KEARNEY, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm completed the first phase of the 2024 USHL Draft Monday evening by making ten selections in the ten-round draft of 2008-born players. The Storm drafted six forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender in Monday’s draft. Phase II of the 2024 USHL Draft will begin tomorrow at 11:00 am CT. The USHL Draft is comprised of two separate Phases, beginning with Phase I, which consists of ten rounds of “Futures” age players, who will be Under-17 players for the next season. Only players born in 2008 are eligible to be selected in this year’s Phase I Draft. Phase II is open to players of all ages who are eligible to play junior hockey, and who are not currently on the Protected List of a Member Club. The Phase II Draft continues until all Member Clubs have filled their Initial Protected List to a total of forty-five players,&nbsp;including those who were previously protected from the Member Club’s affiliate list.&nbsp;Ilya Morozov, 15, Forward, from Moskva, Russia, was signed to a tender agreement for the 2024-2025 season on December 14th, 2023. The signing replaced Tri-City’s 1st&nbsp;Round draft selection in Monday’s Phase I Draft. Morozov skated in forty-nine games this season with the Windy City Storm. He netted thirty-three goals and notched forty-one assists for seventy-four total points. Morozov previously skated for Orbita Zelenograd in Zelenograd, Russia before beginning his career in North America. Morozov scored five goals and recorded three assists for eight total points for Team Moskva U15 in the 2022-2023 Federal Districts Cup. He also scored four goals and recorded five assists for nine total points in the 2021-2022 edition of the event for Moskva's U14 team. Morozov is 6'1", 154 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Levi Harper, 15, Defenseman, from Tampa, Florida, was the Storm’s first selection in Monday’s Phase I Draft. Harper was selected 22nd&nbsp;overall in the 2nd round by Tri-City. He scored nine goals and recorded twenty-three points for thirty-two total points in fifty-six games played this season for the Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres 15U team (AAA, Faribault, Minnesota). Harper scored two goals and notched twenty-one assists for twenty-three total points in forty-two games played last season for Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U squad. He is the younger brother of current Storm defenseman Brandt Harper. He is 5’9”, 143 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.&nbsp;Will Bent, 16, Forward, from Dover, Massachusetts, was Tri-City’s next selection in Monday’s draft. Bent was drafted 37th&nbsp;overall in the 3rd round, and was the first forward selected by the Storm. He scored fifty-one goals and recorded forty-two assists for ninety-three total points in fifty-eight games played this season for Mount St. Charles Academy’s 15U team (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island). Bent also netted thirty-seven goals and notched thirty-eight assists for seventy-five total points in fifty-two games played last season for the 14U team at Mount St. Charles. He previously skated for the Boston Jr. Eagles program (AAA, Wellesley, Massachusetts) before his time with Mount St. Charles. Bent is 6’1”, 190 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.&nbsp;Ben MacBeath, 16, Defenseman, from Calgary, Alberta, was the second defenseman drafted by the Storm in Monday’s Phase I Draft. He was selected 39th overall in the 3rd&nbsp;round. MacBeath scored six goals and notched twenty-three assists for twenty-nine total points in twenty-six games played this season for the Edge School Mountaineers U18 team (Prep, Calgary, Alberta). MacBeath scored seven goals and recorded thirty-six assists for forty-three total points in twenty-eight games played last season for Yale Hockey Academy’s 15U squad (Prep, Abbotsford, British Columbia). He is 6’0”, 170 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Trevor Theuer, 16, Forward, from Clarkston, Michigan, was selected 41st overall in the 3rd&nbsp;round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft by the Storm. Theuer was the third player selected by the Storm during Monday’s 3rd round. He scored twenty-four goals and recorded forty-five assists for sixty-nine total points in fifty-six games played this season for the Honeybaked 15U program (AAA, Farmington Hills, Michigan). Theuer also previously skated for the 14U and 13U Honeybaked teams. He is 5’10”, 172 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Ryder Fetterolf, 16, Goaltender, from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, was the only netminder selected by Tri-City in Monday’s Phase I Draft. Fetterolf was selected 52nd&nbsp;overall in the 4th&nbsp;round. Fetterolf appeared in forty-one games this season in goal for Gilmour Academy (Prep, Gates Mills, Ohio). He recorded a GAA (Goals Against Average) of 2.63, and a Save Percentage (SV%) of .915%. Fetterolf previously played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 13U team (AAA, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania). He is 6’0”, 165lbs., and catches with his left hand.&nbsp;Matthew Krayer, 15, Forward, from Concord, Massachusetts, was the next forward selected by the Storm in the Phase I Draft. He was drafted 67th overall in the 5th&nbsp;round during Monday’s draft. Matthew is the younger brother of Dylan Krayer, who was selected 145th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 10th&nbsp;round of the 2023 USHL Phase I Draft, and skated in two games with the team this season as an affiliate list callup. Matthew scored thirty-two goals and notched forty-seven assists for seventy-nine total points in fifty-six games played this season for Mount St. Charles Academy’s 15U team (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island). He also scored twenty-nine goals and recorded thirty-four assists for sixty-three total points in fifty-seven games played for the team last season. Krayer previously skated for the Middlesex Islanders’ 13U program (AAA, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts). He is 5’9”, 160 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Jackson Strukel, 15, Defenseman, from Duluth, Minnesota, was drafted 82nd overall in the 6th&nbsp;round by Tri-City, and was the final defenseman selected by the Storm in the first Phase of the 2024 USHL Draft. Strukel netted eleven goals and recorded twenty-four assists for thirty-five total points in twenty-eight games played this season for Hibbing/Chisholm High School (HS, Hibbing, Minnesota). Strukel scored twenty-seven goals and notched thirty-six assists for sixty-three total points in forty-eight games played last season for the Hibbing-Chisholm Bantam program (A, Hibbing, Minnesota). &nbsp;He is 5’9”, 16l lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.Tri-City executed a trade with the Green Bay Gamblers during the 7th round of Monday’s Phase I Draft. The Storm traded the 97th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft to the Gamblers in exchange for the 100th &amp; 132nd&nbsp;overall picks in the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft.&nbsp;Hunter Rudolph, 16, Forward, from West Fargo, North Dakota, was selected 100th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 7th&nbsp;round of the Phase I Draft following Tri-City’s mid-draft transaction with Green Bay. Rudolph netted twenty-seven goals and notched thirty assists for fifty-seven total points in fifty-one total games played this season for NorthStar Christian Academy’s 16U team (AAA, Alexandria, Minnesota). He also previously skated for Team North Dakota and MN North Dakota AAA programs. Rudolph is 5’7’’, 130 lbs, and is a lefthanded shot. &nbsp;Jake Gustafson, 16, Forward, from San Jose, California, was the Storm’s penultimate pick of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft. Gustafson was selected 112th overall in the 8th&nbsp;round by Tri-City, and was the ninth selection made by the Storm in Monday’s draft. He scored thirty-four goals and recorded twenty-nine assists for sixty-three total points in forty-three games played this season for the San Jose Jr. Sharks 15U program (AAA, San Jose California). Gustafson scored twenty-eight goals and notched twenty-three assists for fifty-one total points in thirty-six games played during the 2022-2023 season for the Jr. Sharks’ 14U program. He is 6’2”, 161 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.&nbsp;Nolan Duskocy, 16, Forward, from Ellington, Connecticut, was Tri-City’s final selection in the first phase of this year’s USHL Draft. He was drafted 132nd&nbsp;overall in the 9th&nbsp;round by the Storm. Duskocy scored twenty-seven goals and notched thirty-four assists for sixty-one total points in sixty-two games played this season with Bishop Kearney Selects’ 15U squad (AAA, Rochester, New York). He also netted thirty-nine goals and recorded thirty-six assists for seventy-five total points in seventy-four games played during the 2022-2023 season for Bishop Kearney’s 14U team. Duskocy is 6’1”, 165 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.“First off, a warm welcome to all of our new players and families who were selected this evening, and&nbsp;congratulations! It is great to complete an extremely important part of our team-building process today, and add quality talent and human beings to our organization. We are thrilled for the future of our roster and program. I cannot thank our scouting and coaching staff enough for the countless hours and time they've put into helping make these important decisions for the future of the Storm.”- General Manager Jason Koehler.

Signups are now underway for the Storm’s 2024 USHL Futures Camp at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Illinois. The camp is open to any interested 2009 or 2010-born player. The three-day development and exposure camp will be held August 2nd&nbsp;through August 4th, 2024. Camp spots will fill fast and are on a “first come, first served” basis. Once positions at the camp are filled, registrants will be locked out from signing up for those positions. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for additional information, and to register for the camp.

Season Tickets to the Storm’s 25th&nbsp;Anniversary Season are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting a member of the Storm Sales Staff at 308-338-8144. Pricing, and the Season Ticket Order Form for the 2024-2025 season, can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx</a>. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for more information regarding the Tri-City Storm organization. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KEARNEY, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm completed the first phase of the 2024 USHL Draft Monday evening by making ten selections in the ten-round draft of 2008-born players. The Storm drafted six forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender in Monday’s draft. Phase II of the 2024 USHL Draft will begin tomorrow at 11:00 am CT. The USHL Draft is comprised of two separate Phases, beginning with Phase I, which consists of ten rounds of “Futures” age players, who will be Under-17 players for the next season. Only players born in 2008 are eligible to be selected in this year’s Phase I Draft. Phase II is open to players of all ages who are eligible to play junior hockey, and who are not currently on the Protected List of a Member Club. The Phase II Draft continues until all Member Clubs have filled their Initial Protected List to a total of forty-five players,&nbsp;including those who were previously protected from the Member Club’s affiliate list.&nbsp;Ilya Morozov, 15, Forward, from Moskva, Russia, was signed to a tender agreement for the 2024-2025 season on December 14th, 2023. The signing replaced Tri-City’s 1st&nbsp;Round draft selection in Monday’s Phase I Draft. Morozov skated in forty-nine games this season with the Windy City Storm. He netted thirty-three goals and notched forty-one assists for seventy-four total points. Morozov previously skated for Orbita Zelenograd in Zelenograd, Russia before beginning his career in North America. Morozov scored five goals and recorded three assists for eight total points for Team Moskva U15 in the 2022-2023 Federal Districts Cup. He also scored four goals and recorded five assists for nine total points in the 2021-2022 edition of the event for Moskva's U14 team. Morozov is 6'1", 154 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Levi Harper, 15, Defenseman, from Tampa, Florida, was the Storm’s first selection in Monday’s Phase I Draft. Harper was selected 22nd&nbsp;overall in the 2nd round by Tri-City. He scored nine goals and recorded twenty-three points for thirty-two total points in fifty-six games played this season for the Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres 15U team (AAA, Faribault, Minnesota). Harper scored two goals and notched twenty-one assists for twenty-three total points in forty-two games played last season for Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U squad. He is the younger brother of current Storm defenseman Brandt Harper. He is 5’9”, 143 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.&nbsp;Will Bent, 16, Forward, from Dover, Massachusetts, was Tri-City’s next selection in Monday’s draft. Bent was drafted 37th&nbsp;overall in the 3rd round, and was the first forward selected by the Storm. He scored fifty-one goals and recorded forty-two assists for ninety-three total points in fifty-eight games played this season for Mount St. Charles Academy’s 15U team (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island). Bent also netted thirty-seven goals and notched thirty-eight assists for seventy-five total points in fifty-two games played last season for the 14U team at Mount St. Charles. He previously skated for the Boston Jr. Eagles program (AAA, Wellesley, Massachusetts) before his time with Mount St. Charles. Bent is 6’1”, 190 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.&nbsp;Ben MacBeath, 16, Defenseman, from Calgary, Alberta, was the second defenseman drafted by the Storm in Monday’s Phase I Draft. He was selected 39th overall in the 3rd&nbsp;round. MacBeath scored six goals and notched twenty-three assists for twenty-nine total points in twenty-six games played this season for the Edge School Mountaineers U18 team (Prep, Calgary, Alberta). MacBeath scored seven goals and recorded thirty-six assists for forty-three total points in twenty-eight games played last season for Yale Hockey Academy’s 15U squad (Prep, Abbotsford, British Columbia). He is 6’0”, 170 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Trevor Theuer, 16, Forward, from Clarkston, Michigan, was selected 41st overall in the 3rd&nbsp;round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft by the Storm. Theuer was the third player selected by the Storm during Monday’s 3rd round. He scored twenty-four goals and recorded forty-five assists for sixty-nine total points in fifty-six games played this season for the Honeybaked 15U program (AAA, Farmington Hills, Michigan). Theuer also previously skated for the 14U and 13U Honeybaked teams. He is 5’10”, 172 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Ryder Fetterolf, 16, Goaltender, from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, was the only netminder selected by Tri-City in Monday’s Phase I Draft. Fetterolf was selected 52nd&nbsp;overall in the 4th&nbsp;round. Fetterolf appeared in forty-one games this season in goal for Gilmour Academy (Prep, Gates Mills, Ohio). He recorded a GAA (Goals Against Average) of 2.63, and a Save Percentage (SV%) of .915%. Fetterolf previously played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 13U team (AAA, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania). He is 6’0”, 165lbs., and catches with his left hand.&nbsp;Matthew Krayer, 15, Forward, from Concord, Massachusetts, was the next forward selected by the Storm in the Phase I Draft. He was drafted 67th overall in the 5th&nbsp;round during Monday’s draft. Matthew is the younger brother of Dylan Krayer, who was selected 145th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 10th&nbsp;round of the 2023 USHL Phase I Draft, and skated in two games with the team this season as an affiliate list callup. Matthew scored thirty-two goals and notched forty-seven assists for seventy-nine total points in fifty-six games played this season for Mount St. Charles Academy’s 15U team (AAA, Woonsocket, Rhode Island). He also scored twenty-nine goals and recorded thirty-four assists for sixty-three total points in fifty-seven games played for the team last season. Krayer previously skated for the Middlesex Islanders’ 13U program (AAA, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts). He is 5’9”, 160 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.&nbsp;Jackson Strukel, 15, Defenseman, from Duluth, Minnesota, was drafted 82nd overall in the 6th&nbsp;round by Tri-City, and was the final defenseman selected by the Storm in the first Phase of the 2024 USHL Draft. Strukel netted eleven goals and recorded twenty-four assists for thirty-five total points in twenty-eight games played this season for Hibbing/Chisholm High School (HS, Hibbing, Minnesota). Strukel scored twenty-seven goals and notched thirty-six assists for sixty-three total points in forty-eight games played last season for the Hibbing-Chisholm Bantam program (A, Hibbing, Minnesota). &nbsp;He is 5’9”, 16l lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.Tri-City executed a trade with the Green Bay Gamblers during the 7th round of Monday’s Phase I Draft. The Storm traded the 97th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft to the Gamblers in exchange for the 100th &amp; 132nd&nbsp;overall picks in the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft.&nbsp;Hunter Rudolph, 16, Forward, from West Fargo, North Dakota, was selected 100th&nbsp;overall by the Storm in the 7th&nbsp;round of the Phase I Draft following Tri-City’s mid-draft transaction with Green Bay. Rudolph netted twenty-seven goals and notched thirty assists for fifty-seven total points in fifty-one total games played this season for NorthStar Christian Academy’s 16U team (AAA, Alexandria, Minnesota). He also previously skated for Team North Dakota and MN North Dakota AAA programs. Rudolph is 5’7’’, 130 lbs, and is a lefthanded shot. &nbsp;Jake Gustafson, 16, Forward, from San Jose, California, was the Storm’s penultimate pick of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft. Gustafson was selected 112th overall in the 8th&nbsp;round by Tri-City, and was the ninth selection made by the Storm in Monday’s draft. He scored thirty-four goals and recorded twenty-nine assists for sixty-three total points in forty-three games played this season for the San Jose Jr. Sharks 15U program (AAA, San Jose California). Gustafson scored twenty-eight goals and notched twenty-three assists for fifty-one total points in thirty-six games played during the 2022-2023 season for the Jr. Sharks’ 14U program. He is 6’2”, 161 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.&nbsp;Nolan Duskocy, 16, Forward, from Ellington, Connecticut, was Tri-City’s final selection in the first phase of this year’s USHL Draft. He was drafted 132nd&nbsp;overall in the 9th&nbsp;round by the Storm. Duskocy scored twenty-seven goals and notched thirty-four assists for sixty-one total points in sixty-two games played this season with Bishop Kearney Selects’ 15U squad (AAA, Rochester, New York). He also netted thirty-nine goals and recorded thirty-six assists for seventy-five total points in seventy-four games played during the 2022-2023 season for Bishop Kearney’s 14U team. Duskocy is 6’1”, 165 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.“First off, a warm welcome to all of our new players and families who were selected this evening, and&nbsp;congratulations! It is great to complete an extremely important part of our team-building process today, and add quality talent and human beings to our organization. We are thrilled for the future of our roster and program. I cannot thank our scouting and coaching staff enough for the countless hours and time they've put into helping make these important decisions for the future of the Storm.”- General Manager Jason Koehler.Signups are now underway for the Storm’s 2024 USHL Futures Camp at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Illinois. The camp is open to any interested 2009 or 2010-born player. The three-day development and exposure camp will be held August 2nd&nbsp;through August 4th, 2024. Camp spots will fill fast and are on a “first come, first served” basis. Once positions at the camp are filled, registrants will be locked out from signing up for those positions. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for additional information, and to register for the camp.Season Tickets to the Storm’s 25th&nbsp;Anniversary Season are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting a member of the Storm Sales Staff at 308-338-8144. Pricing, and the Season Ticket Order Form for the 2024-2025 season, can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx</a>. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for more information regarding the Tri-City Storm organization. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Storm completes first phase of USHL Draft

