, you’re going to have a lot of opportunities there. Neither team shot well from three. We didn't shoot great; we just got able to make the next play, and I thought our guys were off. Those guys you know have 10 offensive rebounds for one guy and 16 defensive rebounds for another guy, like that, that is pretty impressive.”</p><p>Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg</p><p>What was your message to the team</p><p>“A message to our guys was we lost that game the first three minutes. You dig and then you dig yourself out. Whatever it was, 14 and one, call the time out, and we're down, double digits, before the first media timeout. It's hard to climb out of a hole against a team like that that's got that experience, that type of leadership. Those guys are going to get playing together for a long time and it takes so much energy to dig out of it. That being said, we certainly showed we’re more capable of doing when we play the right way.  That first half completely got away from who we were, didn't have much movement... (we tried to go one on one). We tried to go one-on-one, which to me is trying to get it all back at once. The second half we got back to running our offense, we were very efficient. We changed some things up defensively, and I thought we did a better job with our hands and had good activity level. The bottom line is when I look at the box score, you give them 21 offensive rebounds and turn the ball over 14 times, and that’s the game. You say all you want about the start, but you find a way to climb back in. It’s a long game as we continue to remind our players. When you give a team that many extra bullets, it’s hard to come out on top. That being said, we had a chance at the end, and I thought we executed very well after going back down double digits. We unfortunately just didn’t have enough.” </p><p>On being more active defensively</p><p> “I thought Berke (Buyuktuncel) made a couple of plays out there for us. Getting a couple of steals. That to me kind of flipped it when BK made those couple of hustle plays. I thought our execution was really good. But it starts when you make plays like that. Cale (Jacobsen) was the one at Rutgers that I thought flipped it when he went in there and had a couple of deflections and that got us going on the other end. We were talking and pleading for someone to go make a play. I thought BK made a couple of good ones for us.” </p>

No. 7 Huskers fall in OT, 80-77

The Nebraska men’s golf team opens its 2026 spring campaign at the Hal Williams Collegiate in the Mobile, Alabama area, Feb. 16-17.

The two-day, 54-hole event gets underway with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. (CT) for two rounds on Monday, Feb. 16, in Semmes, Ala. The teams will compete in Tuesday’s final round beginning with a shotgun start again at 8 a.m. (CT).

The Huskers will be tested by the layout of the Crossings Course at the Robert Trent Jones Magnolia Grove Country Club. The Big Red also will be challenged by a 14-team field that includes Illinois and Kentucky, along with Abilene Christian, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Rice, Southern Illinois, Southern Miss, Texas State, UAB and the hosts from South Alabama.

The Huskers, who also closed the fall portion of their 2025-26 schedule in Alabama, will be hunting for their fourth top-five team finish of the season.

Nebraska, which is ranked No. 67 nationally, captured the team title at the Git-R-Done Invitational at Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln (Sept. 22-23), after taking fourth at the Bearcat Invitational in Cincinnati (Sept. 15-16). The Huskers added a fifth-place finish at the Purdue Fall Invitational (Oct. 13-14).

Rudy Sautron will play out of the top of the Big Red lineup in Alabama. The junior from Reunion Island, France enters the spring at No. 206 in the most recent Scoreboard individual rankings. Sautron, who tied for sixth at the Steelwood Collegiate in Loxley, Ala., to close the fall, also tied for first with a school-record 200 (-13) at the Git-R-Done Invitational. He owns a team-best 71.00 stroke average over 17 rounds this season.

Jackson Benge will play out of the No. 2 spot to open the spring. The sophomore from Omaha is the second-highest ranked Husker nationally (360th) after posting a 71.47 stroke average over 17 fall rounds. Benge notched four top-25 finishes during the fall and was Nebraska’s No. 1 or No. 2 finisher in five of six fall events.

Caden Mickelson puts three top-400 players in the Husker lineup. The true freshman from Kansas City produced three top-25 finishes during the fall, including a third-place finish with a school freshman record 201 (-12) at the Git-R-Done Invitational. He enters the spring with a 71.38 stroke average over 16 rounds.

Sophomores Brodie Cunningham and James Ackerman round out Nebraska’s five-player lineup in Alabama.

Live updates and scoring for the Hal Williams Collegiate can be found at HuskersGolf on Instagram and X, and Scoreboard.clippd.com. Complete coverage can be found at Huskers.com.

Course: Robert Trent Jones Magnolia Grove Country Club (Crossings)

Monday, Feb. 16 - Rounds 1 &amp; 2 - 8 a.m. CT (shotgun)

Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Round 3 - 8 a.m. CT (shotgun)

Abilene Christian, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Nebraska, Rice, South Alabama, Southern Illinois, Southernn Miss, Texas State, UAB

1. Rudy Sautron, Jr., Reunion Island, France

3. Brodie Cunningham, So., Glasgow, Scotland

5. Caden Mickelson, Fr., Kansas City, Missouri

Sautron Owns Top Spot in Pathway to Progression

Nebraska’s Rudy Sautron earned the top spot in the PGA Tour Underclass Elite Ranking (Feb. 11).

The Pathway to Progression Underclass Elite Ranking is a new enhancement within the PGA Tour Development program designed to evaluate and recognize the top emerging collegiate golfers, highlighting a diverse group of elite underclass athletes - predominantly African American players - from across the country. It supports players who are in their freshman, sophomore and junior years.

Sautron has maintained the top spot since the initial ranking was released in November. Argyle Downes (Rutgers), Sascha Robinson (Florida A&amp;M), Roman Solomon (USF) and Jayden Lizama (Gonzaga) round out the top five.

The top player in the final ranking receives an exemption into The Monroe Invitational, an elite summer amateur event in Pittsford, N.Y. The top 15 players earn invitations to participate in the Pathway to Progression Underclass Elite Showcase at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois (July 13-16).

