The Blitz: Husker season reaction

The North Platte Elks Lodge #985 will be holding the annual Hoop Shoot contest. They would like to invite all students ages 8 - 13 to participate. The Hoop Shoot is a basketball free throw contest in which each student is given the opportunity to shoot 25 free throws.&nbsp;

Over 2.5 million students participate in this contest nation wide every year. North Platte lodge has been holding the contest for over 40 years.&nbsp;

The winner and runner up of each age group will receive a trophy. The winners will advance to shoot at district competition. If they win at districts and continue to win they can advance to state, regional, and a national competition.&nbsp;

WHAT: Elks Hoop Shoot (25 free throw contest)&nbsp;

Where: Adams Middle School Gym (1200 McDonald Rd)

Questions? Contact Lenny Hassel, 308.532.7933

The North Platte Elks Lodge #985 will be holding the annual Hoop Shoot contest. They would like to invite all students ages 8 - 13 to participate. The Hoop Shoot is a basketball free throw contest in which each student is given the opportunity to shoot 25 free throws.&nbsp;Over 2.5 million students participate in this contest nation wide every year. North Platte lodge has been holding the contest for over 40 years.&nbsp;The winner and runner up of each age group will receive a trophy. The winners will advance to shoot at district competition. If they win at districts and continue to win they can advance to state, regional, and a national competition.&nbsp;WHAT: Elks Hoop Shoot (25 free throw contest)&nbsp;When: Sunday, December 15 2019Where: Adams Middle School Gym (1200 McDonald Rd)Who: Boys and Girls ages 8 - 13Times: Girls 1:00pm, Boys 2:00pmCost: FREEQuestions? Contact Lenny Hassel, 308.532.7933

Annual Hoop Shoot details

Moustakas makes bank:CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds have completed a $64 million, four-year deal with former second baseman Mike Moustakas, the biggest free agent contract in Reds history. The 31-year-old infielder will plug the Reds' hole at second base, which opened when Scooter Gennett (jeh-NEHT') got hurt and then was traded at midseason. The Reds are trying to upgrade an offense that was among the National League's worst at scoring runs last season. They have become active in free agency the last two years, trying to escape a rut of six straight losing seasons. They signed Moustakas from the NL Central-rival Brewers. Matheny not rocking the boat: Royals manager Mike Matheny has announced his first coaching staff in Kansas City and most of the names are familiar. Hitting coach Terry Bradshaw and pitching coach Cal Eldred will return from Ned Yost's staff in the same roles. Pedro Grifol will move from working with catchers to bench coach, Rusty Kuntz will move back to first base and Vance Wilson will shift to third base. Larry Carter is joining the big league club after working with Royals minor league players, and John Mabry and Rafael Belliard are the newcomers to the organization.

Royals news: Ex Royal receives biggest contract in Reds history, new manager keeps staff

Lincoln, NE (NPPost) - News broke on Wednesday afternoon that players Andre Hunt and Katerian LeGrone were found to have violated the University of Nebraska's sexual misconduct policies and face 2 1/2 years of suspension from the University. Both players were suspended on Aug. 26th of this year and did not see any playing time because of the incident. The allegations stem from an August 25th incident in the players off-campus apartment in which an unnamed woman was invited to the apartment and taken advantage of by the players. The woman filed a report with the Lincoln Police department that night and the investigation into the incident remains open. No charges have been filed at this time. As of December 4th, the two players have seven university business days in which they can file an appeal and avoid a 2 1/2 year suspension from the university. If no appeal is filed the judgement will stand. The University decided on the length to allow the woman enough time to finish her education.

Husker football players face 2+ year suspension over alleged sexual misconduct

By NU Athletic Communications Nebraska volleyball's Lauren Stivrins, Lexi Sun and Nicklin Hames were named to the All-Big Ten First Team on Wednesday, while Madi Kubik was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and an All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team member. Libero Kenzie Knuckles was also selected to the All-Freshman Team by the league's head coaches.&nbsp; Stivrins was a unanimous choice for the All-Big Ten First Team. The 2018 AVCA First-Team All-American collected her second career all-conference honor after 2.57 kills per set, 1.06 blocks per set and a team-best .383 hitting percentage during the regular season. Stivrins' .412 hitting percentage in conference play was third-best in the Big Ten, and the junior middle blocker guided a Husker defense that had a league-best .156 opponent hitting percentage in Big Ten play.&nbsp; Sun earned her first career All-Big Ten honor, but her second career all-conference honor as she was an All-Big 12 first teamer at Texas in 2017. The junior outside hitter led the Huskers with 3.57 kills per set with 2.42 digs per set and a team-high 24 aces during the regular season. Sun posted double-digit kills in 18 of 20 Big Ten matches, and her 3.53 kills per set in Big Ten play ranked eighth.&nbsp; Hames collected her first All-Big Ten award after averaging 10.92 assists and 2.90 digs per set during the regular season. One of the best defensive setters in the nation, Hames recorded a team-high 15 double-doubles and also served 21 aces. Her 11.37 assists per set in Big Ten play ranked third in the conference.&nbsp; Kubik earned Nebraska's first Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor and first conference freshman of the year since Hannah Werth won the award in 2009 in the Big 12. Kubik averaged 2.73 kills and 2.52 digs per set in her first year as a Husker. She ranked fourth among Big Ten freshmen in kills (2.73 per set) and digs (2.52 per set) in conference play. The outside hitter was also named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and the All-Freshman Team. Kubik is the first Husker freshman to be named to an All-Big Ten team since Kadie Rolfzen in 2013.&nbsp; Knuckles earned All-Freshman Team accolades after leading the Huskers with 3.71 digs per set in her first year as the Huskers' libero. Knuckles served 20 aces and was a Big Ten Freshman of the Week and Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week during the season, helping the Huskers lead all Big Ten teams with a .156 opponent hitting percentage in conference play.&nbsp; Sophomore opposite hitter Anezka Szabo received Nebraska's Sportsmanship Award.&nbsp; Wisconsin's Dana Rettke was the Big Ten Player of the Year. Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield was chosen Coach of the Year by the media, while Penn State's Russ Rose was voted Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches.&nbsp; 2019 Big Ten Volleyball All-Big Ten HonoreesFirst TeamJacqueline Quade, Sr., IllinoisKatie Myers, So., MarylandPaige Jones, So., Michigan*Mackenzi Welsh, Sr., MichiganCC McGraw, So., MinnesotaRegan Pittman, Jr., Minnesota*Stephanie Samedy, Jr., MinnesotaNicklin Hames, So., NebraskaLauren Stivrins, Jr., Nebraska*Lexi Sun, Jr., NebraskaKaitlyn Hord, So., Penn State*Jonni Parker, So., Penn State*Kendall White, Sr., Penn State*Grace Cleveland, So., Purdue*Blake Mohler, Sr., PurdueSydney Hilley, Jr., Wisconsin*Grace Loberg, Jr., WisconsinDana Rettke, Jr., Wisconsin** denotes unanimous selection&nbsp;Second TeamAshlyn Fleming, Sr., IllinoisBreana Edwards, So., IndianaCori Crocker, Sr., MichiganAlexis Hart, Sr., MinnesotaTaylor Morgan, Sr., MinnesotaMadi Kubik, Fr., NebraskaTemi Thomas-Ailara, Fr., NorthwesternKylie Murr, Fr., Ohio StateGabby Blossom, So., Penn StateCaitlyn Newton, Jr., PurdueMadison Duello, Sr., WisconsinMolly Haggerty, Jr., WisconsinDanielle Hart, So., Wisconsin&nbsp;All-Freshman TeamDiana Brown, IllinoisMay Pertofsky, MichiganJessica Robinson, MichiganKenzie Knuckles, NebraskaMadi Kubik, NebraskaTemi Thomas-Ailara, NorthwesternJenaisya Moore, Ohio StateKylie Murr, Ohio State&nbsp;Player of the Year: Dana Rettke, Jr., WisconsinDefensive Player of the Year: Kendall White, Sr., Penn StateSetter of the Year: Sydney Hilley, Jr., WisconsinFreshman of the Year: Madi Kubik, NebraskaCoach of the Year (Coaches): Russ Rose, Penn StateCoach of the Year (Media): Kelly Sheffield, Wisconsin&nbsp;Sportsmanship HonoreesBeth Prince, Sr., OH, IllinoisMeaghan Koors, Sr., DS, IndianaBrie Orr, Jr., S, IowaTaylor Smith, Sr., S, MarylandSydney Wetterstrom, Sr., OH, MichiganSam McLean, Sr., DS/L, Michigan StateLauren Litzau, Sr., DS/L, MinnesotaAnezka Szabo, So., OH, NebraskaEmily Ehman, Sr., L, NorthwesternBia Rodrigues-Franklin, Sr., OH, Ohio StateEmily Sciorra, Sr., DS, Penn StateJael Johnson, So., MB, PurdueJasmine Stackhouse, Sr., MB, RutgersM.E. Dodge, Sr., DS/L, Wisconsin

Five Huskers (volleyball) Earn Big Ten Honors

By NU Athletic Communications Four Nebraska offensive standouts were honored by the Big Ten Conference on Monday with all-conference recognition.&nbsp;The four offensive players to earn honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades included junior receiver JD Spielman, junior offensive tackle Brenden Jaimes, junior running back Dedrick Mills and freshman receiver Wan'Dale Robinson.&nbsp;Spielman received honorable-mention recognition from both the conference coaches and media. He led Nebraska with 49 receptions for 898 yards and five touchdowns, ranking fifth in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game.&nbsp;In the process, Spielman became the first Husker to record three 800-yard receiving seasons.&nbsp;This marks the third straight season Spielman has earned conference honors after earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in both 2017 and 2018.&nbsp;Jaimes was also recognized by both the league coaches and media. The 6-6, 300-pounder is a mainstay on the offensive line, starting all 12 games at left tackle.&nbsp;He helped the Husker offense rank third in the conference in rushing offense in Big Ten games.&nbsp;The 2019 season marked the second straight year Jaimes has earned honorable-mention all-conference recognition.&nbsp;Mills also earned recognition from the coaches and media.&nbsp;He led the Nebraska running game in his first season with the Huskers, rushing for 745 yards and 10 touchdowns.&nbsp;Mills ranked ninth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, and his 10 rushing touchdowns were the second-most by a Husker since 2014.&nbsp;Robinson was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten choice by the media panel.&nbsp;Despite missing the majority of four games in the second half of 2019, Robinson had 40 catches for 453 yards and two touchdowns.&nbsp;He also ranked as Nebraska's third-leading rusher with 340 yards and three touchdowns.&nbsp;His versatility earned Robinson recognition as one of four national finalists for the Paul Hornung Award.&nbsp;The four offensive honorees join seven defensive players who were recognized by the conference on Tuesday, led by second-team All-Big Ten cornerback Lamar Jackson.&nbsp;All-Big Ten Offensive HonoreesBrenden Jaimes, Jr., OT—Honorable Mention (Coaches, Media)Dedrick Mills, Jr., RB—Honorable Mention (Coaches, Media)JD Speilman, Jr., WR—Honorable Mention (Coaches, Media)Wan'Dale Robinson, Fr., WR—Honorable Mention (Media)&nbsp;All-Big Ten Defensive HonoreesLamar Jackson, Sr., CB—Second Team (Media and Coaches)Khalil Davis, Sr., DL—Third Team (Coaches), Honorable Mention (Media)Darrion Daniels, Sr. NT—Honorable Mention (Coaches)Dicaprio Bootle, Jr., DB—Honorable Mention (Media)Mohamed Barry, Sr., LB—Honorable Mention (Media)Cam Taylor-Britt, Soph., DB—Honorable Mention (Media)Ben Stille-Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree

