<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: Nebraska QB Casey Thompson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/mzenitz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mzenitz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/poUleEHGWC">https://t.co/poUleEHGWC</a> <a href="https://t.co/eCmna30v0e">pic.twitter.com/eCmna30v0e</a>&mdash; On3 (@On3sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/On3sports/status/1651961899427282945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Casey Thompson enters transfer portal opening the door for Jeff Sims to be starter in fall

North Platte High School Soccer: Scottsbluff Vs. NPHS

LINCOLN, Ne - The Volleyball Day in Nebraska outdoor event in Memorial Stadium sold out on Thursday morning, the third day tickets were on sale to the public. Approximately 82,900 tickets were claimed between the season-ticket holder on-sale on Tuesday and the general public on-sale on Wednesday and Thursday. Approximately 17,900 of the tickets were claimed in the season-ticket holder on-sale on Tuesday and the rest on Wednesday and Thursday. That number does not include field-level seating or indoor club seating. Nebraska will host Omaha at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 in a regular-season match in Memorial Stadium. As part of a local doubleheader celebrating the impact of volleyball on the state, Nebraska-Kearney will play Wayne State in an exhibition match at 4:30 p.m. "Nebraska fans never cease to amaze me," Nebraska Vice Chancellor, Director of Athletics Trev Alberts said. "We knew the interest in this match would be extremely high, but to sell out Memorial Stadium is truly remarkable. I've heard lots of talk about breaking the NCAA volleyball attendance record, but given the incredible demand for this event we want to explore every avenue to see if it's possible to challenge the record for the most attended women's sporting event in this country. We are truly grateful!" "There is No Place Like Nebraska. What more can you say?" Nebraska Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/john-cook/8418">John Cook</a>&nbsp;said. "We knew there was a lot of interest in this event based on the reaction we've had the last couple of months traveling around the state and the country. But to sell out more than 80,000 tickets already? It's unreal. Our team was already pumped up about Volleyball Day in Nebraska, but now I can't even imagine how excited they are going to be for this. It's epic."

The record crowd for any NCAA volleyball match is 18,755 when Nebraska played Wisconsin on Dec. 18, 2021, in the NCAA Championship at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowd is 16,833 when Wisconsin hosted Florida at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., on Sept. 16, 2022. The largest crowd to attend a women's sporting event in the USA was 90,185 for the 1999 Women's World Cup Final between USA and China at Rose Bowl Stadium. That remained as a world record until 91,553 surpassed it when Barcelona played Real Madrid in Spain in a UEFA Women's Champions League match on March 30, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Huskers.comLINCOLN, Ne - The Volleyball Day in Nebraska outdoor event in Memorial Stadium sold out on Thursday morning, the third day tickets were on sale to the public. Approximately 82,900 tickets were claimed between the season-ticket holder on-sale on Tuesday and the general public on-sale on Wednesday and Thursday. Approximately 17,900 of the tickets were claimed in the season-ticket holder on-sale on Tuesday and the rest on Wednesday and Thursday. That number does not include field-level seating or indoor club seating. Nebraska will host Omaha at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 in a regular-season match in Memorial Stadium. As part of a local doubleheader celebrating the impact of volleyball on the state, Nebraska-Kearney will play Wayne State in an exhibition match at 4:30 p.m. "Nebraska fans never cease to amaze me," Nebraska Vice Chancellor, Director of Athletics Trev Alberts said. "We knew the interest in this match would be extremely high, but to sell out Memorial Stadium is truly remarkable. I've heard lots of talk about breaking the NCAA volleyball attendance record, but given the incredible demand for this event we want to explore every avenue to see if it's possible to challenge the record for the most attended women's sporting event in this country. We are truly grateful!" "There is No Place Like Nebraska. What more can you say?" Nebraska Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/john-cook/8418">John Cook</a>&nbsp;said. "We knew there was a lot of interest in this event based on the reaction we've had the last couple of months traveling around the state and the country. But to sell out more than 80,000 tickets already? It's unreal. Our team was already pumped up about Volleyball Day in Nebraska, but now I can't even imagine how excited they are going to be for this. It's epic."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682619354166.png" alt="Volleyball Day at Memorial Stadium planned for August 30, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Volleyball Day at Memorial Stadium planned for August 30, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure> The record crowd for any NCAA volleyball match is 18,755 when Nebraska played Wisconsin on Dec. 18, 2021, in the NCAA Championship at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowd is 16,833 when Wisconsin hosted Florida at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., on Sept. 16, 2022. The largest crowd to attend a women's sporting event in the USA was 90,185 for the 1999 Women's World Cup Final between USA and China at Rose Bowl Stadium. That remained as a world record until 91,553 surpassed it when Barcelona played Real Madrid in Spain in a UEFA Women's Champions League match on March 30, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Volleyball Day in Nebraska Tickets Sold Out

Story by Tri-City Storm Communications

The Tri-City Storm completed a two-game series sweep over the Sioux City Musketeers in the opening round of the Clark Cup Playoffs with a 5-4 win at the Viaero Center on Tuesday night. Kieran Cebrian scored the game-winning goal for Tri-City in the final five minutes of the game to lift the team into the next round of the postseason. Alex Bump, Evan Werner, Trevor Connelly, and Dane Dowiak also netted goals for the Storm in the victory. Cameron Korpi backstopped Tri-City to the win in net. The Storm has advanced to play the Fargo Force in a Best-of-Three Conference Semifinal round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Tri-City will travel to Scheels Arena in Fargo, ND for the three-game series against Fargo. Game #1 of the Western Conference Semifinal Series between the Storm and the Force is set for Friday. Puck drop for the matchup is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

Tri-City opened the first-round playoff series against Sioux City with a 6-1 home win at the Viaero Center on Monday night. Graham Gamache netted a hat trick in the matchup, and Cameron Korpi collected the win in goal for the Storm. Kieran Cebrian, Alex Bump, and Trevor Connelly also netted goals for the Storm in the Game #1 victory.

Game #2 of the Best-of-Three First Round series began on Tuesday night with Alex Bump’s second scoring play of the postseason less than two minutes into the battle. Bump’s goal was netted at 1:45 of the 1st&nbsp;period, and was assisted by Graham Gamache, and Tanner Adams. The Musketeers responded with back-to-back powerplay goals to take a one-goal lead in the matchup. Kaden Shahan netted his first goal of the postseason at 7:13 of Tuesday’s 1st&nbsp;period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Dylan Godbout and Grant Slukynsky each notched an assist on the scoring play. Ben Poitras scored his first goal of the playoffs just over two minutes later to put the Musketeers ahead by a goal. The goal was netted at 9:28 of the 1st&nbsp;period, and was scored on the powerplay. Kaden Shahan and Dylan Godbout each recorded an assist on the goal. The final goal of Tuesday’s back-and-forth opening period was scored by Evan Werner on the powerplay. Werner’s goal was his first of the postseason, and was netted at 11:25 of the 1st&nbsp;period. Tanner Adams, and Cale Ashcroft notched an assist on the scoring play. Each team recorded 7 shots on goal during Tuesday’s opening period, and the middle period began with each team locked into a 2-2 tie.

Trevor Connelly scored his second goal of the postseason at 3:55 of the 2nd&nbsp;period to give the Storm a one-goal advantage in the battle. Connelly’s goal was assisted by Tanner Adams, and was scored even strength. Dane Dowiak increased Tri-City’s lead to two goals at 10:50 of the middle period. Dowiak’s goal was his first of the playoffs, and was assisted by Daimon Gardner, and Cale Ashcroft. The Musketeers made a goaltending change following the Storm’s fourth scoring play of the night. Starting goaltender Croix Kochendorfer was replaced in net by Axel Mangbo for the remainder of the matchup. The final goal of Tuesday’s 2nd&nbsp;period was scored by Sioux City’s Ben Doran with less than two minutes to play. The scoring play cut the Storm’s lead down to one goal. Ben Poitras and Sam Deckhut each notched an assist on the goal. Tri-City outshot Sioux City 12-8 during the middle period, and the Storm carried a one-goal advantage into Tuesday’s final period.

Grant Slukynsky netted his first goal of the playoffs at 8:39 of the 3rd&nbsp;period to bring the battle to a 4-4 tie. Tyler Hotson notched an assist on the scoring play. Kieran Cebrian scored the game-winning goal for the Storm at 15:09 of the 3rd&nbsp;period. Cebrian deflected a shot from Sebastian Törnqvist by Axel Mangbo to give Tri-City the lead. Törnqvist recorded an assist on the scoring play. Sioux City put an extra attacker on the ice after lifting Axel Mangbo in the final two minutes of Tuesday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. Cameron Korpi made several key saves in the final moments to secure the Storm’s victory. Tri-City skated away with a 5-4 home win at the Viaero Center, and advanced to the next round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Sioux City outshot Tri-City 8-7 in the 3rd&nbsp;period, but was outshot by the Storm by an overall margin of 26-23 during the battle.

Cameron Korpi turned away 19 of Sioux City’s 23 shots on goal to collect his second win of the postseason in net for the Storm. Axel&nbsp;Manbgo&nbsp;stopped 9 of 10 shots faced, but recorded the loss in goal for the Musketeers. Mangbo appeared in 27:10 of game time in relief of Croix Kochendorfer. Kochendorfer made 12 saves on 16 shots and was replaced after appearing in 30:50 of game time for Sioux City.

Kieran Cebrian collected 1st&nbsp;Star honors in the matchup after scoring the game-winning goal for the Storm in the final five minutes of the matchup. Tanner Adams recorded three assists during the contest, and was named the 2nd&nbsp;Star of the Game. Sioux City’s Ben Poitras was named the 3rd&nbsp;Star of the Game after scoring the go-ahead goal for the Musketeers during the 1st&nbsp;period, and after recording an assist on the team’s game-tying goal in the 3rd&nbsp;period.

Tuesday’s game was played in front of a crowd of 1,253 at the Viaero Center. The Storm will move on in the Clark Cup Playoffs to face the Fargo Force in a Best-of-Three series this weekend at Scheels Arena. Game #1 is scheduled for Friday at 7:05pm CT, with Game #2 set for Saturday at 6:05pm CT. Game #3, if necessary, is scheduled for 4:05pm CT on Sunday. The Storm and the Force most recently met in the playoffs in the Conference Semifinal round of the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. The Force took the series two games to one at the Viaero Center, and advanced to the Clark Cup Final. Fargo won this year’s Anderson Cup Championship, finishing with a league-best 40-14-4-4 record during the regular season. The Storm won this year’s eight-game season series against the Force, finishing with a final record of 4-3-1-0 in head-to-head battles against Fargo.