Team Total: 823 (-29), Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23

Team to Par: -29 (823), Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23

Team Finish: 1st, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23, 2025

Individual Finish: T1st - Rudy Sautron, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23

Individual Total: 200 (-13) - Rudy Sautron, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23

Individual to Par: -13 (200) - Rudy Sautron, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23

Individual Round: 64 (-7) - Rudy Sautron, 64, Git-R-Done, 3rd, Sept. 23

Individual Round to Par: -7 (64) - Rudy Sautron, 64, Git-R-Done, 3rd, Sept. 23

Brodie Cunningham, No. 18 (Par 5), 3rd, Island Resort, Sept. 1

Jackson Benge, No. 9 (Par 5), 1st, Gopher, Sept. 7

Bryson Oots, No. 14 (Par 4), 1st, Bluejay, Sept. 15

James Ackerman, No. 12 (Par 5), 2nd, Bluejay, Sept. 15

Thomas Bryson, No. 16 (Par 5), 2nd, Bluejay, Sept. 15

Evan McDermott, No. 12 (Par 5), 3rd, Bluejay, Sept. 16

Brodie Cunningham, No. 8 (Par 5), 2nd, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22

Brodie Cunningham, No. 16 (Par 5), 1st, Purdue, Oct. 13

Rudy Sautron, No. 4 (Par 5), 1st, Steelwood, Oct. 25

Rudy Sautron, No. 5 (Par 4), 1st, Steelwood, Oct. 25

Evan McDermott, No. 18 (Par 5), 1st, Steelwood, Oct. 25

<p><i>Story by NU Athletic Communications</i></p><p>The Nebraska men’s golf team opens its 2026 spring campaign at the Hal Williams Collegiate in the Mobile, Alabama area, Feb. 16-17.</p><p>The two-day, 54-hole event gets underway with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. (CT) for two rounds on Monday, Feb. 16, in Semmes, Ala. The teams will compete in Tuesday’s final round beginning with a shotgun start again at 8 a.m. (CT).</p><p>The Huskers will be tested by the layout of the Crossings Course at the Robert Trent Jones Magnolia Grove Country Club. The Big Red also will be challenged by a 14-team field that includes Illinois and Kentucky, along with Abilene Christian, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Rice, Southern Illinois, Southern Miss, Texas State, UAB and the hosts from South Alabama.</p><p>The Huskers, who also closed the fall portion of their 2025-26 schedule in Alabama, will be hunting for their fourth top-five team finish of the season.</p><p>Nebraska, which is ranked No. 67 nationally, captured the team title at the Git-R-Done Invitational at Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln (Sept. 22-23), after taking fourth at the Bearcat Invitational in Cincinnati (Sept. 15-16). The Huskers added a fifth-place finish at the Purdue Fall Invitational (Oct. 13-14).</p><p>Rudy Sautron will play out of the top of the Big Red lineup in Alabama. The junior from Reunion Island, France enters the spring at No. 206 in the most recent Scoreboard individual rankings. Sautron, who tied for sixth at the Steelwood Collegiate in Loxley, Ala., to close the fall, also tied for first with a school-record 200 (-13) at the Git-R-Done Invitational. He owns a team-best 71.00 stroke average over 17 rounds this season.</p><p>Jackson Benge will play out of the No. 2 spot to open the spring. The sophomore from Omaha is the second-highest ranked Husker nationally (360th) after posting a 71.47 stroke average over 17 fall rounds. Benge notched four top-25 finishes during the fall and was Nebraska’s No. 1 or No. 2 finisher in five of six fall events.</p><p>Caden Mickelson puts three top-400 players in the Husker lineup. The true freshman from Kansas City produced three top-25 finishes during the fall, including a third-place finish with a school freshman record 201 (-12) at the Git-R-Done Invitational. He enters the spring with a 71.38 stroke average over 16 rounds.</p><p>Sophomores Brodie Cunningham and James Ackerman round out Nebraska’s five-player lineup in Alabama.</p><p>Live updates and scoring for the Hal Williams Collegiate can be found at HuskersGolf on Instagram and X, and Scoreboard.clippd.com. Complete coverage can be found at Huskers.com.</p><p>Hal Williams Collegiate</p><p>Location: Semmes, Alabama</p><p>Host: South Alabama</p><p>Course: Robert Trent Jones Magnolia Grove Country Club (Crossings)</p><p>Par/Yardage: TBA</p><p>Schedule</p><p>Monday, Feb. 16 - Rounds 1 &amp; 2 - 8 a.m. CT (shotgun)</p><p>Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Round 3 - 8 a.m. CT (shotgun)</p><p>Participating Teams (14)</p><p>Abilene Christian, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Nebraska, Rice, South Alabama, Southern Illinois, Southernn Miss, Texas State, UAB</p><p>Nebraska Lineup (5-count-4)</p><p>1. Rudy Sautron, Jr., Reunion Island, France</p><p>2. Jackson Benge, So., Omaha, Nebraska</p><p>3. Brodie Cunningham, So., Glasgow, Scotland</p><p>4. James Ackerman, So., Leawood, Kansas</p><p>5. Caden Mickelson, Fr., Kansas City, Missouri</p><p>Sautron Owns Top Spot in Pathway to Progression</p><p>Nebraska’s Rudy Sautron earned the top spot in the PGA Tour Underclass Elite Ranking (Feb. 11).</p><p>The Pathway to Progression Underclass Elite Ranking is a new enhancement within the PGA Tour Development program designed to evaluate and recognize the top emerging collegiate golfers, highlighting a diverse group of elite underclass athletes - predominantly African American players - from across the country. It supports players who are in their freshman, sophomore and junior years.</p><p>Sautron has maintained the top spot since the initial ranking was released in November. Argyle Downes (Rutgers), Sascha Robinson (Florida A&amp;M), Roman Solomon (USF) and Jayden Lizama (Gonzaga) round out the top five.</p><p>The top player in the final ranking receives an exemption into The Monroe Invitational, an elite summer amateur event in Pittsford, N.Y. The top 15 players earn invitations to participate in the Pathway to Progression Underclass Elite Showcase at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois (July 13-16).</p><p>2025-26 Season Bests</p><p>Team Total: 823 (-29), Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23</p><p>Team to Par: -29 (823), Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23</p><p>Team Finish: 1st, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23, 2025</p><p>Individual Finish: T1st - Rudy Sautron, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23</p><p>Individual Total: 200 (-13) - Rudy Sautron, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23</p><p>Individual to Par: -13 (200) - Rudy Sautron, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22-23</p><p>Individual Round: 64 (-7) - Rudy Sautron, 64, Git-R-Done, 3rd, Sept. 23</p><p>Individual Round to Par: -7 (64) - Rudy Sautron, 64, Git-R-Done, 3rd, Sept. 23</p><p>Eagles (11):</p><p>Brodie Cunningham, No. 18 (Par 5), 3rd, Island Resort, Sept. 1</p><p>Jackson Benge, No. 9 (Par 5), 1st, Gopher, Sept. 7</p><p>Bryson Oots, No. 14 (Par 4), 1st, Bluejay, Sept. 15</p><p>James Ackerman, No. 12 (Par 5), 2nd, Bluejay, Sept. 15</p><p>Thomas Bryson, No. 16 (Par 5), 2nd, Bluejay, Sept. 15</p><p>Evan McDermott, No. 12 (Par 5), 3rd, Bluejay, Sept. 16</p><p>Brodie Cunningham, No. 8 (Par 5), 2nd, Git-R-Done, Sept. 22</p><p>Brodie Cunningham, No. 16 (Par 5), 1st, Purdue, Oct. 13</p><p>Rudy Sautron, No. 4 (Par 5), 1st, Steelwood, Oct. 25</p><p>Rudy Sautron, No. 5 (Par 4), 1st, Steelwood, Oct. 25</p><p>Evan McDermott, No. 18 (Par 5), 1st, Steelwood, Oct. 25</p>

Huskers to tee off Spring season in Alabama

The Nebraska women’s golf team heads south to compete in the Texas Golf Throwdown in The Woodlands, Feb. 16-17.