Story by Supernovas Communications

HENDERSON, NV. -&nbsp;The&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas (15-7)&nbsp;earned a sweep of the Vegas Thrill (8-15) for the second-straight match (25-16, 25-23, 25-16) to win the season series and officially claim the No. 2 seed in the upcoming&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. The season’s inaugural championship will take place at the&nbsp;CHI Health Center&nbsp;in Omaha on May 15 and May 18.&nbsp;

Omaha will either take on the Grand Rapids Rise, Columbus Fury or San Diego Mojo in the semifinal showdown at 8:30 p.m. on May 15.&nbsp;

The Supernovas were boosted by a .286 team hitting percentage which is the third-highest clip they’ve achieved this season and the highest since hitting .299 against the Orlando Valkyries on Feb. 18. Team captain&nbsp;Brooke Nuneviller&nbsp;led the offensive charge with a match-high 10 kills to go with 14 digs and one block. Nuneviller was the only player to reach double-digit kills from either side. Opposite&nbsp;Stephanie Samedy&nbsp;added nine kills while Olympian&nbsp;Bethania de la Cruz&nbsp;posted seven kills and her league-leading 30th ace of the season.&nbsp;

The two Omaha middle blockers&nbsp;Tori Dixon&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hristina Vuchkova&nbsp;had another extremely efficient night from the middle. Dixon put down seven kills on a .375 clip and two blocks while Vuchkova earned four kills on a .500 hitting percentage along with a match-high four blocks. The two middles have combined for 27 kills on a .426 clip over the two-match road trip.&nbsp;

Setter&nbsp;Natalia Valentín-Anderson&nbsp;handed out 32 assists in three sets as well as 15 digs and one kill. Libero&nbsp;Kendall White&nbsp;dug out 12 balls on the night. The Supernovas finished with seven team blocks and two aces.&nbsp;

Rookie outside hitter Hannah Maddux paced the Thrill offense with nine kills while opposite Khat Bell finished with eight. Middle Berkeley Oblad posted eight kills on 22 swings with no errors for a .364 hitting percentage. The Thrill finished with five blocks and three aces in their home finale.&nbsp;

Set 1:&nbsp;The Supernovas shot out to a 7-3 advantage out of the gate as Dixon slammed down two kills while de la Cruz and Samedy added their first kills of the match. Bell earned a pair of kills to end the run, but a slew of hitting errors gave Omaha a 9-4 edge. Vuchkova tallied her first kill of the match off an overpass. Another hitting error made it an 11-4 Supernovas lead, forcing a Vegas timeout. De la Cruz added two more kills to extend the Supernovas run to 7-1. Nuneviller put down her first kill to give Omaha a 15-6 lead. Bell later fueled a 5-1 run for the Thrill which also included a McKenna Vicini ace. Vuchkova posted another kill while a Vegas hitting error halted the Thrill momentum. Vuchkova used the slide for her third kill of the set while de la Cruz earned a crafty kill to force a Vegas timeout at 23-15, Omaha. De la Cruz gave the Supernovas set point before a Bell hitting error gave Omaha the 25-16 set win.&nbsp;

The Supernovas hit .412 with only one hitting error on 34 swings as well as one block, but no aces. De la Cruz paced the offense with five kills while Vuchkova and Samedy each finished with three.&nbsp;

Vegas hit .094 with one block and one ace. Bell posted four kills while rookie Maddux had three.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;Maddux gave Vegas a 3-2 lead early, but the Supernovas answered with a 7-1 run. Nuneviller earned four kills in that burst, including three straight while Dixon earned an ace to give Omaha a 9-4 lead. Nuneviller added her fifth kill before the halfway point of the set. The Thrill used the hard serving from Payton Caffrey to garner momentum serving an ace as part of a 5-1 run to get within two. A 4-1 run from Vegas tied the match at 18 as Vicini dropped in another ace while Oblad and Caffrey put down kills. A kill by setter Alisha Glass Childress and Maddux extended the Vegas lead to 20-18, but de la Cruz responded with back-to-back kills to tie the set again. The Thrill took a 22-21 advantage off an Omaha four-hit violation, but a 3-0 run off a trio of hitting errors gave the Supernovas a 24-22 lead. Maddux slammed down a kill to make it second set point for Omaha, but Samedy shut the door with a tool off the block for a 25-23 set two win.&nbsp;

The Supernovas hit .200 with three blocks and the lone Dixon ace. Nuneviller came alive for six kills in the set on a .455 hitting percentage.&nbsp;

Vegas hit .175 with three blocks and two aces. Oblad put down five kills on 10 swings for a .500 clip while Maddux added three kills.&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;The Supernovas kept their momentum into the third set as Dixon started things off with a block. Samedy followed up with a kill while a Vegas hitting error quickly gave Omaha a 3-0 lead. Oblad ended the run at three with a kill. Dixon and Nuneviller each added one more kill while another Maddux hitting woe lifted the Supernovas lead to 6-1, forcing a Thrill timeout. Vegas answered with back-to-back points of a Maddux kill and Bell block. Three more errors extended the Omaha lead to 10-4 before the Thrill picked up the slack with a 5-1 run including two more kills from Bell. After getting back within three at 14-11, the Supernovas went on a run of their own as Dixon put down two more kills and earned a block to force a Vegas timeout at 18-12. Vuchkova came up with a block and a kill while Nuneviller and Samedy tacked on another termination to lengthen the Omaha run to six-straight points to go up 22-13. A service error gave the Supernovas match point before another Vegas hitting mistake gave Omaha the match win at 25-16.&nbsp;

The Supernovas return to Omaha for their home finale against the Columbus Fury on Thursday, May 9 at the CHI Health Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CDT with News Channel Nebraska providing television coverage. Fans can listen to all the action live on the Supernovas Radio Network led by its flagship station 93.7 The Ticket.&nbsp;

Story by Supernovas CommunicationsHENDERSON, NV. -&nbsp;The&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas (15-7)&nbsp;earned a sweep of the Vegas Thrill (8-15) for the second-straight match (25-16, 25-23, 25-16) to win the season series and officially claim the No. 2 seed in the upcoming&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. The season’s inaugural championship will take place at the&nbsp;CHI Health Center&nbsp;in Omaha on May 15 and May 18.&nbsp;Omaha will either take on the Grand Rapids Rise, Columbus Fury or San Diego Mojo in the semifinal showdown at 8:30 p.m. on May 15.&nbsp;The Supernovas were boosted by a .286 team hitting percentage which is the third-highest clip they’ve achieved this season and the highest since hitting .299 against the Orlando Valkyries on Feb. 18. Team captain&nbsp;Brooke Nuneviller&nbsp;led the offensive charge with a match-high 10 kills to go with 14 digs and one block. Nuneviller was the only player to reach double-digit kills from either side. Opposite&nbsp;Stephanie Samedy&nbsp;added nine kills while Olympian&nbsp;Bethania de la Cruz&nbsp;posted seven kills and her league-leading 30th ace of the season.&nbsp;The two Omaha middle blockers&nbsp;Tori Dixon&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hristina Vuchkova&nbsp;had another extremely efficient night from the middle. Dixon put down seven kills on a .375 clip and two blocks while Vuchkova earned four kills on a .500 hitting percentage along with a match-high four blocks. The two middles have combined for 27 kills on a .426 clip over the two-match road trip.&nbsp;Setter&nbsp;Natalia Valentín-Anderson&nbsp;handed out 32 assists in three sets as well as 15 digs and one kill. Libero&nbsp;Kendall White&nbsp;dug out 12 balls on the night. The Supernovas finished with seven team blocks and two aces.&nbsp;Rookie outside hitter Hannah Maddux paced the Thrill offense with nine kills while opposite Khat Bell finished with eight. Middle Berkeley Oblad posted eight kills on 22 swings with no errors for a .364 hitting percentage. The Thrill finished with five blocks and three aces in their home finale.&nbsp;Set 1:&nbsp;The Supernovas shot out to a 7-3 advantage out of the gate as Dixon slammed down two kills while de la Cruz and Samedy added their first kills of the match. Bell earned a pair of kills to end the run, but a slew of hitting errors gave Omaha a 9-4 edge. Vuchkova tallied her first kill of the match off an overpass. Another hitting error made it an 11-4 Supernovas lead, forcing a Vegas timeout. De la Cruz added two more kills to extend the Supernovas run to 7-1. Nuneviller put down her first kill to give Omaha a 15-6 lead. Bell later fueled a 5-1 run for the Thrill which also included a McKenna Vicini ace. Vuchkova posted another kill while a Vegas hitting error halted the Thrill momentum. Vuchkova used the slide for her third kill of the set while de la Cruz earned a crafty kill to force a Vegas timeout at 23-15, Omaha. De la Cruz gave the Supernovas set point before a Bell hitting error gave Omaha the 25-16 set win.&nbsp;The Supernovas hit .412 with only one hitting error on 34 swings as well as one block, but no aces. De la Cruz paced the offense with five kills while Vuchkova and Samedy each finished with three.&nbsp;Vegas hit .094 with one block and one ace. Bell posted four kills while rookie Maddux had three.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;Maddux gave Vegas a 3-2 lead early, but the Supernovas answered with a 7-1 run. Nuneviller earned four kills in that burst, including three straight while Dixon earned an ace to give Omaha a 9-4 lead. Nuneviller added her fifth kill before the halfway point of the set. The Thrill used the hard serving from Payton Caffrey to garner momentum serving an ace as part of a 5-1 run to get within two. A 4-1 run from Vegas tied the match at 18 as Vicini dropped in another ace while Oblad and Caffrey put down kills. A kill by setter Alisha Glass Childress and Maddux extended the Vegas lead to 20-18, but de la Cruz responded with back-to-back kills to tie the set again. The Thrill took a 22-21 advantage off an Omaha four-hit violation, but a 3-0 run off a trio of hitting errors gave the Supernovas a 24-22 lead. Maddux slammed down a kill to make it second set point for Omaha, but Samedy shut the door with a tool off the block for a 25-23 set two win.&nbsp;The Supernovas hit .200 with three blocks and the lone Dixon ace. Nuneviller came alive for six kills in the set on a .455 hitting percentage.&nbsp;Vegas hit .175 with three blocks and two aces. Oblad put down five kills on 10 swings for a .500 clip while Maddux added three kills.&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;The Supernovas kept their momentum into the third set as Dixon started things off with a block. Samedy followed up with a kill while a Vegas hitting error quickly gave Omaha a 3-0 lead. Oblad ended the run at three with a kill. Dixon and Nuneviller each added one more kill while another Maddux hitting woe lifted the Supernovas lead to 6-1, forcing a Thrill timeout. Vegas answered with back-to-back points of a Maddux kill and Bell block. Three more errors extended the Omaha lead to 10-4 before the Thrill picked up the slack with a 5-1 run including two more kills from Bell. After getting back within three at 14-11, the Supernovas went on a run of their own as Dixon put down two more kills and earned a block to force a Vegas timeout at 18-12. Vuchkova came up with a block and a kill while Nuneviller and Samedy tacked on another termination to lengthen the Omaha run to six-straight points to go up 22-13. A service error gave the Supernovas match point before another Vegas hitting mistake gave Omaha the match win at 25-16.&nbsp;The Supernovas return to Omaha for their home finale against the Columbus Fury on Thursday, May 9 at the CHI Health Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CDT with News Channel Nebraska providing television coverage. Fans can listen to all the action live on the Supernovas Radio Network led by its flagship station 93.7 The Ticket.&nbsp;