Tri-City hits the ice again on Friday, April 28th, in a road game against the Fargo Force in the Conference Semifinal round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm completed a two-game series sweep over the Sioux City Musketeers in the opening round of the Clark Cup Playoffs with a 5-4 win at the Viaero Center on Tuesday night. Kieran Cebrian scored the game-winning goal for Tri-City in the final five minutes of the game to lift the team into the next round of the postseason. Alex Bump, Evan Werner, Trevor Connelly, and Dane Dowiak also netted goals for the Storm in the victory. Cameron Korpi backstopped Tri-City to the win in net. The Storm has advanced to play the Fargo Force in a Best-of-Three Conference Semifinal round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Tri-City will travel to Scheels Arena in Fargo, ND for the three-game series against Fargo. Game #1 of the Western Conference Semifinal Series between the Storm and the Force is set for Friday. Puck drop for the matchup is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.Tri-City opened the first-round playoff series against Sioux City with a 6-1 home win at the Viaero Center on Monday night. Graham Gamache netted a hat trick in the matchup, and Cameron Korpi collected the win in goal for the Storm. Kieran Cebrian, Alex Bump, and Trevor Connelly also netted goals for the Storm in the Game #1 victory.Game #2 of the Best-of-Three First Round series began on Tuesday night with Alex Bump’s second scoring play of the postseason less than two minutes into the battle. Bump’s goal was netted at 1:45 of the 1st&nbsp;period, and was assisted by Graham Gamache, and Tanner Adams. The Musketeers responded with back-to-back powerplay goals to take a one-goal lead in the matchup. Kaden Shahan netted his first goal of the postseason at 7:13 of Tuesday’s 1st&nbsp;period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Dylan Godbout and Grant Slukynsky each notched an assist on the scoring play. Ben Poitras scored his first goal of the playoffs just over two minutes later to put the Musketeers ahead by a goal. The goal was netted at 9:28 of the 1st&nbsp;period, and was scored on the powerplay. Kaden Shahan and Dylan Godbout each recorded an assist on the goal. The final goal of Tuesday’s back-and-forth opening period was scored by Evan Werner on the powerplay. Werner’s goal was his first of the postseason, and was netted at 11:25 of the 1st&nbsp;period. Tanner Adams, and Cale Ashcroft notched an assist on the scoring play. Each team recorded 7 shots on goal during Tuesday’s opening period, and the middle period began with each team locked into a 2-2 tie.Trevor Connelly scored his second goal of the postseason at 3:55 of the 2nd&nbsp;period to give the Storm a one-goal advantage in the battle. Connelly’s goal was assisted by Tanner Adams, and was scored even strength. Dane Dowiak increased Tri-City’s lead to two goals at 10:50 of the middle period. Dowiak’s goal was his first of the playoffs, and was assisted by Daimon Gardner, and Cale Ashcroft. The Musketeers made a goaltending change following the Storm’s fourth scoring play of the night. Starting goaltender Croix Kochendorfer was replaced in net by Axel Mangbo for the remainder of the matchup. The final goal of Tuesday’s 2nd&nbsp;period was scored by Sioux City’s Ben Doran with less than two minutes to play. The scoring play cut the Storm’s lead down to one goal. Ben Poitras and Sam Deckhut each notched an assist on the goal. Tri-City outshot Sioux City 12-8 during the middle period, and the Storm carried a one-goal advantage into Tuesday’s final period.Grant Slukynsky netted his first goal of the playoffs at 8:39 of the 3rd&nbsp;period to bring the battle to a 4-4 tie. Tyler Hotson notched an assist on the scoring play. Kieran Cebrian scored the game-winning goal for the Storm at 15:09 of the 3rd&nbsp;period. Cebrian deflected a shot from Sebastian Törnqvist by Axel Mangbo to give Tri-City the lead. Törnqvist recorded an assist on the scoring play. Sioux City put an extra attacker on the ice after lifting Axel Mangbo in the final two minutes of Tuesday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. Cameron Korpi made several key saves in the final moments to secure the Storm’s victory. Tri-City skated away with a 5-4 home win at the Viaero Center, and advanced to the next round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Sioux City outshot Tri-City 8-7 in the 3rd&nbsp;period, but was outshot by the Storm by an overall margin of 26-23 during the battle.Cameron Korpi turned away 19 of Sioux City’s 23 shots on goal to collect his second win of the postseason in net for the Storm. Axel&nbsp;Manbgo&nbsp;stopped 9 of 10 shots faced, but recorded the loss in goal for the Musketeers. Mangbo appeared in 27:10 of game time in relief of Croix Kochendorfer. Kochendorfer made 12 saves on 16 shots and was replaced after appearing in 30:50 of game time for Sioux City.Kieran Cebrian collected 1st&nbsp;Star honors in the matchup after scoring the game-winning goal for the Storm in the final five minutes of the matchup. Tanner Adams recorded three assists during the contest, and was named the 2nd&nbsp;Star of the Game. Sioux City’s Ben Poitras was named the 3rd&nbsp;Star of the Game after scoring the go-ahead goal for the Musketeers during the 1st&nbsp;period, and after recording an assist on the team’s game-tying goal in the 3rd&nbsp;period.Tuesday’s game was played in front of a crowd of 1,253 at the Viaero Center. The Storm will move on in the Clark Cup Playoffs to face the Fargo Force in a Best-of-Three series this weekend at Scheels Arena. Game #1 is scheduled for Friday at 7:05pm CT, with Game #2 set for Saturday at 6:05pm CT. Game #3, if necessary, is scheduled for 4:05pm CT on Sunday. The Storm and the Force most recently met in the playoffs in the Conference Semifinal round of the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. The Force took the series two games to one at the Viaero Center, and advanced to the Clark Cup Final. Fargo won this year’s Anderson Cup Championship, finishing with a league-best 40-14-4-4 record during the regular season. The Storm won this year’s eight-game season series against the Force, finishing with a final record of 4-3-1-0 in head-to-head battles against Fargo.Tri-City hits the ice again on Friday, April 28th, in a road game against the Fargo Force in the Conference Semifinal round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

Storm completes sweep of Musketeers in 5-4 win

The Tri-City Storm defeated the Sioux City Musketeers by a final score of 6-1 Monday night at the Viaero Center to take a 1-0 series lead in the Best-Of-Three 1st&nbsp;Round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Graham Gamache netted a hat trick for Tri-City in the victory. Kieran Cebrian, Alex Bump, and Trevor Connelly also scored goals for the Storm in the win. Cameron Korpi backstopped the team to a win with a 13-save-on-14-shot performance. The Storm will host the Musketeers for Game #2 Tuesday night at the Viaero Center. Puck drop is set for 7:05pm CT.

Graham Gamache scored the Storm’s opening goal of the postseason at 6:14 of Monday’s 1st&nbsp;period. Tanner Adams recorded an assist on the scoring play. The goal was the lone scoring play of the opening period. Tri-City outshot Sioux City 12-6 during the 1st&nbsp;period, and the team carried a one-goal lead into the middle period.

The only goal of Monday’s 2nd&nbsp;period was scored with less than eight minutes to play by Kieran Cebrian. Cebrian’s goal was assisted by Jake Richard, and Seth Constance. The Storm outshot the Musketeers 9-2 during the 2nd&nbsp;period, and the 3rd&nbsp;period began with Tri-City leading by two goals.

Monday’s final period included five combined goals between the Western Conference foes. Ryan Conmy scored Sioux City’s opening goal of the postseason less than three minutes into the period to cut the Storm’s lead in half. The goal was assisted by Grant Slukynsky, and Tyler Hotson. Alex Bump netted his first goal of the playoffs less than a minute later to give the Storm another two-goal advantage in the matchup. Bump’s goal was netted at 3:15 of the 3rd&nbsp;period, and was assisted by Graham Gamache, and Philippe Blais-Savoie. Trevor Connelly scored an even-strength goal at 6:23 of the period to give the Storm a 4-1 lead in the battle. Connelly’s goal was assisted by Cale Ashcroft. Graham Gamache netted a powerplay goal for Tri-City at 8:50 of the 3rd&nbsp;period to give the Storm a four-goal advantage in the matchup. The goal was Gamache’s second of the game, and was assisted by Alex Bump, and Trevor Connelly. The final goal of Monday’s opening-round playoff matchup between the Storm and Musketeers was scored shorthanded by Graham Gamache. The scoring play was his second of the period, and third of the game. The playoff game hat trick by Gamache was the first postseason single-game three-goal performance by a Storm player since Brendan Furry scored a hat trick on April 19th, 2019, in Tri-City’s 8-3 home win over the Des Moines Buccaneers. Each team recorded six shots on net during Monday’s final period, and the Storm outshot the Musketeers by an overall margin of 27-14 in the game.

Cameron Korpi recorded the first postseason win of his USHL career in goal for the Storm after denying 13 of Sioux City’s 14 shots on goal. Croix Kochendorfer dropped the game in goal for Sioux City after making 20 saves on 26 shots. Axel Mangbo played the final 8:27 of the game in relief for Kochendorfer. Mangbo made 1 save on 1 shot faced in net. Graham Gamache was named the game’s 1st&nbsp;Star, with teammates Trevor Connelly and Alex Bump collecting 2nd&nbsp;and 3rd&nbsp;Star honors, respectively. A back-to-back win over the Musketeers in tomorrow’s home game in Kearney would send the Storm to the Western Conference Semifinal round of the postseason for a road matchup against the Anderson Cup Champion Fargo Force. A bounce-back win from Sioux City in tomorrow’s showdown would force a decisive Game #3 between the two teams at the Viaero Center on Wednesday.

Tri-City hits the ice again on Tuesday, April 25th, in a home game against the Sioux City Musketeers in the opening round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm defeated the Sioux City Musketeers by a final score of 6-1 Monday night at the Viaero Center to take a 1-0 series lead in the Best-Of-Three 1st&nbsp;Round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Graham Gamache netted a hat trick for Tri-City in the victory. Kieran Cebrian, Alex Bump, and Trevor Connelly also scored goals for the Storm in the win. Cameron Korpi backstopped the team to a win with a 13-save-on-14-shot performance. The Storm will host the Musketeers for Game #2 Tuesday night at the Viaero Center. Puck drop is set for 7:05pm CT.Graham Gamache scored the Storm’s opening goal of the postseason at 6:14 of Monday’s 1st&nbsp;period. Tanner Adams recorded an assist on the scoring play. The goal was the lone scoring play of the opening period. Tri-City outshot Sioux City 12-6 during the 1st&nbsp;period, and the team carried a one-goal lead into the middle period.The only goal of Monday’s 2nd&nbsp;period was scored with less than eight minutes to play by Kieran Cebrian. Cebrian’s goal was assisted by Jake Richard, and Seth Constance. The Storm outshot the Musketeers 9-2 during the 2nd&nbsp;period, and the 3rd&nbsp;period began with Tri-City leading by two goals.Monday’s final period included five combined goals between the Western Conference foes. Ryan Conmy scored Sioux City’s opening goal of the postseason less than three minutes into the period to cut the Storm’s lead in half. The goal was assisted by Grant Slukynsky, and Tyler Hotson. Alex Bump netted his first goal of the playoffs less than a minute later to give the Storm another two-goal advantage in the matchup. Bump’s goal was netted at 3:15 of the 3rd&nbsp;period, and was assisted by Graham Gamache, and Philippe Blais-Savoie. Trevor Connelly scored an even-strength goal at 6:23 of the period to give the Storm a 4-1 lead in the battle. Connelly’s goal was assisted by Cale Ashcroft. Graham Gamache netted a powerplay goal for Tri-City at 8:50 of the 3rd&nbsp;period to give the Storm a four-goal advantage in the matchup. The goal was Gamache’s second of the game, and was assisted by Alex Bump, and Trevor Connelly. The final goal of Monday’s opening-round playoff matchup between the Storm and Musketeers was scored shorthanded by Graham Gamache. The scoring play was his second of the period, and third of the game. The playoff game hat trick by Gamache was the first postseason single-game three-goal performance by a Storm player since Brendan Furry scored a hat trick on April 19th, 2019, in Tri-City’s 8-3 home win over the Des Moines Buccaneers. Each team recorded six shots on net during Monday’s final period, and the Storm outshot the Musketeers by an overall margin of 27-14 in the game.Cameron Korpi recorded the first postseason win of his USHL career in goal for the Storm after denying 13 of Sioux City’s 14 shots on goal. Croix Kochendorfer dropped the game in goal for Sioux City after making 20 saves on 26 shots. Axel Mangbo played the final 8:27 of the game in relief for Kochendorfer. Mangbo made 1 save on 1 shot faced in net. Graham Gamache was named the game’s 1st&nbsp;Star, with teammates Trevor Connelly and Alex Bump collecting 2nd&nbsp;and 3rd&nbsp;Star honors, respectively. A back-to-back win over the Musketeers in tomorrow’s home game in Kearney would send the Storm to the Western Conference Semifinal round of the postseason for a road matchup against the Anderson Cup Champion Fargo Force. A bounce-back win from Sioux City in tomorrow’s showdown would force a decisive Game #3 between the two teams at the Viaero Center on Wednesday.Tri-City hits the ice again on Tuesday, April 25th, in a home game against the Sioux City Musketeers in the opening round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