The two-day, 54-hole event hosted by Sam Houston on the 6,296-yard, par-72 layout at The Woodlands Golf Club starts with a 9 a.m. (CT) shotgun start for 36 holes beginning on Monday, Feb. 16 before concluding with Tuesday’s final round at 9 a.m.

Nebraska is the lone Big Ten team in the tournament, while Cincinnati and Iowa State represent the Big 12 and Texas A&amp;M represents the SEC in the 15-team field. Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Montana State, Murray State, Oral Roberts, St. Thomas (Minn.), Tarleton State, Texas State and UT-Arlington join the hosts from Sam Houston in rounding out the field.

Freshmen Kaleigh Babineaux and Ailis Tribolet will play out of the top two spots in the Husker lineup after both earned top-25 finishes at the UCF Challenge to open the spring (Jan. 25-27). Babineaux, who played high school golf at Lake Travis in the Austin area, posted three consecutive rounds of even-par 72 to tie for 17th individually at 216.

Tribolet, a freshman from Chandler, Ariz., finished one stroke back of Babineaux in Orlando with a 54-hole score of 217 (+1), including back-to-back rounds of 71 (-1).

Hannah Kono, who is the only Husker to play in all 13 competitive rounds for Nebraska this season, will hold down the No. 3 spot in the lineup. The junior from Enkoping, Sweden, carries a 73.00 stroke average on the year.

Fifth-year senior Brooke Bream makes her first appearance for the Huskers in the spring after playing eight solid rounds during the fall. Bream owns NU’s No. 2 stroke average (72.75), trailing only Babineaux’s 72.73 over 11 rounds.

Redshirt junior Symran Shah from Carrollton, Texas, rounds out the Husker lineup.

Monday, Feb. 16 - Rounds 1 &amp; 2 - 9 a.m. CT (shotgun)

Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Round 3 - 9 a.m. CT (shotgun)

Austin Peay, Cincinnati, Eastern Kentucky, Iowa State, Middle Tennessee State, Montana State, Murray State, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, St. Thomas (Minn.), Sam Houston, Tarleton State, Texas A&amp;M, Texas State, UT-Arlington

2. Ailis Tribolet, Fr., Chandler, Arizona

Hall Takes Reins of Husker Program as Nebraska’s Sixth Head Coach

With a proven record of helping aspiring young golfers drastically improve their games, first-year Nebraska Head Coach Breanne Hall inherits a roster filled with nine returning Huskers and one transfer who followed her from Illinois State. However, among the 12 golfers on Nebraska’s roster, nine are in either their first or second seasons as Huskers.

A three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Hall was named the sixth head coach of the Nebraska women’s golf program on May 15, 2025 after Coach Jeanne Sutherland announced her retirement. Hall won back-to-back MVC Coach-of-the-Year honors at Illinois State in 2024 and 2025. She led the Redbirds to three NCAA Tournament appearances over the past four seasons and was also the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year.

Hall’s 2025 Illinois State team won the Missouri Valley Conference title by 31 strokes before finishing 11th at the NCAA Columbus Regional. In 2024, Illinois State won the Missouri Valley Conference title by 12 strokes with Ali Schrock sharing the tournament title. The Redbirds went on to finish 12th at the NCAA East Lansing Regional.

The Redbirds earned their first conference title under Hall’s direction in 2022 and their first MVC title in a decade, edging Missouri State by one stroke and capping the year with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Stillwater Regional.

During her time at Illinois State, Hall coached three MVC Golfers of the Year and 15 all-conference selections. Her teams produced the five best single-season scoring averages in school history over the past five years. Prior to taking over the top spot at Illinois State, Hall spent a season recruiting a roster before serving as the head coach for two seasons at UNC Asheville (2016-18). As the first head coach in history of the fledgling program, Hall led UNC Asheville to a pair of tournament titles in the first two seasons of the program’s existence. Her team posted a nine-stroke improvement in scoring average from year one to year two.

Hall, Huskers Add Paradis as Assistant Coach

Nebraska women’s golf head coach Breanne Hall announced the hiring of assistant coach Lory Paradis on Jan. 5, 2026. Paradis, who was a team captain as a player for Hall at Illinois State last season, served as a graduate assistant coach for the Redbirds during the 2025 fall campaign.

A PGA of Canada Professional, Paradis spent her first four college seasons as a golfer at Fresno State before helping Illinois State capture the Missouri Valley Conference title as a first-year graduate student in 2024-25. Paradis, who expects to earn her master’s degree in the psychology of sport and physical activity in May 2026, was an apprentice teaching professional at Laval-sur-le-Lac Golf Club in the summer of 2025. She previously served as a freshman coach at Foisy Golf Academie in 2023-24.

Husker All-American Kate Smith Competed on 2025 LPGA Tour

Former Husker Kate Smith-Stroh captured her LPGA Tour Card for the 2025 season by tying for 19th at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage in Mobile, Ala., Dec. 10, 2024. 

Smith-Stroh, an All-American and Big Ten Champion for Nebraska as a fifth-year senior in 2021, put together five solid rounds in Alabama to finish with a total of 350 (-8) with rounds of 69-71-67-72-71 on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail - Magnolia Grove to secure a spot on the world’s premier women’s golf tour in 2025.

One of the best golfers in Nebraska history, Smith-Stroh competed on the Epson Tour (2022-24). During the 2023 season, she competed in 22 events and made 19 cuts, while recording four top-10 finishes. She tied for second at the Four Winds Invitational. She added 19 events while making 13 cuts in 2024, including two more top-10 finishes.

She was ranked 33rd in the Race for the Card entering Q-Series Final Qualifying.

Smith-Stroh earned nearly $116,000 in her first season on the LPGA Tour, including her first career top-10 finish at the Dow Championship in late June. Her tie for 10th at 265 (-15) over four rounds earned her just over $35,000. She added a tie for 18th at 276 (-12) at The Standard Portland Classic in mid-August to take home more than $25,000. She opened October with a tie for 42nd at the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club (Oct. 1-4), before closing in a tie for 65th at The ANNIKA (Nov. 10-13). Overall, she made eight cuts in 17 events.