Four Huskers Receive Conference Honors

North Platte (NPPost) - The weather outside might be frightful, but inside things are heating up for the North Platte Bulldog athletic program as the Winter sports season is about to begin. For those that didn't know, the Bulldogs compete in all the winter sports (Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling along with Swimming and Diving) available in Nebraska and with the calendar turning to December things are ready to get underway. On December 3rd the high school held a media day for Wrestling and Basketball (Swimming and Diving will be later when they get their suits for pictures). We had a chance to chat with some of the athletes from the sports. <h2>Boys Basketball:</h2> Coach Kaminski comes into this season losing 6 seniors, many of whom were key players over the last few years. He looks to improve on last seasons 4-16 record with a group that he says plays with more passion than he's ever seen. Although the team lost some height from last year, they picked up speed and will be very scrappy according to Kaminski. The only starter to return from last year is now senior Steven Garcia who will be looked upon to lead:<iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/722642968&amp;color=%230c08bd&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" height="166" width="100%"></iframe> Joining him on the team is defensive minded Derek Ramos, fresh off a great football season that he hopes will carry into Basketball: <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/722643016&amp;color=%230c08bd&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" height="166" width="100%"></iframe> <h2>Girls Basketball:</h2> Coach Tyson Hammond enters his second season with a firm idea of his players, what they are capable of and how he wants to go about business. Hammond only graduated two seniors last year so he returns a core of players who are all very familiar with each other. That chemistry lead the girls to a 12-10 finish last year that included a sub-district win before losing to Crete in the District finals, just missing out on an invite to the state tournament. A trip to state is the goal for the team this year. Callie Haneborg, one of the guards for the team, is expected to be a leader both on and off the court: <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/722643052&amp;color=%230c08bd&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" height="166" width="100%"></iframe> Another returner who is looking to step up is softball superstar Abby Orr (who has already accepted an offer to play softball at a Division 1 NCAA school): <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/722643133&amp;color=%230c08bd&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" height="166" width="100%"></iframe> <h2>Wrestling:</h2> It was a very successful previous season for Head Coach Dale Hall in 2018-2019. His team sent five wrestlers to the state tournament and all came back with medals, including one state champion in Darian Diaz (126 LBS). The team itself finished tied for 6th place with Scottsbluff. Coach Hall has a lot of talent returning to the roster this year and looks to have the same type of success, although he would tell you that success like that comes one day, one match at a time. Here is what he had to say: <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/722643037&amp;color=%230c08bd&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" height="166" width="100%"></iframe>

NPHS Winter sports ready to go for 2019-2020

Story by Tessa Burford, NPCC Knights SID The North Platte Community College Knights Softball team recently signed six athletes. New to the Knights Softball program are Kirsten Greenwalt, Madisyn Hamar, Jayden Horner, Nevaeh Ramirez, Jordan Young and Ashlyn Wheeling.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.2&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1651840088411431791&amp;th=16ec83ceff83636f&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ9IW8HSzduFkt0Pfb125CwfbF5hnD-tIDJURsXYW4I7hhzt37xLInuDC9TJ07fk3oSQ3BIKLr3hcK02r0a9_fMi3-WDOLzCsboh5IXR65ehLGO3gCgi-R81mYY&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people posing for a photo

Description automatically generated" height="352" width="624">NPCC Softball signs Kirsten Greenwalt; pictured are Greenwalt (seated at center), friends and family, and NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins (far right).&nbsp;Greenwalt, of Eaglecrest High School in Centennial, Colo., formerly played softball for the American Freedom club and decided to become a Knight because she likes how much fun is had by the NPCC Softball Team and how hard they are expected to work.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.3&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1651840088411431791&amp;th=16ec83ceff83636f&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ9obSwcMGVpAtgsX-A_fFSj2bQnkNNXe-VZpcusiSAlHBDG1NFwy7RPF6yrWS1PzPVZIl2Cs7EoWTbMm4YwLrCZ2eZSNO-mcI1O-nHgJLBEpr45L4A0qu9h_kk&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people posing for a photo

Description automatically generated" height="350" width="624">NPCC Softball signs Madisyn Hamar; pictured are Hamar (seated at center), friends and family, and NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins (far right).&nbsp;Hamar, of Chadron, attended Chadron High School and played for the Chadron Slammers. She is most looking forward to finding discipline as a player, while enjoying a good program. “It will be a fun experience to compete at the next level with a very experienced coaching staff,” said Hamar.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.4&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1651840088411431791&amp;th=16ec83ceff83636f&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ-_zbCCLAfgkcPML0FNaHhANUU8HO5IRTILW3JzEvGsl1IDFCE33tRqjNje6KJqMrrZmI_qPONhscIs6pRqxgMnSOnjB6LvWsXAcpGmhQW_xk66R85As-5B9Ug&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people posing for a photo

Description automatically generated" height="351" width="624">NPCC Softball signs Jayden Horner; pictured are Horner (seated at center), friends and family, and NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins (far right).&nbsp;Horner attended Frederick High School in Longmont, Colo. and previously played softball for the Colorado Invasion 02 club. She looks forward to becoming a Knight, particularly enjoying the hometown atmosphere, as well as support from the community and opportunities to make new friends.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.5&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1651840088411431791&amp;th=16ec83ceff83636f&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ_PaIrVtHkyilVFZ8UsZD8ALFPB7d9M63vhHGluKc6VzPFmAhWFDOq6QFqlyGu3LtS_R7Bee54ziMiFHeZZ_JSemu6CjXUE_fgxNQbxGnk0tMC1Df0OceUPQPs&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people posing for a photo

Description automatically generated" height="351" width="624">NPCC Softball signs Navaeh Ramirez; pictured are Ramirez (seated at center), friends and family, and NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins (far right).&nbsp;Ramirez hails from Prairie View High School in Brighton, Colo. and gained club softball experience with the American Freedom – Bobby Matthews team. She is most excited about connecting with new teammates and coaching staff. “I’m looking forward to being coached by an all-female coaching staff because before I’ve been with male coaches, so it’ll be different,” said Ramirez.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.6&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1651840088411431791&amp;th=16ec83ceff83636f&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ8uCvcD0iauF374kM64dJmXkaBdpmWJpImlIEqR8ytuhybQO4Z8tpdvcZ_4nQSVHw5LuJu6TRhZYxVUDN_yktFMbV1Tt-Gaqf4RUHndmgzWYtOe8bpf6ys5z6o&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people posing for a photo

Description automatically generated" height="351" width="624">NPCC Softball signs Ashlyn Wheeling; pictured are Wheeling (seated at center), friends and family, and NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins (far right).&nbsp;Wheeling, of Mountain Range High School in Westminster, Colo., played club softball with the Colorado Invasion 18A – Belloni. “I decided to become a Knight for the new opportunities and the chance to play softball,” said Wheeling.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.7&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1651840088411431791&amp;th=16ec83ceff83636f&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ8ps2V6TFJPg0SIS2OAJ39Dhe7se49meXOFYRzwNeAEJqItPhpHze2FUdhjk2O4C3CqnobJHCeOBQrSAs4zY-kaN1T4-l13etpoSB4q46K0Qusj7p5jsrEKVbs&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people on a tennis court

Description automatically generated" height="352" width="624">NPCC Softball signs Jordan Young; pictured are Young (seated at center), friends and family, and NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins (far right).&nbsp;Young comes to the Knights from Roosevelt High School in Johnstown, Colo. and played club ball with the Sting 18 Meza. She chose NPCC, due to the small-town atmosphere, good coaching and the opportunity to become a better softball player.&nbsp;NPCC head coach Janelle Higgins is looking forward to the opportunities this recruiting class will bring.&nbsp;“I am excited for these young ladies to join our family; they have all been very involved and committed to our program for over a year. This group brings a lot of positive and fun energy with them, along with their academic and athletic abilities. They will definitely be a strong core for our 2020 athletes. Ashlyn and Jayden played summer ball for Shelby Belloni, a former standout athlete here, and it is always exciting when athletes follow in their coaches’ footsteps,” said Higgins.&nbsp;More coverage of the NPCC Softball Team can be found on the NPCC Facebook page at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MPCCNorthPlatte/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">facebook.com/MPCCNorthPlatte/</a>. More information about Knights Athletics is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">npccknights.com/</a>.

NPCC Knights Softball signs six athletes

Story by Brent Cobb, McCook Community College News/Sports Information McCook Community College sophomore Madison Kleewein (North Platte) has signed a national letter of intent to continue playing volleyball next year at Division II University of Arkansas-Monticello. “Arkansas-Monticello really likes the kids out of McCook and they were real interested in Maddie and she still has three years of eligibility left, and she’s graduating early,” MCC Coach Hayley Kobza said. “She still has a lot of volleyball left ahead of her and they are excited to get her on the court in January.” Kleewein becomes the third former Lady Indian to play in Monticello. Jessica Mahan, a defensive specialist (Colorado Springs) was a senior this season and was joined last season by outside hitter Megan Orth (Peyton, Colo.). Playing middle blocker and right-side hitter this season, Kleewein played in 29 matches and compiled 75 kills in 251 total attacks, averaging 1.09 kills per set. She also had 20 total blocks and 29 digs. She expects she will be a right-side hitter at UAM. Her favorite moments from this past season -- where the Lady Indians went 25-12 and won the school’s second straight Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference championship – included a season high 11-kill (.409 hitting), match against Central Community College and also the Halloween-night win in Scottsbluff over No. 17 Western Nebraska, which snapped a 58-match losing stream to the Cougars dating back to 1994. UAM competes within the Great American Conference (GAC) for ten sports. This past season the Cotton Blossoms went 11-18. “Their coach reminds me of Coach Kobza plus they have a great nursing program,” said Kleewein. “Their campus and people were so welcoming, it reminded me a lot of McCook.” She said her favorite memories from MCC include dancing on the bus trips and just hanging out with teammates in Brooks Hall. “I’m real excited that Maddie found this opportunity right away – especially since she will be finished up here in two weeks,” MCC Coach Hayley Kobza said. “Maddie’s been a great leader and a phenomenal sophomore to have,” Kobza said. The coach expects her other three sophomores to find four-year schools as well. Those players include Kiera Barr, Mallory Brown and Bailey Honn. “That’s the ultimate goal for me and my program is to get my sophomores on to the next level,” Kobza said

MCC’s Kleewein to play volleyball at Arkansas-Monticello

North Platte (NPPost) - The end of the 2019 High School Football season once again had the Bulldogs on the outside looking in at the playoffs. A place no program wants to be. No heads hang low in the weight rooms of the High School. The team had MANY accomplishments to tout at the end of the season. Firstly, Todd Rice in his second go around as Head Coach of the North Platte Bulldogs has seen marked improvement on the field in a new offensive and defensive scheme. He has also seen an uptick in ALL sports in the weight room, something he preaches day in and day out. On the field, the team improved from one win in 2018, to three wins in 2019. The margin of loss shrunk considerably and there were a few games that Coach Rice felt the team "left on the table". North Platte finished with a 3-6 record and third place finish in district play. As far as season accolades are concerned: NPHS had four athletes recognized as GNAC All Conference Football players for this past season. “GNAC All Conference selections are a strong reflection of our overall program. I am really proud of these players and they are great representatives of the continued improvement in our program." said Coach Rice. The four athletes are: Dalton Caley –&nbsp;SR QuarterbackDalton had 91 rushing attempts for 333 yards and three touchdowns.Passing – 11 completions in 26 attempts for 195 yards and four touchdowns. Elliott Purdy – SR Tightend and LinebackerElliott was the leading tackler for the Bulldogs with 88 total tackles.Elliott was also a starting TE. Blake Vaughn – JR Running back and defensive backBlake was the 2nd leading rusher for the Bulldogs with 61 attempts for 578 yards and 10 touchdowns. Blake averaged 9.5 yards per carry.Defensively Blake started at corner and had 32 total tackles and 1 interception. Cody Wright – JR FullbackCody was the leading rusher for the Bulldogs with 211 attempts for 1085 yards and 9 touchdowns. Cody rushed for over 100 yards in 7 of the Bulldogs 9 games.