Storm defeats Musketeers 6-1 in Game #1

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Former Nebraska golfer&nbsp;Scott&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;captured his first&nbsp;win in nearly 15 years at the&nbsp;LECOM&nbsp;Suncoast&nbsp;Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club Sunday as a member of the Korn Ferry Tour.&nbsp; Gutschewski&nbsp;finished with a 72-hole score of 263 (-21) to capture his third career professional victory.&nbsp;At 46-years-old,&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;became&nbsp;the 10th oldest player to win a Korn Ferry Event in the tour's history. It also ends the second-longest gap between wins in tour history (14 years, 10 months, 15 days). Before today, his last win came at The Rex Hospital Open on June 8, 2008.&nbsp;&nbsp; After&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;and 23-year-old Logan McCallister were tied through 72 holes, the two went to a sudden death playoff at the 18th hole in Lakewood, where&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;calmly sank a 40-foot birdie putt for the win. After he opened his first two rounds with&nbsp;a 67 (-4)&nbsp;and 66 (-5),&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;catapulted to the top of the&nbsp;leaderboard&nbsp;with&nbsp;a nine-under 62 Saturday&nbsp;to put him atop the&nbsp;leaderboard, a position he wouldn't relinquish.&nbsp; The Korn Ferry Tour annually invites 50 of its top golfers to the PGA TOUR. With the win,&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;will look to earn an appearance in professional golf's top circuit for the seventh time in his 23-year career as the 2023 season kicks into high gear. He previously appeared on the PGA TOUR in 2005-07, 2009, 2011, and 2022.&nbsp; A three-time&nbsp;letterwinner&nbsp;at Nebraska,&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;helped lead the Big Red to its best finish at NCAA Championships in school history in 1999 when they finished in 14th place.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsFormer Nebraska golfer&nbsp;Scott&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;captured his first&nbsp;win in nearly 15 years at the&nbsp;LECOM&nbsp;Suncoast&nbsp;Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club Sunday as a member of the Korn Ferry Tour.&nbsp; Gutschewski&nbsp;finished with a 72-hole score of 263 (-21) to capture his third career professional victory.&nbsp;At 46-years-old,&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;became&nbsp;the 10th oldest player to win a Korn Ferry Event in the tour's history. It also ends the second-longest gap between wins in tour history (14 years, 10 months, 15 days). Before today, his last win came at The Rex Hospital Open on June 8, 2008.&nbsp;&nbsp; After&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;and 23-year-old Logan McCallister were tied through 72 holes, the two went to a sudden death playoff at the 18th hole in Lakewood, where&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;calmly sank a 40-foot birdie putt for the win. After he opened his first two rounds with&nbsp;a 67 (-4)&nbsp;and 66 (-5),&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;catapulted to the top of the&nbsp;leaderboard&nbsp;with&nbsp;a nine-under 62 Saturday&nbsp;to put him atop the&nbsp;leaderboard, a position he wouldn't relinquish.&nbsp; The Korn Ferry Tour annually invites 50 of its top golfers to the PGA TOUR. With the win,&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;will look to earn an appearance in professional golf's top circuit for the seventh time in his 23-year career as the 2023 season kicks into high gear. He previously appeared on the PGA TOUR in 2005-07, 2009, 2011, and 2022.&nbsp; A three-time&nbsp;letterwinner&nbsp;at Nebraska,&nbsp;Gutschewski&nbsp;helped lead the Big Red to its best finish at NCAA Championships in school history in 1999 when they finished in 14th place.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gutschewski captures Korn Ferry Victory

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

North Platte Community College lost both of its softball games against the Seward County Community College Saints Sunday afternoon.

The Knights watched the first game slip away early and ultimately fell 13-5.

Angelina Lockhart was on the rubber for North Platte. The righty lasted one inning, allowing two hits and five runs while striking out one. Taelyn Dakamas threw three innings out of the bullpen.

Nancy Martinez led the Knights with two hits in three at bats.

Dakamas was in the pitcher’s circle for the Knights. She surrendered four runs on six hits over five and a third innings, striking out two and walking zero. April Grace threw two-thirds of an inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Martinez, Kelsey Woodhouse, Krysta-Lyn Lewis, Juliana Ortiz, Amya Blake-Cosper, Lili Kukučková and Kailee Rhein each managed one hit.

“Angelina got hurt in the top of the second inning, which threw us off defensively, and we couldn’t recover,” said NPCC Head Softball Coach Janelle Higgins. “Game two, our defense bounced back. Offensively, we didn’t pass the bat well, and we left too many runners in scoring position. We have a few days off to refocus, and back on the road we go.”

The Knights will head to Norfolk for their next set of games. They will take aim at the Northeast Community College Hawks in a Wednesday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte Community College lost both of its softball games against the Seward County Community College Saints Sunday afternoon.The Knights watched the first game slip away early and ultimately fell 13-5.Angelina Lockhart was on the rubber for North Platte. The righty lasted one inning, allowing two hits and five runs while striking out one. Taelyn Dakamas threw three innings out of the bullpen.Nancy Martinez led the Knights with two hits in three at bats.NPCC fell 4-1 in the second game.Dakamas was in the pitcher’s circle for the Knights. She surrendered four runs on six hits over five and a third innings, striking out two and walking zero. April Grace threw two-thirds of an inning in relief out of the bullpen.Martinez, Kelsey Woodhouse, Krysta-Lyn Lewis, Juliana Ortiz, Amya Blake-Cosper, Lili Kukučková and Kailee Rhein each managed one hit.“Angelina got hurt in the top of the second inning, which threw us off defensively, and we couldn’t recover,” said NPCC Head Softball Coach Janelle Higgins. “Game two, our defense bounced back. Offensively, we didn’t pass the bat well, and we left too many runners in scoring position. We have a few days off to refocus, and back on the road we go.”The Knights will head to Norfolk for their next set of games. They will take aim at the Northeast Community College Hawks in a Wednesday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

Knights swept by Saints in Sunday softball action

NORTH PLATTE — Nine of the 10 girls with Midwest Elite Gymnastics Academy, based in North Platte, have qualified for the Xcel Regionals in Minneapolis this weekend at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

MEGA's Silver Xcel team placed eighth out of 16 teams in March at the Nebraska State Competition hosted by Lincoln Solid Rock Gymnastics in Lincoln. Eight girls, ranging in age 9 to 16 years old, qualified for the Region 4 Championships in Minneapolis. 

Hayden McClain of Stapleton was the highest qualifier for MEGA. She was one of only five girls in the entire meet to score 9.0 or higher in each event, according to coach MEGA owner/coach Starleen Moore.

The team is flying to Minneapolis tonight (Thursday, April 20) at 6:30pm. The regional competition is being held Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Minneapolis.

North Platte PostNORTH PLATTE — Nine of the 10 girls with Midwest Elite Gymnastics Academy, based in North Platte, have qualified for the Xcel Regionals in Minneapolis this weekend at the Minneapolis Convention Center.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D189446820508504%26set%3Da.124409837012203%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="632" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>MEGA's Silver Xcel team placed eighth out of 16 teams in March at the Nebraska State Competition hosted by Lincoln Solid Rock Gymnastics in Lincoln. Eight girls, ranging in age 9 to 16 years old, qualified for the Region 4 Championships in Minneapolis. Hayden McClain of Stapleton was the highest qualifier for MEGA. She was one of only five girls in the entire meet to score 9.0 or higher in each event, according to coach MEGA owner/coach Starleen Moore.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682021492297.jpeg" alt="Hayden McClain with MEGA Gymnastics" />
 <figcaption>Hayden McClain with MEGA Gymnastics</figcaption>
 </figure>The team is flying to Minneapolis tonight (Thursday, April 20) at 6:30pm. The regional competition is being held Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Minneapolis.

Nine area gymnasts headed to regionals in Minneapolis

Ten players with ties to the Tri-City Storm organization were recently named to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. This year’s edition of the NHL Draft will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, June 28th, and Thursday, June 29th. Players with ties to the Storm organization who made the list are current players Tanner Adams, Phillippe Blais-Savoie, Seth Constance, Cameron Korpi, and Patriks Bērziņš. Also named to the recently announced list are Storm prospects Ryan Koering, Sean Keohane, and Daniel Héroux. Tri-City alumni included in the rankings are Gavin Brindley, and Andrew Strathmann.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau is a collection of NHL staff and scouts who rank prospects for the NHL Draft as a service to the 32 member clubs. A player not ranked by the service may still be drafted by an NHL member club, provided the player is eligible to be drafted. The Storm began the season with eight players with ties to the organization listed in the Bureaus’ initial “Players to Watch List”. Five players with ties to the Storm organization were selected at the 2022 NHL Draft. The 2019 NHL Draft held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, holds the record for the draft with the most Storm players selected, as seven players with ties to the organization were drafted in the event.&nbsp;