Nebraska women’s golf is a proud participant in the Folds of Honor program, which recognizes fallen or disabled American service members and first responders by carrying a bag tag emblazoned with the number of Folds of Honor recipients who have attended Nebraska.

To donate to the Folds of Honor program at Nebraska, visit https://foh.org/nebraskawomensgolf.

<p><i>Story by NU Athletic Communications</i></p><p>The Nebraska women’s golf team heads south to compete in the Texas Golf Throwdown in The Woodlands, Feb. 16-17.</p><p>The two-day, 54-hole event hosted by Sam Houston on the 6,296-yard, par-72 layout at The Woodlands Golf Club starts with a 9 a.m. (CT) shotgun start for 36 holes beginning on Monday, Feb. 16 before concluding with Tuesday’s final round at 9 a.m.</p><p>Nebraska is the lone Big Ten team in the tournament, while Cincinnati and Iowa State represent the Big 12 and Texas A&amp;M represents the SEC in the 15-team field. Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Montana State, Murray State, Oral Roberts, St. Thomas (Minn.), Tarleton State, Texas State and UT-Arlington join the hosts from Sam Houston in rounding out the field.</p><p>Freshmen Kaleigh Babineaux and Ailis Tribolet will play out of the top two spots in the Husker lineup after both earned top-25 finishes at the UCF Challenge to open the spring (Jan. 25-27). Babineaux, who played high school golf at Lake Travis in the Austin area, posted three consecutive rounds of even-par 72 to tie for 17th individually at 216.</p><p>Tribolet, a freshman from Chandler, Ariz., finished one stroke back of Babineaux in Orlando with a 54-hole score of 217 (+1), including back-to-back rounds of 71 (-1).</p><p>Hannah Kono, who is the only Husker to play in all 13 competitive rounds for Nebraska this season, will hold down the No. 3 spot in the lineup. The junior from Enkoping, Sweden, carries a 73.00 stroke average on the year.</p><p>Fifth-year senior Brooke Bream makes her first appearance for the Huskers in the spring after playing eight solid rounds during the fall. Bream owns NU’s No. 2 stroke average (72.75), trailing only Babineaux’s 72.73 over 11 rounds.</p><p>Redshirt junior Symran Shah from Carrollton, Texas, rounds out the Husker lineup.</p><p>Texas Golf Throwdown</p><p>Location: The Woodlands, Texas</p><p>Host: Sam Houston</p><p>Course: The Woodlands Golf Club</p><p>Par/Yardage: 72/6,296</p><p>Schedule</p><p>Monday, Feb. 16 - Rounds 1 &amp; 2 - 9 a.m. CT (shotgun)</p><p>Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Round 3 - 9 a.m. CT (shotgun)</p><p>Participating Teams (15)</p><p>Austin Peay, Cincinnati, Eastern Kentucky, Iowa State, Middle Tennessee State, Montana State, Murray State, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, St. Thomas (Minn.), Sam Houston, Tarleton State, Texas A&amp;M, Texas State, UT-Arlington</p><p>Nebraska Lineup (5-count-4)</p><p>1. Kaleigh Babineaux, Fr., Austin, Texas</p><p>2. Ailis Tribolet, Fr., Chandler, Arizona</p><p>3. Hannah Kono, Jr., Enkoping, Sweden</p><p>4. Brooke Bream, RSr., Phoenix, Arizona</p><p>5. Symran Shah, RJr., Carrollton, Texas</p><p>Hall Takes Reins of Husker Program as Nebraska’s Sixth Head Coach</p><p>With a proven record of helping aspiring young golfers drastically improve their games, first-year Nebraska Head Coach Breanne Hall inherits a roster filled with nine returning Huskers and one transfer who followed her from Illinois State. However, among the 12 golfers on Nebraska’s roster, nine are in either their first or second seasons as Huskers.</p><p>A three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Hall was named the sixth head coach of the Nebraska women’s golf program on May 15, 2025 after Coach Jeanne Sutherland announced her retirement. Hall won back-to-back MVC Coach-of-the-Year honors at Illinois State in 2024 and 2025. She led the Redbirds to three NCAA Tournament appearances over the past four seasons and was also the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year.</p><p>Hall’s 2025 Illinois State team won the Missouri Valley Conference title by 31 strokes before finishing 11th at the NCAA Columbus Regional. In 2024, Illinois State won the Missouri Valley Conference title by 12 strokes with Ali Schrock sharing the tournament title. The Redbirds went on to finish 12th at the NCAA East Lansing Regional.</p><p>The Redbirds earned their first conference title under Hall’s direction in 2022 and their first MVC title in a decade, edging Missouri State by one stroke and capping the year with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Stillwater Regional.</p><p>During her time at Illinois State, Hall coached three MVC Golfers of the Year and 15 all-conference selections. Her teams produced the five best single-season scoring averages in school history over the past five years. Prior to taking over the top spot at Illinois State, Hall spent a season recruiting a roster before serving as the head coach for two seasons at UNC Asheville (2016-18). As the first head coach in history of the fledgling program, Hall led UNC Asheville to a pair of tournament titles in the first two seasons of the program’s existence. Her team posted a nine-stroke improvement in scoring average from year one to year two.</p><p>Hall, Huskers Add Paradis as Assistant Coach</p><p>Nebraska women’s golf head coach Breanne Hall announced the hiring of assistant coach Lory Paradis on Jan. 5, 2026. Paradis, who was a team captain as a player for Hall at Illinois State last season, served as a graduate assistant coach for the Redbirds during the 2025 fall campaign.</p><p>A PGA of Canada Professional, Paradis spent her first four college seasons as a golfer at Fresno State before helping Illinois State capture the Missouri Valley Conference title as a first-year graduate student in 2024-25. Paradis, who expects to earn her master’s degree in the psychology of sport and physical activity in May 2026, was an apprentice teaching professional at Laval-sur-le-Lac Golf Club in the summer of 2025. She previously served as a freshman coach at Foisy Golf Academie in 2023-24.</p><p>Husker All-American Kate Smith Competed on 2025 LPGA Tour</p><p>Former Husker Kate Smith-Stroh captured her LPGA Tour Card for the 2025 season by tying for 19th at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage in Mobile, Ala., Dec. 10, 2024. </p><p>Smith-Stroh, an All-American and Big Ten Champion for Nebraska as a fifth-year senior in 2021, put together five solid rounds in Alabama to finish with a total of 350 (-8) with rounds of 69-71-67-72-71 on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail - Magnolia Grove to secure a spot on the world’s premier women’s golf tour in 2025.</p><p>One of the best golfers in Nebraska history, Smith-Stroh competed on the Epson Tour (2022-24). During the 2023 season, she competed in 22 events and made 19 cuts, while recording four top-10 finishes. She tied for second at the Four Winds Invitational. She added 19 events while making 13 cuts in 2024, including two more top-10 finishes.</p><p>She was ranked 33rd in the Race for the Card entering Q-Series Final Qualifying.</p><p>Smith-Stroh earned nearly $116,000 in her first season on the LPGA Tour, including her first career top-10 finish at the Dow Championship in late June. Her tie for 10th at 265 (-15) over four rounds earned her just over $35,000. She added a tie for 18th at 276 (-12) at The Standard Portland Classic in mid-August to take home more than $25,000. She opened October with a tie for 42nd at the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club (Oct. 1-4), before closing in a tie for 65th at The ANNIKA (Nov. 10-13). Overall, she made eight cuts in 17 events.</p><p>Huskers Participate in Folds of Honor</p><p>Nebraska women’s golf is a proud participant in the Folds of Honor program, which recognizes fallen or disabled American service members and first responders by carrying a bag tag emblazoned with the number of Folds of Honor recipients who have attended Nebraska.</p><p>To donate to the Folds of Honor program at Nebraska, visit https://foh.org/nebraskawomensgolf.</p>