NPHS Football update - GNAC All conference players

MIAMI (AP) — New Michigan coach Juwan Howard is off to a fast start after leading the Wolverines to a Battle 4 Atlantis championship. Howard’s Wolverines earned top-10 wins against North Carolina and Gonzaga to claim the title in the Bahamas. Now his Wolverines are preparing for a trip to No. 2 Louisville. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State expects to see a tougher Wisconsin team in the Big Ten championship game. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers five weeks ago in the regular season. Since then, Wisconsin won its last four games, capping it with a 38-7 rout of Minnesota. That puts the Badgers in the conference title game on Saturday against the undefeated Buckeyes, who seem to be marching with a purpose toward the College Football Playoff. UNDATED (AP) — Greg Schiano is coming back to Rutgers. Athletic director Pat Hobbs announced that the university and Schiano reached a contract agreement a week after talks to bring back the 53-year-old former football coach fell apart. The contract still must be approved by the schools’ board of governors. It is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the hiring. Schiano was coach at Rutgers from 2001-11. The Scarlet Knights went to a bowl game in six of his final seven seasons. UNDATED (AP) — Alabama dropped to No. 9 in The Associated Press college football poll, snapping the Crimson Tide’s record streak of 68 appearances in the top five. The top four teams in the AP Top 25 were unchanged, with LSU at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia. Utah moved up to No. 5, followed by Oklahoma, Florida and Baylor. The four-spot drop by Alabama broke a string of top-five appearances that began Nov. 8, 2015. Wisconsin moved up three spots to No. 10 after routing Minnesota. PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike and Michigan’s Jon Teske had MVP performances during Thanksgiving-week tournaments to remind the country not to overlook experienced big men amid all the attention on high-flying wings and sharp-shooting guards. Azubuike helped the fourth-ranked Jayhawks win the Maui Invitational, while Teske helped the Wolverines win the Battle 4 Atlantis. The week included big outings from Dayton’s Obi Toppin, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and fifth-ranked Maryland’s defense. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 22 points and backcourt mate Darryl Morsell helped fifth-ranked Maryland limit Marquette star Markus Howard to six points as the Terrapins beat the Golden Eagles 84-63 in the championship game of the Orlando Invitational. Howard scored 91 points in his first two games of the eight-team tournament at Disney World. However, Marquette’s all-time scoring leader was just 1 of 12 from the field in this one. At 8-0, Maryland is off to its best start since the 2006-07 season. EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Sonya Morris’ short jumper in the final minute lifted No. 16 DePaul to a 70-68 victory over Northwestern, handing the Wildcats their first loss and giving Doug Bruno his 700th victory as the Blue Demons’ coach. Northwestern’s Veronica Burton missed a pair of free throws with 43 seconds left then Morris scored on the other end for a 69-68 lead. ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Melody Kempton had a career-high 18 points, LeeAnne Wirth and Jessie Loera each scored 12, and No. 22 Gonzaga beat Purdue 63-50 to win the Gulf Coast Showcase. Kempton made 7 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.

12/2 Big Ten Conference news

By NU Athletic CommunicationsLINCOLN, Neb. - The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 5 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night and will host the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center next weekend. The Huskers, making their 38th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. against the Ball State Cardinals (20-11), champions of the Mid-American Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature the Northern Iowa Panthers (24-10) of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Tigers (21-7) of the SEC. Friday's winners will meet on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. Baylor, Texas, Stanford and Wisconsin received the top four seeds from the NCAA Tournament committee. Should those teams all advance past the first weekend, they would host an NCAA regional the following weekend. Nebraska is in Wisconsin's region along with No. 12 national seed Hawaii and No. 13 Texas A&amp;M. The Huskers would only have an opportunity to host an NCAA regional if they advance past the opening two rounds and Wisconsin gets upset in the first or second round. Tickets to the first and second round in Lincoln will be available to purchase online at Huskers.com/tickets Sunday evening, or by calling 800-8-BIG RED beginning at 8 a.m. Monday. Streaming and broadcast information will be announced later this week.&nbsp; The Huskers, who have been to the last four NCAA Semifinals and won National Championships in 2015 and 2017, finished the regular season 25-4 overall and 17-3 in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska is 2-0 all-time against Ball State with the last meeting on Sept. 11, 2004 in Lincoln. The Cardinals are making their first tournament appearance since 2011. Missouri was Nebraska's NCAA second-round opponent at the Devaney Center last year. The Huskers played Northern Iowa in 2017 during the regular season in Omaha, dropping a 3-1 match. The 2019 season marks the 35th time that Lincoln has hosted NCAA first and second round competition. Nebraska is 113-32 (.779) in 37 previous NCAA Tournament appearances. The 2019 Husker squad is looking to become the first Nebraska volleyball team to reach five consecutive final fours. This year's NCAA Championship is set for December 19-21 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. NCAA First and Second Round ScheduleFirst Round – Friday, Dec. 64:30 p.m. – Northern Iowa vs. Missouri7 p.m.* – Ball State vs. Nebraska*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, but no sooner than 7 p.m. Second Round – Saturday, Dec. 77 p.m. – First Round Winners

Huskers Earn No. 5 National Seed in NCAA Tournament

Royals fans mark November 26th 2019 on your calendar. It marks the day that a new owner takes the reins of the franchise and possibly takes it in a winning direction. The 26th of November, 2019 is the day the paperwork was cleared and John Sherman officially became the new majority owner of the Kansas City Royals. Sherman has experience with the front office of a MLB franchise having worked with the Cleveland Indians as a minority shareholder and vice chairman in 2016. Sherman wrote a letter to the Royals fanbase upon assuming the mantle of owner, here it is: November 26, 2019&nbsp;I want to thank you for your support and passion for the Kansas City Royals. Since the franchise began play in 1969, our fans have supported their team and embraced our players. The Royals, like other Major League Baseball franchises, give fans in Kansas City and across our region a sense of belonging and pride. We will strive to be competitive on the field and deeply involved in the community. Our goal is to grow the great game of baseball while providing our fans with a great game experience at beautiful Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp;Two very important men preceded me. Royals founder Ewing Kauffman gave Kansas City a chance to shine as a Major League city and champion and, in doing so, helped turn the area into a spotlight for excellence and community spirit. My friend, David Glass, carried on that legacy and brought back to Kansas City playoff baseball, another world championship and an unforgettable celebration that Royals fans will forever remember.&nbsp;As we embark upon this new chapter of Royals baseball, my partners and my family pledge to continue to provide Royals fans with an organization that they will be proud of. Our entire organization is working to compete at the highest level on the field. Through the draft and development process, we’re encouraged about another core group of pitchers and position players heading to the Major League level. I am confident that the Royals have a bright future.&nbsp;We will also endeavor to be outstanding community partners. I believe to my core that education is the key, from the inner city to our suburbs and every big and small town in the Midwest. Through Royals Charities and other initiatives, we will harness the excitement of a Major League franchise to make the lives of our fans and our communities better.&nbsp;As we start this journey together, we look to continue to build on our great history. We are proud of our fans and our hometown. We look forward to being the stewards of this great franchise. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. As Royals fans, we’re looking forward to the seasons ahead!&nbsp;On behalf of the entire organization, we thank you.&nbsp;Sincerely,&nbsp;John Sherman Chairman and CEO&nbsp;

KC Royals new owner now official, pens letter to fans

By NU Athletic CommunicationsMADISON, Wis. - The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team fell to No. 5 Wisconsin, 3-0 (19-25, 22-25, 21-25), in its final Big Ten road match this season on Sunday afternoon at UW Field House.&nbsp; Lexi Sun had 16 kills on .316 hitting to lead the Huskers, who dropped to 23-4 overall and 15-3 in the Big Ten with two matches to go.&nbsp; The Badgers (21-5, 17-1 Big Ten) won their third match in a row against the Huskers and fifth in the last seven meetings. Wisconsin hit .333 and had a 4-0 edge in aces, 8-4 advantage in blocks and 48-44 edge in digs. It was the first time this year that Nebraska was out-dug by its opponent. The Badgers also had 15 more kills than the Huskers, 54-39.&nbsp; The Huskers hit .241 with Nicklin Hames providing 32 assists and seven digs. Lauren Stivrins had eight kills and a pair of blocks. Madi Kubik had five kills and a team-high 15 digs, and Jazz Sweet also had five kills.&nbsp; Molly Haggerty had 16 kills to lead Wisconsin. Dana Rettke added 12 kills and five blocks.&nbsp; The Huskers finish Big Ten Conference play at home next weekend. Nebraska will host Maryland on Friday at 7 p.m. and Ohio State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the regular-season finale.&nbsp; Set 1: Both teams flashed great defensive plays early in the set, and Nebraska took a 9-7 lead after kills by Stivrins and Sweet. The Badgers scored four points in a row to go up 12-10 after back-to-back kills by Rettke, and Wisconsin led 15-12 at the media timeout. A UW service error and kill by Callie Schwarzenbach cut it to one, 15-14, but the Badgers pushed their lead to four, 19-15, after a block and kill by Danielle Hart and ace by Lauren Barnes. Wisconsin pulled away to take the set, 25-19.&nbsp; Set 2: Sun produced three kills for the Huskers as the teams split the first 10 rallies, 5-5. Wisconsin claimed an 11-8 lead, but the Huskers fought back with a kill by Kubik and two Wisconsin errors that tied the score at 11-11. But two Badger kills and a block by Rettke and Haggerty restored a three-point Badger lead, 14-11. A couple kills by Sweet helped the Huskers trim it to 17-16, but Wisconsin went ahead 20-17 after a kill and an ace, and Nebraska could get no closer than two the rest of the way as Wisconsin claimed the 25-22 win.&nbsp; Set 3: Nebraska rallied from 10-8 down to go up 12-10 after a kill by Stivrins and a stuff block by Stivrins and Hames. But the Huskers' eighth net violation of the match allowed Wisconsin to score three in a row and go back ahead, 13-12. The Badgers made it 16-14 on a solo block by Rettke, but Nebraska drew even at 16-16 after a kill by Sun and a block by Sweet and Schwarzenbach. With the match tied 18-18, Wisconsin scored via a kill and a block to go up 20-18, but Sweet terminated for sideout. But the Badgers scored four of the final five points of the set to win 25-21.&nbsp;

Huskers Fall at No. 5 Wisconsin

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Brittany Bowlen is rejoining the Denver Broncos next month as vice president of strategic initiatives as she continues her quest to succeed her late father as controlling owner of the franchise valued at close to $3 billion. Bowlen, 29, will report to chief commercial officer Mac Freeman and chief financial officer Justin Webster starting Dec. 2. She will oversee aspects of the team's development project at Empower Field at Mile High, collaborate between departments on business analytics, and monitor industry trends, among other duties. Team president and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement, "Brittany is working toward earning the right to succeed her father, and this is the next step in that process. Given her work experience and depth of knowledge, we're looking forward to Brittany returning to work for the Broncos and adding value across our organization." After earning degrees from the University of Notre Dame and Duke University, she worked at NFL headquarters in New York from 2013-14 and as a business analyst for the Broncos in 2015. She has spent the last year working for McKinsey &amp; Company, a global business consulting firm. Pat Bowlen died in June at age 75 after a long battle with Alzheimer's, two months before his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and five years after stepping away from his daily duties running the team. The team since 2014 has been run by a trio of trustees — Ellis, team counsel Rich Slivka and local lawyer Mary Kelly — who are responsible for determining if one of Pat Bowlen's children will succeed him in running the team. Pat Bowlen's two children from his first marriage are challenging the validity of the trust in district court in Colorado.