Supernovas sweep Thrill again to take season series

North Platte, Neb. - North Platte natives Jack Hughes, Reece Perry and Scott Blaesi have qualified for the 2024 High School Fishing National Championships taking place in South Carolina.

Hughes, Perry and boat captain Blaesi won SAF Nebraska High School state fishing tournament on May 5th at Merritt Reservoir near Valentine. As a team, their&nbsp;total bag weighed 9.95 pounds. The trio will participate in the 2024&nbsp;High School Fishing National Championships on June 19-22 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.

Also qualifying from Nebraska for the&nbsp;High School Fishing National Championships is&nbsp;Gage Overton &amp; Kaden Wilhelmson from McCook High School. Overton and Wilhelmson participated in last year's national championships in Wisconsin.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715024621535.jpeg" alt="L-R: Jack Hughes, Scott Blaesi and Reece Perry. (Photo courtesy of Riley Hughes)" />
 <figcaption>L-R: Jack Hughes, Scott Blaesi and Reece Perry. (Photo courtesy of Riley Hughes)</figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte PostNorth Platte, Neb. - North Platte natives Jack Hughes, Reece Perry and Scott Blaesi have qualified for the 2024 High School Fishing National Championships taking place in South Carolina.Hughes, Perry and boat captain Blaesi won SAF Nebraska High School state fishing tournament on May 5th at Merritt Reservoir near Valentine. As a team, their&nbsp;total bag weighed 9.95 pounds. The trio will participate in the 2024&nbsp;High School Fishing National Championships on June 19-22 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715026653668.jpeg" alt="L-R: Gage Overton and Kaden Wilhelmson (Courtesy Photo)" />
 <figcaption>L-R: Gage Overton and Kaden Wilhelmson (Courtesy Photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Also qualifying from Nebraska for the&nbsp;High School Fishing National Championships is&nbsp;Gage Overton &amp; Kaden Wilhelmson from McCook High School. Overton and Wilhelmson participated in last year's national championships in Wisconsin.

North Platte, McCook high school fishing teams moving on to South Carolina for the 2024 High School Fishing National Championships

Story by NU Athletic Communications

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced the full 12-team, single-elimination bracket for the 25th Big Ten Softball Tournament, presented by DirecTV that will take place May 8-11 at the University of Iowa’s Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City, Iowa.&nbsp;

Northwestern (33-10, 19-3 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament after earning its 10th Big Ten Championship and third in a row on Sunday. The Wildcats have won three Big Ten Tournament titles (1982, 2008, 2023) and will open this year’s tournament on Thursday with a quarterfinal contest at 11 a.m. (CT) live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between No. 12 Illinois and No. 5 Minnesota.&nbsp;

Michigan (38-16, 17-5) is the No. 2 seed for this year’s Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines have won a conference-record 10 Big Ten Tournament championships, most recently in 2019. They will open this year’s Big Ten Tournament slate at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Thursday, playing live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup between tenth-seeded Maryland and No. 7&nbsp;seed Penn State. &nbsp;

Rutgers (33-21, 14-9) is the No. 3 seed for the Big Ten Tournament, the Scarlet Knights’ highest seed ever as part of their fifth Big Ten Tournament appearance. Rutgers opens postseason play with a quarterfinal matchup against the winner of No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 6 Ohio State on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network. &nbsp;

Rounding out the top four seeds is Nebraska (29-22,12-9), claiming the last of the tournament byes into the quarterfinal round. Nebraska won its first Big Ten Tournament title in 2022 and will begin its postseason quest Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (CT), playing live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup between ninth-seeded Purdue and No. 8 seed Indiana. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;
All 11 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will not only be televised live to a national audience on the Big Ten Network, but will also be available on the FOX Sports app.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;
For more information on this year’s tournament, visit the Big Ten Tournament Central page at <a href="http://www.bigten.org/softball" target="_blank">bigten.org/softball</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp;
The 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament, presented by DirecTV schedule is as follows:&nbsp;

Wednesday, May 8 (First Round)&nbsp;

Game 1 (#9 Purdue vs. #8 Indiana) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 2 (#12 Illinois vs. #5 Minnesota) – 1:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 3 (#10 Maryland vs. #7 Penn State) – 4:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 4 (#11 Wisconsin vs. #6 Ohio State) – 7 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Thursday, May 9 (Quarterfinal)&nbsp;

Game 5 (#1 Northwestern vs. Game 1 winner) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 6 (#4 Nebraska vs. Game 2 winner) – 1:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 7 (#2 Michigan vs. Game 3 winner) – 4:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 8 (#3 Rutgers vs. Game 4 winner) – 7 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;
Friday, May 10 (Semifinals)&nbsp;

Game 9 (Game 5 vs. Game 6 winner) – 4 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

Game 10 (Game 7 vs. Game 8 winner) – 6:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;
Saturday, May 11 (Championship)&nbsp;

Game 11 (Game 9 vs. Game 10 winner) – 3 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;
NOTES: All times Central (local to the site) … dates and times are approximate and subject to change … Big Ten Network (BTN) games are also available on the FOX Sports app … for more information, please visit the tournament web site at bigten.org/sb&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced the full 12-team, single-elimination bracket for the 25th Big Ten Softball Tournament, presented by DirecTV that will take place May 8-11 at the University of Iowa’s Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City, Iowa.&nbsp;Northwestern (33-10, 19-3 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament after earning its 10th Big Ten Championship and third in a row on Sunday. The Wildcats have won three Big Ten Tournament titles (1982, 2008, 2023) and will open this year’s tournament on Thursday with a quarterfinal contest at 11 a.m. (CT) live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between No. 12 Illinois and No. 5 Minnesota.&nbsp;Michigan (38-16, 17-5) is the No. 2 seed for this year’s Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines have won a conference-record 10 Big Ten Tournament championships, most recently in 2019. They will open this year’s Big Ten Tournament slate at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Thursday, playing live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup between tenth-seeded Maryland and No. 7&nbsp;seed Penn State. &nbsp;Rutgers (33-21, 14-9) is the No. 3 seed for the Big Ten Tournament, the Scarlet Knights’ highest seed ever as part of their fifth Big Ten Tournament appearance. Rutgers opens postseason play with a quarterfinal matchup against the winner of No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 6 Ohio State on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network. &nbsp;Rounding out the top four seeds is Nebraska (29-22,12-9), claiming the last of the tournament byes into the quarterfinal round. Nebraska won its first Big Ten Tournament title in 2022 and will begin its postseason quest Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (CT), playing live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup between ninth-seeded Purdue and No. 8 seed Indiana. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
All 11 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will not only be televised live to a national audience on the Big Ten Network, but will also be available on the FOX Sports app.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
For more information on this year’s tournament, visit the Big Ten Tournament Central page at <a href="http://www.bigten.org/softball" target="_blank">bigten.org/softball</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp;
The 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament, presented by DirecTV schedule is as follows:&nbsp;Wednesday, May 8 (First Round)&nbsp;Game 1 (#9 Purdue vs. #8 Indiana) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 2 (#12 Illinois vs. #5 Minnesota) – 1:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 3 (#10 Maryland vs. #7 Penn State) – 4:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 4 (#11 Wisconsin vs. #6 Ohio State) – 7 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Thursday, May 9 (Quarterfinal)&nbsp;Game 5 (#1 Northwestern vs. Game 1 winner) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 6 (#4 Nebraska vs. Game 2 winner) – 1:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 7 (#2 Michigan vs. Game 3 winner) – 4:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 8 (#3 Rutgers vs. Game 4 winner) – 7 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Friday, May 10 (Semifinals)&nbsp;Game 9 (Game 5 vs. Game 6 winner) – 4 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;Game 10 (Game 7 vs. Game 8 winner) – 6:30 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Saturday, May 11 (Championship)&nbsp;Game 11 (Game 9 vs. Game 10 winner) – 3 p.m. CT (BTN)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
NOTES: All times Central (local to the site) … dates and times are approximate and subject to change … Big Ten Network (BTN) games are also available on the FOX Sports app … for more information, please visit the tournament web site at bigten.org/sb&nbsp;

2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament bracket released 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer to highlight a four-run sixth inning, powering the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Sunday for a series win.

Cruz sent a slider from Ryan Feltner (1-3) 429 feet to right-center, bouncing his fifth of the season off the roof of a bar beyond the stands to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-3. He also had a double for his first game with multiple extra-base hits in 35 games this season.

Before hitting a ball into the Allegheny River in the ninth inning of a 3-2 series-opening loss Friday, Cruz had two doubles in 17 games between homers.

“I think the one thing we have to realize with Oneil is he does a lot of things that look easy,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “So, at times, he gets the moniker of, like, ‘The body language is bad.’ He cares. I mean, he's locked in. But I do think getting a couple of hits, having a couple of good games, your confidence will definitely tick back up.”

After the homer, Rowdy Tellez hit a double to right before scoring on a single from Jack Suwinski. Feltner, who gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, began the inning by allowing a single to Connor Joe and a double to Bryan Reynolds in the first four pitches. Joe scored on a grounder from Ke’Bryan Hayes.

The Pirates took the final two of the three-game set, their first series victory since winning two of three against Baltimore from April 5-7. The Rockies, who have lost seven of eight, have yet to win a series.

“Unable to get the big hit throughout the course of the game a couple of times,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “That's been a killer for our offense. Somewhere along the line, we've got to get a couple of guys hot.”

Luis Ortiz (2-1) was perfect in 1 2/3 innings after replacing Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter with one out in the sixth. David Bednar picked up his sixth save, allowing a two-out double from Sean Bouchard before striking out Jake Cave in the ninth.

Jacob Stallings and Bouchard put Colorado ahead 3-0 on back-to-back home runs off Falter in the second inning. Stallings drove in two runs by taking a sinker 414 feet into the bushes in center; Bouchard sent a fastball 400 feet into the left-field bleachers.

“Would like to have a couple pitches back,” Falter said. “These guys are good hitters. They're all here for a reason, just like us. ... After the third, settled down pretty well and felt like we did a pretty good job.”

Cruz doubled off the top of the Clemente Wall in right with one out in the fourth and Hayes scored the Pirates’ first run when Tellez grounded back to Feltner, who had allowed one hit through three innings.

“Everything was working today,” Feltner said. “Felt good with my stuff, overall. Just need to finish stronger.”

Rockies: RHP Dakota Hudson (0-5, 5.93) will start Tuesday, returning home for a three-game series against San Francisco.