Tanner Adams, 17, Forward, of Northport, New York, has scored eleven goals, and notched twenty assists, for thirty-one total points in forty-eight games played for the Storm during the 2022-2023 regular season. Adams scored twelve goals and recorded twenty assists during his rookie year with the Storm last season. He appeared in all five of the team’s games during the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. Adams was also one of only two players to skate in all sixty-two games for Tri-City during the 2021-2022 regular season. He officially joined the organization on March 22nd, 2021, by signing a tender agreement to play for the Storm for the 2021-2022 season. Adams made his USHL debut with the Storm on September 23rd, 2021, in the team’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. He netted his first career goal on October 22nd, 2021, in Tri-City’s 6-4 road loss to the Sioux City Musketeers. Adams recorded a career-high three-point-game with one goal and two assists in the Storm’s 5-1 home victory over the Waterloo Black Hawks. He scored twice in three games for the United States at the 2021 Five Nations Tournament in Visp, Switzerland. The United States team finished 1st&nbsp;place in the event. Adams also notched two goals in four games played for the 2022 United States Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alberta. The United States team finished 5th&nbsp;place in the event. Adams has scored two goals and notched three assists in eight games played for the Storm during the 2022-2023 regular season. Prior to joining the Storm for the 2021-2022 season, Adams skated for Mount St. Charles Academy (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island),&nbsp;&nbsp;Portledge School (Prep, Locust Valley, New York), and Long Island Royals (AAA, Kings Park, New York). Adams previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future for Providence College. He was ranked 101st&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Phillippe Blais-Savoie, 17, Defenseman, of San Jose, California, has netted two goals, notched eight assists, and recorded ten total points in fifty-nine games played with the Storm this season. Blais-Savoie was selected 70th&nbsp;overall in the 5th&nbsp;round of the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft by the Storm, and spent last year on Tri-City’s affiliate list. Blais-Savoie made his USHL debut with the team on September 22nd, 2022, in the Storm’s 4-1 win over the Madison Capitols at the 2022 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. He scored his first career USHL goal on October 15th, 2022, in the Storm’s 6-3 home loss to the Lincoln Stars. Prior to joining the Storm, Blais-Savoie skated for the San Jose Jr. Sharks U16 (AAA, San Jose, California) program. He scored twenty-nine goals, and notched thirty-one assists for sixty total points in fifty-nine games played last season. Blais-Savoie also scored twenty-four goals, and recorded fifteen assists for thirty-nine total points last year for Valley Christian High School (HS, San Jose, California). He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future for Colorado College. Blais-Savoie was ranked 122nd&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Seth Constance, 18, Defenseman, of Northville, Michigan, has scored one goal, notched thirteen assists, and recorded fourteen total points in fifty-six games played with the Storm this season. Constance was selected 70th&nbsp;overall in the 5th&nbsp;Round of the 2020 USHL Phase I Draft by the Storm, and spent the majority of the 2021-2022 season on Tri-City’s affiliate list. Constance made his USHL debut with the team as an affiliate list callup on April 16th, 2022, in the Storm’s 8-2 road loss to the Sioux Falls Stampede. He notched his first career assist, and first career point, for Tri-City on September 23rd, 2022, in the Storm’s 6-4 win over the Muskegon Lumberjacks at the 2022 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Constance netted his first career goal for Tri-City on October 21st, 2022, in the Storm’s 5-2 road loss to the Sioux City Musketeers. Prior to joining the Storm, he skated for Mount St. Charles Academy (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island), Compuware U15 (AAA, Detroit, Michigan), and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U14 (AAA, Troy, Michigan). Constance previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Northeastern University. He was ranked 219th&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Cameron Korpi, 18, Goaltender, of South Lyon, Michigan, has posted a 12-4-3-0 record in net for the Storm this season. He has recorded a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.49, and a Save Percentage (SV%) of .910%. Korpi notched his first shutout with the organization on March 25th, 2023, in Tri-City’s 4-0 home win over the league-leading Fargo Force. He was named the USHL’s Goaltender of the Week on February 6th, 2023. Korpi made his USHL debut on February 21st, 2021, as a member of the United States National Team Development Program (Team USA). He recorded an overtime loss in Team USA’s 4-3 home loss against the Chicago Steel. Korpi notched his first career win on April 23rd, 2021, in Team USA’s 7-4 road victory over the Youngstown Phantoms. He has posted a career record of 17-13-5-2 in USHL games played over the last three years. Korpi has recorded career highs in wins (12), minutes played (1,180), GAA, (2.49), SV% (.910), and saves (496) this season with Tri-City. He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Western Michigan University. Korpi was ranked 20th&nbsp;overall among North American Goaltenders in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Patriks Bērziņš, 19, Goaltender, of Tulsi, Latvia, has posted a 10-3-1-1 record in net for the Storm this season. He has recorded a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.64, and a Save Percentage (SV%) of .888%. Bērziņš notched his first shutout with the organization on January 20th, 2023, in Tri-City’s 4-0 road win over the Omaha Lancers. He made his USHL debut with the Storm in the same game. He also recorded his first career USHL win in the matchup. Prior to joining Tri-City, Bērziņš appeared in six games for Team Latvia during the 2023 World Junior Championship. He completed the tournament with a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.47, and Save Percentage (SV%) of .914. Bērziņš' 160 saves were the second-most of any goaltender in the event. He finished the tournament in the top five in multiple major goaltending statistics including GAA (2.47), Saves (160), Shots Faced (175), and overall goals allowed (15). Bērziņš previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future for the University of Maine. He was ranked 22nd&nbsp;overall among North American Goaltenders in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Ryan Koering, 18, Defenseman, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was selected 100th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 7th&nbsp;round of the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft. He netted six goals, and recorded ten assists, for sixteen total points this season for Eden Prairie High School (HS, Eden Prairie, MN). Koering captained the team for the second consecutive year, and also appeared in twelve games this season with Team TDS Transportation (HS, New Hope, Minnesota). He has scored thirteen goals, notched thirty assists, and recorded forty-three total points in his Minnesota High School hockey career. Koering previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Colorado College. He was ranked 157th&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Sean Keohane, 18, Defenseman, of Milton, Massachusetts, was selected 38th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 3rd&nbsp;round of the 2022 USHL Phase II Draft. He netted four goals, and recorded twelve assists, for sixteen total points this season for the Dexter Southfield School (HS, Brookline, Massachusetts). He captained the team during the 2022-2023 season. Keohane also skated in eighteen games for the Cape Cod Whalers (AAA, Falmouth, Massachusetts). He scored one goal, and notched five assists, for six total points. Keohane netted one goal, and notched three assists in twenty-three games played last year for the South Shore Kings (AAA, Foxboro, Massachusetts). He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Harvard University. Keohane was ranked 159th&nbsp;among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Daniel Héroux, 18, Goaltender, of Montreal, Quebec, was selected 228th&nbsp;overall by Tri-City in the 2022 USHL Phase II Draft. He appeared in thirty-three games this season with Kimball Union Academy (HS, Meriden, New Hampshire). He completed the season with a .934% Save Percentage, and 681 shots faced. Héroux faced 741 shots last season for Kimball Union Academy, and recorded a Save Percentage of .930%. Prior to his time at Kimball Union Academy, he played multiple seasons for the Montreal Nationals Bantam organization (AAA, Montreal, Quebec). Héroux previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at the University of Vermont. He was ranked 21st&nbsp;overall among North American Goaltenders in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Gavin Brindley, 18, Forward, of Estero, Florida, scored twelve goals, and recorded twenty-six assists, for thirty-eight points in forty-one games played during his freshman season at the University of Michigan. Brindley’s Wolverines team qualified for the NCAA Frozen Four in his debut season with the team. He skated in one hundred and two career games with Tri-City during the 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons. Brindley officially joined the organization by signing a tender agreement to play for the Storm on March 27th, 2020. He netted twenty-three goals, notched forty-one assists, and recorded sixty-four total points during his Storm career. Brindley made his USHL debut with the organization on November 13th, 2020, in Tri-City’s 5-1 road loss to the Omaha Lancers. He scored his first career USHL goal for Tri-City on December 11th, 2020, in the Storm’s 4-1 home victory at the Viaero Center over Omaha. Brindley recorded his first multiple-goal game on September 23rd, 2021, in Tri-City’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic. He skated in six career postseason games with the Storm during the 2021 and 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. He scored two career postseason goals, and recorded two career postseason assists. Brindley was a member of the Storm’s 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team. He skated for the United States and won a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, a gold medal at the 2021 U17 Five Nations Event, and a silver medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Brindley was ranked 23rd&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Andrew Strathmann, 18, Defenseman, of Beach Park, Illinois, has scored three goals, and recorded thirty-four assists, for thirty-seven points in fifty-four games played this season for the Youngstown Phantoms. Strathmann appeared in sixty-one regular season games for the Storm during the 2021-2022 regular season. He also skated in each of Tri-City’s games during the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. Strathmann signed a tender agreement to skate for the team during the 2021-2022 season on November 18th, 2020. He made his USHL debut on September 23rd, 2021, in Tri-City’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic. He scored his first career goal on November 7th, 2021, in the Storm’s 4-1 road win over the Sioux City Musketeers. Strathmann notched five goals and recorded eighteen assists during the 2021-2022 regular season. He skated for the United States Under-17 Men’s Select Team that won the 2021 Five Nations Tournament in Visp, Switzerland. Strathmann also scored two goals and notched two assists for the United States Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alberta. Strathmann previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at the University of North Dakota. He was ranked 44th&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsTen players with ties to the Tri-City Storm organization were recently named to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. This year’s edition of the NHL Draft will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, June 28th, and Thursday, June 29th. Players with ties to the Storm organization who made the list are current players Tanner Adams, Phillippe Blais-Savoie, Seth Constance, Cameron Korpi, and Patriks Bērziņš. Also named to the recently announced list are Storm prospects Ryan Koering, Sean Keohane, and Daniel Héroux. Tri-City alumni included in the rankings are Gavin Brindley, and Andrew Strathmann.The NHL Central Scouting Bureau is a collection of NHL staff and scouts who rank prospects for the NHL Draft as a service to the 32 member clubs. A player not ranked by the service may still be drafted by an NHL member club, provided the player is eligible to be drafted. The Storm began the season with eight players with ties to the organization listed in the Bureaus’ initial “Players to Watch List”. Five players with ties to the Storm organization were selected at the 2022 NHL Draft. The 2019 NHL Draft held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, holds the record for the draft with the most Storm players selected, as seven players with ties to the organization were drafted in the event.&nbsp;Tanner Adams, 17, Forward, of Northport, New York, has scored eleven goals, and notched twenty assists, for thirty-one total points in forty-eight games played for the Storm during the 2022-2023 regular season. Adams scored twelve goals and recorded twenty assists during his rookie year with the Storm last season. He appeared in all five of the team’s games during the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. Adams was also one of only two players to skate in all sixty-two games for Tri-City during the 2021-2022 regular season. He officially joined the organization on March 22nd, 2021, by signing a tender agreement to play for the Storm for the 2021-2022 season. Adams made his USHL debut with the Storm on September 23rd, 2021, in the team’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. He netted his first career goal on October 22nd, 2021, in Tri-City’s 6-4 road loss to the Sioux City Musketeers. Adams recorded a career-high three-point-game with one goal and two assists in the Storm’s 5-1 home victory over the Waterloo Black Hawks. He scored twice in three games for the United States at the 2021 Five Nations Tournament in Visp, Switzerland. The United States team finished 1st&nbsp;place in the event. Adams also notched two goals in four games played for the 2022 United States Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alberta. The United States team finished 5th&nbsp;place in the event. Adams has scored two goals and notched three assists in eight games played for the Storm during the 2022-2023 regular season. Prior to joining the Storm for the 2021-2022 season, Adams skated for Mount St. Charles Academy (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island),&nbsp;&nbsp;Portledge School (Prep, Locust Valley, New York), and Long Island Royals (AAA, Kings Park, New York). Adams previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future for Providence College. He was ranked 101st&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Phillippe Blais-Savoie, 17, Defenseman, of San Jose, California, has netted two goals, notched eight assists, and recorded ten total points in fifty-nine games played with the Storm this season. Blais-Savoie was selected 70th&nbsp;overall in the 5th&nbsp;round of the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft by the Storm, and spent last year on Tri-City’s affiliate list. Blais-Savoie made his USHL debut with the team on September 22nd, 2022, in the Storm’s 4-1 win over the Madison Capitols at the 2022 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. He scored his first career USHL goal on October 15th, 2022, in the Storm’s 6-3 home loss to the Lincoln Stars. Prior to joining the Storm, Blais-Savoie skated for the San Jose Jr. Sharks U16 (AAA, San Jose, California) program. He scored twenty-nine goals, and notched thirty-one assists for sixty total points in fifty-nine games played last season. Blais-Savoie also scored twenty-four goals, and recorded fifteen assists for thirty-nine total points last year for Valley Christian High School (HS, San Jose, California). He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future for Colorado College. Blais-Savoie was ranked 122nd&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Seth Constance, 18, Defenseman, of Northville, Michigan, has scored one goal, notched thirteen assists, and recorded fourteen total points in fifty-six games played with the Storm this season. Constance was selected 70th&nbsp;overall in the 5th&nbsp;Round of the 2020 USHL Phase I Draft by the Storm, and spent the majority of the 2021-2022 season on Tri-City’s affiliate list. Constance made his USHL debut with the team as an affiliate list callup on April 16th, 2022, in the Storm’s 8-2 road loss to the Sioux Falls Stampede. He notched his first career assist, and first career point, for Tri-City on September 23rd, 2022, in the Storm’s 6-4 win over the Muskegon Lumberjacks at the 2022 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Constance netted his first career goal for Tri-City on October 21st, 2022, in the Storm’s 5-2 road loss to the Sioux City Musketeers. Prior to joining the Storm, he skated for Mount St. Charles Academy (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island), Compuware U15 (AAA, Detroit, Michigan), and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U14 (AAA, Troy, Michigan). Constance previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Northeastern University. He was ranked 219th&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Cameron Korpi, 18, Goaltender, of South Lyon, Michigan, has posted a 12-4-3-0 record in net for the Storm this season. He has recorded a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.49, and a Save Percentage (SV%) of .910%. Korpi notched his first shutout with the organization on March 25th, 2023, in Tri-City’s 4-0 home win over the league-leading Fargo Force. He was named the USHL’s Goaltender of the Week on February 6th, 2023. Korpi made his USHL debut on February 21st, 2021, as a member of the United States National Team Development Program (Team USA). He recorded an overtime loss in Team USA’s 4-3 home loss against the Chicago Steel. Korpi notched his first career win on April 23rd, 2021, in Team USA’s 7-4 road victory over the Youngstown Phantoms. He has posted a career record of 17-13-5-2 in USHL games played over the last three years. Korpi has recorded career highs in wins (12), minutes played (1,180), GAA, (2.49), SV% (.910), and saves (496) this season with Tri-City. He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Western Michigan University. Korpi was ranked 20th&nbsp;overall among North American Goaltenders in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Patriks Bērziņš, 19, Goaltender, of Tulsi, Latvia, has posted a 10-3-1-1 record in net for the Storm this season. He has recorded a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.64, and a Save Percentage (SV%) of .888%. Bērziņš notched his first shutout with the organization on January 20th, 2023, in Tri-City’s 4-0 road win over the Omaha Lancers. He made his USHL debut with the Storm in the same game. He also recorded his first career USHL win in the matchup. Prior to joining Tri-City, Bērziņš appeared in six games for Team Latvia during the 2023 World Junior Championship. He completed the tournament with a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.47, and Save Percentage (SV%) of .914. Bērziņš' 160 saves were the second-most of any goaltender in the event. He finished the tournament in the top five in multiple major goaltending statistics including GAA (2.47), Saves (160), Shots Faced (175), and overall goals allowed (15). Bērziņš previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future for the University of Maine. He was ranked 22nd&nbsp;overall among North American Goaltenders in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Ryan Koering, 18, Defenseman, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was selected 100th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 7th&nbsp;round of the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft. He netted six goals, and recorded ten assists, for sixteen total points this season for Eden Prairie High School (HS, Eden Prairie, MN). Koering captained the team for the second consecutive year, and also appeared in twelve games this season with Team TDS Transportation (HS, New Hope, Minnesota). He has scored thirteen goals, notched thirty assists, and recorded forty-three total points in his Minnesota High School hockey career. Koering previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Colorado College. He was ranked 157th&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Sean Keohane, 18, Defenseman, of Milton, Massachusetts, was selected 38th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 3rd&nbsp;round of the 2022 USHL Phase II Draft. He netted four goals, and recorded twelve assists, for sixteen total points this season for the Dexter Southfield School (HS, Brookline, Massachusetts). He captained the team during the 2022-2023 season. Keohane also skated in eighteen games for the Cape Cod Whalers (AAA, Falmouth, Massachusetts). He scored one goal, and notched five assists, for six total points. Keohane netted one goal, and notched three assists in twenty-three games played last year for the South Shore Kings (AAA, Foxboro, Massachusetts). He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Harvard University. Keohane was ranked 159th&nbsp;among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Daniel Héroux, 18, Goaltender, of Montreal, Quebec, was selected 228th&nbsp;overall by Tri-City in the 2022 USHL Phase II Draft. He appeared in thirty-three games this season with Kimball Union Academy (HS, Meriden, New Hampshire). He completed the season with a .934% Save Percentage, and 681 shots faced. Héroux faced 741 shots last season for Kimball Union Academy, and recorded a Save Percentage of .930%. Prior to his time at Kimball Union Academy, he played multiple seasons for the Montreal Nationals Bantam organization (AAA, Montreal, Quebec). Héroux previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at the University of Vermont. He was ranked 21st&nbsp;overall among North American Goaltenders in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Gavin Brindley, 18, Forward, of Estero, Florida, scored twelve goals, and recorded twenty-six assists, for thirty-eight points in forty-one games played during his freshman season at the University of Michigan. Brindley’s Wolverines team qualified for the NCAA Frozen Four in his debut season with the team. He skated in one hundred and two career games with Tri-City during the 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons. Brindley officially joined the organization by signing a tender agreement to play for the Storm on March 27th, 2020. He netted twenty-three goals, notched forty-one assists, and recorded sixty-four total points during his Storm career. Brindley made his USHL debut with the organization on November 13th, 2020, in Tri-City’s 5-1 road loss to the Omaha Lancers. He scored his first career USHL goal for Tri-City on December 11th, 2020, in the Storm’s 4-1 home victory at the Viaero Center over Omaha. Brindley recorded his first multiple-goal game on September 23rd, 2021, in Tri-City’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic. He skated in six career postseason games with the Storm during the 2021 and 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. He scored two career postseason goals, and recorded two career postseason assists. Brindley was a member of the Storm’s 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team. He skated for the United States and won a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, a gold medal at the 2021 U17 Five Nations Event, and a silver medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Brindley was ranked 23rd&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.Andrew Strathmann, 18, Defenseman, of Beach Park, Illinois, has scored three goals, and recorded thirty-four assists, for thirty-seven points in fifty-four games played this season for the Youngstown Phantoms. Strathmann appeared in sixty-one regular season games for the Storm during the 2021-2022 regular season. He also skated in each of Tri-City’s games during the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. Strathmann signed a tender agreement to skate for the team during the 2021-2022 season on November 18th, 2020. He made his USHL debut on September 23rd, 2021, in Tri-City’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic. He scored his first career goal on November 7th, 2021, in the Storm’s 4-1 road win over the Sioux City Musketeers. Strathmann notched five goals and recorded eighteen assists during the 2021-2022 regular season. He skated for the United States Under-17 Men’s Select Team that won the 2021 Five Nations Tournament in Visp, Switzerland. Strathmann also scored two goals and notched two assists for the United States Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alberta. Strathmann previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at the University of North Dakota. He was ranked 44th&nbsp;overall among North American Skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s Final Rankings list for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Ten Players with ties to Storm Organization named to Scouting List