Brittany Bowlen rejoining Broncos in a week

CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL’s indefinite suspension of Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett has been upheld by an appeals officer. Garrett is banned for the final six regular-season games and playoffs for smashing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with a helmet last week. Former player James Thrash felt the discipline for Garrett was warranted. A 2017 No. 1 overall draft pick, Garrett made the case for his suspension being reduced on Tuesday in New York to Thrash, jointly appointed by the league and NFLPA to hear player appeals. The loss of Garrett is a significant setback to the Browns, who are trying to end a postseason drought dating to 2002. Thrash also reduced the suspension for Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey from three games to two for punching and kicking Garrett following the shocking assault on Rudolph. The Browns visit the Steelers on Dec. 1.

Garrett’s suspension for helmet attack upheld after appeal

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — John Sherman has been approved as the new controlling owner of the Kansas City Royals, and his group plans to close its deal to purchase the last-place team from David Glass and his family next week. Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously Thursday to approve the deal, which was announced Aug. 30 and was expected to be worth about $1 billion. Sherman and his local co-investors will become only the third owners since Ewing Kauffman founded the club ahead of the 1969 season. Sherman, 64, has lived in Kansas City for more than four decades, even after he bought a non-controlling interest in the Cleveland Indians. He founded, built and then sold a series of energy companies. “He had a three-year indoctrination with the Indians. The Indians are regarded to be a very well-run and obviously very competitive on the field organization,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “I think the opportunity to function inside a quality major league organization gives John a unique opportunity to take over in Kansas City, not miss a step.” Kansas City went 59-103, its second straight 100-loss season. Ned Yost, who led the Royals to their second World Series title in 2015, retired as manager and was replaced by Mike Matheny.

John Sherman approved as new controlling owner of Royals

By NU Athletic Communications Nebraska outside hitter Madi Kubik was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.&nbsp; Kubik averaged 4.38 kills per set and 2.25 digs per set in wins over Michigan State and Iowa last week and was honored with her second career Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor. The West Des Moines, Iowa native had 19 kills and tied her career high with 16 digs in the five-set win over Iowa on Saturday. She recorded 16 kills on .306 hitting in a sweep at Michigan State last Wednesday.&nbsp; Kubik and the Huskers face No. 7 Minnesota in Minneapolis on Friday at 8 p.m. and No. 5 Wisconsin in Madison on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Kubik Named B1G Freshman of the Week

By Tessa Burford, NPCC Communications The North Platte Community College Knights Volleyball Team pushed their season all the way to Districts for a very competitive showdown in Bismarck, N.D., ultimately finishing their season with a record of 15-21. After championing the Region IX Tournament in Beatrice, Neb. on their way to Districts, the Knights were the recipients of several regional awards.&nbsp;Named to the All Region Team were NPCC’s Bailey Chintala, Erica Hopping, Gabby Menghini and Sydney Mullin. Chintala, Hopping, Menghini and Mullin were further honored in being named to the All Region Tournament Team, as well. NPCC head coach Alexa McCall was simultaneously awarded Coach of the Year, rounding out the formal recognition of the Knights’ prowess on the volleyball court.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.2&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1650567348098886845&amp;th=16e7fe420d4aecbd&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ_LpnH5TdzvEy1ln7nWW7feolo5-ty98CCsfqP7klQmQgrR4fPMDTnE3Cw50VqmRVGDZuysIr24MZvBzQ-aCZygYE0FdokKLef35Oa62uq3wPcJewNSpHTbxnY&amp;disp=emb" alt="A picture containing person, floor, sport, athletic game

Description automatically generated" height="331" width="472">NPCC’s Bailey Chintala passes against Eastern Wyoming College on Tuesday, Sept. 3 in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.&nbsp;Chintala provided NPCC with 521 digs, averaging 3.95 digs per set throughout the 2019 season, which earned second in the region.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.3&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1650567348098886845&amp;th=16e7fe420d4aecbd&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ_fNK9f_w_vYqa286cY4TzycMR8KTqRlxBxI7B2lYLZ1rRtYW0gNhahrMuBpAyH2aFAKrjHr-0CnEPH4W7cMDwwx1TuNDy1uvFX0k_nlI321yjQuVSZG409WzE&amp;disp=emb" alt="A picture containing sport, athletic game, person, ground

Description automatically generated" height="288" width="512">NPCC’s Erica Hopping assists against Hastings JV on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.&nbsp;Hopping had 1,239 assists and 330 digs. Averaging 9.25 assists per set, she also averaged 2.46 digs per set. This earned Hopping the rank of eighth in the nation and second in the region for assists and 15th&nbsp;for assists per set.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.4&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1650567348098886845&amp;th=16e7fe420d4aecbd&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ9U_xCCppgHaKiaXkHvEiczBeAWuxO-qV6UAgTP9Qph_4P1l9ALn_1NaqpZ12Faq15m5ieYYxhepo4b5ROFtMe34EcitbRAu5Md_Ogfc6y4KcyD7HkMnMmPlIM&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people on a court

Description automatically generated" height="335" width="502">NPCC’s Gabby Menghini attacks the ball against Southeast CC on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.&nbsp;Menghini had 416 kills and 314 digs. She averaged 3.20 kills per set and 2.42 digs per set. Overall, Menghini is ranked 14th&nbsp;nationally in total number of kills and she led the region in kills and kills per set.&nbsp;<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=9ba262a04d&amp;attid=0.0.5&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1650567348098886845&amp;th=16e7fe420d4aecbd&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ-xfIjSIjqnbWyJdthDZ2CXwjnPTdtl1djx2o7FDbHlmGuWEI6AVvf3zhv9G7V5ToxjiZQNbzqxEEvPqQDS-_dZYe2sYa8CgIP53mmdc0sZqhDwanNyv5vX8kI&amp;disp=emb" alt="A group of people playing basketball on a court

Description automatically generated" height="340" width="492">NPCC’s Sydney Mullin jumps at the net against Garden City CC on Friday, Aug. 23 in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.&nbsp;Mullin had 354 kills, averaging 2.64 kills per set, which earned her second in the region. She also provided 113 total blocks, which averaged 0.84 blocks per set, and was third in the region.&nbsp;NPCC led the region with 1,541 kills, averaged at 11.25 kills per set, as well as assists with a total of 1,430 and an average of 10.44 assists per set.

NPCC Knights Volleyball four players named to All Region honors

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Jim Harbaugh still hasn’t beaten Ohio State, but his Michigan team has roughed up the school’s other big rivals this year. The Wolverines beat Michigan State 44-10 on Saturday. That came on the heels of a 45-14 rout of Notre Dame last month. UNDATED (AP) — Georgia edged past Alabama to No. 4 in The Associated Press college football poll after the Bulldogs had a quality road victory and the Crimson Tide lost star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the season. LSU remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank, receiving 54 first-places votes. Ohio State and Clemson stayed second and third. Minnesota and Baylor both lost for the first time and dropped in the rankings to 11th and 13th. Oklahoma moved up two spots to No. 8. UNDATED (AP) — The longest active bowl eligibility streak in college football is still intact after Virginia Tech qualified for a 27th consecutive season. The Hokies beat Georgia Tech 45-0 on Saturday. There are 63 teams that are bowl eligible so far. PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Jonah Jackson has gone from one of the worst teams in the Big Ten to the penthouse of Power Five football. The Ohio State offensive lineman had a reunion with his former teammates after the second-ranked Buckeyes routed Rutgers on Saturday. Jackson transferred to Ohio State and now has a shot at a national title. MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Brevin Pritzl had 15 points and 13 rebounds off the bench, and each of Wisconsin’s five starters scored in double figures as the Badgers defeated in-state rival Marquette 77-61. Brad Davison also had 15 points for Wisconsin, which won its 12th straight non-conference home game and 300th game at the Kohl Center, which opened in January 1998. Koby McEwen scored a game-high 19 points for Marquette, which suffered its first loss of the season. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Destiny Pitts scored 22 points, Gadiva Hubbard added 20 and Minnesota beat No. 19 Arizona State 80-66. Jasmine Brunson added 15 points for the Gophers, who shot 50 percent, including 8 of 18 from the arc. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Freshman Mackenzie Holmes scored 15 points off the bench, leading a balanced attack for No. 21 Indiana in a 91-51 win over Jackson State. Holmes made 7 of 10 shots and was one of three Hoosiers with seven rebounds.

11/18 Big Ten Conference news

By NU Athletic Communications LINCOLN, Neb. - The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team survived an upset bid by Iowa, defeating the Hawkeyes 3-2 before a crowd of 8,425 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday night.&nbsp; The Huskers took the first set, 25-20, but surrendered deuce sets to Iowa in sets two and three, 23-25 and 25-27. With their backs against the wall, the Huskers responded by never trailing in a 25-18 set four win and a 15-6 set five win.&nbsp; Madi Kubik led the Huskers (22-3, 14-2 Big Ten) with 19 kills and 16 digs. Jazz Sweet tied her career high with 18 kills and hit .417, and Lauren Stivrins was sharp as well with 15 kills on .542 hitting. Callie Schwarzenbach tied her career high with nine kills and contributed a team-high five blocks. Lexi Sun tallied eight kills and 16 digs.&nbsp; Nebraska hit .263 and held Iowa to a .171 percentage, including .132 and .045 marks in the final two sets. In the decisive fifth set, the Huskers had nine kills and no errors for a .600 hitting percentage.&nbsp; Nicklin Hames had 55 assists and 12 digs, while Kenzie Knuckles had a match-high 22 digs. Megan Miller chipped in 13 digs.&nbsp; Nebraska had 10 more digs (86-76) and 17 more kills (74-57). Iowa had a 5-2 edge in aces, while NU had a slight edge in blocks, 9.0 to 8.0. The Huskers committed seven net violations throughout the course of the match, though the Huskers cleaned up their play with only one net violation in the final two sets.&nbsp; Iowa (9-18, 3-13 Big Ten) got 18 kills from Courtney Buzzerio. Griere Hughes, Amiya Jones and Edina Schmidt each had 10 kills.&nbsp; Nebraska makes its last road trip of the conference schedule next weekend when it plays at No. 5 Minnesota on Friday at 8 p.m. and at No. 7 Wisconsin on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Huskers are tied with Minnesota for second place in the Big Ten standings, one game behind Wisconsin.&nbsp; Set 1: Iowa jumped out to a 10-6 lead, posting eight kills on its first 15 attacks without an error. The Hawkeyes pushed their lead to 15-11 at the media timeout, but Kubik earned sideout with her fourth kill and Stivrins and Sun combined for a block that made it 15-13. Iowa went back up by four, 17-13, but a service error put Hayley Densberger at the line to serve for the Huskers, and she sparked NU to a 6-0 run that put the Big Red in front 19-17, capped by a block by Sun and Schwarzenbach. Sun's first kill of the night helped the Huskers to a 21-18 lead, but Iowa got back within one on a kill by Buzzerio. After a timeout, the Huskers took control with two kills by Schwarzenbach and two by Sweet to win the set, 25-20.&nbsp; Set 2: Iowa again claimed an early advantage, going up 10-7 after a kill and ace by Jones. The Hawkeyes once again led at the media timeout, this time 15-12. Kills by Sweet and Kubik brought Nebraska back within 15-14, and a block by Stivrins and Sweet tied the set at 16-16. After an Iowa timeout, Stivrins posted a kill for a 17-16 Husker advantage, but Iowa went back up 21-18 after a 5-1 run. A kill by Stivrins and back-to-back Iowa hitting errors tied the score at 22-22, but Iowa answered with kills by Schmidt and Buzzerio to earn set point at 24-22. Sun terminated for the Huskers to cut it to 24-23, but a net violation gave Iowa the 25-23 win.&nbsp; Set 3: The Huskers trailed 5-2 before going on a 7-1 run to take a 9-6 lead. Stivrins had three kills for the Huskers in that stretch. Iowa responded with four straight points to reclaim a 10-9 lead and force a Husker timeout. Back-to-back kills by Kubik restored a 14-13 NU lead. After Iowa went back in front, Stivrins posted her 10th kill, and Schwarzenbach and Hames combined for NU's sixth block of the night to make it 18-17 Huskers. But the Huskers' sixth net violation of the match and their 19th attacking error aided Iowa in going back in front, 21-19. Two aces in a row by Buzzerio made it set point for the Hawkeyes, 24-20. Kubik produced a pair of kills and Knuckles served an ace to keep the set alive, and Stivrins won a joust at the net to force a 24-24 tie. After Iowa used its second timeout, Stivrins pounded a kill to give Nebraska set point at 25-24. A service error leveled the score again at 25-25, and Iowa scored the final two points of the set on kills by Hughes to take a 2-1 lead in the match.&nbsp; Set 4: Nebraska opened the must-win set with three kills, one by Schwarzenbach and two by Sweet. A block by Hames and Stivrins made it 5-1, and back-to-back kills by Sun helped NU go up by six, 10-4. Iowa took a timeout after the Huskers went up 13-5, and Sweet came up with three kills for the Huskers to keep NU up by eight, 18-10. Kubik's 17th kill made it 19-10, but Iowa scored the next four points to slice NU's lead to 19-14. Sweet and Kubik came up with big kills for the Huskers, and NU regained an eight-point lead at 23-15 before going on to force a fifth set with a 25-18 win. Set 5: Schwarzenbach posted a pair of blocks - one with Sweet and one with Sun - to begin the set. Sweet then terminated her 15th kill of the night for a 3-0 Husker start. After Iowa cut it to 4-3, Sweet crushed consecutive kills, one after an acrobatic dig by Knuckles, and Stivrins added another to make it 7-3 Huskers. Sweet's 18th kill sparked a 4-0 spurt that put NU ahead 11-4, which came on Kubik's 19th kill. The Huskers finished off the victory with a 15-6 win on a kill by Stivrins.&nbsp;