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (2-3, 5.18) will take the mound Monday to start a three-game series against the Angels.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715001588397.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer to highlight a four-run sixth inning, powering the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Sunday for a series win.Cruz sent a slider from Ryan Feltner (1-3) 429 feet to right-center, bouncing his fifth of the season off the roof of a bar beyond the stands to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-3. He also had a double for his first game with multiple extra-base hits in 35 games this season.Before hitting a ball into the Allegheny River in the ninth inning of a 3-2 series-opening loss Friday, Cruz had two doubles in 17 games between homers.“I think the one thing we have to realize with Oneil is he does a lot of things that look easy,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “So, at times, he gets the moniker of, like, ‘The body language is bad.’ He cares. I mean, he's locked in. But I do think getting a couple of hits, having a couple of good games, your confidence will definitely tick back up.”After the homer, Rowdy Tellez hit a double to right before scoring on a single from Jack Suwinski. Feltner, who gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, began the inning by allowing a single to Connor Joe and a double to Bryan Reynolds in the first four pitches. Joe scored on a grounder from Ke’Bryan Hayes.The Pirates took the final two of the three-game set, their first series victory since winning two of three against Baltimore from April 5-7. The Rockies, who have lost seven of eight, have yet to win a series.“Unable to get the big hit throughout the course of the game a couple of times,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “That's been a killer for our offense. Somewhere along the line, we've got to get a couple of guys hot.”Luis Ortiz (2-1) was perfect in 1 2/3 innings after replacing Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter with one out in the sixth. David Bednar picked up his sixth save, allowing a two-out double from Sean Bouchard before striking out Jake Cave in the ninth.Jacob Stallings and Bouchard put Colorado ahead 3-0 on back-to-back home runs off Falter in the second inning. Stallings drove in two runs by taking a sinker 414 feet into the bushes in center; Bouchard sent a fastball 400 feet into the left-field bleachers.Falter gave up three runs on six hits.“Would like to have a couple pitches back,” Falter said. “These guys are good hitters. They're all here for a reason, just like us. ... After the third, settled down pretty well and felt like we did a pretty good job.”Cruz doubled off the top of the Clemente Wall in right with one out in the fourth and Hayes scored the Pirates’ first run when Tellez grounded back to Feltner, who had allowed one hit through three innings.“Everything was working today,” Feltner said. “Felt good with my stuff, overall. Just need to finish stronger.”UP NEXTRockies: RHP Dakota Hudson (0-5, 5.93) will start Tuesday, returning home for a three-game series against San Francisco.Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (2-3, 5.18) will take the mound Monday to start a three-game series against the Angels.

Cruz missile sinks Rockies in series finale

North Platte, Ne - A big crowd at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte helped kick off the 2024 racing season in the region. Races planned for mid April were postponed due to weather, but Saturday's weather was perfect in the dirt racing world. Clear sky's, two former Nascar stars and a big walk up crowd led to a near sellout Saturday night. Over 150 cars showed up to race.

It was Nascar Night, former Nascar Cup Series drivers Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace who rode motorcycles from Deadwood, South Dakota Saturday morning to North Platte, part of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride got off their bikes at the the North Platte Holiday Inn around 7:30pm , were driven to Lincoln County Raceway and hopped in cars just in time for heat races in their respective divisions.

DIRTcar Late Models - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Josh Leonard 2-Kale Kosiski 3-Scott Rhoades 4-Denton Duncan 5-JJ Rodeman 6-Layne Bellm 7-Randy Hoff 8-Kyle Hill 9-Christopher Luzmoor

IMCA Modifieds - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Brandon Clough 2-Ken Schrader 3-Anthony Rhoades 4-Dave Pedersen 5-Don Geist 6-Tony Schultz 7-Dewain Coleman 8-Lance Lewis 9-Daniel Nichols 10-Troy Douglas 11-Jacob Tobey 12-Tanner Clough&nbsp;

IMCA Northern SportMod - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Robbie Thome 2-Tyler Nerud 3-Derek Murphy 4-Chad Dolan 5-Hunter Smith 6-Troy Bayne 7-Braxten Leonard 8-Kerry Jones 9-Brady Henderson 10-Zane Turner 11-Frank Ogden 12-JD Renfro 13-Joseph Cooper 14-Hailey Turner 15-Ray Harrington 16-Tyler Miller

IMCA Stock Cars- A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Kyle Clough 2-Tristan Grape&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2F3-Egge.Bo%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3BI5WJRS6nci4wGGVW5IjjaAcbKA7gg7Ke6A4eAzsAeKYZRq8aSpvrsUA_aem_ASjnFII2CaGhkhj9TmnioxyLtAB4svuMylshwgLRPUS2z5J7xUQGfLYwP5_Z9VsADy-hQo4wZUE0Uv7wJ_ghUfIH&amp;h=AT2_lY4fqDRYc0a3p0v_f6mTUKM552GBdglg4vrIU5m-3y5qduRv1ma4eMwNugY28-sg79IlGCDN0yO7pA5X0aKHJVzSe4rT5rc_9Re5ge7BLzEClWgPPgjyBd-NvwkecgOo&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0gQiguLQ8xtyiNk6n5BIwCvu9ytWQi16hZAQJ5SnsddB-UAVewUwelfWkxezUfys4iKrf4fACWK9GW2CXu1sEBlwDkhPgygPfHhEAVR8m1rVfRh_s4tU91ePJ9S1zOBvlj44XnhQh41hQUXxvDrruOz47VKCBNRsPwNwhU8oROHQ-4Ntm8MUpHq2RJqsOEhEyhMA3EfDLimnnB9x4s9-yFYxfor84" target="_blank">3-Bo Egge</a>&nbsp;4-Austin Rhoades 5-Jacob Wolsleben 6-Robert Leonard 7-Kenny Wallace 8-Bill Brack 9-Bryan Herrick 10-Layne Bellm 11-Rick Maier 12-Kolton Vogel 13-Josh Weekley 14-Russ Small(Jr) 15-Kyle Brennan 16-Joseph Cooper 17-Mike Puckett 18-Zach Lomasney&nbsp;<a href="http://19-banks.dj/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3jT7PufzAF_DX5ctbIzC0EF1b_c0Vkyr5RC_uI5I1q68kjqfjYBSfFb4o_aem_ASjcuNcyf3I-3c0_UqdpIuKHiQX3luY5GX0uKWf7tDHS3VaGPwGGOd_deMdD-GDYIOr1-ooYthxzb2tMRja7Ff4T" target="_blank">19-DJ Banks</a>&nbsp;20-Ben Bogle 21-Brandon Gibreal&nbsp; &nbsp;

Hobby Stocks - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Tyler Thompson 2-Tanner Jones 3-Tylan Lambertus 4-Brayden Hurley 5-Paxton Stubbs 6-Brandon Nelson 7-Rob Durfee 8-Robbie Kosmacek 9-Taylor Greuter 10-Jordan Encinger 11-David Banks 12-Mike Taylor 13-Colt Gibbs 14-Jim Moore 15-Chuck Ledbetter 16-Raegan Douglas 17-Marcus Florom 18-Trent Matson 19-Scott Gibson

Warriors - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Craig Smith 2-JD Renfro 3-Jonus Aragon 4-Briana Worthington 5-Brandon Eller 6-Joe Renfro 7-Anthony Simants 8-Trevor Bartosik

SPC - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Anthony Simants 2-Robert Clanton 3-Brian Riley 4-Kaleb Hodges

Mini Mods - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Kayden Willie 2-Declen Shaw 3-Paxten Shaw 4-Stetson Fuller

The next race night at Lincoln County Raceway will be on Saturday, June 1. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1011736834049128&amp;set=pb.100056384629769.-2207520000">Full Schedule</a>)

North Platte, Ne - A big crowd at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte helped kick off the 2024 racing season in the region. Races planned for mid April were postponed due to weather, but Saturday's weather was perfect in the dirt racing world. Clear sky's, two former Nascar stars and a big walk up crowd led to a near sellout Saturday night. Over 150 cars showed up to race.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLincolnCountyRaceway%2Fvideos%2F962062092055399%2F&show_text=true&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="591" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>It was Nascar Night, former Nascar Cup Series drivers Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace who rode motorcycles from Deadwood, South Dakota Saturday morning to North Platte, part of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride got off their bikes at the the North Platte Holiday Inn around 7:30pm , were driven to Lincoln County Raceway and hopped in cars just in time for heat races in their respective divisions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sold out crowd here tonight in North Platte, Nebraska. We got lucky and started 1st and won our heat racing a IMCA stock car. A lot of the <a href="https://twitter.com/KPCharityRide?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KPCharityRide</a> riders are in the stands 😁💯 <a href="https://t.co/2eBw6rc3Xv">pic.twitter.com/2eBw6rc3Xv</a>&mdash; Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kenny_Wallace/status/1786948470693073028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>RESULTS</h2>DIRTcar Late Models - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Josh Leonard 2-Kale Kosiski 3-Scott Rhoades 4-Denton Duncan 5-JJ Rodeman 6-Layne Bellm 7-Randy Hoff 8-Kyle Hill 9-Christopher LuzmoorIMCA Modifieds - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Brandon Clough 2-Ken Schrader 3-Anthony Rhoades 4-Dave Pedersen 5-Don Geist 6-Tony Schultz 7-Dewain Coleman 8-Lance Lewis 9-Daniel Nichols 10-Troy Douglas 11-Jacob Tobey 12-Tanner Clough&nbsp;IMCA Northern SportMod - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Robbie Thome 2-Tyler Nerud 3-Derek Murphy 4-Chad Dolan 5-Hunter Smith 6-Troy Bayne 7-Braxten Leonard 8-Kerry Jones 9-Brady Henderson 10-Zane Turner 11-Frank Ogden 12-JD Renfro 13-Joseph Cooper 14-Hailey Turner 15-Ray Harrington 16-Tyler MillerIMCA Stock Cars- A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Kyle Clough 2-Tristan Grape&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2F3-Egge.Bo%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3BI5WJRS6nci4wGGVW5IjjaAcbKA7gg7Ke6A4eAzsAeKYZRq8aSpvrsUA_aem_ASjnFII2CaGhkhj9TmnioxyLtAB4svuMylshwgLRPUS2z5J7xUQGfLYwP5_Z9VsADy-hQo4wZUE0Uv7wJ_ghUfIH&amp;h=AT2_lY4fqDRYc0a3p0v_f6mTUKM552GBdglg4vrIU5m-3y5qduRv1ma4eMwNugY28-sg79IlGCDN0yO7pA5X0aKHJVzSe4rT5rc_9Re5ge7BLzEClWgPPgjyBd-NvwkecgOo&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0gQiguLQ8xtyiNk6n5BIwCvu9ytWQi16hZAQJ5SnsddB-UAVewUwelfWkxezUfys4iKrf4fACWK9GW2CXu1sEBlwDkhPgygPfHhEAVR8m1rVfRh_s4tU91ePJ9S1zOBvlj44XnhQh41hQUXxvDrruOz47VKCBNRsPwNwhU8oROHQ-4Ntm8MUpHq2RJqsOEhEyhMA3EfDLimnnB9x4s9-yFYxfor84" target="_blank">3-Bo Egge</a>&nbsp;4-Austin Rhoades 5-Jacob Wolsleben 6-Robert Leonard 7-Kenny Wallace 8-Bill Brack 9-Bryan Herrick 10-Layne Bellm 11-Rick Maier 12-Kolton Vogel 13-Josh Weekley 14-Russ Small(Jr) 15-Kyle Brennan 16-Joseph Cooper 17-Mike Puckett 18-Zach Lomasney&nbsp;<a href="http://19-banks.dj/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3jT7PufzAF_DX5ctbIzC0EF1b_c0Vkyr5RC_uI5I1q68kjqfjYBSfFb4o_aem_ASjcuNcyf3I-3c0_UqdpIuKHiQX3luY5GX0uKWf7tDHS3VaGPwGGOd_deMdD-GDYIOr1-ooYthxzb2tMRja7Ff4T" target="_blank">19-DJ Banks</a>&nbsp;20-Ben Bogle 21-Brandon Gibreal&nbsp; &nbsp;Hobby Stocks - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Tyler Thompson 2-Tanner Jones 3-Tylan Lambertus 4-Brayden Hurley 5-Paxton Stubbs 6-Brandon Nelson 7-Rob Durfee 8-Robbie Kosmacek 9-Taylor Greuter 10-Jordan Encinger 11-David Banks 12-Mike Taylor 13-Colt Gibbs 14-Jim Moore 15-Chuck Ledbetter 16-Raegan Douglas 17-Marcus Florom 18-Trent Matson 19-Scott GibsonWarriors - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Craig Smith 2-JD Renfro 3-Jonus Aragon 4-Briana Worthington 5-Brandon Eller 6-Joe Renfro 7-Anthony Simants 8-Trevor BartosikSPC - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Anthony Simants 2-Robert Clanton 3-Brian Riley 4-Kaleb HodgesMini Mods - A Feature 1 (Results): 1-Kayden Willie 2-Declen Shaw 3-Paxten Shaw 4-Stetson FullerThe next race night at Lincoln County Raceway will be on Saturday, June 1. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1011736834049128&amp;set=pb.100056384629769.-2207520000">Full Schedule</a>)

Lincoln County Raceway hosts near sellout opening night of racing: Results

OMAHA, Neb. -&nbsp;The&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas&nbsp;have officially secured a spot in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. With the Columbus Fury losing to the Atlanta Vibe Thursday night, Omaha is guaranteed to finish inside the top four in the league standings. The landmark championship is scheduled to take place on May 15 and May 18 at the home of the Supernovas, the&nbsp;CHI Health Center&nbsp;in downtown Omaha.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Supernovas become the second of four teams set to battle it out for the Pro Volleyball Federation crown. The Atlanta Vibe was the first team to clinch on April 15. Omaha has been one of the top teams in the league over the entire season, as it sits in second place behind Atlanta with a record of 13-7 with four matches left go in the regular season. The Supernovas have regularly been in the top two, not dropping below second in the standings since the first few weeks of the year.&nbsp;

The Supernovas are also in a good position to lock in the No. 2 seed for the championship. Omaha needs to win two more matches or have the San Diego Mojo (9-10) reach 12 losses to secure the regular-season runner-up spot.&nbsp;

The top four teams in the league standings will advance to the championship in Omaha. The semifinals are to take place on May 15 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. CDT. No. 1 seed Atlanta will play the four seed at 6 p.m. with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds competing in the 8:30 p.m. slot.&nbsp;

The two winning teams from the semifinals will advance to the championship on Saturday, May 18 with first serve set for 3:30 p.m. CDT.&nbsp;

CBS Sports Network will televise each match.&nbsp;&nbsp;

All-session tickets are now available for the championships and can be purchased via this&nbsp;<a href="https://db9xbvgbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001WIzcIBAY97wVpHIJ_BMxndSOWq9-ynTbaEasFygEnFlX3Vgw0yp41unlbze_zETzxK1K0BpD7GHhZPNRe88TJJSqt24sHrqF7h4VdB3Zya3Dpz_gdh9D3F3A48ODcwQpi2qLw9eHso331YNx72rYXjLE8BZaRYEoF2JiO6o6Uzc=&amp;c=yclwVZIDJ-7bNU3n03rX_TsvnXSaCGB30PYkf8p-uj526zz8VOEUoQ==&amp;ch=5AIpUulW4KH9Xwp7CAL7cxLR2VDN-gU7mcUAa4J4OgMy94G3sQh5VA==" target="_blank">link.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Supernovas begin a two-match road trip starting on Saturday, May 4 against Columbus with first serve set for 6:30 p.m. CDT on CBS Sports Network. Omaha then travels to Vegas to take on the Thrill at 9 p.m. CDT on Monday, May 6.