NPHS Signing Day 2023

Head Coach Janelle Higgins sat down with Sports Director Paxton Gordon to talk all things knights softball.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655146989142.png" alt="NP Post Podcast Sponsored by Kubota" />
 <figcaption>NP Post Podcast Sponsored by Kubota</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="North Platte Post Sports Network: Head Coach Janelle Higgins 4-19-2023" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=z9555-13e867b-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00"></iframe></div>Head Coach Janelle Higgins sat down with Sports Director Paxton Gordon to talk all things knights softball.

North Platte Post Sports Network: Head Coach Janelle Higgins 4-19-2023

Knights Softball lost both games of a home doubleheader Tuesday afternoon – falling 10-0 and 12-3 to McCook Community College.

North Platte Community College watched the first game slip away early. The Knights struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively containing MCC despite running wild on the base paths with five stolen bases. Nancy Martinez stole two.

Angelina Lockhart toed the rubber for North Platte. The pitcher lasted three and a third innings, allowing four hits and six runs. Taelyn Dakamas threw one and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Kelsey Woodhouse led NPCC with one hit in two at bats. She had a single in the fifth inning.

The Knights out hit McCook eight to six in the second game – with Martinez, Elena Montoya and April Grace each collecting two. NPCC also put up three runs in the fifth inning, led by Martinez, Grace and Krysta-Lyn Lewis all of whom had RBIs.

Dakamas led things off in the pitcher’s circle for the Knights. The righty surrendered five runs on four hits over three innings, striking out two. Lockhart threw four innings out of the bullpen.

“We played very scared to lose today and it showed,” said NPCC Head Softball Coach Janelle Higgins. “We put so much pressure on ourselves and try to control too much of the game instead of just having fun. With the inconsistency of our schedule this year, when we do get to play, they are trying so hard to be perfect in a game of failure. Tomorrow is a new day and a day to be better.”

The Knights will travel to Beatrice Friday where they will battle Southeast Community College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsKnights Softball lost both games of a home doubleheader Tuesday afternoon – falling 10-0 and 12-3 to McCook Community College.North Platte Community College watched the first game slip away early. The Knights struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively containing MCC despite running wild on the base paths with five stolen bases. Nancy Martinez stole two.Angelina Lockhart toed the rubber for North Platte. The pitcher lasted three and a third innings, allowing four hits and six runs. Taelyn Dakamas threw one and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen.Kelsey Woodhouse led NPCC with one hit in two at bats. She had a single in the fifth inning.The Knights out hit McCook eight to six in the second game – with Martinez, Elena Montoya and April Grace each collecting two. NPCC also put up three runs in the fifth inning, led by Martinez, Grace and Krysta-Lyn Lewis all of whom had RBIs.Dakamas led things off in the pitcher’s circle for the Knights. The righty surrendered five runs on four hits over three innings, striking out two. Lockhart threw four innings out of the bullpen.“We played very scared to lose today and it showed,” said NPCC Head Softball Coach Janelle Higgins. “We put so much pressure on ourselves and try to control too much of the game instead of just having fun. With the inconsistency of our schedule this year, when we do get to play, they are trying so hard to be perfect in a game of failure. Tomorrow is a new day and a day to be better.”The Knights will travel to Beatrice Friday where they will battle Southeast Community College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

 Knights Softball drops doubleheader against McCook

NPCC Softball: McCook Community College Vs. North Platte Community College

Redshirt senior&nbsp;Kyleigh&nbsp;Lay threw 6.1 innings of strong relief in game two and Central Missouri scored four times with two outs in the fourth in game one to sweep a double header from Nebraska-Kearney,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/softball/stats/2023/central-missouri/boxscore/7345" target="_blank">7-2</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/softball/stats/2023/central-missouri/boxscore/7346" target="_blank">9-3</a>, Monday in Warrensburg. The Jennies improve to 31-14 (15-7) which includes a 14-6 home mark. The&nbsp;Lopers, meanwhile, are 15-27 (6-12) with 34 of their games played away from Kearney. This double dip was originally scheduled for Saturday but pushed back due to inclement weather over the weekend. In game one, a big fourth inning started with a two-out, run scoring single up the middle. A single, hit-by-pitch, single and walked followed to make it 5-0 Jens. UCM finished with 10 singles among 12 hits with the top two hitters in the order going a combined 4 for 5 with three runs and two RBI's. Redshirt sophomore Paige&nbsp;Petefish&nbsp;(10-3) scattered five hits and fanned seven over six full innings. Sophomore shortstop and leadoff hitter&nbsp;Sydney Thomason&nbsp;(2 for 3) belted a two-run shot in the sixth to get UNK on the scoreboard. It snapped a 15-game homerless stretch for the Lopers. The Blue &amp; Gold came out hot in the night cap as they ran UCM's top pitcher, Andi Siebeneck, after only two thirds of an inning. She entered the day with nine wins and leading the team in ERA (2.45) and shutouts (four). Wahoo freshman infielder&nbsp;Mary Chvatal&nbsp;had an RBI single, Colorado sophomore&nbsp;Jaiden Harteker&nbsp;delivered an RBI double to left center with Lincoln sophomore first baseman&nbsp;Leah Jurgens&nbsp;belting a run scoring triple to right. However, Lay (4-1) came in and allowed only two hits and two walks the rest of the way. UCM chipped away at the 3-0 deficit by scoring single runs in the first and third innings and then tallied two runs after two were out in the fourth. Senior center fielder and nine-hole hitter Peyton Corrigan brought home the go-ahead with a double down the right field line. The big hit came on a full count. The Jens then busted things open with a five-run sixth. The big blow was a three-run shot to left by pinch hitter MaKenzie Cooper. Finally, grad transfer and third baseman Jessica Sader went 3 for 3 from the six hole. For UNK, Thomason (Ripon, Calif.) was 2 for 3 with a run scored with freshman left fielder&nbsp;Anna Reiling&nbsp;(Kearney) having a double. The Lopers head to nationally-ranked Central Oklahoma on Friday and then play Newman Saturday in Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsRedshirt senior&nbsp;Kyleigh&nbsp;Lay threw 6.1 innings of strong relief in game two and Central Missouri scored four times with two outs in the fourth in game one to sweep a double header from Nebraska-Kearney,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/softball/stats/2023/central-missouri/boxscore/7345" target="_blank">7-2</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/softball/stats/2023/central-missouri/boxscore/7346" target="_blank">9-3</a>, Monday in Warrensburg. The Jennies improve to 31-14 (15-7) which includes a 14-6 home mark. The&nbsp;Lopers, meanwhile, are 15-27 (6-12) with 34 of their games played away from Kearney. This double dip was originally scheduled for Saturday but pushed back due to inclement weather over the weekend. In game one, a big fourth inning started with a two-out, run scoring single up the middle. A single, hit-by-pitch, single and walked followed to make it 5-0 Jens. UCM finished with 10 singles among 12 hits with the top two hitters in the order going a combined 4 for 5 with three runs and two RBI's. Redshirt sophomore Paige&nbsp;Petefish&nbsp;(10-3) scattered five hits and fanned seven over six full innings. Sophomore shortstop and leadoff hitter&nbsp;Sydney Thomason&nbsp;(2 for 3) belted a two-run shot in the sixth to get UNK on the scoreboard. It snapped a 15-game homerless stretch for the Lopers. The Blue &amp; Gold came out hot in the night cap as they ran UCM's top pitcher, Andi Siebeneck, after only two thirds of an inning. She entered the day with nine wins and leading the team in ERA (2.45) and shutouts (four). Wahoo freshman infielder&nbsp;Mary Chvatal&nbsp;had an RBI single, Colorado sophomore&nbsp;Jaiden Harteker&nbsp;delivered an RBI double to left center with Lincoln sophomore first baseman&nbsp;Leah Jurgens&nbsp;belting a run scoring triple to right. However, Lay (4-1) came in and allowed only two hits and two walks the rest of the way. UCM chipped away at the 3-0 deficit by scoring single runs in the first and third innings and then tallied two runs after two were out in the fourth. Senior center fielder and nine-hole hitter Peyton Corrigan brought home the go-ahead with a double down the right field line. The big hit came on a full count. The Jens then busted things open with a five-run sixth. The big blow was a three-run shot to left by pinch hitter MaKenzie Cooper. Finally, grad transfer and third baseman Jessica Sader went 3 for 3 from the six hole. For UNK, Thomason (Ripon, Calif.) was 2 for 3 with a run scored with freshman left fielder&nbsp;Anna Reiling&nbsp;(Kearney) having a double. The Lopers head to nationally-ranked Central Oklahoma on Friday and then play Newman Saturday in Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lopers head to UCO and NU this weekend