Huskers travel to Texas Golf throwdown

North Platte Public Schools is excited to announce Mr. Kyle Drake as our next Athletic Director, beginning July 1, 2026!

Kyle earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and later returned to UNK to complete his master’s degree in PreK–12 School Principalship in 2017. Kyle has spent the past three years as a 9–12 science teacher and coach at North Platte High School. Prior to that, he served as principal at Burwell Public Schools. He also brings classroom teaching experience, including sixth-grade science and reading at Kearney Public Schools and eighth-grade science at North Platte Public Schools. Kyle’s wife, Emily, is also an educator, and they are the proud parents of four children: Nora, Crew, Jett, and Mack.&nbsp;

Kyle is honored to serve North Platte Public Schools as Activities Director and looks forward to working with coaches, sponsors, families, and students to create opportunities for involvement, leadership, and pride in our schools and community.

<p><i>Story by NPPS</i></p><p>North Platte Public Schools is excited to announce Mr. Kyle Drake as our next Athletic Director, beginning July 1, 2026!</p><p>Kyle earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and later returned to UNK to complete his master’s degree in PreK–12 School Principalship in 2017. Kyle has spent the past three years as a 9–12 science teacher and coach at North Platte High School. Prior to that, he served as principal at Burwell Public Schools. He also brings classroom teaching experience, including sixth-grade science and reading at Kearney Public Schools and eighth-grade science at North Platte Public Schools. Kyle’s wife, Emily, is also an educator, and they are the proud parents of four children: Nora, Crew, Jett, and Mack.&nbsp;</p><p>Kyle is honored to serve North Platte Public Schools as Activities Director and looks forward to working with coaches, sponsors, families, and students to create opportunities for involvement, leadership, and pride in our schools and community.</p>

Breaking - NPPS announces Kyle Drake as NPHS activities director

<i>Story by NPCC Athletic Communications</i>

North Platte, Neb. - Lamar scored 39 points and forced eight second half turnovers to defeat the Knights on Saturday afternoon, 78-59.

<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/rocha_dennis_8d5e">Dennis Rocha</a>&nbsp;led the Knights with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, while&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/osayanrhion_josh_coot">Josh Osayanrhion</a>&nbsp;pulled down eight rebounds to accompany his seven points. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/sims_iv_john_uy7z">John Sims IV</a>&nbsp;chipped in six points while adding four assists.

"Lamar played a heck of a game," said head coach Jacob Brandl. "They went to that zone, and the wheels just fell off for us."

The contest opened as a tight three-point battle, with both teams trading shots from beyond the arc.&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/kennison_brady_d0j3">Brady Kennison</a>&nbsp;knocked down a three-pointer early to give the Knights a brief edge, but Lamar responded by retaking the lead and carrying that momentum to a 39-33 halftime lead.

Lamar kept their momentum rolling in the second half, as they stretched their lead to 28 points with 5:17 remaining. North Platte surged in the closing minutes, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.

"We had some good looks at the rim and on the perimeter, but we didn't convert," Brandl said. "Back to work to get ready for another strong Region IX South opponent at home."

<p><i>Story by NPCC Athletic Communications</i></p><p>North Platte, Neb. - Lamar scored 39 points and forced eight second half turnovers to defeat the Knights on Saturday afternoon, 78-59.</p><p><a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/rocha_dennis_8d5e">Dennis Rocha</a>&nbsp;led the Knights with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, while&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/osayanrhion_josh_coot">Josh Osayanrhion</a>&nbsp;pulled down eight rebounds to accompany his seven points. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/sims_iv_john_uy7z">John Sims IV</a>&nbsp;chipped in six points while adding four assists.</p><p>"Lamar played a heck of a game," said head coach Jacob Brandl. "They went to that zone, and the wheels just fell off for us."</p><p>The contest opened as a tight three-point battle, with both teams trading shots from beyond the arc.&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/kennison_brady_d0j3">Brady Kennison</a>&nbsp;knocked down a three-pointer early to give the Knights a brief edge, but Lamar responded by retaking the lead and carrying that momentum to a 39-33 halftime lead.</p><p>Lamar kept their momentum rolling in the second half, as they stretched their lead to 28 points with 5:17 remaining. North Platte surged in the closing minutes, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.</p><p>"We had some good looks at the rim and on the perimeter, but we didn't convert," Brandl said. "Back to work to get ready for another strong Region IX South opponent at home."</p>

Big second half helps Lamar take down Knights

North Platte, Neb. -&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/herron_aliyah_1ctv">Aliyah Herron</a>&nbsp;led the Knights with 17 points, but Lamar pulled away late to secure a 62-52 victory over North Platte on Saturday afternoon.

"It was a tale of two halves for us today, and we just ran out of time," head coach Jeff Thurman said. "I thought we really battled in the second half and made some good plays on both ends of the floor."

<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/gilbert_jasmine_zw4l">Jasmine Gilbert</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/stevens_alexa_r2yo">Alexa Stevens</a>&nbsp;chipped in eight points apiece, while&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/haas_abigail_qli0">Abigail Haas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/jackson_kyenna_gfhs">Kyenna Jackson</a>&nbsp;each grabbed six rebounds for the Knights.

North Platte held the Runnin' Lopes scoreless for the first 4:30, but Lamar's offense found its rhythm late in the opening quarter to take a 16-8 lead.