Huskers Hold Off Hawkeyes, 3-2

By Tessa Burford The North Platte Community College Knights Women’s Basketball Team started strong in their first round of the Hesston College Classic in Hesston, Kan. by maintaining a steady lead against their opponent and host, Hesston College, ultimately winning 86-51. NPCC’s Jalyn Reagans and Catie Whitehead both grabbed seven rebounds and put up seven points. Isa Valenzuela posted 12 points, Emily Joseph scored 16 points and Ashley Hassett scored 19 points for the Knights. “Tonight, we came out and played our style of basketball. Defending in the half court, creating turnovers and pushing the ball. This was a nice win for us to get off our three-game skid,” said NPCC head coach Jeff Thurman. The Knights resume play in the Hesston College Classic Saturday at 12 p.m. against Bethel College JV. “Now the key for the weekend is to mimic what we did tonight and come out tomorrow with a strong defensive effort,” said Thurman. The NPCC Women’s Basketball Team is currently 3-4 on overall season record. More coverage can be found on the NPCC Facebook page at facebook.com/MPCCNorthPlatte/. More information about the Knights Women’s Basketball Team is available at npccknights.com/.

NPCC Women’s Basketball starts Hesston College Classic with win

By NU Athletic Communications Lincoln, Nebraska – Today, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green and Athletic Director Bill Moos announced a two-year extension of the contract for Husker Football Coach Scott Frost.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a joint statement they announced, "Two years ago, we had the tremendous opportunity to bring Scott Frost home to Nebraska to lead our football program into the future.&nbsp;We are even more committed to that decision today.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Coach Frost has shown tremendous leadership in beginning to rebuild our football program.&nbsp;We appreciate that a change of this nature will not happen overnight.&nbsp;We are committed to Scott and the direction he is taking this program.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Scott is the right coach at the right time for this program.&nbsp;We are excited for the heights to which he will take Nebraska football and the tremendous impact he will have in the development of our student athletes."&nbsp;The original terms of Frost's contact will remain intact, with an extension from December 31, 2024, to December 31, 2026.

Nebraska to Extend Scott Frost Coaching Contract to 2026

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland police say they are not investigating Browns player Myles Garrett for striking a Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback in the head with a helmet.Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said Friday that police hadn’t received a complaint from Mason Rudolph. And a city spokeswoman says the prosecutor can’t comment because Rudolph hasn’t filed a complaint. Rudolph’s agent, Tim Younger, tells media outlets that no legal options “have been removed from the table.” Rudolph called Garrett’s actions “pretty cowardly.” Garrett&nbsp;pulled off Rudolph’s helmet&nbsp;during a melee at the end of Thursday night’s game in Cleveland and used it to strike him on the head. Garrett is the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick in 2017 and was ejected from the game. The NFL on Friday&nbsp;suspended Garrett&nbsp;indefinitely.

Police not pursuing charges against Browns’ Myles Garrett

On November 14th a pair of Senior Bulldogs signed their letters of intent to move on to the next level and play collegiate athletics. Congratulations to Kelsey Salazar-Allen and Elliott Purdy! Kelsey Salazar-Allen will head to Nebraska Wesleyan University to play Volleyball. Here is her talking about the opportunity at her signing day: <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/713222206&amp;color=%23bd083f&amp;inverse=false&amp;auto_play=false&amp;show_user=true" height="20" width="100%"></iframe> The other Bulldog moving on was Football and Track stand out Elliott Purdy. Purdy will be headed to the University of Nebraska Lincoln to compete in shot put and the hammer throw. Here he is: <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/713222263&amp;color=%23bd083f&amp;inverse=false&amp;auto_play=false&amp;show_user=true" height="20" width="100%"></iframe>

Pair of NPHS Students moving on

By NU Athletic Communications EAST LANSING, Mich.&nbsp;-&nbsp;The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team posted its first-ever sweep at Michigan State's Jenison Field House with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 win over the Spartans on Wednesday night.&nbsp; The Huskers (21-3, 13-2 Big Ten) swept the Spartans for the first time in 10 matches, dating back to Nov. 15, 2013.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21146" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Madi Kubik</a>&nbsp;had 16 kills and hit .306 to lead the Big Red, which hit .296 and held Michigan State to .196 hitting for the match.&nbsp; <a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21151" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Lexi Sun</a>&nbsp;added nine kills and nine digs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21149" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Lauren Stivrins</a>&nbsp;had seven kills on .667 hitting, and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21152" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Jazz Sweet</a>&nbsp;added five kills. <a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21144" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Nicklin Hames</a>&nbsp;had 34 assists, 13 digs and a season-high four kills.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21148" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Callie Schwarzenbach</a>&nbsp;chipped in five kills on .444 hitting and a match-high six blocks.&nbsp; Libero&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21145" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Kenzie Knuckles</a>&nbsp;had a team-best 13 digs.&nbsp; Nebraska held advantages in most of the major statistical categories, including kills (46-37), digs (51-42) and blocks (7-3). Aces were even at three apiece, though the Huskers committed two fewer errors than Michigan State.&nbsp; The Huskers are back at the Devaney Center on Saturday to host Iowa at 7 p.m. The match will be televised on NET, streamed on FoxSports and can be heard on the Husker Sports Network.&nbsp; Set 1:&nbsp;The teams traded points throughout the beginning of the set, and Michigan State was the first team to score consecutive points when a kill and a block put the Spartans up 9-8. Kubik's fourth kill and a Spartan hitting error made it 10-9 Huskers, but MSU answered with a 4-0 run to take a 13-10 lead and force a Husker timeout. The Spartans led 15-11, but a pair of errors and a kill by Hames helped NU get within 16-14. Kills by Sun and Kubik, and a block by Schwarzenbach and Sweet put the Huskers back on top, 19-18. The run continued with two more MSU hitting errors and a kill by Sweet, and the Huskers led 22-18 after the 7-0 run served by Sun. An ace by Knuckles and kills by Kubik and Stivrins closed out the set, 25-20.&nbsp; Set 2:&nbsp;Nebraska built a 7-4 lead with seven kills, three of which came from Kubik. After Michigan State got within 8-7, Sun terminated a kill before Schwarzenbach stuffed an attack on her own, and then the duo combined for back-to-back blocks as the Huskers took a 13-7 lead. They each tacked on another kill before teaming up for a block that made it 20-12, and two more kills each by Sun and Stivrins and one by Kubik helped the Huskers finish a 25-18 win. NU hit .353 in set two and held Michigan State to .093 hitting.&nbsp; Set 3:&nbsp;A 4-1 Husker run broke a 3-3 tie and gave NU a 7-4 edge. Sweet started it with a kill, and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=21147" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 28, 56);">Megan Miller</a>&nbsp;served an ace. Nebraska led 11-8 after a Schwarzenbach kill, but Michigan State went on an 8-2 run to take a 16-13 lead. Stivrins sided out for the Huskers, and Kubik followed with her 13th kill to cut it to 16-15. After Emma Monks terminated for Michigan State, Kubik and Stivrins answered with kills to tie the score at 17-17, and Sun and Kubik recorded three straight kills for a 20-18 lead. MSU came back to tie the set at 23-23, but a service error gave Nebraska match point, and NU won 25-23 after a Spartan attacking error.&nbsp;

Huskers Post Rare Sweep at Michigan State

The North Platte Community College Knights Women’s Basketball Team played Colby Community College in Colby, Kan. and ended the game with a final score of NPCC 50-68 Colby CC.&nbsp;NPCC’s Jalyn Reagans grabbed six rebounds, Emily Joseph scored 11 points, while Ashley Hassett grabbed five rebounds and put up 21 points.&nbsp;“Our effort and energy were there tonight but we just could not put it in the hoop. Giving credit to Colby, we had some good looks that just did not fall tonight, but we will get back into the gym tomorrow and get back to work,” said NPCC head coach Jeff Thurman.&nbsp;The Knights, currently 2-4 on overall season record, next play in the Hesston College Classic in Hesston, Kan. NPCC’s first game of the tournament is against host Hesston College at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15. On Saturday, the Knights will play against Bethel College JV at 12 p.m. The North Platte Community College Knights Men’s Basketball Team hosted Garden City Community College, ultimately posting a final score of Garden City 86-79 NPCC. The Knights are now 2-2 on overall season record.&nbsp;NPCC’s Courtney Murrell scored 21 points, Damon Harge posted 16 points all within the second half, while Tim Johnson posted 12 points.&nbsp;The Knights next travel to play Cloud County Community College on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. in Concordia, Kan.

Knights basketball drops two on Wednesday night

UNDATED (AP) — Alabama is fifth in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, behind LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia, which took over the fourth and final playoff spot in the selection committee's second top 25. LSU replaced Ohio State as No. 1 after the Tigers won at Alabama on Saturday. IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — After a bitter loss to Wisconsin, No. 23 Iowa has been reduced to playing the spoiler in the Big Ten race. The Hawkeyes have often excelled in that role in recent years. Iowa hosts No. 7 Minnesota on Saturday. The Hawkeyes have thwarted the national title hopes of four different teams with late-season wins at Kinnick Stadium since 2008. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a season-high 20 points and Rob Phinisee added 13 on Tuesday to help Indiana pull away from North Alabama 91-65. Jackson-Davis also grabbed eight rebounds and went 14 of 15 from the free-throw line, which proved the difference for the unbeaten Hoosiers. Jamari Blackmon made his first four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points to lead North Alabama. UNDATED (AP) — Memphis and Michigan State face tough matchups amid difficult situations in college basketball's second week. The No. 13 Tigers face No. 14 Oregon on Tuesday amid eligibility concerns for touted freshman James Wiseman. Third-ranked Michigan State visits No. 12 Seton Hall on Thursday following an emotional win after the death of star Cassius Winston's brother. The AP Top 25 schedule includes No. 10 Villanova's visit to No. 16 Ohio State and Kentucky's first game since returning to No. 1. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Zavier Simpson had 17 points and nine assists, and Michigan passed its first significant test under new coach Juwan Howard, beating Creighton 79-69. Isaiah Livers scored 22 points for the Wolverines, who shot well early on and showed enough grit late to outlast the Bluejays.