The Omaha Supernovas aim to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation&nbsp;Jason Derulo&nbsp;and entrepreneurs&nbsp;Danny White&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pro Volleyball Federation is the present&nbsp;and&nbsp;future of professional volleyball in North America. The League began play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players joined by elite standouts from around the world. Seven teams have taken the court in the first season, with 10 teams scheduled for the 2025 campaign. Our focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players and the entire fan experience is world class and the best offered anywhere. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://db9xbvgbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001WIzcIBAY97wVpHIJ_BMxndSOWq9-ynTbaEasFygEnFlX3Vgw0yp41hTTveDB71tsW1XmwoENdYceVZf7xwJbLwz01pfo-PC8pHz6UWg0TRPvC3FdGrfBh3jI9msBsfHrGzViSBZE8QrFGnx31Rk7H9Ok4X0UYZ_l&amp;c=yclwVZIDJ-7bNU3n03rX_TsvnXSaCGB30PYkf8p-uj526zz8VOEUoQ==&amp;ch=5AIpUulW4KH9Xwp7CAL7cxLR2VDN-gU7mcUAa4J4OgMy94G3sQh5VA==" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

Geoff Exstrom&nbsp;Omaha SupernovasOMAHA, Neb. -&nbsp;The&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas&nbsp;have officially secured a spot in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. With the Columbus Fury losing to the Atlanta Vibe Thursday night, Omaha is guaranteed to finish inside the top four in the league standings. The landmark championship is scheduled to take place on May 15 and May 18 at the home of the Supernovas, the&nbsp;CHI Health Center&nbsp;in downtown Omaha.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Supernovas become the second of four teams set to battle it out for the Pro Volleyball Federation crown. The Atlanta Vibe was the first team to clinch on April 15. Omaha has been one of the top teams in the league over the entire season, as it sits in second place behind Atlanta with a record of 13-7 with four matches left go in the regular season. The Supernovas have regularly been in the top two, not dropping below second in the standings since the first few weeks of the year.&nbsp;The Supernovas are also in a good position to lock in the No. 2 seed for the championship. Omaha needs to win two more matches or have the San Diego Mojo (9-10) reach 12 losses to secure the regular-season runner-up spot.&nbsp;The top four teams in the league standings will advance to the championship in Omaha. The semifinals are to take place on May 15 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. CDT. No. 1 seed Atlanta will play the four seed at 6 p.m. with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds competing in the 8:30 p.m. slot.&nbsp;The two winning teams from the semifinals will advance to the championship on Saturday, May 18 with first serve set for 3:30 p.m. CDT.&nbsp;CBS Sports Network will televise each match.&nbsp;&nbsp;All-session tickets are now available for the championships and can be purchased via this&nbsp;<a href="https://db9xbvgbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001WIzcIBAY97wVpHIJ_BMxndSOWq9-ynTbaEasFygEnFlX3Vgw0yp41unlbze_zETzxK1K0BpD7GHhZPNRe88TJJSqt24sHrqF7h4VdB3Zya3Dpz_gdh9D3F3A48ODcwQpi2qLw9eHso331YNx72rYXjLE8BZaRYEoF2JiO6o6Uzc=&amp;c=yclwVZIDJ-7bNU3n03rX_TsvnXSaCGB30PYkf8p-uj526zz8VOEUoQ==&amp;ch=5AIpUulW4KH9Xwp7CAL7cxLR2VDN-gU7mcUAa4J4OgMy94G3sQh5VA==" target="_blank">link.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;The Supernovas begin a two-match road trip starting on Saturday, May 4 against Columbus with first serve set for 6:30 p.m. CDT on CBS Sports Network. Omaha then travels to Vegas to take on the Thrill at 9 p.m. CDT on Monday, May 6.ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS&nbsp;&nbsp;The Omaha Supernovas aim to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation&nbsp;Jason Derulo&nbsp;and entrepreneurs&nbsp;Danny White&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;&nbsp;ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation is the present&nbsp;and&nbsp;future of professional volleyball in North America. The League began play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players joined by elite standouts from around the world. Seven teams have taken the court in the first season, with 10 teams scheduled for the 2025 campaign. Our focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players and the entire fan experience is world class and the best offered anywhere. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://db9xbvgbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001WIzcIBAY97wVpHIJ_BMxndSOWq9-ynTbaEasFygEnFlX3Vgw0yp41hTTveDB71tsW1XmwoENdYceVZf7xwJbLwz01pfo-PC8pHz6UWg0TRPvC3FdGrfBh3jI9msBsfHrGzViSBZE8QrFGnx31Rk7H9Ok4X0UYZ_l&amp;c=yclwVZIDJ-7bNU3n03rX_TsvnXSaCGB30PYkf8p-uj526zz8VOEUoQ==&amp;ch=5AIpUulW4KH9Xwp7CAL7cxLR2VDN-gU7mcUAa4J4OgMy94G3sQh5VA==" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

Omaha Supernovas Clinch Spot in Pro Volleyball Federation Championship 

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mhIwVHWpS0s?si=LWc1FeAsNr_5SL6j" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>First Pitch at 6:00!!

High School Baseball District B-3 First Round - #2 North Platte High School Vs. #3 Nebraska City

Story by NU Athletic Communication

Nebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday that Braxton Meah (pronounced MEE-uh) will join the Husker program in 2024-25.

Meah, a 7-foot-1, 255-pound center from Layton, Utah, comes to Lincoln after spending two years at the University of Washington, where he started 47 of 63 games for the Huskies. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

According to Hoiberg, Meah is an experienced inside presence who can make an impact on both ends of the court. At 7-foot-1, he would become the tallest player to play at Nebraska since the 2013-14 season.

“Braxton gives us a different dimension for our system with his skill set and athleticism,” Hoiberg said. “He puts a lot of pressure on defenses with his ability to get to the rim and finish around the basket. Defensively, he’s led Washington in blocked shots each of the past two years and was on the Pac-12 all-defensive team in 2022-23. He has the size and length to be an effective rim protector.”

Last season, Meah played in all 32 games, averaging 5.3 points on 77 percent shooting and 5.5 rebounds per game, leading Washington in both field goal percentage and blocked shots (27). He reached double figures six times in 2022-23, including a 19-point, eight-rebound, five-block effort against UCLA when he was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field. He posted four games with 10 or more rebounds, including a career-high 14 rebounds at Arizona State when he had 13 points, including the game-winning free throws in overtime. It was one of three double-doubles that Meah had in Pac-12 play, as he totaled 10 points and 14 rebounds against Arizona State in the first meeting as well as 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks at Oregon.

Meah was an impact newcomer for Washington in 2022-23, starting 31 games he played in that season and averaging 8.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He was selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team after ranking fifth in the conference in blocked shots and seventh in rebounding, while also pacing the Pac-12 with a .706 field goal percentage. He had 14 double-figure games, including a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, along with nine rebounds and five blocked shots against Stanford, and had 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots against UCLA.&nbsp; Meah had three-double doubles – all in Pac-12 action – and six games with at least 10 rebounds. He recorded five-or-more blocks three times, including a career-high six blocks against Cal Poly and five each against UCLA and at Cal.

He began his career at Fresno State, where he played 52 games over two seasons. He had a season-high 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting against Youngstown State in 2021-22, as he averaged 2.2 points on 78 percent shooting and 2.2 rebounds per game in 32 contests. He played in 23 games as a freshman, averaging 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Meah played for San Joaquin Memorial as a junior during the 2018-19 season, averaging 11.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game en route to a 22-11 record and the Central Section Division II title. He was teammates with Jalen Green, who was the No. 2 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. He played two seasons at Layton (Utah) Christian Academy. Meah did not play at SJM during what would have been his senior season (2019-20) because he started his high school eligibility clock by enrolling while still junior-high age, which is allowed in the state of Utah.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationNebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday that Braxton Meah (pronounced MEE-uh) will join the Husker program in 2024-25.Meah, a 7-foot-1, 255-pound center from Layton, Utah, comes to Lincoln after spending two years at the University of Washington, where he started 47 of 63 games for the Huskies. He has one year of eligibility remaining.According to Hoiberg, Meah is an experienced inside presence who can make an impact on both ends of the court. At 7-foot-1, he would become the tallest player to play at Nebraska since the 2013-14 season.“Braxton gives us a different dimension for our system with his skill set and athleticism,” Hoiberg said. “He puts a lot of pressure on defenses with his ability to get to the rim and finish around the basket. Defensively, he’s led Washington in blocked shots each of the past two years and was on the Pac-12 all-defensive team in 2022-23. He has the size and length to be an effective rim protector.”Last season, Meah played in all 32 games, averaging 5.3 points on 77 percent shooting and 5.5 rebounds per game, leading Washington in both field goal percentage and blocked shots (27). He reached double figures six times in 2022-23, including a 19-point, eight-rebound, five-block effort against UCLA when he was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field. He posted four games with 10 or more rebounds, including a career-high 14 rebounds at Arizona State when he had 13 points, including the game-winning free throws in overtime. It was one of three double-doubles that Meah had in Pac-12 play, as he totaled 10 points and 14 rebounds against Arizona State in the first meeting as well as 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks at Oregon.Meah was an impact newcomer for Washington in 2022-23, starting 31 games he played in that season and averaging 8.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He was selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team after ranking fifth in the conference in blocked shots and seventh in rebounding, while also pacing the Pac-12 with a .706 field goal percentage. He had 14 double-figure games, including a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, along with nine rebounds and five blocked shots against Stanford, and had 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots against UCLA.&nbsp; Meah had three-double doubles – all in Pac-12 action – and six games with at least 10 rebounds. He recorded five-or-more blocks three times, including a career-high six blocks against Cal Poly and five each against UCLA and at Cal.He began his career at Fresno State, where he played 52 games over two seasons. He had a season-high 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting against Youngstown State in 2021-22, as he averaged 2.2 points on 78 percent shooting and 2.2 rebounds per game in 32 contests. He played in 23 games as a freshman, averaging 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.Meah played for San Joaquin Memorial as a junior during the 2018-19 season, averaging 11.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game en route to a 22-11 record and the Central Section Division II title. He was teammates with Jalen Green, who was the No. 2 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. He played two seasons at Layton (Utah) Christian Academy. Meah did not play at SJM during what would have been his senior season (2019-20) because he started his high school eligibility clock by enrolling while still junior-high age, which is allowed in the state of Utah.

Huskers add Braxton Meah to 2024-25 roster

Story by NU Athletic Communication&nbsp;

Nebraska track and field heads to Wichita, Kan. for the Shocker Open on Friday, May 3. Huskers will look to improve marks ahead of next week’s Big Ten Championships. Field events begin at 1:30 p.m. (CT) and running events start at 5 p.m. (CT).