The Runnin' Lopes carried that momentum into the second quarter, outscoring the Knights 13-6 to extend their advantage to 29-14 at halftime.

Lamar pushed the lead to 20 midway through the third quarter before North Platte answered. A long-range three from Herron capped a 7-0 run, trimming the deficit to 14. The teams traded baskets the rest of the period, with Lamar holding a 49-35 edge entering the fourth.

The Knights continued to battle, pulling within eight with 37 seconds remaining on a three pointer from Haas. However, North Platte could not complete the comeback and ultimately fell to the Runnin' Lopes.

"Now we have to get back to work and prepare ourselves for next week," Thurman said.

North Platte (6-17, 3-6 Region 9 South) continues Region 9 South play at home on Wednesday against McCook Community College. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

<p><i>Story by NPCC Athletic Communications</i></p><p>North Platte, Neb. -&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/herron_aliyah_1ctv">Aliyah Herron</a>&nbsp;led the Knights with 17 points, but Lamar pulled away late to secure a 62-52 victory over North Platte on Saturday afternoon.</p><p>"It was a tale of two halves for us today, and we just ran out of time," head coach Jeff Thurman said. "I thought we really battled in the second half and made some good plays on both ends of the floor."</p><p><a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/gilbert_jasmine_zw4l">Jasmine Gilbert</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/stevens_alexa_r2yo">Alexa Stevens</a>&nbsp;chipped in eight points apiece, while&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/haas_abigail_qli0">Abigail Haas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/jackson_kyenna_gfhs">Kyenna Jackson</a>&nbsp;each grabbed six rebounds for the Knights.</p><p>North Platte held the Runnin' Lopes scoreless for the first 4:30, but Lamar's offense found its rhythm late in the opening quarter to take a 16-8 lead.</p><p>The Runnin' Lopes carried that momentum into the second quarter, outscoring the Knights 13-6 to extend their advantage to 29-14 at halftime.</p><p>Lamar pushed the lead to 20 midway through the third quarter before North Platte answered. A long-range three from Herron capped a 7-0 run, trimming the deficit to 14. The teams traded baskets the rest of the period, with Lamar holding a 49-35 edge entering the fourth.</p><p>The Knights continued to battle, pulling within eight with 37 seconds remaining on a three pointer from Haas. However, North Platte could not complete the comeback and ultimately fell to the Runnin' Lopes.</p><p>"Now we have to get back to work and prepare ourselves for next week," Thurman said.</p><p>North Platte (6-17, 3-6 Region 9 South) continues Region 9 South play at home on Wednesday against McCook Community College. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.</p>