11/13 BIG Ten Conference news 

Tampa Bay prospect Jake Cronenworth put the U.S. ahead to stay in the first inning, Angels draft pick Jo Adell homered and the Americans beat Japan 4-3 Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome for their first win in the super round of an Olympic baseball qualifying tournament. Clayton Richard, released by Toronto in September, got the win despite allowing two runs in 2 2/3 innings. Brandon Dickson, a former St. Louis pitcher who has spent seven seasons with Orix in Japan's Pacific League, struck out two in a perfect ninth for the save. Seattle's Penn Murfee started with three hitless innings. In Tuesday's other games at the Premier12 tournament, Mexico beat Australia 3-0 and Taiwan defeated South Korea 7-0. Mexico leads with a 3-0 record, followed by Japan and South Korea (both 2-1), the U.S. and Taiwan (both 1-2) and Australia (0-3). Managed by Scott Brosius, the U.S. plays Australia on Wednesday and Taiwan on Friday. The first- and second-place teams advance to the Premier12's gold-medal game and the third- and fourth-place teams play for the bronze. The top finisher from the Americas, the U.S. or Mexico, qualifies for the Tokyo Olympics next year. The second-place finisher from the Americas goes to a final qualifying tournament in March or April. Japan and Israel already are assured berths in the six-nation Olympic field. Hideto Asamura drove in all three runs for Japan with RBI singles in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings, the first two off Richard and the last against Tampa Bay's Spencer Jones. Cronenworth had an RBI grounder in the first that scored Philadelphia's Alec Bohm, who had doubled leading off against Rei Takahashi. Boston's Bobby Dalbec added a run-scoring double in the third. Oakland's Mark Payton doubled leading off the fifth and scored on Bohm's single. Adell, selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft, homered off Yudai Ono in the seventh.

US beats Japan 4-3 in Olympic baseball qualifying in Tokyo

UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State, LSU, Alabama and Penn State are the top four in the College Football Playoff selection committee's first rankings of the season. Next up were defending national champion Clemson, Georgia and Oregon. The 13-member committee will produce four more sets of rankings each Tuesday before the only ones that really count come out on selection Sunday, Dec. 8. NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky's latest freshman star, scored 26 points and the second-ranked Wildcats opened the season with a 69-62 victory against No. 1 Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Nos. 1 and 2 teams opened their seasons against each other for the first time since 1975 and the Wildcats made their case to be top-ranked next week. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — There will be plenty of talk about Juwan Howard's accomplishments as a player at Michigan, but the former Fab Five standout will be focused on his new challenge. Brought back to the Wolverines after John Beilein's departure, Howard has to replace the winningest coach in the history of the program. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota and football coach P.J. Fleck have agreed on a contract extension through the 2026 season. The deal, pending final approval by the Board of Regents, will pay the 38-year-old Fleck $4.6 million in 2020. That's more than a 25% raise from his current contract. The new deal also includes a $10 million buyout owed to the university if Fleck were to leave before Dec. 31, 2020. The Gophers are 8-0 this season, on a 10-game winning streak that's tied for the third-longest in the FBS. COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Jalen Smith had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Darryl Morsell scored 15 and No. 7 Maryland launched a season of high hopes by defeating Holy Cross 95-71. Taking full advantage of their height and depth, the Terrapins placed four players in double figures, finished with a 47-33 rebounding advantage and scored 64 points in the paint. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Jordan Ford scored 26 points, Malik Fitts added 16 and No. 20 Saint Mary's hung on to beat Wisconsin 65-63 in overtime in the season opener for both teams. Saint Mary's led the entire second half before Wisconsin closed the gap and took a brief lead in overtime. But Fitts' basket with 55 seconds to play gave the Gaels the lead for good. Wisconsin had a chance to win it, but Aleem Ford's deep 3-pointer at the buzzer was short. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Jon Teske had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Michigan turned Juwan Howard's debut into a success, holding off Appalachian State 79-71 in the former Fab Five standout's first game as the Wolverines' coach. Howard returned to the school he helped reach two Final Fours as a player, taking over as coach this past offseason after John Beilein left for the NBA. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Lamar Stevens scored 10 of his 17 points in the first half and Penn State pulled away from Maryland-Eastern Shore 84-46 in the opener for both teams. Myles Dread added 15 points with five 3-pointers and Mike Watkins chipped in 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Nittany Lions who improved to 8-1 in season openers under coach Patrick Chambers.

11/6 Big Ten Conference news

Story by NU Communications Nebraska freshman libero&nbsp;Kenzie Knuckles&nbsp;was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, the conference office announced.&nbsp; Knuckles averaged 5.00 digs per set in No. 8 Nebraska's wins against Rutgers and No. 7 Penn State over the weekend. She posted a career-high 24 digs in the five-set win over the Nittany Lions, as the Huskers held Penn State to a .166 hitting percentage, its lowest mark in a Big Ten match this season. Knuckles also had 16 digs against Rutgers, as NU held the Scarlet Knights to a .099 hitting percentage.&nbsp; The Yorktown, Indiana native picked up her first career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor. Earlier this season she was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Knuckles Named B1G Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Article by Tessa Burford, NPCC communications The North Platte Community College Knights Women’s Basketball Team is 1-1 on overall season record after competing in two days of Hampton Inn Classic competition in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. NPCC faced off against Air Force Prep on Saturday, Nov. 2 with a final score of 58-66.&nbsp;NPCC’s Janay Brauer and Jalyn Reagans both put up six points, Catie Whitehead had 11 points and six rebounds, while Ashley Hassett posted 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds.&nbsp;“I thought we played really well for the most part today versus a well-coached team. We still need to take care of the ball, but that will come with time. Once we get more games under our belt and we become more familiar with each other, things will start to improve offensively. This weekend was a great opportunity and learning experience for our program and our student athletes,” said NPCC head coach Jeff Thurman.&nbsp;The Knights next compete against York College Junior Varsity on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium and NPCC will be looking to build on the experience gained in the Hampton Inn Classic.&nbsp;“Now we just build from here and look forward to competing against York College Junior Varsity. Lastly, I want to say thank you to the Hampton Inn by Hilton for sponsoring our classic here at North Platte Community College,” said Thurman.&nbsp;More coverage can be found on the NPCC Facebook page at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MPCCNorthPlatte/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">facebook.com/MPCCNorthPlatte/</a>. More information about the Knights Women’s Basketball Team is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">npccknights.com/</a>.

NPCC Knights Women’s Basketball 1-1 in Hampton Inn Classic

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh says the 14th-ranked Wolverines hope to stay on a roll in their Big Ten matchup with fading Maryland. Harbaugh says his team played with 'unconditional belief' in each other during last week's rout of Notre Dame. The Terrapins are reeling. They have lost five of six under first-year coach Michael Locksley. UNDATED (AP) — Illinois is set up to be eligible for a bowl under coach Lovie Smith for the first time in his four seasons. No. 3 Ohio State and No. 5 Penn State are two of seven Big Ten teams already bowl eligible and one of those teams will have a legitimate shot to be in the College Football Playoff. No. 13 Minnesota is in prime position to reach the Big Ten championship game for the first time. UNDATED (AP) — It's a light schedule in the Big Ten this week with six of the teams being idle. No. 14 Michigan plays at Maryland after posting an impressive win over Notre Dame. Indiana's prolific passing attack will be tested when it goes against Northwestern. Illinois' Dre Brown ran for a career-high 131 yards against Purdue last week and will face the Big Ten's worst rushing defense in Rutgers. Nebraska is 1-7 on the road under second-year coach Scott Frost heading into its game at Purdue. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — It has been nearly a decade since Illinois was a 20-point favorite against a Big Ten team. That's the case for Saturday's home game against Rutgers. Illinois is coming off a huge win over then-No. 6 Wisconsin and a 24-6 win over Purdue. Illinois needs two wins to become bowl eligible. Rutgers has struggled to a 2-6 record. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Fred Hoiberg knows the track record of Nebraska basketball coaches is not good. He wanted the job anyway. Hoiberg takes over a program that has not won a conference championship in 70 years or ever won a game in the NCAA Tournament. He says a sold-out arena and top-notch facilities can trump the program's lack of tradition. He says his sales pitch to recruits is that they can come to Lincoln and do things that have never been done before at Nebraska. EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State says linebacker Joe Bachie has been declared ineligible by the Big Ten after testing positive for a banned supplement. The school says it will appeal. Bachie made the second team on the AP's list of midseason All-Americans. The senior has 36 tackles and 35 assists this season, along with 3 ½ sacks. UNDATED (AP) — Two Rutgers softball coaches, a husband and wife, have been accused of fostering a climate of fear, intimidation and abuse on the team. The university president says he wants an independent investigation of allegations made against softball head coach Kristen Butler and her husband Marcus Smith, a volunteer assistant. Rutgers President Robert Barchi says in a statement that "nothing is more important than the health and safety of our students."

11/2 Big Ten Conference updates

Brady Eagles HC Andy Seamann

Coach Welch, Football and Activities director wraps up Fall sports at Hershey

Chatting with Ryan Jones, Maxwell AD and FB coach about fall sports

Sutherland Head Coach talks perfect season and playoffs

North Platte St. Pats Coach Dodson talks about the 2019 season and the upcoming playoffs

KANSAS CITY, MO (October 31, 2019) –&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals today announced that Mike Matheny has been named the 17th&nbsp;full-time manager in franchise history. He will be formally introduced to the Kansas City media at 1:00 p.m today (Oct 31st) in the Level One Interview Room at Kauffman Stadium. “Our entire organization is delighted to announce and celebrate the hiring of Mike Matheny,” said Dayton Moore, Royals Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager.&nbsp; “Every department has had the pleasure to work and interact with him this past season.&nbsp; Through this interaction, it became very clear to our leadership team that Mike is the obvious person to lead our baseball team.&nbsp; Mike Matheny is a passionate leader with strong virtues, intelligence, and a relentless commitment to help players reach their full potential.&nbsp; We are looking forward to him and Kristin being a part of this very special city. “The strength of the relationship between Mr. Glass and Mr. Sherman allowed our leadership team to move forward in a natural way as we went through this very important process,” Moore continued.&nbsp; “I’m thankful for their support and guidance.”John Sherman, the new owner-in-waiting of the Royals added: “I’ve been well-informed by Dayton and the leadership team about the material activities underway with the Club, and have been impressed with the thoughtful, strategic process Dayton has run to get to this important decision.” Matheny, 49, managed over 1,000 games with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2012-18, his first managerial opportunity. He compiled a .555 winning percentage (591-474), while leading the Cards to a Wild Card berth in his first season (2012), then following up with three straight National League Central titles (2013-15), becoming the first manager to reach the postseason in each of his first four seasons. His clubs posted a winning record each year with St. Louis, including a Major League-best 100 victories in 2015.&nbsp; During his tenure, the Cardinals had the third-highest winning percentage in the Majors, behind only the Dodgers (.573) and Washington (.564). As of today, his 591 wins will open the 2020 season seventh among active managers in the Majors. Matheny led the Cardinals to the World Series in 2013, falling to the Boston Red Sox, while reaching the National League Championship Series in 2012 and 2014, before bowing to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants both seasons.&nbsp; He managed 43 postseason games with St. Louis, which are third-most in the Major Leagues since 2012, trailing only Houston’s AJ Hinch (50), and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts (47).&nbsp; Matheny’s 21 postseason victories are fifth most in baseball over the last eight postseasons. He was hired by the Royals as a Special Advisor to Player Development on November 23, 2018, following his tenure as Cardinals’ manager.&nbsp; He served in a similar capacity with St. Louis (2007-11), prior to accepting the managerial position on November 14, 2011. Matheny spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues as a catcher, playing for Milwaukee (1994-98), Toronto (1999), St, Louis (2000-04) and San Francisco (2005-06). A defensive specialist, Matheny was a four-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award winner, while setting a Major League record with 252 consecutive errorless games and 1,565-straight errorless chances behind the plate, a mark which has since been broken. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Matheny was a 1991 eighth-round selection by the Brewers out of the University of Michigan, after co-captaining the Wolverines’ baseball team.&nbsp; He and his wife, Kristin, have five children: Katie, Tate, Luke, Jacob and Blaise as well as one grandson, Ryker.