Shocker OpenDate:&nbsp;Friday, May 3Location:&nbsp;Wichita, Kan. (Cessna Stadium)Start Times (CT):&nbsp;Field Events: 1:30 p.m. / Running Events: 5 p.m.Meet Schedule:&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/wichita.sidearmsports.com/documents/2024/2/25/24_ShockerOpen_Schedule.pdf" target="_blank">Link</a>

NCAA LeadersNebraska has 15 athletes and a relay that currently rank inside the top 20 of the NCAA in their respective events:

Rhema Otabor, Javelin, 191-10 (58.47m), No. 1 NCAAAxelina Johansson, Shot Put, 61-9 (18.82m), No. 2 NCAARhianna Phipps, Triple Jump, 43-10 (13.36m), No. 9 NCAAAshley McElmurry, Triple Jump, 43-9 (13.33m), t-No. 11 NCAAEniko Sara, Javelin, 177-11 (54.23m), No. 12 NCAAMine De Klerk, Shot Put, 57-6 ½ (17.54m), No. 13 NCAAMirta Kulisic, Javelin, 175-3 (53.41m), No. 14 NCAAEmanuela Casadei, Javelin, 175-0 (53.35m), No. 15 NCAAKalynn Meyer, Discus, 188-11 (57.58m), No. 19 NCAADarius Luff, 110m Hurdles, 13.25, No. 1 NCAATyus Wilson, High Jump, 7-5 (2.26m), No. 2 NCAATerrol Wilson, Triple Jump, 52-2 ½ (15.91m), No. 13 NCAAMicaylon Moore, Triple Jump, 52-1 (15.87m), No. 16 NCAADash Sirmon, Javelin, 242-8 (73.97m), No. 14 NCAA4x400m Relay (Pierce, Kaalund, Schultz, Bryant), 3:03.31, No. 15 NCAAKevin Shubert, Shot Put, 63-2 ¼ (19.26m), No. 18 NCAA

All-Time Top-10 PerformancesThe following Huskers have either improved their marks or cracked the all-time top-10 outdoor charts at Nebraska this season:&nbsp;

Darius Luff, 110mH, 13.25, No. 1Henry Zimmerman, Hammer Throw, 223-4 (68.07m), No. 2Tyus Wilson, High Jump, 7-5 (2.26m), No. 5Niko Schultz, 800m, 1:47.40, No. 6Tyler Brown, Javelin, 234-7 (71.50m), No. 7Kavian Kerr, 200m, 20.76, t-No. 10Sprint Medley Relay (Pierce, Wilson, Bryant, Schultz), 3:17.26, No. 24x400m Relay (Pierce, Kaalund, Schultz, Bryant), 3:03.31, t-No. 3Brynna McQuillen, 5000m, 16:13.75, No. 2Hillevi Carlsson, Hammer Throw, 207-6 (63.25m), No. 2Kalynn Meyer, Discus, 188-11 (57.58m), No. 3Mine De Klerk, Shot Put, 57-6 ½ (17.54m), No. 4Amelia Flynt, Shot Put, 56-1 (17.09m), No. 6Mine De Klerk, Discus, 181-0 (55.17m), No. 6Darby Thomas, 100m, 11.35, t-No.6Berlyn Schutz, 1500m, 4:17.31, No. 7Cammy Garabian, Hammer Throw, 202-4 (61.68m), No. 7Ali Bainbridge, 5000m, 16:29.39, No. 8Eniko Sara, Javelin, 177-11 (54.23m), No. 9Rhianna Phipps, Triple Jump, 43-10 (13.36m), No. 9Johanna Ilves, 100mH, 13.45, No. 9Amelia Flynt, Discus, 177-2 (54.01m), No. 10Ashley McElmurry, Triple Jump, 43-9 (13.33m), t-No. 10Sprint Medley Relay (Deebom, A. Walker, M. Walker, Schutz), 3:48.54, No. 1

Huskers in the PollsNebraska track and field moved up seven spots in the USTFCCCA week three women's rankings, coming in at fourth. That marks the highest team ranking for the women's program since being No. 4 in the 2006 final poll. The Nebraska men entered the polls for the first time during the outdoor season on Tuesday. They came in at 20th, while the women were ranked 13th.

The NU women have posted nine marks inside the top-20 nationally, while adding 16 Nebraska all-time marks. The men have posted seven marks inside the top-20, while putting up eight all-time marks.

Rhema Otabor threw an NCAA-leading 191-10 (58.47m) in her javelin season debut at the Jim Click Shootout, while Eniko Sara is 12th with a 177-11 (54.23m), Mirta Kulisic is ranked 14th with a &nbsp;175-3 (53.41m) and Emanuela Casadei is at 15th in the event with a 175-0 (53.35m). Adding to the throws success, reigning national champion Axelina Johansson has the second-best shot put mark of the season after hitting the Olympic Standard at the Michael Johnson Invitational with a 61-9 (18.82m). Mine De Klerk is 13th in the shot put (57-6 ½, 17.54m) and Kalynn Meyer is 19th in the discus (188-11, 57.58m). In the triple jump, Rhianna Phipps is ninth with a 43-10 (13.36m) and Ashley McElmurry is tied for 11th with a 43-9 (13.33m).

On the men’s side, Darius Luff is the top-ranked 110m hurdler after he ran a blazing 13.25 at the Drake Relays to break his own school record. That time is also ranked fifth in the world currently. Tyus Wilson cleared the second-best height in the NCAA on Friday night with a 7-5 (2.26m) in the high jump. In the triple jump, Terrol Wilson is ranked 13th with a 52-2 ½ (15.91m) and Micaylon Moore is ranked 16th with a 52-1 (15.87m). Dash Sirmon is 14th in the javelin with a 242-8 (73.97m) and Kevin Shubert is 18th in the shot put with a 63-2 ¼ (19.26m). Tyrell Pierce, Garrett Kaalund, Niko Schultz and Nick Bryant teamed up to clock the 15th-fastest 4x400m relay time in the NCAA this season on Saturday with a 3:03.31.

In Tuesday's polls, the Husker women were ranked third in the Big Ten Conference, while being named the top-ranked javelin squad in the country. They also are the No. 2 triple jump and shot put, No. 3 long jump and No. 5 discus group in the NCAA. The men were ranked fifth in the Big Ten, third in the high jump and fourth in the hammer throw on Tuesday.

Johansson Earns Big Ten Weekly AwardNebraska track and field's Axelina Johansson earned the Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week honor, announced on April 25 by the conference office.

Johansson hit the Olympic Standard in the shot put on her birthday (April 20). The 61-9 (18.82m) was the farthest mark in the shot put field at the Michael Johnson Invitational by over two meters. The distance improved upon her mark that is No. 2 in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten. Johansson won the shot put at the Jim Click Shootout on April 6.

This is Nebraska's second conference weekly award during the outdoor season and its seventh overall during 2024.&nbsp;

Otabor Tabbed Big Ten Field Athlete of the WeekNebraska track and field's Rhema Otabor claimed the Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week honor, announced by the conference office on April 10.

Otabor threw an NCAA-leading mark in the javelin on Friday at the Jim Click Shootout to lead a Nebraska top-four sweep. The 191-10 (58.47m) is currently first in the NCAA and won her the title during her season debut. The senior from Nassau, Bahamas is the reigning NCAA Champion and Big Ten Champion in the javelin, while she also holds the No. 2 mark in school history.

This is Nebraska's first conference weekly award during the outdoor season, but its sixth overall during 2024. The last time a Husker woman won a Big Ten weekly award was when Otabor brought in the same honor last season on April 26.

The next meets for the Huskers include the Bryan Clay Invitational April 11-13 in Azusa, Calif., and the Michael Johnson Invitational April 19-20 in Waco, Texas.

Nebraska's 2024 Big Ten Track &amp; Field Weekly AwardsJan. 17: Henry Zimmerman, Men's Field Athlete of the WeekJan. 24: Henry Zimmerman, Men's Field Athlete of the WeekFeb. 7: Till Steinforth, Men's Field Athlete of the WeekFeb. 21: Brithton Senior, Men’s Track Athlete of the WeekFeb. 21: Micaylon Moore, Men’s Field Athlete of the WeekApril 10: Rhema Otabor, Women's Field Athlete of the WeekApril 25: Axelina Johansson, Women’s Field Athlete of the Week

2024 Indoor Season RecapThe Husker men and women closed the indoor season inside the top 25, with the men tying for 12th and the women claiming 25th at the NCAA Championships. Out of 12 Husker entries, eight earned First-Team All-America honors by placing in the top eight.

Till Steinforth recorded his highest-career NCAA finish in the heptathlon to finish third, a day after becoming the first Husker to become a long jump First-Team All-American in the last decade with a seventh-place finish. The last Husker to place third or higher in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships was Björn Barrefors in 2009. Tyus Wilson and Jenna Rogers each pitched in a top-eight finish in the high jump, while Micaylon Moore represented NU as a First-Team All-American in the triple jump. Rhianna Phipps placed fifth in the triple jump, Mine De Klerk took seventh in the shot put and Henry Zimmerman finished seventh in the weight throw to round out Nebraska’s First-Team All-Americans.

With Nebraska sending 11 athletes and 12 entries to the NCAA Championships, that marked the most athletes to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships since 2010 and the most entries since 2011.

At the Big Ten Championships, the Husker men finished second as a team, only four points behind Wisconsin. The women finished in eighth. Wilson (high jump), Moore (triple jump), Steinforth (long jump) and De Klerk (shot put) brought in Big Ten titles.&nbsp;

Zimmerman broke the weight throw school record on four occasions, while Berlyn Schutz broke the school record in the mile as a freshman. Altogether, 26 performances either broke into the all-time list for the first time or moved up the list during the indoor season.

2023 Outdoor Season RecapNebraska’s last outdoor season was marked by the men claiming the Big Ten title and the women finishing third. Both finishes were the best placements since the 2016 season. The team combined for 12 event titles throughout the meet. The women, powered by Axelina Johansson (shot put) and Rhema Otabor (javelin) bringing in NCAA titles, took eighth place at the NCAA Championships. That was the best finish since the 2006 season, when the Huskers tied for fourth. The men tied for 17th, their best team finish in seven years. The men and women combined for eight First-Team All-America honors, seven school records and 32 new top-10 marks throughout the outdoor season.