A long-time NCAA Division I assistant with a track record of success around the country, Julian&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;will join&nbsp;the Nebraska women's basketball staff for the 2023-24 season, Head Coach Amy Williams announced on Monday, April 17. Assibey&nbsp;(pronounced ah-SEE-bay) comes to Lincoln after spending the past three years as an assistant coach at Florida, where he helped the Gators to three consecutive postseason berths.&nbsp;In his first season (2020-21) in Gainesville,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;helped the Gators to their first&nbsp;postseason berth since a 2016 NCAA Tournament bid, and their first postseason victory since 2014. In 2021-22,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;helped guide the Gators to a 21-11 record and a trip to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2022-23, Florida finished with a 19-15 overall record that included three wins to advance to the Postseason&nbsp;WNIT&nbsp;Great Eight. "We are very excited to add Julian, his wife&nbsp;Kaylee, and son's Malachi and Elijah to our Husker women's basketball family," Williams said. "Julian is a high-energy, passionate coach and a dynamic recruiter. His 16 years of collegiate coaching experience coupled with his values and integrity make him the perfect person to positively impact our student-athletes through the game of basketball." Assibey&nbsp;went to Florida after spending four successful seasons (2016-2020) at Montana State, where he helped the Bobcats to a pair of Big Sky regular-season titles and one conference tournament crown. In addition to his assistant coaching duties,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;served as the recruiting coordinator for the Bobcats, who produced nine all-conference honorees including a pair of Big Sky players of the year in his four seasons. In 2019-20, Montana State produced one of the best seasons in school history, finishing with a 25-6 record that including a Big Sky regular-season title with a 19-1 mark. The Bobcats advanced to the Big Sky Tournament title game against Idaho, but the game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;Fallyn&nbsp;Freije&nbsp;was named the 2020 Big Sky Player of the Year. In&nbsp;Assibey's&nbsp;first year at Montana State (2016-17), the Bobcats rolled to Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles, led by league player of the year Peyton Ferris. The Bobcats earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 25-7 record that included a 15-3 Big Sky mark. Assibey&nbsp;previously served the 2014-15 season as the video coordinator at Colorado, before advancing to a full-time assistant role&nbsp;for the Buffaloes in 2015-16. He returned to the state of Colorado after a pair of previous stops at Western Colorado (2010-11) and two years at Metro State Denver (2007-09). Following his season at Western Colorado,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;traveled to Andover, Mass., where he spent three seasons as an assistant at Merrimack College. The Warriors posted a 12-game improvement in the win column from his first season (5-21) in 2011-12 to his second season (17-12) in 2012-13.&nbsp; Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;grew up in Downey, Calif., before earning four letters in men's basketball while also competing in track and field (long jump, triple jump, 4x100-meter relay) at William Penn in&nbsp;Oskaloosa, Iowa. He earned his bachelor's degree in sports administration and strength and conditioning in 2005. Following his two seasons as an assistant coach at Metro State Denver (2007-09), he spent one season on staff as an assistant coach at William Penn (2009-10). While coaching at Merrimack in Massachusetts,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;completed his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University in 2013. Julian and his wife,&nbsp;Kaylee, have two sons, Malachi and Elijah.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story NU Athletic CommunicationsA long-time NCAA Division I assistant with a track record of success around the country, Julian&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;will join&nbsp;the Nebraska women's basketball staff for the 2023-24 season, Head Coach Amy Williams announced on Monday, April 17. Assibey&nbsp;(pronounced ah-SEE-bay) comes to Lincoln after spending the past three years as an assistant coach at Florida, where he helped the Gators to three consecutive postseason berths.&nbsp;In his first season (2020-21) in Gainesville,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;helped the Gators to their first&nbsp;postseason berth since a 2016 NCAA Tournament bid, and their first postseason victory since 2014. In 2021-22,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;helped guide the Gators to a 21-11 record and a trip to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2022-23, Florida finished with a 19-15 overall record that included three wins to advance to the Postseason&nbsp;WNIT&nbsp;Great Eight. "We are very excited to add Julian, his wife&nbsp;Kaylee, and son's Malachi and Elijah to our Husker women's basketball family," Williams said. "Julian is a high-energy, passionate coach and a dynamic recruiter. His 16 years of collegiate coaching experience coupled with his values and integrity make him the perfect person to positively impact our student-athletes through the game of basketball." Assibey&nbsp;went to Florida after spending four successful seasons (2016-2020) at Montana State, where he helped the Bobcats to a pair of Big Sky regular-season titles and one conference tournament crown. In addition to his assistant coaching duties,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;served as the recruiting coordinator for the Bobcats, who produced nine all-conference honorees including a pair of Big Sky players of the year in his four seasons. In 2019-20, Montana State produced one of the best seasons in school history, finishing with a 25-6 record that including a Big Sky regular-season title with a 19-1 mark. The Bobcats advanced to the Big Sky Tournament title game against Idaho, but the game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;Fallyn&nbsp;Freije&nbsp;was named the 2020 Big Sky Player of the Year. In&nbsp;Assibey's&nbsp;first year at Montana State (2016-17), the Bobcats rolled to Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles, led by league player of the year Peyton Ferris. The Bobcats earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 25-7 record that included a 15-3 Big Sky mark. Assibey&nbsp;previously served the 2014-15 season as the video coordinator at Colorado, before advancing to a full-time assistant role&nbsp;for the Buffaloes in 2015-16. He returned to the state of Colorado after a pair of previous stops at Western Colorado (2010-11) and two years at Metro State Denver (2007-09). Following his season at Western Colorado,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;traveled to Andover, Mass., where he spent three seasons as an assistant at Merrimack College. The Warriors posted a 12-game improvement in the win column from his first season (5-21) in 2011-12 to his second season (17-12) in 2012-13.&nbsp; Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;grew up in Downey, Calif., before earning four letters in men's basketball while also competing in track and field (long jump, triple jump, 4x100-meter relay) at William Penn in&nbsp;Oskaloosa, Iowa. He earned his bachelor's degree in sports administration and strength and conditioning in 2005. Following his two seasons as an assistant coach at Metro State Denver (2007-09), he spent one season on staff as an assistant coach at William Penn (2009-10). While coaching at Merrimack in Massachusetts,&nbsp;Assibey&nbsp;completed his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University in 2013. Julian and his wife,&nbsp;Kaylee, have two sons, Malachi and Elijah.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Huskers add Assibey as Assistant Coach

The Nebraska Baseball Academy will have an all-skills camp in North Platte on June 15 at Bill Wood Field, 18th and Sycamore.

The camp is for players second grade through high school seniors. Registration in $90.

For more information, click <a href="https://www.bigredacademy.com/content/youth-camps/6/15-north-platte-camp-2330">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681747280683.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte PostThe Nebraska Baseball Academy will have an all-skills camp in North Platte on June 15 at Bill Wood Field, 18th and Sycamore.The camp is for players second grade through high school seniors. Registration in $90.For more information, click <a href="https://www.bigredacademy.com/content/youth-camps/6/15-north-platte-camp-2330">HERE</a>.

Nebraska Baseball Academy camp scheduled in North Platte

LINCOLN - Nebraska Athletics is proud to officially unveil a modernized version of Herbie Husker, one of the most iconic logos and mascots in college athletics. Nebraska Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Trev Alberts and University leaders led the initiative to develop an updated and modernized version of the Herbie Husker logo and costume.&nbsp; The new logo is being unveiled today and the updated Herbie Husker mascot will make his first public appearance at Saturday's Red-White Spring Game presented by FNBO.

The return to a Herbie Husker costume and logo that closely resembles the original version comes as Nebraska celebrates the 50th&nbsp;year of Herbie Husker. Alberts and University leadership have also placed a priority on embracing the Cornhusker tradition and the agricultural background of the state of Nebraska. "Herbie Husker has been one of the iconic symbols of Nebraska Athletics for nearly 50 years," Alberts said.&nbsp; "Our fans are passionate about all things related to the Huskers, and they have a particular fondness for Herbie.&nbsp; We are excited to present modernized Herbie Husker marks and logos and thrilled to unveil our new Herbie mascot at Saturday's spring game." Led by Director of Licensing Lonna Henrichs and Spirit Squad Head Coach Erynn Butzke, Nebraska Athletics began working with Torch Creative in January of 2022 to develop the new logos.&nbsp; Throughout the process, the focus remained on digitally updating the beloved Herbie mark that features blonde hair, overalls, and an ear of corn in his pocket. "Partnering with Trev, Lonna, and the University of Nebraska on modernizing Herbie has been a dream come true for Torch Creative," the company said. "We have the ultimate respect for their passion for Cornhusker Athletics and worked to match this enthusiasm in creating a more contemporary look for Herbie yet harkens back to the original 1974 version.&nbsp; Much like that iteration, we hope the modern Herbie continues to represent the heritage of the university and its passionate fanbase." In addition to the primary Herbie Husker logo, sport specific logos were created for 10 of Nebraska's varsity programs. &nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska Athletics has also updated its marks for Lil' Red and the Blackshirts. New merchandise is now available online at shop.huskers.com and fans can purchase new Herbie gear at Saturday's spring game. The Herbie Husker character evolved out of Nebraska's trip to the Cotton Bowl following the 1973 season. Artist Dirk West designed a Cornhusker cartoon for the Cotton Bowl press headquarters, and Nebraska Sports Information Director Don Bryant later contacted West for permission to use the cartoon. West refined his original cartoon and improved some of the character's features. The new Herbie Husker character first appeared on the cover of the 1974 Nebraska Football media guide and has been a favorite of Nebraska fans over the past five decades.&nbsp; The previous updated iteration of the Herbie Husker character occurred in 2003. That version of Herbie Husker had represented the Cornhuskers at athletic competitions over the past two decades.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681749946886.jpeg" alt="updated Herbie Husker for volleyball team, courtesty UNL" />
 <figcaption>updated Herbie Husker for volleyball team, courtesty UNL</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN - Nebraska Athletics is proud to officially unveil a modernized version of Herbie Husker, one of the most iconic logos and mascots in college athletics. Nebraska Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Trev Alberts and University leaders led the initiative to develop an updated and modernized version of the Herbie Husker logo and costume.&nbsp; The new logo is being unveiled today and the updated Herbie Husker mascot will make his first public appearance at Saturday's Red-White Spring Game presented by FNBO.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sometimes to move forward, you gotta look back. <a href="https://t.co/tqjPX5UdZl">pic.twitter.com/tqjPX5UdZl</a>&mdash; Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Huskers/status/1647978248226365445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> The return to a Herbie Husker costume and logo that closely resembles the original version comes as Nebraska celebrates the 50th&nbsp;year of Herbie Husker. Alberts and University leadership have also placed a priority on embracing the Cornhusker tradition and the agricultural background of the state of Nebraska. "Herbie Husker has been one of the iconic symbols of Nebraska Athletics for nearly 50 years," Alberts said.&nbsp; "Our fans are passionate about all things related to the Huskers, and they have a particular fondness for Herbie.&nbsp; We are excited to present modernized Herbie Husker marks and logos and thrilled to unveil our new Herbie mascot at Saturday's spring game." Led by Director of Licensing Lonna Henrichs and Spirit Squad Head Coach Erynn Butzke, Nebraska Athletics began working with Torch Creative in January of 2022 to develop the new logos.&nbsp; Throughout the process, the focus remained on digitally updating the beloved Herbie mark that features blonde hair, overalls, and an ear of corn in his pocket. "Partnering with Trev, Lonna, and the University of Nebraska on modernizing Herbie has been a dream come true for Torch Creative," the company said. "We have the ultimate respect for their passion for Cornhusker Athletics and worked to match this enthusiasm in creating a more contemporary look for Herbie yet harkens back to the original 1974 version.&nbsp; Much like that iteration, we hope the modern Herbie continues to represent the heritage of the university and its passionate fanbase." In addition to the primary Herbie Husker logo, sport specific logos were created for 10 of Nebraska's varsity programs. &nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska Athletics has also updated its marks for Lil' Red and the Blackshirts. New merchandise is now available online at shop.huskers.com and fans can purchase new Herbie gear at Saturday's spring game. The Herbie Husker character evolved out of Nebraska's trip to the Cotton Bowl following the 1973 season. Artist Dirk West designed a Cornhusker cartoon for the Cotton Bowl press headquarters, and Nebraska Sports Information Director Don Bryant later contacted West for permission to use the cartoon. West refined his original cartoon and improved some of the character's features. The new Herbie Husker character first appeared on the cover of the 1974 Nebraska Football media guide and has been a favorite of Nebraska fans over the past five decades.&nbsp; The previous updated iteration of the Herbie Husker character occurred in 2003. That version of Herbie Husker had represented the Cornhuskers at athletic competitions over the past two decades.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nebraska Athletics unveils updated Herbie Husker

LINCOLN — Registration is open for most sports in the 39th annual Cornhusker State Games, which take place July 14 to 30 in Lincoln, Omaha and several other Nebraska communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nebraska Sports Council officials announced 
this week that participants registered by June 21 will receive “Summer Fun
 Freebies” including a CSG shirt, Arby’s Roast Beef sandwich and 
vouchers for free admission to several attractions, including a Saltdogs
 baseball game, a Storm Chasers baseball game, the Nebraska State Fair, 
the Lancaster Super Fair and the NEBRASKAland Days Rodeo.