Knights fall short against Lamar

<p>Placing = Heading to State</p><h2>Class A - District 4</h2><h2>Girls 120</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Sawyer Swarm of Kearney</li><li>2nd Place - Kaydence Mckee of Gering</li><li>3rd Place - Aaliyah Ramos of North Platte</li><li>4th Place - Arianna Schutt of Blue River</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Sawyer Swarm (Kearney) 45-10, Sr. over Kaydence Mckee (Gering) 37-8, So. (SV-1 9-6)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Aaliyah Ramos (North Platte) 31-12, Jr. over Arianna Schutt (Blue River) 48-15, Sr. (Fall 0:36)</li>
                    </ul><h2>125</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Sloane Abbey of Kearney</li><li>2nd Place - Meredith Zlomke of Gering</li><li>3rd Place - Brittley Braithwait of Columbus</li><li>4th Place - Khloe Haneborg of North Platte</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Sloane Abbey (Kearney) 49-6, So. over Meredith Zlomke (Gering) 33-4, So. (Fall 1:55)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Brittley Braithwait (Columbus) 28-21, So. over Khloe Haneborg (North Platte) 26-14, So. (M. For.)</li>
                    </ul><h2>130</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Bella Arrants of Grand Island</li><li>2nd Place - Lauren Schmeits of Kearney</li><li>3rd Place - Leah Hazen of North Platte</li><li>4th Place - Grace Lindley of Omaha North</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Bella Arrants (Grand Island) 38-2, Jr. over Lauren Schmeits (Kearney) 44-12, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:58 (16-1))</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Leah Hazen (North Platte) 28-16, Sr. over Grace Lindley (Omaha North) 23-13, Jr. (Fall 4:18)</li>
                    </ul><h2>140</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Reese Holscher of Kearney</li><li>2nd Place - Evelyn Theobald of Seward</li><li>3rd Place - Kindy Sproat of North Platte</li><li>4th Place - Madisyn Hostetler of Grand Island</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Reese Holscher (Kearney) 40-13, Sr. over Evelyn Theobald (Seward) 24-8, Sr. (Fall 1:41)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Kindy Sproat (North Platte) 31-8, Jr. over Madisyn Hostetler (Grand Island) 19-20, So. (Fall 2:40)</li>
                    </ul><h2>155</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Alexis Steinbeck of McCook</li><li>2nd Place - Bayli Helleberg of Grand Island</li><li>3rd Place - Taytum Methe of York</li><li>4th Place - Emmerson Halverson of North Platte</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Alexis Steinbeck (McCook) 31-6, Sr. over Bayli Helleberg (Grand Island) 14-15, Jr. (Fall 5:28)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Taytum Methe (York) 23-14, Jr. over Emmerson Halverson (North Platte) 27-14, So. (Fall 1:27)</li>
                    </ul><h2>Class B - District 1</h2><h2>115</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Hayley Serfontein of Southern Valley/Arapahoe</li><li>2nd Place - Zoe Jones of Broken Bow</li><li>3rd Place - Mollie Corkle of ONeill</li><li>4th Place - Alexis Galusha of St. Paul</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Hayley Serfontein (Southern Valley/Arapahoe) 33-1, Jr. over Zoe Jones (Broken Bow) 28-5, So. (Dec 9-3)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Mollie Corkle (ONeill) 36-12, Sr. over Alexis Galusha (St. Paul) 42-8, So. (Inj. 0:32)</li>
                    </ul><h2>120</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Leah Thompson of Yutan</li><li>2nd Place - Micheli Fisher of Norfolk Catholic</li><li>3rd Place - Katelynn Mosel of Plainview/Osmond</li><li>4th Place - Lailah Jones of Broken Bow</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Leah Thompson (Yutan) 43-17, Jr. over Micheli Fisher (Norfolk Catholic) 35-13, Sr. (Fall 5:41)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Katelynn Mosel (Plainview/Osmond) 24-13, Fr. over Lailah Jones (Broken Bow) 27-16, Fr. (Dec 8-4)</li>
                    </ul><h2>125</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Laney Drueke of St. Mary`s</li><li>2nd Place - Paige Owens of Chase County</li><li>3rd Place - Delaney Jenninngs of St. Paul</li><li>4th Place - Sophia Wortman of Plainview/Osmond</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Laney Drueke (St. Mary`s) 26-3, Fr. over Paige Owens (Chase County) 36-4, So. (Fall 3:44)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Delaney Jenninngs (St. Paul) 39-19, Jr. over Sophia Wortman (Plainview/Osmond) 31-11, Fr. (MD 12-3)</li>
                    </ul><h2>130</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Grace Drueke of ONeill</li><li>2nd Place - Josslyn Hoefer of Neligh-Oakdale</li><li>3rd Place - Pyper Daugherty of North Bend Central</li><li>4th Place - Avery Cyboron of Chase County</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Grace Drueke (ONeill) 42-1, Jr. over Josslyn Hoefer (Neligh-Oakdale) 43-12, Jr. (M. For.)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Pyper Daugherty (North Bend Central) 42-7, Sr. over Avery Cyboron (Chase County) 23-15, Fr. (Fall 3:28)</li>
                    </ul><h2>145</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Hayley Rusher of Chase County</li><li>2nd Place - Audrey Cline of Franklin</li><li>3rd Place - Peyton Jacobsen of North Bend Central</li><li>4th Place - Ashlyn Forbes of Plainview/Osmond</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Hayley Rusher (Chase County) 46-1, Sr. over Audrey Cline (Franklin) 27-5, Jr. (Fall 1:19)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Peyton Jacobsen (North Bend Central) 31-16, So. over Ashlyn Forbes (Plainview/Osmond) 22-12, Jr. (Fall 1:26)</li>
                    </ul><h2>170</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Rylee Kursave of Arcadia/Loup City</li><li>2nd Place - Stayci Medina Lopez of Broken Bow</li><li>3rd Place - Maura Vrbka of Fillmore Central</li><li>4th Place - Madilyn Reese of North Bend Central</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Rylee Kursave (Arcadia/Loup City) 37-1, Sr. over Stayci Medina Lopez (Broken Bow) 29-7, Jr. (Fall 2:50)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Maura Vrbka (Fillmore Central) 22-23, So. over Madilyn Reese (North Bend Central) 41-19, So. (Fall 2:02)</li>
                    </ul><h2>190</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Ida Bumgarner of Broken Bow</li><li>2nd Place - Ana Aguirre Flores of West Point-Beemer</li><li>3rd Place - Natalee Nelson of Wakefield</li><li>4th Place - Chloe Mullins of Plainview/Osmond</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Ida Bumgarner (Broken Bow) 33-5, So. over Ana Aguirre Flores (West Point-Beemer) 42-7, Fr. (Dec 10-3)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Natalee Nelson (Wakefield) 37-9, Jr. over Chloe Mullins (Plainview/Osmond) 14-16, Fr. (Fall 1:29)</li>
                    </ul><h2>Class B - District 4</h2><h2>110</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Abby Negley of Cozad</li><li>2nd Place - Bella McLaughlin of Fort Calhoun</li><li>3rd Place - Kynsleigh Krebs of Gordon-Rushville</li><li>4th Place - Lupita Alba of Wayne</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Abby Negley (Cozad) 44-1, Sr. over Bella McLaughlin (Fort Calhoun) 43-21, Sr. (Fall 2:57)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Kynsleigh Krebs (Gordon-Rushville) 28-16, Fr. over Lupita Alba (Wayne) 27-17, So. (M. For.)</li>
                    </ul><h2>120</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Addysen Simmons of Adams Central</li><li>2nd Place - Ceann McIntosh of Maxwell</li><li>3rd Place - Danika Janssen of Valentine</li><li>4th Place - Kendall Magana-Torres of Fort Calhoun</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Addysen Simmons (Adams Central) 27-5, Jr. over Ceann McIntosh (Maxwell) 28-7, Sr. (Fall 1:20)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Danika Janssen (Valentine) 36-14, So. over Kendall Magana-Torres (Fort Calhoun) 11-10, So. (Fall 0:41)</li>
                    </ul><h2>145</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Brianna Kalvoda of Adams Central</li><li>2nd Place - Andrea Saravia of Cozad</li><li>3rd Place - Kirsten Heck of Gordon-Rushville</li><li>4th Place - Clara Denny of Hershey</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Brianna Kalvoda (Adams Central) 28-8, Sr. over Andrea Saravia (Cozad) 33-11, So. (Fall 0:38)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Kirsten Heck (Gordon-Rushville) 44-10, Sr. over Clara Denny (Hershey) 19-12, Sr. (MD 15-7)</li>
                    </ul><h2>155</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Zeniah Baca of Adams Central</li><li>2nd Place - Beckah Gossman of Fort Calhoun</li><li>3rd Place - Audrey Moorhead of South Platte</li><li>4th Place - Ivette Ozuna of Wayne</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Zeniah Baca (Adams Central) 35-3, So. over Beckah Gossman (Fort Calhoun) 37-6, So. (MD 14-4)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Audrey Moorhead (South Platte) 26-7, So. over Ivette Ozuna (Wayne) 38-14, So. (Fall 1:33)</li>
                    </ul><h2>190</h2><h2>Guaranteed Places</h2><ul>
                        <li>1st Place - Addison Arvdal of Sutherland</li><li>2nd Place - Skylar Johnson of Paxton</li><li>3rd Place - Piper Moll of Adams Central</li><li>4th Place - Haley Dunn of Perkins County</li>
                    </ul><h2>1st Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Addison Arvdal (Sutherland) 39-0, Jr. over Skylar Johnson (Paxton) 38-12, Sr. (Fall 1:42)</li>
                    </ul><h2>3rd Place Match</h2><ul>
                        <li>Piper Moll (Adams Central) 37-8, Sr. over Haley Dunn (Perkins County) 20-19, Sr. (Fall 2:36)</li>
                    </ul>

NSAA Girls District Wrestling Classes A and B

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to talk about the team's most recent 2 games and how he plans to prepare for a tough rematch against Lamar Community College on Saturday.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
                        <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #14 2026 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5hk7n-1a3c1b5-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=654771&font-color=ffffff&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><p>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to talk about the team's most recent 2 games and how he plans to prepare for a tough rematch against Lamar Community College on Saturday.</p>

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #14 2026 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