Story by NU Athletic Communication&nbsp;Nebraska track and field heads to Wichita, Kan. for the Shocker Open on Friday, May 3. Huskers will look to improve marks ahead of next week’s Big Ten Championships. Field events begin at 1:30 p.m. (CT) and running events start at 5 p.m. (CT).Shocker OpenDate:&nbsp;Friday, May 3Location:&nbsp;Wichita, Kan. (Cessna Stadium)Start Times (CT):&nbsp;Field Events: 1:30 p.m. / Running Events: 5 p.m.Meet Schedule:&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/wichita.sidearmsports.com/documents/2024/2/25/24_ShockerOpen_Schedule.pdf" target="_blank">Link</a>NCAA LeadersNebraska has 15 athletes and a relay that currently rank inside the top 20 of the NCAA in their respective events:Rhema Otabor, Javelin, 191-10 (58.47m), No. 1 NCAAAxelina Johansson, Shot Put, 61-9 (18.82m), No. 2 NCAARhianna Phipps, Triple Jump, 43-10 (13.36m), No. 9 NCAAAshley McElmurry, Triple Jump, 43-9 (13.33m), t-No. 11 NCAAEniko Sara, Javelin, 177-11 (54.23m), No. 12 NCAAMine De Klerk, Shot Put, 57-6 ½ (17.54m), No. 13 NCAAMirta Kulisic, Javelin, 175-3 (53.41m), No. 14 NCAAEmanuela Casadei, Javelin, 175-0 (53.35m), No. 15 NCAAKalynn Meyer, Discus, 188-11 (57.58m), No. 19 NCAADarius Luff, 110m Hurdles, 13.25, No. 1 NCAATyus Wilson, High Jump, 7-5 (2.26m), No. 2 NCAATerrol Wilson, Triple Jump, 52-2 ½ (15.91m), No. 13 NCAAMicaylon Moore, Triple Jump, 52-1 (15.87m), No. 16 NCAADash Sirmon, Javelin, 242-8 (73.97m), No. 14 NCAA4x400m Relay (Pierce, Kaalund, Schultz, Bryant), 3:03.31, No. 15 NCAAKevin Shubert, Shot Put, 63-2 ¼ (19.26m), No. 18 NCAAAll-Time Top-10 PerformancesThe following Huskers have either improved their marks or cracked the all-time top-10 outdoor charts at Nebraska this season:&nbsp;Darius Luff, 110mH, 13.25, No. 1Henry Zimmerman, Hammer Throw, 223-4 (68.07m), No. 2Tyus Wilson, High Jump, 7-5 (2.26m), No. 5Niko Schultz, 800m, 1:47.40, No. 6Tyler Brown, Javelin, 234-7 (71.50m), No. 7Kavian Kerr, 200m, 20.76, t-No. 10Sprint Medley Relay (Pierce, Wilson, Bryant, Schultz), 3:17.26, No. 24x400m Relay (Pierce, Kaalund, Schultz, Bryant), 3:03.31, t-No. 3Brynna McQuillen, 5000m, 16:13.75, No. 2Hillevi Carlsson, Hammer Throw, 207-6 (63.25m), No. 2Kalynn Meyer, Discus, 188-11 (57.58m), No. 3Mine De Klerk, Shot Put, 57-6 ½ (17.54m), No. 4Amelia Flynt, Shot Put, 56-1 (17.09m), No. 6Mine De Klerk, Discus, 181-0 (55.17m), No. 6Darby Thomas, 100m, 11.35, t-No.6Berlyn Schutz, 1500m, 4:17.31, No. 7Cammy Garabian, Hammer Throw, 202-4 (61.68m), No. 7Ali Bainbridge, 5000m, 16:29.39, No. 8Eniko Sara, Javelin, 177-11 (54.23m), No. 9Rhianna Phipps, Triple Jump, 43-10 (13.36m), No. 9Johanna Ilves, 100mH, 13.45, No. 9Amelia Flynt, Discus, 177-2 (54.01m), No. 10Ashley McElmurry, Triple Jump, 43-9 (13.33m), t-No. 10Sprint Medley Relay (Deebom, A. Walker, M. Walker, Schutz), 3:48.54, No. 1Huskers in the PollsNebraska track and field moved up seven spots in the USTFCCCA week three women's rankings, coming in at fourth. That marks the highest team ranking for the women's program since being No. 4 in the 2006 final poll. The Nebraska men entered the polls for the first time during the outdoor season on Tuesday. They came in at 20th, while the women were ranked 13th.The NU women have posted nine marks inside the top-20 nationally, while adding 16 Nebraska all-time marks. The men have posted seven marks inside the top-20, while putting up eight all-time marks.Rhema Otabor threw an NCAA-leading 191-10 (58.47m) in her javelin season debut at the Jim Click Shootout, while Eniko Sara is 12th with a 177-11 (54.23m), Mirta Kulisic is ranked 14th with a &nbsp;175-3 (53.41m) and Emanuela Casadei is at 15th in the event with a 175-0 (53.35m). Adding to the throws success, reigning national champion Axelina Johansson has the second-best shot put mark of the season after hitting the Olympic Standard at the Michael Johnson Invitational with a 61-9 (18.82m). Mine De Klerk is 13th in the shot put (57-6 ½, 17.54m) and Kalynn Meyer is 19th in the discus (188-11, 57.58m). In the triple jump, Rhianna Phipps is ninth with a 43-10 (13.36m) and Ashley McElmurry is tied for 11th with a 43-9 (13.33m).On the men’s side, Darius Luff is the top-ranked 110m hurdler after he ran a blazing 13.25 at the Drake Relays to break his own school record. That time is also ranked fifth in the world currently. Tyus Wilson cleared the second-best height in the NCAA on Friday night with a 7-5 (2.26m) in the high jump. In the triple jump, Terrol Wilson is ranked 13th with a 52-2 ½ (15.91m) and Micaylon Moore is ranked 16th with a 52-1 (15.87m). Dash Sirmon is 14th in the javelin with a 242-8 (73.97m) and Kevin Shubert is 18th in the shot put with a 63-2 ¼ (19.26m). Tyrell Pierce, Garrett Kaalund, Niko Schultz and Nick Bryant teamed up to clock the 15th-fastest 4x400m relay time in the NCAA this season on Saturday with a 3:03.31.In Tuesday's polls, the Husker women were ranked third in the Big Ten Conference, while being named the top-ranked javelin squad in the country. They also are the No. 2 triple jump and shot put, No. 3 long jump and No. 5 discus group in the NCAA. The men were ranked fifth in the Big Ten, third in the high jump and fourth in the hammer throw on Tuesday.Johansson Earns Big Ten Weekly AwardNebraska track and field's Axelina Johansson earned the Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week honor, announced on April 25 by the conference office.Johansson hit the Olympic Standard in the shot put on her birthday (April 20). The 61-9 (18.82m) was the farthest mark in the shot put field at the Michael Johnson Invitational by over two meters. The distance improved upon her mark that is No. 2 in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten. Johansson won the shot put at the Jim Click Shootout on April 6.This is Nebraska's second conference weekly award during the outdoor season and its seventh overall during 2024.&nbsp;Otabor Tabbed Big Ten Field Athlete of the WeekNebraska track and field's Rhema Otabor claimed the Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week honor, announced by the conference office on April 10.Otabor threw an NCAA-leading mark in the javelin on Friday at the Jim Click Shootout to lead a Nebraska top-four sweep. The 191-10 (58.47m) is currently first in the NCAA and won her the title during her season debut. The senior from Nassau, Bahamas is the reigning NCAA Champion and Big Ten Champion in the javelin, while she also holds the No. 2 mark in school history.This is Nebraska's first conference weekly award during the outdoor season, but its sixth overall during 2024. The last time a Husker woman won a Big Ten weekly award was when Otabor brought in the same honor last season on April 26.The next meets for the Huskers include the Bryan Clay Invitational April 11-13 in Azusa, Calif., and the Michael Johnson Invitational April 19-20 in Waco, Texas.Nebraska's 2024 Big Ten Track &amp; Field Weekly AwardsJan. 17: Henry Zimmerman, Men's Field Athlete of the WeekJan. 24: Henry Zimmerman, Men's Field Athlete of the WeekFeb. 7: Till Steinforth, Men's Field Athlete of the WeekFeb. 21: Brithton Senior, Men’s Track Athlete of the WeekFeb. 21: Micaylon Moore, Men’s Field Athlete of the WeekApril 10: Rhema Otabor, Women's Field Athlete of the WeekApril 25: Axelina Johansson, Women’s Field Athlete of the Week2024 Indoor Season RecapThe Husker men and women closed the indoor season inside the top 25, with the men tying for 12th and the women claiming 25th at the NCAA Championships. Out of 12 Husker entries, eight earned First-Team All-America honors by placing in the top eight.Till Steinforth recorded his highest-career NCAA finish in the heptathlon to finish third, a day after becoming the first Husker to become a long jump First-Team All-American in the last decade with a seventh-place finish. The last Husker to place third or higher in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships was Björn Barrefors in 2009. Tyus Wilson and Jenna Rogers each pitched in a top-eight finish in the high jump, while Micaylon Moore represented NU as a First-Team All-American in the triple jump. Rhianna Phipps placed fifth in the triple jump, Mine De Klerk took seventh in the shot put and Henry Zimmerman finished seventh in the weight throw to round out Nebraska’s First-Team All-Americans.With Nebraska sending 11 athletes and 12 entries to the NCAA Championships, that marked the most athletes to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships since 2010 and the most entries since 2011.At the Big Ten Championships, the Husker men finished second as a team, only four points behind Wisconsin. The women finished in eighth. Wilson (high jump), Moore (triple jump), Steinforth (long jump) and De Klerk (shot put) brought in Big Ten titles.&nbsp;Zimmerman broke the weight throw school record on four occasions, while Berlyn Schutz broke the school record in the mile as a freshman. Altogether, 26 performances either broke into the all-time list for the first time or moved up the list during the indoor season.2023 Outdoor Season RecapNebraska’s last outdoor season was marked by the men claiming the Big Ten title and the women finishing third. Both finishes were the best placements since the 2016 season. The team combined for 12 event titles throughout the meet. The women, powered by Axelina Johansson (shot put) and Rhema Otabor (javelin) bringing in NCAA titles, took eighth place at the NCAA Championships. That was the best finish since the 2006 season, when the Huskers tied for fourth. The men tied for 17th, their best team finish in seven years. The men and women combined for eight First-Team All-America honors, seven school records and 32 new top-10 marks throughout the outdoor season.

Huskers set for Shocker Open

Junior Jackson Brockett tossed the sixth individual no-hitter in Nebraska baseball history, and the first nine-inning no-hitter since 1954, in Nebraska's 8-0 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

It marked NU's first individual no-hitter since 1981, when Anthony Kelley didn't allow a hit over seven innings against the Oklahoma Sooners. It was just the second ever nine-inning individual no-hitter, joining Richard Geier's no-hitter in 1954 against the Kansas Jayhawks.

In his first start of the season, Brockett posted a career-high 12 strikeouts on 107 pitches which is the most punchouts by a Husker hurler since Will Walsh last season. The outing was the second complete-game shutout by a Nebraska pitcher this season, joining Brett Sears who tossed a two-hitter against Ohio State earlier this season.

Nebraska (28-15) totaled eight runs on 12 hits and an error, while Kansas State (26-18) was held without a run or hit with two errors.

Ben Columbus finished 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, while Garrett Anglim produced a two-hit game along with a pair of RBI. Case Sanderson extended his on-base streak to 15 games and Tyler Stone drove in two runs. Rhett Stokes added two hits for the Huskers, while Riley Silva, Garrett Anglim and Cole Evans each recorded a knock.

The Elkhorn, Neb., native needed just eight pitches to get through the Wildcats first three hitters, setting up the Husker offense in the bottom of the first inning.

Silva drew a one-out walk and immediately stole second base, before advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher. A wild pitch in the next at-bat allowed Silva to score and give NU an early 1-0 lead.

After a pair of outs in the bottom of the second inning, Columbus doubled down the right field line and Carey reached on a throwing error to give the Huskers runners on first and third. However, a strikeout ended the inning and stranded runners on the corners for the Big Red.

On the mound, Brockett continued to deal by setting down the next six Kansas State batters to remain perfect across the first three innings.

Silva reached for the second time on a single and swiped second for his 27th steal of the season, the most by a Husker since 2001. Stone walked to give Nebraska a pair of baserunners for the second straight inning before a fielder’s choice and groundout ended the third frame.

Brockett retired the side in order in the fourth inning, before a throwing error in the infield allowed the first Wildcat to reach base. The southpaw walked the next batter but induced an inning-ending double-play ball to keep Kansas State off the board in the fifth frame.

Nebraska’s offense broke through in the bottom half of the fifth, beginning with Stone being plunked and Sanderson’s double. Anglim subsequently drove both in on a two-run double to extend the NU advantage to 3-0.

In the next at-bat, Columbus launched a 375-foot two-run home run beyond the party porch in right field to push the lead to five runs. Brockett responded with a zero in the top of the sixth inning, striking out the side to keep the Huskers in front 6-0.

The southpaw put up another scoreless inning, while Nebraska added runs in the seventh and eighth innings on Carey’s sacrifice fly and Stone’s RBI groundout to grab an 8-0 lead.

Brockett worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth inning to retire the Wildcats in order and secure the sixth no-hitter in Nebraska baseball history.

Nebraska travels to Minneapolis Minn., for a three-game conference series this weekend with Minnesota on Friday-Sunday, May 3-5 at Siebert Field. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and the Golden Gophers is set for 5 p.m. CT.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationJunior Jackson Brockett tossed the sixth individual no-hitter in Nebraska baseball history, and the first nine-inning no-hitter since 1954, in Nebraska's 8-0 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.It marked NU's first individual no-hitter since 1981, when Anthony Kelley didn't allow a hit over seven innings against the Oklahoma Sooners. It was just the second ever nine-inning individual no-hitter, joining Richard Geier's no-hitter in 1954 against the Kansas Jayhawks.In his first start of the season, Brockett posted a career-high 12 strikeouts on 107 pitches which is the most punchouts by a Husker hurler since Will Walsh last season. The outing was the second complete-game shutout by a Nebraska pitcher this season, joining Brett Sears who tossed a two-hitter against Ohio State earlier this season.Nebraska (28-15) totaled eight runs on 12 hits and an error, while Kansas State (26-18) was held without a run or hit with two errors.Ben Columbus finished 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, while Garrett Anglim produced a two-hit game along with a pair of RBI. Case Sanderson extended his on-base streak to 15 games and Tyler Stone drove in two runs. Rhett Stokes added two hits for the Huskers, while Riley Silva, Garrett Anglim and Cole Evans each recorded a knock.The Elkhorn, Neb., native needed just eight pitches to get through the Wildcats first three hitters, setting up the Husker offense in the bottom of the first inning.Silva drew a one-out walk and immediately stole second base, before advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher. A wild pitch in the next at-bat allowed Silva to score and give NU an early 1-0 lead.After a pair of outs in the bottom of the second inning, Columbus doubled down the right field line and Carey reached on a throwing error to give the Huskers runners on first and third. However, a strikeout ended the inning and stranded runners on the corners for the Big Red.On the mound, Brockett continued to deal by setting down the next six Kansas State batters to remain perfect across the first three innings.Silva reached for the second time on a single and swiped second for his 27th steal of the season, the most by a Husker since 2001. Stone walked to give Nebraska a pair of baserunners for the second straight inning before a fielder’s choice and groundout ended the third frame.Brockett retired the side in order in the fourth inning, before a throwing error in the infield allowed the first Wildcat to reach base. The southpaw walked the next batter but induced an inning-ending double-play ball to keep Kansas State off the board in the fifth frame.Nebraska’s offense broke through in the bottom half of the fifth, beginning with Stone being plunked and Sanderson’s double. Anglim subsequently drove both in on a two-run double to extend the NU advantage to 3-0.In the next at-bat, Columbus launched a 375-foot two-run home run beyond the party porch in right field to push the lead to five runs. Brockett responded with a zero in the top of the sixth inning, striking out the side to keep the Huskers in front 6-0.The southpaw put up another scoreless inning, while Nebraska added runs in the seventh and eighth innings on Carey’s sacrifice fly and Stone’s RBI groundout to grab an 8-0 lead.Brockett worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth inning to retire the Wildcats in order and secure the sixth no-hitter in Nebraska baseball history.Nebraska travels to Minneapolis Minn., for a three-game conference series this weekend with Minnesota on Friday-Sunday, May 3-5 at Siebert Field. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and the Golden Gophers is set for 5 p.m. CT.

Brockett deals NU’s first nine-inning no-hitter since 1954

Best of the Midwest Track and Field results

#1 Creighton Preparatory School Vs. #4 North Platte&nbsp;

4-0, Creighton Prep moves on to championship match

2-0, Millard South advances to the championship match

<h2>Boy's District A-2 Soccer</h2>#1 Creighton Preparatory School Vs. #4 North Platte&nbsp;4-0, Creighton Prep moves on to championship match&nbsp;<h2>Girl's District A-3 Soccer</h2>#2 Millard South Vs. #3 North Platte2-0, Millard South advances to the championship match

Area District results

Story by UNK Athletic Communications&nbsp;

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;Junior&nbsp;Juliana Botero Molina&nbsp;will represent Nebraska-Kearney at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/golf-women/article/2024-04-29/ncaa-division-ii-womens-golf-committee-announces-2024-championship-field" target="_blank">2024 NCAA Central Regional</a>&nbsp;May 6-8 in Bartlesville, Okla.

The regional field consists of nine teams from the MIAA, Great American Conference (GAC) and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as well as six individuals not from one of those squads. The regional committee uses a varsity of criteria from the regular season, including head-to-head competition and tournament finish, to determine the selections.

UNK was hoping to make the cut for a third straight year but just missed out. Next spring, the regional field expands to 18 teams.

The 2024 D2 NCAA women's golf field features 48 teams and 24 individuals competing at four regional sites (Bartlesville, Okla., Carmel, Ind., Cleveland, Tenn., and Stockton, Calif.). The top three Central teams, along with the top two individuals not on those teams, move on to the NCAA Championships May 21-25 in Orlando.

The 2024 MIAA Champion, Botero Molina has a 76.19 season stroke average which would set a new school record. Half of her 21 rounds have been between 71-75 and she joins Ana Summers (2015 &amp; 2016) and Sara Wissing (2009 &amp; 2010) as Lopers to individually qualify for regional play.