More than 1,500 Nebraskans are already registered 
for the mid-summer sports festival, which offers competition in more 
than 70 sports for athletes of all ages and abilities.&nbsp;More than 10,000 
total participants are expected again this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officials also announced that entry fees for most 
sports will increase after April 21.&nbsp;Those interested can find 
information and register at <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I7yJjpmALdC1WK2SkPYcDZP8Dy38UROuRs-ZhVAR1IMyh3Mf_9cF-wK8DQAUzTazArtEtu8PuZ-cIeTe1HIM8ehVow0MiuImKvo5PYHO9-B42UpLWFCN1VmhIgrpdAnPPyXoedQ3a6MPELk2zP876NVgNelMc4P3&amp;c=UWiJ5u2ccpQ9NkKRYkbWtcX2kTIwClzxR6Cim9G_TuNt13FAEf5qHA==&amp;ch=iEHUtqWKY2fdtcimdVmG0GyJf2WIkNY15MkzJQgm5o73yYEtpXGFZA==" target="_blank">CornhuskerStateGames.com</a>.

The Cornhusker State Games is conducted by the 
Nebraska Sports Council, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization with a 
mission of providing sporting events and programs that educate and 
motivate Nebraskans to live healthy, active lives.&nbsp;The Games are funded 
primarily through sponsorships from more than 100 Nebraska business.

Learn more at <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I7yJjpmALdC1WK2SkPYcDZP8Dy38UROuRs-ZhVAR1IMyh3Mf_9cF-9AtTVwYOniEWDy9SyQpUAUcVxV-fU948FkPF-as_nxEKVNdZ2WdX0lyoHGvAIqtVSSl-Jk3WdbV0s6x_gZU5CTZGFqLbMtqXY5NA_1LLbiK&amp;c=UWiJ5u2ccpQ9NkKRYkbWtcX2kTIwClzxR6Cim9G_TuNt13FAEf5qHA==&amp;ch=iEHUtqWKY2fdtcimdVmG0GyJf2WIkNY15MkzJQgm5o73yYEtpXGFZA==" target="_blank">NebraskaSportsCouncil.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681163546250.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseLINCOLN — Registration is open for most sports in the 39th annual Cornhusker State Games, which take place July 14 to 30 in Lincoln, Omaha and several other Nebraska communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska Sports Council officials announced 
this week that participants registered by June 21 will receive “Summer Fun
 Freebies” including a CSG shirt, Arby’s Roast Beef sandwich and 
vouchers for free admission to several attractions, including a Saltdogs
 baseball game, a Storm Chasers baseball game, the Nebraska State Fair, 
the Lancaster Super Fair and the NEBRASKAland Days Rodeo.More than 1,500 Nebraskans are already registered 
for the mid-summer sports festival, which offers competition in more 
than 70 sports for athletes of all ages and abilities.&nbsp;More than 10,000 
total participants are expected again this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officials also announced that entry fees for most 
sports will increase after April 21.&nbsp;Those interested can find 
information and register at <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I7yJjpmALdC1WK2SkPYcDZP8Dy38UROuRs-ZhVAR1IMyh3Mf_9cF-wK8DQAUzTazArtEtu8PuZ-cIeTe1HIM8ehVow0MiuImKvo5PYHO9-B42UpLWFCN1VmhIgrpdAnPPyXoedQ3a6MPELk2zP876NVgNelMc4P3&amp;c=UWiJ5u2ccpQ9NkKRYkbWtcX2kTIwClzxR6Cim9G_TuNt13FAEf5qHA==&amp;ch=iEHUtqWKY2fdtcimdVmG0GyJf2WIkNY15MkzJQgm5o73yYEtpXGFZA==" target="_blank">CornhuskerStateGames.com</a>.The Cornhusker State Games is conducted by the 
Nebraska Sports Council, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization with a 
mission of providing sporting events and programs that educate and 
motivate Nebraskans to live healthy, active lives.&nbsp;The Games are funded 
primarily through sponsorships from more than 100 Nebraska business.Learn more at <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I7yJjpmALdC1WK2SkPYcDZP8Dy38UROuRs-ZhVAR1IMyh3Mf_9cF-9AtTVwYOniEWDy9SyQpUAUcVxV-fU948FkPF-as_nxEKVNdZ2WdX0lyoHGvAIqtVSSl-Jk3WdbV0s6x_gZU5CTZGFqLbMtqXY5NA_1LLbiK&amp;c=UWiJ5u2ccpQ9NkKRYkbWtcX2kTIwClzxR6Cim9G_TuNt13FAEf5qHA==&amp;ch=iEHUtqWKY2fdtcimdVmG0GyJf2WIkNY15MkzJQgm5o73yYEtpXGFZA==" target="_blank">NebraskaSportsCouncil.com</a>.

Registration open for Cornhusker State Games

The NSAA voted on Wednesday morning 7-1 in favor of adding a shot clock for Class B Boys and Girls basketball starting in the 2023-24 season. Class A was the only class that had a shot clock in the 2022-23 season while every other class didn't run a shot clock. 

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NSAA Board votes 7-1 to approve a shot clock for Class B boys beginning in 2023-24. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nebpreps?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nebpreps</a>&mdash; Mike Sautter (@MikeSautter_) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeSautter_/status/1646509032855969796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The NSAA voted on Wednesday morning 7-1 in favor of adding a shot clock for Class B Boys and Girls basketball starting in the 2023-24 season. Class A was the only class that had a shot clock in the 2022-23 season while every other class didn't run a shot clock.

NSAA approves of shot clock changes for 2023-24 season

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

Jayden Jones of North Platte will join the Knights for their inaugural season on the course in the fall of 2023.

The 2020 graduate of North Platte High School closed out his high school career as a three-time state qualifier. In his junior season, Jones led the Bulldogs to the 2019 Class B Boys Golf Championship with a round of 78. Individually, his score placed him fifth in the field just seven strokes back of the leader.

During his senior season Jones was poised to return to the Nebraska State Boys Golf Championship, but the season was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am excited to continue to play golf at the next level," said Jones. "Being close to home and knowing the coach made my decision much easier."

Jayden is the son of Jay and Heidi Jones.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681390477100.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsJayden Jones of North Platte will join the Knights for their inaugural season on the course in the fall of 2023.The 2020 graduate of North Platte High School closed out his high school career as a three-time state qualifier. In his junior season, Jones led the Bulldogs to the 2019 Class B Boys Golf Championship with a round of 78. Individually, his score placed him fifth in the field just seven strokes back of the leader.During his senior season Jones was poised to return to the Nebraska State Boys Golf Championship, but the season was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic."I am excited to continue to play golf at the next level," said Jones. "Being close to home and knowing the coach made my decision much easier."Jayden is the son of Jay and Heidi Jones.

Jones joins Knights for their inaugural season

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">North Platte High School is excited to announce North Platte&#39;s own Jimmie Pack as the New High School Head Basketball coach. Go Bulldogs!&mdash; nphs_bulldogs (@nphs_bulldogs) <a href="https://twitter.com/nphs_bulldogs/status/1645534698678960128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

North Platte High School announces new basketball head coach

North Platte Post Sports Network: Head Coach Janelle Higgins 4-7-2023

North Platte High School finished runner-up at the Kearney Golf Invite with a season-low 324. Rylan Perry shot a new personal record 77 to finish 5th, and Jesse Mauch shot a new personal record 78 finishing right behind Perry in 6th. Luke Borges shot an 83 finishing 14th, River Johnston shot an 86, and Elliot Longmore shot an 89.

North Platte High School finished runner-up at the Kearney Golf Invite with a season-low 324. Rylan Perry shot a new personal record 77 to finish 5th, and Jesse Mauch shot a new personal record 78 finishing right behind Perry in 6th. Luke Borges shot an 83 finishing 14th, River Johnston shot an 86, and Elliot Longmore shot an 89.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kearney Invite Results: NP finishes Runner Up! 🥈 Team fires a season low 324 🔥 ..but falls just short in a team playoff w/ Kearney. Perry - 5th 🏅 77 *PR Mauch- 6th 🏅 78 *PR Borges - 14th 🏅 83 Great day to be a Dawg! Big step in the right direction for our squad. <a href="https://t.co/a4t5UVKy46">pic.twitter.com/a4t5UVKy46</a>&mdash; North Platte Bulldog Golf Teams (@NP__Golf) <a href="https://twitter.com/NP__Golf/status/1644110088448122882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

North Platte finishes runner up at Kearney Golf Invite

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680792187444.png" alt="NCA All-Star Girls" />
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NCA announces All Stars Teams

Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame

Andy&nbsp;Birkel, Lincoln Southeast (2004):&nbsp;Birkel&nbsp;was undefeated in the 100, 200 and 400 meters as a senior, winning the all-class gold medal in each. He also was a standout on Southeast’s state championship football team. He started his prep career at Lincoln East, where he set a school record with a 90-yard interception return. In college, he earned all-conference honors in football playing at Northern Colorado.

Nicole&nbsp;Brungardt, Norfolk Catholic (2008):&nbsp;She set Norfolk Catholic records in volleyball (kills) and basketball (points scored), and&nbsp;won seven Class B gold medals at the state track meet. In college, she started four years for the Wayne State volleyball team and was a two-time track All-American.

Ted Butler, Lincoln Southeast (1994):&nbsp;He won back-to-back state heavyweight wrestling championships as a junior and&nbsp;senior, andwas a standout center and defensive lineman in football. On the baseball diamond, he led the Knights in home runs and doubles. In college, he was a two-year starter at center for Boise State.

Matt&nbsp;Herian, Pierce (2002):&nbsp;A three-year all-state selection as a tight end,&nbsp;Herian&nbsp;also earned all-state honors in basketball, scoring more than 1,000 points, and was a state qualifier in track. At Nebraska,&nbsp;Herian&nbsp;became the Huskers’ all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards for a tight end.

Lukas&nbsp;Hulett, Bellevue East (2006):&nbsp;A track specialist,&nbsp;Hulett&nbsp;ran the fastest 400 in Nebraska high school history while winning the 200 and 400 at the state track meet.&nbsp;At&nbsp;Nebraska, he was a four-time All-American and earned 18 Big 12 meet medals.

Chris&nbsp;Kelsay, Auburn (1998):&nbsp;He earned all-state honors in football and&nbsp;basketball, and&nbsp;won state meet medals in the shot put for Auburn. He went on to earn All-American honors playing defensive end at&nbsp;Nebraska, and&nbsp;followed that with a 10-year NFL career after being drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills.

Sam Koch, Seward (2001):&nbsp;While he played multiple positions on Seward’s football team, it was his skills as a punter that made Koch stand out and carried him into his future. He was a two-year starter at Nebraska, setting a school record for average yards per punt. The first Husker punter drafted by the&nbsp;NFL,&nbsp;he spent 16 years with the Baltimore Ravens.

Dennis Korinek, Ulysses (1951):&nbsp;A six-man football phenom, Korinek still holds the state’s six-man career scoring record with 821 points, an effort that includes 118 rushing touchdowns. He led Ulysses to the six-man state championship with a win in the 1949 Apple Bowl. He won two events at the state track meet and tied the state record in the shot put before going on to the University of Nebraska, where he lettered three times in football and once in baseball.

Preston Love Jr., Omaha Tech (1960):&nbsp;All-state in football and basketball and a state champion in the high hurdles, Love was considered the best football player in the state his senior year. He attended Northwestern on a football and track scholarship, placing third in the Big 10 indoor hurdles, before transferring to Nebraska, where he lettered in football and track.

Luke Pinkelman, Cozad (2007):&nbsp;He set a state meet record in the shot put and won the all-class gold medal in the discus his senior year, capping a career in which he won three Class B shot put gold medals and two all-class discus golds. After a year at Iowa State, he returned&nbsp;to Nebraska, where he earned All-American honors in the shot put and discus.&nbsp;Also&nbsp;a football standout, he was a two-time all-state pick for the Haymakers.