BREAKING: Royals introduce new manage Mike Matheny

NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time, Oregon is No. 1 in The Associated Press top 25 women's basketball poll. The Ducks, led by sensational guard Sabrina Ionescu, received 25 of the 28 first-place votes. No. 2 Baylor, the defending national champion, received the other three. Stanford, Maryland and UConn round out the top five. Tennessee's 42-year streak of appearing in the preseason Top 25 is over.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska heads to Purdue this weekend off losses in three of its last four games. The Cornhuskers have underachieved in a season in which they were a popular pick to win the Big Ten West. They are 4-4 and well behind Minnesota in the division race. Tension is palpable inside and outside the program. Frost has ripped his players inside and outside the locker room. A handful of new players have called out older players. A faction of the fan base is growing impatient.UNDATED (AP) — James Wiseman headlines the nation's top recruiting class at Memphis, but he isn't the only first-year player that figures to make an impact this season. So does Cole Anthony at North Carolina, Vernon Carey Jr. at Duke, Nico Mannion at Arizona, Isaiah Stewart at Washington and Anthony Edwards at Georgia.LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas is no longer the epicenter of high-level amateur hoops under NCAA's new recruiting calendar. Changes in the live recruiting period forced some Las Vegas tournaments to be played without college coaches in attendance. The one big Las Vegas tournament held during the live recruiting period in early July, the Las Vegas Classic, was lightly attended by college coaches because it was held at same time as the shoe company finals played on the other side of the country.PHOENIX (AP) — NCAA's new recruiting calendar aimed at eliminating some of the shady elements of recruiting. Live recruiting periods were split up into high school tournaments, NCAA-run camps and AAU tournaments. Despite some successes, the new calendar seems to be a work in progress. <figcaption id="caption-https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1572524029462.jpeg" contenteditable="false" class="text-center text-sm italic text-gray-600 -mt-4 pb-4"></figcaption>

10/31 Big Ten Conference News

The news came out the middle of the day on Oct 29th that the Columbus Discoverers were leaving the GNAC conference in order to join the Heartland Athletic Conference. They will be full members come Fall of 2020 The HAC currently has 12 schools: Fremont, Grand Island, Kearney, Norfolk and Lincoln Pius X high schools, along with all six high schools in Lincoln Public Schools: Lincoln High, East, North Star, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. This is the second time in two years that the HAC has voted to expand and accept a new member, the last time was back in 2017 when they took in Kearney, Norfolk and Pius X. This leaves North Platte in a tenuous position. According to Activities Director Jordan Cudney, NPHS is now the only Class A school that is not affiliated with either the HAC or the Metro conference. The rest of the GNAC is Class B schools, Two of whom already have a second conference that they play in (Scottsbluff and Gering are in the Western Nebraska Conference). When asked what it means for NPHS, Mr. Cudney said "I'm not sure, we (GNAC) are going to have a conversation on how to go forward. This is something that has been talked about for sometime so it didn't take us by surprise. Losing a member of the conference is always tough on the rest of the schools. It makes sense for Columbus as they faced the same challenges in travel for conference play that we face playing in Class A. NPHS is committed to competing a the same high level that we have been in years past in the GNAC." For right now the GNAC remains the home of the NPHS Bulldogs.

BREAKING: Columbus leaves the GNAC

UNDATED (AP) — A key NCAA working group is expected to provide an update on whether it would be feasible to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses while still preserving amateurism rules. The group will present a progress report to the NCAA Board of Governors in Atlanta. It is an important early step in a process that could take months or even years. The move comes after California cleared the way for athletes to sign endorsement deals beginning in 2023. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan receiver Mike Sainristil was born in Haiti and his stay on the island was short, living there for just seven months. Carlot Sainristil was the newsroom director at a Haitian radio station that received telephone threats following the country's presidential election in 2000. Carlot and his wife moved their family to the Boston area, where Mike became the top high school football player in Massachusetts last year. He may play a large role for the 14th-ranked Wolverines at Maryland. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — J.K. Dobbins is backing up his preseason declaration that he's the best running back in the nation. Dobbin's 163 yards against then-No. 13 Wisconsin last week put him over 1,000 yards. He's the first Ohio State back to hit the 1,000-yard mark in each of his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. Former Ohio State star and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin hit that mark each of his final three seasons. Now Dobbins has worked his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation. UNDATED (AP) — The questions at Indiana are no longer about bowl eligibility. Instead, everyone wants to know how high they can go. Two days after beating Nebraska for the first time in 60 years and winning a crucial sixth game to become bowl-eligible in October for the first time since 1993, the Hoosiers celebrated by going back to work. They face Northwestern next. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Scott Frost says he doesn't know what prompted Indiana athletic director Fred Glass to tell the Indianapolis Star newspaper that the Cornhuskers' staff doesn't respect the Hoosiers' football program. Glass said the win at Nebraska was "particularly gratifying" because Nebraska's staff "had no respect for our program." Glass declined to elaborate. Frost says he was complimentary to the Hoosiers before and after the game. UNDATED (AP) — Purdue coach Jeff Brohm changed his mind. Two days after announcing there would be an open competition for the starting quarterback job, Brohm says Jack Plummer has the job going into Saturday's game against Nebraska. Plummer was yanked twice in last weekend's 24-6 loss to Illinois. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — UNLV assistant football coach Barney Cotton is progressing well after having a heart transplant in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. The operation was Oct. 22 at Nebraska Medical Center. The Cotton family says the surgery and recovery have gone as expected. Cotton has been on UNLV's staff since 2015 and stepped away for health reasons in July. Cotton was a Nebraska lineman from 1976-78 and a Cornhuskers assistant in 2003 and from 2008-14. UNDATED (AP) — The college basketball season is set to tip off with two huge questions in place. The first is a series of efforts to change the NCAA business model in an effort to provide compensation to its athletes. That issue has been put on the front burner by a recently passed law in California. The other issue is the impact of a federal corruption investigation into the sport. No. 3 Kansas and others could be facing major sanctions tied to recruiting.

10/29 Big Ten Conference news

Its that time of year again. PLAYOFF FOOTBALL. This year in the area we have Five teams across many classes to make the area football playoffs. We go through each match up here for you: <h2>Class C1</h2> #5 Gothenburg (8-1) vs #12 Ord (6-3) This is a rematch of the final week of the regular season. In week 9 Gothenburg beat Ord 17-14 in overtime in a game that was played in Gothenburg. The Swedes have had a great season so far with their only loss coming to #1 Adams Central (who they wont see until the Semi Finals should they get that far). Gothenburg also comes into the game on a five game win streak, only allowing all their opponents a COMBINED 20 points over those 5 games (14 of which went to Ord). Gothenburg is playing great football at the right time. Ord has losses against Adams Central and #4 Pierce along with the aforementioned Gothenburg. Ord's best win this season was a 54-15 win over Broken Bow on the 11th of October. <h2>Class C2</h2> #4 North Bend Central (8-1) vs #13 North Platte St. Pats (6-3) The Irish had a rough start to the season dropping their first three games to Sutton, Chase County and Grand Island Central Catholic. The Irish under longtime head coach Kevin Dodson bounced back and won the final six games in a row to finish the season. Their most impressive win? Give me the 34-21 win over C1 Mitchell, which showed the Irish they were a good football team. They are a team that plays gritty and puts up points in a hurry (They have a +112 point differential!) while playing stingy defense. They should give North Bend Central all they can ask for. North Bend Central had an overall tougher schedule on the year then the Irish and they earned every bit of the 8-1 record that they accumulated. Their one loss came back in week 6 against Centennial 40-25 (who enters the playoffs at #10) and probably keeps them from a top 3 spot. Unlike the Irish, North Bend Central doesnt have many "blow out" wins on their resume which could help them in the playoffs. <h2>Class D1</h2> #6 Sutherland (8-0) vs #11 North Central (5-3) The Sailors go undefeated through the regular season, which is no easy feat at ANY level of football, and earn that #6 seed. Why not higher? They didnt get much help from the teams they beat all season (a combined record of 20-44). Make no mistake, this is a team that is HUNGRY and plays with very good chemistry. Back in week six they made Hemingford (#10 in the playoffs) look silly in a 60-18 win. This is a team primed to go deep in the playoffs. Dont be surprised if they wind up in the semis, though a second round game against Arcadia / Loup city will be tough. North Central beat the teams it was supposed to beat going 4-0 against teams with under .500 records, but had trouble all season with teams with records above .500 going 1-3. All three of their losses were blowouts as well. <h2>Class D2 </h2> #13 Maxell (3-5) vs #4 Elwood (7-1) The Wildcats had a roller coaster of a season featuring some BIG games (66-44 win over Morrill and 80-20 win over Leyton) and some hard losses (34-42 against Brady and 37-56 against Overton). According to head coach Ryan Jones, a young squad who are coming together very quickly. Never put anything past Jones at head coach, he is sneaky good at game plans and can come up with something against anyone. They face a tall task against Elwood but I wouldnt put anything past the wildcats as far as an upset. Elwood meanwhile has been on Cruise control this season. Their only loss came against Axtell (who is #6 in the playoffs) and that was all the way back in week 3. Their schedule is filled with teams below .500 on the season so perhaps complacency has set in for Elwood. Look for the Wildcats to jump on them early. #10 Brady (5-3) vs #7 Pleasanton (6-2) The Eagles are riding a lot of momentum coming into the playoffs, especially after defeating rival Maxwell 42-34 in the final game of the season. Brady all season long has bounced back from adversity (only allowing a 2 game losing streak) and have played well against good competition. They are a play away from beating Axtell (27-28 loss in week 3) and made some great adjustments in the second half of the Sandhills/Thedford loss. The Eagles have a great coach in Andy Seamann, look for them to be ready to pounce on Pleasanton. Pleasanton has had trouble with good teams all year. They went 2-2 against teams above .500 getting convincing wins over 7-1 Kenesaw 54-42 and Axtell 33-8. They dropped games against 5-3 Overton 32-44 and 7-1 Elwood 13-14. Which Pleasanton team will show up in the first round will have Brady scratching their head.