Paxton 58 @ North Platte St. Patrick's 22

<h2>Girls</h2><p>Brady 60 @ Wallace 35</p><p>Broken Bow 50 vs Lexington 42</p><p>Dundy County Stratton 59 @ Southwest 30</p><p>Garden County 44 vs Sutherland 43</p><p>Kearney Catholic 60 vs Hershey 43</p><p>Medicine Valley 59 @ Hi-Line 40</p><p>Paxton 58 @ North Platte St. Patrick's 22</p><p>Perkins County 46 @ Maxwell 42</p><h2>Boys</h2><p>Broken Bow 70 vs Lexington 45</p><p>Dundy County Stratton 58 @ Southwest 45</p><p>Garden County 77 vs Sutherland 33</p><p>Hershey 63 @ Kearney Catholic 54</p><p>Medicine Valley 75 @ Hi-Line 71</p><p>Perkins County 62 @ Maxwell 44</p><p>Wallace 58 vs Brady 35</p>

Area NSAA Basketball results from 2-4

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, to discuss a historic win for the Women's team as they toppled Western Nebraska Community College 63-60, their first win against the Cougars since the 1984-1985 season.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
                        <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #11 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=vctvz-1a37954-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=654771&font-color=ffffff&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><p>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, to discuss a historic win for the Women's team as they toppled Western Nebraska Community College 63-60, their first win against the Cougars since the 1984-1985 season.</p>

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #11 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman

The final home meet of the season gave North Platte High School a chance to pause and celebrate a special group of wrestlers who have given years of dedication to the Bulldog program.

Seniors Leah Hasen, Rane Stockton, Gabe Foster, Tyler Haneborg, Roman Ochoa, Izayah Plunk, Will Rathjen, and Kirk Wilson were recognized for their hard work, commitment, and the countless hours spent on the mat. From early-morning practices to intense matches under the lights, each senior helped shape the culture of North Platte wrestling and set an example for those who will follow.

This group leaves behind more than results—they leave a legacy of toughness, teamwork, and pride in wearing the Bulldogs singlet. Their effort and leadership will be remembered long after the season ends

As the journey continues toward the biggest stage of the year, NorthPlattePost.com will provide complete State wrestling coverage from the CHI Center in Omaha February 17 through February 21, bringing fans updates, stories, and highlights from the state tournament.

From all of us at Eagle Media and the Voice of the Dogs congratulations to the North Platte High School wrestling seniors on a great career. Your impact on the program will last well beyond your final match.

<p>Photos by NPHS Journalism</p><p>The final home meet of the season gave North Platte High School a chance to pause and celebrate a special group of wrestlers who have given years of dedication to the Bulldog program.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047563035.jpeg" alt="Rane Stockton photos by&nbsp;Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Rane Stockton photos by&nbsp;Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Seniors Leah Hasen, Rane Stockton, Gabe Foster, Tyler Haneborg, Roman Ochoa, Izayah Plunk, Will Rathjen, and Kirk Wilson were recognized for their hard work, commitment, and the countless hours spent on the mat. From early-morning practices to intense matches under the lights, each senior helped shape the culture of North Platte wrestling and set an example for those who will follow.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047649875.jpeg" alt="Roman Ochoa&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Roman Ochoa&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>This group leaves behind more than results—they leave a legacy of toughness, teamwork, and pride in wearing the Bulldogs singlet. Their effort and leadership will be remembered long after the season ends</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047865513.jpeg" alt="Kirk Wilson&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Kirk Wilson&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>As the journey continues toward the biggest stage of the year, NorthPlattePost.com will provide complete State wrestling coverage from the CHI Center in Omaha February 17 through February 21, bringing fans updates, stories, and highlights from the state tournament.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047679805.jpeg" alt="Leah Hasen&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Leah Hasen&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>From all of us at Eagle Media and the Voice of the Dogs congratulations to the North Platte High School wrestling seniors on a great career. Your impact on the program will last well beyond your final match.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047745174.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Izayah Plunk&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>&nbsp;Izayah Plunk&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047803191.jpeg" alt="Tyler Haneborg&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Tyler Haneborg&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770047963634.jpeg" alt="Gabe Foster&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Gabe Foster&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770048025300.jpeg" alt="Will Rathjen&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand" />
                        <figcaption>Will Rathjen&nbsp;photos by Madi Hilderbrand</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Bulldog legacy: North Platte wrestling seniors celebrated as state approaches

Scottsbluff, Neb. - Brady Kennison poured in a game-high 27 points to lead North Platte to an 83-79 road victory over Western Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.

Kennison was lights-out in the game shooting 7-of-14 from the field, including 7-of-10 from long range. Winston Allen added 17 points while pulling down seven rebounds in the win.

“It was another gritty win,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “Western shoots a ton of threes, and because of that they’re always in the game, no lead is ever safe.”

North Platte came out firing, jumping out to a 14-3 lead after a dunk from Allen. Western Nebraska answered with a strong response, eventually taking its first lead with 4:34 remaining in the first half. Teams traded momentum the rest of the period before a late run lifted the Knights to a 38-36 advantage at the break.

The Cougars opened the second half by scoring first to even the game at 38-38, but North Platte quickly regained control and refused to relinquish the lead. A 6-0 run midway through the half pushed the Knights advantage into double-digits. Western Nebraska made one final push, trimming the deficit to just two points with 2:23 remaining, but North Platte stayed composed down the stretch to earn the victory.

“I thought we did a much better job handling their press in the second half and getting into our offense,” Brandl said. “It’s always hard to win on the road, so I’m really happy with how our guys responded to their runs throughout the game.”

<p><i>Story by NPCC Athletic Communications</i></p><p>Scottsbluff, Neb. - Brady Kennison poured in a game-high 27 points to lead North Platte to an 83-79 road victory over Western Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.</p><p>Kennison was lights-out in the game shooting 7-of-14 from the field, including 7-of-10 from long range. Winston Allen added 17 points while pulling down seven rebounds in the win.</p><p>“It was another gritty win,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “Western shoots a ton of threes, and because of that they’re always in the game, no lead is ever safe.”</p><p>North Platte came out firing, jumping out to a 14-3 lead after a dunk from Allen. Western Nebraska answered with a strong response, eventually taking its first lead with 4:34 remaining in the first half. Teams traded momentum the rest of the period before a late run lifted the Knights to a 38-36 advantage at the break.</p><p>The Cougars opened the second half by scoring first to even the game at 38-38, but North Platte quickly regained control and refused to relinquish the lead. A 6-0 run midway through the half pushed the Knights advantage into double-digits. Western Nebraska made one final push, trimming the deficit to just two points with 2:23 remaining, but North Platte stayed composed down the stretch to earn the victory.</p><p>“I thought we did a much better job handling their press in the second half and getting into our offense,” Brandl said. “It’s always hard to win on the road, so I’m really happy with how our guys responded to their runs throughout the game.”</p><p>North Platte (14-8, 6-1 Region 9 South) continues Region 9 South play on Wednesday against Southeast Community College. Tipoff set for 7 p.m. in Lincoln.</p>

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