Cami (Hubbs) Pruett, Omaha Westside (2007):&nbsp;Nebraska’s only undefeated four-time state tennis champion, she led Westside to three state titles while amassing a 117-0 singles record and a 22-0 doubles record. At Ohio State, she set freshman records for most wins in singles and&nbsp;doubles, and&nbsp;was twice voted the team’s most valuable player.

Stephanie (Streeks)&nbsp;Ruffridge, Gering (1993):&nbsp;Class A’s record-holder for blocks in a single volleyball match and blocks in a season,&nbsp;Streeks&nbsp;emerged as Gering’s premier three-sport star, earning all-state honors in basketball and winning the all-class gold medal in the high jump.&nbsp;Streeks&nbsp;played at Long Beach State, which won the NCAA volleyball title her redshirt season.

Tim Cannon, Omaha Bryan/Millard North:&nbsp;Back-to-back state titles at Millard North capped his 43-year career in&nbsp;boys&nbsp;basketball. His career record was 539-375, including 401-288 in 34 seasons at Bryan and 138-87 at Millard North.

Jerry Cover, Norfolk:&nbsp;In his 42 years as a golf coach, the last 37 at Norfolk, his teams were girls state champions three times, and he retired after his 2019 boys state championship team. The Panthers were state runners-up 11 times.

Dave&nbsp;Eppert, Lincoln East:&nbsp;A two-time national coach of the year in gymnastics, his Spartans were state champions five times in girls and four times in boys, with seven runner-up teams. East was ranked No. 1 nationally in&nbsp;boys&nbsp;gymnastics in 1988 and 1989.

Jean Janssen&nbsp;Groth, Wisner-Pilger (deceased):&nbsp;In only two of her 41 seasons did the Gators finish below .500 in volleyball. Her career record of 828-252 included 14 state tournament appearances, five trips to the state finals and the 1994 Class C-2 state championship.

Ron&nbsp;Mimick, Aquinas:&nbsp;The ninth coach to reach the 300-win milestone in football, he’s been at Aquinas since 1991. His football teams have won seven state titles and been in two other finals, and his boys track teams have won two titles and been runners-up twice.

John&nbsp;Farrand, Lincoln:&nbsp;Beyond his 41 years in coaching cross country, track and football in Classes A and B, the past president of the Nebraska Coaches Association has been a starter for cross country and track meets, a floor manager for state tournaments and has sat on the board of appeals for the state track meet.

James Ayres, Ogallala: He was involved in wrestling officiating for 49 years, starting with junior varsity matches and working state and district meets from 1976 to 2007, he continued as head supervisor and assistant supervisor of officials at the state tournament until 2019.

–Lincoln East’s undefeated 2022&nbsp;boys&nbsp;tennis team: The Spartans, with three freshmen, two sophomores and a senior, didn’t lose a match all season in any of the four divisions while winning the program’s 11thstate title. Hunter Nelson and Samarth&nbsp;Sajeesh&nbsp;played singles. Kirby Le and Caden&nbsp;Haar, and Joseph Bicknell and Kayden Le, were the doubles teams.

–South Sioux City&nbsp;girls&nbsp;basketball, 1995-2005: The Cardinals, coached by Kelly Flynn, were Class B state champions 10 of the 11 seasons and runner-up the other year.

–Rachel&nbsp;Balkovec, Omaha: The first woman to be a full-time manager of a minor-league baseball team has returned for her second season with the Class A Tampa Tarpons in the New York Yankees organization. The Omaha&nbsp;Skutt&nbsp;and New Mexico graduate has been in pro baseball for 12 seasons.

–John and Delores&nbsp;Bellar&nbsp;family,&nbsp;Walthill: The&nbsp;Bellars’ three sons were teachers and coaches – John has retired from BRLD, Jay is retiring as NSAA executive director and Jeff is football coach at Norfolk Catholic —&nbsp;and many of their grandchildren have been&nbsp;high school athletes.

–Ansley volleyball, 1973: Under first-year coach Pat&nbsp;Hoblyn, the Warriors completed a 19-0 season by winning the Class C state championship.

–Blair&nbsp;boys&nbsp;soccer, 1998: Coached by Todd Wick, the Bears, who won their first state title, were the first undefeated boys team in the first 11 years of NSAA-sanctioned soccer and were ranked nationally.

Ogallala&nbsp;girls&nbsp;basketball, 1998: In an epic rematch of the previous year’s Class B final, the Indians beat four-time returning champion South Sioux City 69-58 for their first state title and a No. 23 national ranking by USA Today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680726133722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska High School Sports Hall of FameAndy&nbsp;Birkel, Lincoln Southeast (2004):&nbsp;Birkel&nbsp;was undefeated in the 100, 200 and 400 meters as a senior, winning the all-class gold medal in each. He also was a standout on Southeast’s state championship football team. He started his prep career at Lincoln East, where he set a school record with a 90-yard interception return. In college, he earned all-conference honors in football playing at Northern Colorado.Nicole&nbsp;Brungardt, Norfolk Catholic (2008):&nbsp;She set Norfolk Catholic records in volleyball (kills) and basketball (points scored), and&nbsp;won seven Class B gold medals at the state track meet. In college, she started four years for the Wayne State volleyball team and was a two-time track All-American.Ted Butler, Lincoln Southeast (1994):&nbsp;He won back-to-back state heavyweight wrestling championships as a junior and&nbsp;senior, andwas a standout center and defensive lineman in football. On the baseball diamond, he led the Knights in home runs and doubles. In college, he was a two-year starter at center for Boise State.Matt&nbsp;Herian, Pierce (2002):&nbsp;A three-year all-state selection as a tight end,&nbsp;Herian&nbsp;also earned all-state honors in basketball, scoring more than 1,000 points, and was a state qualifier in track. At Nebraska,&nbsp;Herian&nbsp;became the Huskers’ all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards for a tight end.Lukas&nbsp;Hulett, Bellevue East (2006):&nbsp;A track specialist,&nbsp;Hulett&nbsp;ran the fastest 400 in Nebraska high school history while winning the 200 and 400 at the state track meet.&nbsp;At&nbsp;Nebraska, he was a four-time All-American and earned 18 Big 12 meet medals.Chris&nbsp;Kelsay, Auburn (1998):&nbsp;He earned all-state honors in football and&nbsp;basketball, and&nbsp;won state meet medals in the shot put for Auburn. He went on to earn All-American honors playing defensive end at&nbsp;Nebraska, and&nbsp;followed that with a 10-year NFL career after being drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills.Sam Koch, Seward (2001):&nbsp;While he played multiple positions on Seward’s football team, it was his skills as a punter that made Koch stand out and carried him into his future. He was a two-year starter at Nebraska, setting a school record for average yards per punt. The first Husker punter drafted by the&nbsp;NFL,&nbsp;he spent 16 years with the Baltimore Ravens.Dennis Korinek, Ulysses (1951):&nbsp;A six-man football phenom, Korinek still holds the state’s six-man career scoring record with 821 points, an effort that includes 118 rushing touchdowns. He led Ulysses to the six-man state championship with a win in the 1949 Apple Bowl. He won two events at the state track meet and tied the state record in the shot put before going on to the University of Nebraska, where he lettered three times in football and once in baseball.Preston Love Jr., Omaha Tech (1960):&nbsp;All-state in football and basketball and a state champion in the high hurdles, Love was considered the best football player in the state his senior year. He attended Northwestern on a football and track scholarship, placing third in the Big 10 indoor hurdles, before transferring to Nebraska, where he lettered in football and track.Luke Pinkelman, Cozad (2007):&nbsp;He set a state meet record in the shot put and won the all-class gold medal in the discus his senior year, capping a career in which he won three Class B shot put gold medals and two all-class discus golds. After a year at Iowa State, he returned&nbsp;to Nebraska, where he earned All-American honors in the shot put and discus.&nbsp;Also&nbsp;a football standout, he was a two-time all-state pick for the Haymakers.Cami (Hubbs) Pruett, Omaha Westside (2007):&nbsp;Nebraska’s only undefeated four-time state tennis champion, she led Westside to three state titles while amassing a 117-0 singles record and a 22-0 doubles record. At Ohio State, she set freshman records for most wins in singles and&nbsp;doubles, and&nbsp;was twice voted the team’s most valuable player.Stephanie (Streeks)&nbsp;Ruffridge, Gering (1993):&nbsp;Class A’s record-holder for blocks in a single volleyball match and blocks in a season,&nbsp;Streeks&nbsp;emerged as Gering’s premier three-sport star, earning all-state honors in basketball and winning the all-class gold medal in the high jump.&nbsp;Streeks&nbsp;played at Long Beach State, which won the NCAA volleyball title her redshirt season.Tim Cannon, Omaha Bryan/Millard North:&nbsp;Back-to-back state titles at Millard North capped his 43-year career in&nbsp;boys&nbsp;basketball. His career record was 539-375, including 401-288 in 34 seasons at Bryan and 138-87 at Millard North.Jerry Cover, Norfolk:&nbsp;In his 42 years as a golf coach, the last 37 at Norfolk, his teams were girls state champions three times, and he retired after his 2019 boys state championship team. The Panthers were state runners-up 11 times.Dave&nbsp;Eppert, Lincoln East:&nbsp;A two-time national coach of the year in gymnastics, his Spartans were state champions five times in girls and four times in boys, with seven runner-up teams. East was ranked No. 1 nationally in&nbsp;boys&nbsp;gymnastics in 1988 and 1989.Jean Janssen&nbsp;Groth, Wisner-Pilger (deceased):&nbsp;In only two of her 41 seasons did the Gators finish below .500 in volleyball. Her career record of 828-252 included 14 state tournament appearances, five trips to the state finals and the 1994 Class C-2 state championship.Ron&nbsp;Mimick, Aquinas:&nbsp;The ninth coach to reach the 300-win milestone in football, he’s been at Aquinas since 1991. His football teams have won seven state titles and been in two other finals, and his boys track teams have won two titles and been runners-up twice.John&nbsp;Farrand, Lincoln:&nbsp;Beyond his 41 years in coaching cross country, track and football in Classes A and B, the past president of the Nebraska Coaches Association has been a starter for cross country and track meets, a floor manager for state tournaments and has sat on the board of appeals for the state track meet.<h2>Official</h2>James Ayres, Ogallala: He was involved in wrestling officiating for 49 years, starting with junior varsity matches and working state and district meets from 1976 to 2007, he continued as head supervisor and assistant supervisor of officials at the state tournament until 2019.<h2>Great Moment in High School Sports</h2>–Lincoln East’s undefeated 2022&nbsp;boys&nbsp;tennis team: The Spartans, with three freshmen, two sophomores and a senior, didn’t lose a match all season in any of the four divisions while winning the program’s 11thstate title. Hunter Nelson and Samarth&nbsp;Sajeesh&nbsp;played singles. Kirby Le and Caden&nbsp;Haar, and Joseph Bicknell and Kayden Le, were the doubles teams.<h2>Dominant Dynasty</h2>–South Sioux City&nbsp;girls&nbsp;basketball, 1995-2005: The Cardinals, coached by Kelly Flynn, were Class B state champions 10 of the 11 seasons and runner-up the other year.<h2>Ron Gustafson Inspirational Award</h2>–Rachel&nbsp;Balkovec, Omaha: The first woman to be a full-time manager of a minor-league baseball team has returned for her second season with the Class A Tampa Tarpons in the New York Yankees organization. The Omaha&nbsp;Skutt&nbsp;and New Mexico graduate has been in pro baseball for 12 seasons.<h2>Fischer Family Award</h2>–John and Delores&nbsp;Bellar&nbsp;family,&nbsp;Walthill: The&nbsp;Bellars’ three sons were teachers and coaches – John has retired from BRLD, Jay is retiring as NSAA executive director and Jeff is football coach at Norfolk Catholic —&nbsp;and many of their grandchildren have been&nbsp;high school athletes.<h2>Golden Anniversary Team</h2>–Ansley volleyball, 1973: Under first-year coach Pat&nbsp;Hoblyn, the Warriors completed a 19-0 season by winning the Class C state championship.<h2>Silver Anniversary Teams</h2>–Blair&nbsp;boys&nbsp;soccer, 1998: Coached by Todd Wick, the Bears, who won their first state title, were the first undefeated boys team in the first 11 years of NSAA-sanctioned soccer and were ranked nationally.Ogallala&nbsp;girls&nbsp;basketball, 1998: In an epic rematch of the previous year’s Class B final, the Indians beat four-time returning champion South Sioux City 69-58 for their first state title and a No. 23 national ranking by USA Today.