Area Football playoff picture 

Article by NU Communications Lincoln, Neb.&nbsp;--&nbsp;The Nebraska football team worked out in helmets only for over two hours inside the Hawks Championship Center on Thursday morning. Head Coach&nbsp;Scott Frost&nbsp;addressed the media following practice on how the team responded to the bye week."The team looked fresh," Frost said. "We had really good practices. We have to go out and execute like that. I think the guys are, for the most part, rested and recovered. We're getting healthier, so I think the key thing is to go out on Saturday and execute. Some of the details that got fixed over the bye week need to be carried over to the game." Frost commented on the strengths in Indiana's offense."I like what they do," Frost said. "It looks a lot like what we do. Watching them, I could call most of the things I see and our kids could go out and run it. I give a ton of credit to them. I think what they do on offense is smart and I think they scheme well. They have a more dangerous passing game than what we've seen in a while. Both quarterbacks can run and throw. They have a big back that you have to get on. Our defense has to be ready to play well." Frost also spoke about Indiana's defense."Several players stick out," Frost said. "They're big and physical on the front line. They have some corners that I think do a good job of playing press corners and playing man free. They have a couple linebackers that are really active. They're just solid across the board and they go against an offense very similar to ours. They're going to make us earn it like several teams in the Big Ten. We have to be able to lock in and get open and throw well." Frost also commented on what the team worked on in preparation for Saturday's game against Indiana."We just worked on basics," Frost said. "I think we can be a little more detailed in our route running on offense. I think the ball could come out of the quarterback's hand a little quicker. I think our offensive line needs to stay on blocks and move people a little better. Some of that is making sure that we continue to improve from a talent standpoint. Some of it is just technique. We're going to do everything we can to make sure the technique is right and that the guys are dialed down to what they need to do. Same thing defensively. If you look at a few of our issues, it's been guys being a little late to the gap, not quite being where they're supposed to be, eyes in the wrong place. Some of those things can get fixed right now." The Huskers will continue preparations&nbsp;for Indiana with a light practice on Friday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday with television coverage provided by BTN.

Frost Impressed With Improvements During Bye Week

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 19 Michigan are not scheduled to play again next year or any season soon. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel acknowledges future schedules for each school may push the following meeting to 2028 or later. Manuel says both schools are committed to a resolution to play again. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says he has no doubt the programs will play again after they walk off the field at the Big House. EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — No. 6 Penn State should have its guard up when the unbeaten Nittany Lions face Michigan State this weekend. The Nittany Lions lost to the Spartans each of the past two seasons, falling on a last-second field goal in 2017 and a last-minute touchdown the following year. UNDATED (AP) — The game between No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 3 Ohio State lost some of its luster when the Badgers were upset by Illinois last week. The Badgers still stack up as the best opponent Ohio State has faced. Five of the last six meetings have been decided by seven points or less. Michigan's front seven will face a challenge against Notre Dame's offensive line. Illinois heads to Purdue looking for back-to-back wins over Big Ten opponents for the first time since 2014. SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — No. 8 Notre Dame will visit No. 19 Michigan this weekend. It will be the first road trip for the Fighting Irish in more than a month. The Irish haven't played a game outside Notre Dame Stadium since their 23-17 loss at Georgia on Sept. 21. The visit to Michigan will mark the third time in coach Brian Kelly's 10 years that Notre Dame lines up on the road after four straight regular-season weeks at home or off. Kelly says he is confident his team is ready. Some are eager for the road trip.

10/25 Big Ten Conference news 

It was a great season for the NPHS Bulldog softball program. They were bumped up to Class A and proved they could hold their own. They got off to a rocky start but righted the ship soon thereafter, ending the season on a 14 game winning streak and coming just DECIMAL points from hosting one of seven Class A district tournaments. They came runner up in their respective district and again just decimal points away from making the state tournament. The good news keeps rolling in for the Bulldog softball team. Just recently they learned that power hitting Junior shortstop Abby Orr has verbally committed to the D1 University of Tennessee Chattanooga Sophomore Sidney Barner set two school records over the year as well. Sydney Barner set school record for hits in a season at 61 while also setting the school record for doubles in a season at 17. The team loses just 3 players, Starting catcher Cassidy Ratliff, Designated hitter Maddy Carr and outfielder Josie Preece. Class A, your officially on notice, next year the Bulldogs are coming for you. Its a good time to be a Bulldog.

NPHS Softball news

UNDATED (AP) — Michigan State is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball preseason poll for the first time in its history. Tom Izzo's Spartans received 60 of 65 first-place votes as the runaway choice. No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 Kansas received the other first-place votes. Duke, Louisville, Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, North Carolina and Villanova round out the top 10. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — No. 19 Michigan seems to be relegated to playing just for pride this season. The Wolverines were handed a second loss at Penn State, leaving them on the brink of being eliminated from the Big Ten race just past the halfway mark of the regular season. Michigan went into the season hoping to end its 15-year conference championship drought and to perhaps contend for a national championship. Those goals appear to be out of reach. Michigan's next game is at home against No. 8 Notre Dame. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan freshman Franz Wagner is expected to miss four to six weeks with a fractured right wrist. The 6-foot-8 Wagner is the younger brother of former Michigan standout Moe Wagner. He's projected as a key newcomer in the basketball team's first season under new coach Juwan Howard. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska running back Maurice Washington is not with the team and won't play in the home game against Indiana on Saturday. Coach Scott Frost stopped short of calling it a suspension. Washington has been held out of the first halves of two games for disciplinary reasons. Frost didn't disclose a reason for Washington's absence but said players are expected to meet certain standards. He says Washington's absence is not related to child pornography charges he faces in California. UNDATED (AP) — The countdown is in full swing at Indiana. The Hoosiers have chalked up five wins in five consecutive seasons for the second time in school history. Now they have five chances to earn their elusive sixth win for the first time since 2017. Everyone knows the story around campus. But inside the locker room, nobody wants to talk numbers. The Hoosiers play at Nebraska this weekend. UNDATED (AP) — Just seven games into his Purdue career, receiver David Bell already has three 100-yard games. He has earned two Big Ten freshman of the week awards, too. Purdue welcomes the performances because the Boilermakers have been hit hard by injuries. Purdue plays Illinois this weekend.

10/22 BIG Ten Conference news

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Hastings College is adding men's volleyball and women's wrestling teams to its athletic program beginning in 2020-21.The school will increase its sports offerings to 26 teams, and all will be affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and Great Plains Athletic Conference. Athletic director B.J. Pumroy said in a statement Monday that men's volleyball is a natural because the sport is popular in the state. In 2020 there will be 50 NAIA schools competing in men's volleyball, up from 42 in 2019. There are 63 colleges and universities sponsoring women's wrestling. At the NAIA level, 20 schools competed in the inaugural NAIA National Invitational Women's Wrestling Championship in 2019. Women's wrestling competes in the traditional winter season, while men's volleyball competes during the winter and early spring.

Hastings college adding Men's volleyball and Women's wrestling

NPHS Bulldog FB highlights against Benson

It was a fair weather fall day on October 17th, 2019. A great day to run if you were a high school runner in North Platte. Both North Platte High School and North Platte St. Pats were competing in their district meets on the 17th, and both teams continued their impressive showings this season. For the Bulldogs Zarah Blaesi finished 7th individually for the girls. On the boys side was Evan Caudy with 3rd place and Joel Bradley finished 8th. Those three qualify for state as individual runners. On the Team side of things the Bulldog boys finished runner-up in the A1 district which punched their team ticket to state! Head Coach Hasenauer had this to say about the team: "On paper we were seeded 5th going into district. We talked all week about the importance of competing as a team and leaving the course knowing we gave our very best. I told the boys yesterday, that paper rankings mean very little. We hadn’t faced several of these teams this year, so we discussed rising up and giving our very best. Before the race I told the boys that no team is as tough as the North Platte Bulldogs and I firmly believe that today. I’m very proud of both teams and their efforts. The work these kids have put in, in the summer and all fall is what led to today." "We are grateful for all the support! This is a special team and they have amazing character, a will to succeed, and are more than just a team, they’re a family."&nbsp; Not to be outdone the Irish had a great day as well. The North Platte St Pats Girls Cross Country team won the D6 District Championship and the boys finished in second giving each a qualifying spot for the State Championships next Friday. The D6 meet was held in Bridgeport at Courthouse and Jailrock golf course. Twenty-six schools were represented, athletes ran the 3.1 mile course in fair weather conditions. Girl medalist for the Irish were Sophmore Kate Steinike finishing 2nd, Junior Genna Blakely 3rd, and Sophmore Hayley Miles in 5th. The boys qualified for State for the first time since 2012 with a runner up plaque. St. Pat's boy medalist were Junior Logan O'Malley finishing fourth and freshman Dax Connick finishing 13th. The Irish team will compete next Friday at UNK. Here are the results for NPHS Bulldogs: <h2>Girls&nbsp;</h2>7th Blaesi, Zarah - 20:26.1336th Evarts, Baylee - 22:55.4040th	Arnold, Jenessa - 23:09.5244th Ditch, Malorie - 23:52.9847th Ditch, Ashlynn - 24:41.1451st Evans, Emily - 25:35.78&nbsp;-- Hoatson, Alexis - DNF Results - Women 1 Lincoln East 19pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:38:15.72&nbsp;Average: 19:39.15 2 Lincoln Pius X 68pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:43:51.17&nbsp;Average: 20:46.24 3 Millard North High 85pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:45:30.76&nbsp;Average: 21:06.16 4 Lincoln High 125pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:49:14.76&nbsp;Average: 21:50.96 5 Papillion-LaVista 128pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:49:12.65&nbsp;Average: 21:50.53 6 Gretna High School 128pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:49:46.76&nbsp;Average: 21:57.36&nbsp;7 North Platte 171pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:55:05.17&nbsp;Average: 23:01.04 &nbsp;8 Omaha Northwest 249pts&nbsp;Total Time: 2:17:31.59&nbsp;Average: 27:30.32 <h2>Boys</h2>3rd Caudy, Evan - 16:46.568th Bradley, Joel - 17:12.7918th Moss, Thomas - 18:09.5021st Kleinow, Tayler - 18:17.0928th San Miguel, Jonah - 18:26.6636th Franz, Aaron - 18:45.4940th Jared, Kean - 18:59.30 Results - Men1 Lincoln Southwest 21pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:24:22.84&nbsp;Average: 16:52.57 2 North Platte 78pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:28:52.60&nbsp;Average: 17:46.52 3 Omaha South H.S. 79pts&nbsp;&nbsp;Total Time: 1:28:57.01&nbsp;Average: 17:47.41 4 Papillion-LV 91pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:29:39.87&nbsp;Average: 17:55.98 5 Norfolk 125pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:31:19.88&nbsp;Average: 18:15.98 6 Lincoln Southeast 139pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:32:28.68&nbsp;Average: 18:29.74 7 Lincoln High 162pts&nbsp;&nbsp;Total Time: 1:32:58.59&nbsp;Average: 18:35.72&nbsp;8 Omaha Northwest 254pts&nbsp;Total Time: 1:46:42.84&nbsp;Average: 21:20.57 And the results for the Irish from North Platte St. Pats: <h2>Girls</h2> 2nd &nbsp; 	Kate Stienike - 21:12	3rd&nbsp; &nbsp; 	Genna Blakely - 21:50	5th&nbsp; &nbsp; 	Hayley Miles - 22:07	29th&nbsp; 	Ashley Dye - 25:18	31st &nbsp; 	Madi Gifford - 25:25	33rd		Julie Slattery - 25:52	 Results - Women1st		St Patrick 						24pts2nd		Bayard 							38pts3rd		Bridgeport 						40pts4th		Morrill 								65pts5th		Sutherland Public 			84pts6th		Hershey 							108pts7th		Kimball 							111pts8th		Dundy County Stratton 	144pts <h2>Boys</h2> 4th	Logan O'Malley - 18:45	13th	Dax Connick - 19:13.1	16th	Andrew Brosius - 19:30	26th	Samuel Dekleva - 20:08	52nd	Keegan Nitsch - 21:47	85th	Casey Jett - 26:08	 Results - Men1st 		Hershey 					30pts2nd 		St Patrick 				38pts3rd		Perkins County 		66pts4th 		Gordon-Rushville 	77pts5th 		Bayard 					85pts6th 		Hemingford 			90pts7th 		Paxton 					114pts8th 		Kimball 					133pts9th 		Sutherland Public 	150pts10th 	Bridgeport 				155pts11th 	Hitchcock County 	180pts12th 	Minatare 					236pts