Rogers State will host the regional at the Hillcrest Country Club. UNK took part in the “Pre-Regional” meet at the course back in Sept. 2023 with Botero Molina tying for 16th&nbsp;place (150; 75-75).

Central Regional FieldTeams:1. Henderson State, Ark.&nbsp;[Great American Conference auto bid]2. Central Missouri&nbsp;[Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association auto bid]3. Southwestern Oklahoma State4. Rogers State5. Augustana&nbsp;[Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference auto bid]6. Northeastern State7. Minnesota State8. Central Oklahoma9. Harding, Ark.

5. Paige Hoffman, Northwest Missouri State

Story by UNK Athletic Communications&nbsp;Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;Junior&nbsp;Juliana Botero Molina&nbsp;will represent Nebraska-Kearney at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/golf-women/article/2024-04-29/ncaa-division-ii-womens-golf-committee-announces-2024-championship-field" target="_blank">2024 NCAA Central Regional</a>&nbsp;May 6-8 in Bartlesville, Okla.The regional field consists of nine teams from the MIAA, Great American Conference (GAC) and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as well as six individuals not from one of those squads. The regional committee uses a varsity of criteria from the regular season, including head-to-head competition and tournament finish, to determine the selections.UNK was hoping to make the cut for a third straight year but just missed out. Next spring, the regional field expands to 18 teams.The 2024 D2 NCAA women's golf field features 48 teams and 24 individuals competing at four regional sites (Bartlesville, Okla., Carmel, Ind., Cleveland, Tenn., and Stockton, Calif.). The top three Central teams, along with the top two individuals not on those teams, move on to the NCAA Championships May 21-25 in Orlando.The 2024 MIAA Champion, Botero Molina has a 76.19 season stroke average which would set a new school record. Half of her 21 rounds have been between 71-75 and she joins Ana Summers (2015 &amp; 2016) and Sara Wissing (2009 &amp; 2010) as Lopers to individually qualify for regional play.Rogers State will host the regional at the Hillcrest Country Club. UNK took part in the “Pre-Regional” meet at the course back in Sept. 2023 with Botero Molina tying for 16th&nbsp;place (150; 75-75).Central Regional FieldTeams:1. Henderson State, Ark.&nbsp;[Great American Conference auto bid]2. Central Missouri&nbsp;[Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association auto bid]3. Southwestern Oklahoma State4. Rogers State5. Augustana&nbsp;[Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference auto bid]6. Northeastern State7. Minnesota State8. Central Oklahoma9. Harding, Ark.Individuals:1. Morgan&nbsp;Brasser, Fort Hays State2. Juliana Botero Molina, UNK3. Morgan Becker, Oklahoma Baptist4. Ellen Spigner, Arkansas Tech5. Paige Hoffman, Northwest Missouri State6. Carly Moon, Winona State, Minn.

Lopers just miss the cut; field greatly expands in 2025

Story by MPCC Athletic Communications

Spearfish, S.D. – The Mid-Plains Community College men’s team continued their dominance as they brought home the team championship Saturday in Spearfish, S.D. The women’s team took home sixth in the overall standings.

"I am pleased with the performance of our student-athletes,” said Aukai Kaai, MPCC Rodeo Team roughstock coach. “There are several opportunities for our athletes to make the college finals. It will all come down to the short round in Lincoln this weekend."

The men continued to show why they are the best in the region as Kahiwa Augustiro placed first in bull riding, third in bareback and third in steer wrestling to claim the All-Around title.

Jackson Lunn rode to a second-place finish in bareback while Cinch Painter brought home a second-place finish in steer wrestling.

Team ropers Ryan Shepherd and partner Joey Boote (Dakota State University) secured the top spot in team roping while Clay Meyer and Sage Dieter finished fourth.

Emily Leach grabbed a first-place finish in breakaway while barrel racer Maggie Underhill notched a third-place finish in the average.

The MPCC rodeo team will round out the regular season at the Cornhusker Stampede in Lincoln, Neb. May 3-4.

Story by MPCC Athletic CommunicationsSpearfish, S.D. – The Mid-Plains Community College men’s team continued their dominance as they brought home the team championship Saturday in Spearfish, S.D. The women’s team took home sixth in the overall standings."I am pleased with the performance of our student-athletes,” said Aukai Kaai, MPCC Rodeo Team roughstock coach. “There are several opportunities for our athletes to make the college finals. It will all come down to the short round in Lincoln this weekend."The men continued to show why they are the best in the region as Kahiwa Augustiro placed first in bull riding, third in bareback and third in steer wrestling to claim the All-Around title.Jackson Lunn rode to a second-place finish in bareback while Cinch Painter brought home a second-place finish in steer wrestling.Team ropers Ryan Shepherd and partner Joey Boote (Dakota State University) secured the top spot in team roping while Clay Meyer and Sage Dieter finished fourth.Emily Leach grabbed a first-place finish in breakaway while barrel racer Maggie Underhill notched a third-place finish in the average.The MPCC rodeo team will round out the regular season at the Cornhusker Stampede in Lincoln, Neb. May 3-4.

Augustiro wins All-Around title at Will Lantis Yellow Jacket Stampede

“I want to express our gratitude for all the people that came to help. Knowing that everyone in the state is going to help moving forward. My thoughts and prayers are with the people that were affected. Obviously in the game, Demitrius (Bell) went down with a significant injury. Blye Hill looks like maybe a semi-significant injury. Both to the patellas, I don’t know long term. I hate to speak until the MRIs are done and all that. It looks like it could be somewhat significant for each. From a football perspective, that hurts, from a personal perspective, they really hurt. I know both guys are tremendous competitors and young players and they’ll bounce back and be great. Just wanted to start with that. I thought the crowd, for an early game, for everything that happened yesterday, to have over 60,000 people there – what a great message in recruiting, what a great message to our team. Hopefully, we brought people some joy today on a dark day after yesterday.”

On if the offense showed what he wanted to see

“There were some explosive plays, there were some extended drives, there were some big plays. I have to watch the film to see who did what. Obviously, sometimes, some players are matched up against a player that’s older than them or better than them, but I thought there was a lot of positive energy in terms of the way the offense conducted itself – got in and out of the no huddle, sometimes got in a huddle. Just the overall feel from the field felt really good. Those are the things I was looking for. Obviously the two turnovers back-to-back, I didn’t like, but I’m happy that the defense made those plays. I felt for the rest of the game, that some plays were made that we have to make.

On if the game was a summary of Dylan Raiola’s spring season

“That’s a great question. I don’t know how to answer that, to be honest with you. I don’t get tongue twisted very often. Dylan’s had a very good spring. The plays I liked – I was up doing the TV at one point – one where we kicked a field goal that we missed, you could see that he so badly wanted to throw the ball back across the middle of the field as he was scrambling and he didn’t. The one scramble probably ends in a sack, but he has two hands on the ball, he’s running. It’s going to be the little things with Dylan, not the big things. He’s got a great feel for the game, he’s got a big arm. He’s calm. It’s going to be the little things – protecting the football, taking three, managing the game. It just felt like he did a lot of those things. He hasn’t done all of them. He’s grown as the spring has gone on. He, like the rest of our players, had a chance today to just improve on what they did last week, and I thought, in a lot of ways, he did.

“I think the thing with Jaylen is his ball skills just continue to improve. It’s really a credit to Marcus (Satterfield) and Garret (McGuire). They’ve introduced drills that I’ve always been against. Deep down, I’m just a d-line coach. They do pat and go and all these drills and I’m against them, and the guys have just bought in and gotten better and better and better. From the first scrimmage to this scrimmage, the ball skills, the catching of the football has just improved. I think Jaylen is one of the prime guys with that. It’s one thing when the guys have great speed, but when you’re a triple jumper and when you’re a long jumper – he has such athleticism and mobility. He can track balls, he’s loose, he can track it over his shoulder. He plays hard. When the quarterbacks get outside the pocket, he can turn up. To be honest with you, Dylan has the ability to get outside of the pocket and make those throws. Heinrich (Haarberg) can throw the ball 75 yards. So (Jaylen) has the feeling of ‘I can turn up on these plays.’ Danny (Kaelin) – I don’t know if you saw him get outside of the pocket and throw one downfield. He has a big-time arm and can do it as well. It’s contagious. Jaylen has been one of the most improved players on the team. His becoming a receiver is just growing exponentially.

“I felt bad for him. I think he thought the kicker was the same color jersey as him. I was watching that on tv. The kickoff return is hard to tell because it’s not live, but I watched the tv replay up there, and I think Koby (Bretz) grabbed his flag and that's it. Jacory’s dynamic, and he’s tough. He’s still learning a lot. They jumped offsides, and he took off before the ball was snapped because he saw them jump offsides, so he’s really a smart player. He’s really, really competitive, really fast, and if he can bring just a little bit of that kick return dynamic to our team, that changes things. He can play all three spots because he is quick and fast and can catch the ball across the middle.”

On Dylan Raiola’s ability to make throws

"I’m not going to compare the guys. I don’t know if I can prepare to do that. I think the thing that Dylan has done really well this spring as a young player is sometimes young quarterbacks can pass on– ‘oh that guy is kind of covered– where as Dylan knows the ball’s supposed to go there and he’s going to throw it there. He’ll throw it on his back shoulder. He’ll throw it where he needs to throw it and then trust those guys to make those plays. You can’t play quarterback and receiver. You can only play quarterback. You gotta throw the ball away from the defender and let the guys go make the plays. I think all of our quarterbacks have done that, but you saw that today from him. To your point, I thought that was a big time catch. The four verticals to (Alex) Bullock, that’s the kind of thing we do pretty well. We are a pretty good four vertical team. I think later on when I was up in the TV booth, did we hit (Nate) Boerkircher down on the seam, I think? Heinrich (Haarberg) did, so we do that well, but the in-cuts and controlling in the middle of the field is really important to us. I think one of the major keys to that Mitch (Sherman), is throwing the ball below the chin so the ball is in a catchable space but if there’s a tip it’s not up in the air. That’s what happened on the triple slant interception, the ball was a little bit behind, a little bit high. Red zone tips equal picks. To me, we’re just constantly evolving those areas but Dylan has a great feel for that. The thing he does is he just trusted that the ball was supposed to go there. I’m gonna put it there where the defender isn’t and let the guy make those plays, and those guys made those plays.”

“I think he’s an NFL fullback, but I also think he’s a dynamic wideout too, and I think it’s a credit to Corey (Campbell) that the way that Janiran’s really continued to improve his body, but he’s in that 218 range, and so to me, he is a true weapon. He’s a guy that we could conceivably play at wideout for 10 plays in a row, or we could motion in and he’ll block defensive ends. He carried the football for us last year, but what I love is you see the perimeter screen game that we have going on, but to have a 220 pound wideout out there blocking their nickel, that helps. Then you put (Isaiah) Neyor and Jahmal (Banks) out there. You have some big men on the perimeter, so I’m really pleased with what Janiran’s done, and I think he’ll continue to evolve, and you’ll see him line up in a lot of different places in the offense.”

On how Thomas Fidone is moving this spring

“He’s a pretty explosive guy. He’s four five. I think the biggest thing with Thomas is at the end of the season, I said to Thomas. I was like, ‘What a great fall we had,’ meaning him. Like us. We had. He’s like, ‘What do you mean?’ What I love about Thomas Fidone is he’s never happy. He’s never happy, and it’s because he wants to be great. He wants to be the best tight end in the world, and he’s always trying to get better, but my point was, coming off two ACL’s, to get through a spring, a fall camp and a season healthy, that’s what he needed because now, instead of rehabbing this winter, he’s lifting, and he’s in the 260 range at four five, with 35 inch arms, 34 inch arms. He’s a physical freak and he’s loyal. Every team in the country’s trying to get him to leave and go there, and he’s a Nebraska Cornhusker through and through. I love that guy, and I love his approach, and it’s so good for our players to see a guy who’s so obsessed with being great and never happy. But at the same time, to your point, he just had to have a true off-season. He just had to have weightlifting, where he’s not rehabbing, and now I think you’re starting to really see what he can do.”

"Minimal warmups like (Marques Buford Jr.) and Giff (Isacc Gifford) and Ty (Robinson) and Nash (Hutmacher) and I told Tommi (Hill) not to and then typical Tommi Hill he’s out there the whole first series playing corner. He’s just like ‘let me get a series coach.’ And I’m like alright go get a series. And I love that guy, his competitive nature. Bryce (Benhart) and Ben Scott and other guys who played we kind of set numbers for them. Let’s get this guy three series. Let’s get this guy four. It’s kind of hard because we’re so thin and then with D-Bell (Demetrius Bell) we’re really thin. Jaidyn Doss, he played both ways for us. I don’t know if you saw that, he played corner, he played wideout so Jaidyn is a guy we think is really really special and we are just trying to foster many different talents for him.”

On strides Heinrich Haarberg has made since last season

“You saw a lot of this. He still had the ability to tuck the ball down and run. He’s truly a dual threat at a quarterback who can change the game. I love him taking what’s there. I love him being explosive, pushing the ball down the field, deep balls down the field. Elite ball in the middle of the field. I also love him moving in the pocket – Taking check downs, taking a bad play and getting out of it. I think it’s really, really important in our job. You guys haven’t asked the question yet of when you’re going to name a starter. I went to dinner with Eric Crouch. Eric tells me his entire freshman year here, he couldn’t sleep Friday night because on Saturday morning, they’d go to breakfast and Coach Gill (Turner Gill) would tell them who was starting that week. That’s Nebraska. What I love is that we’re going to focus on Dylan Raiola. I get that. But you can see the improvement in Heinrich (Haarberg). You can see Danny (Kaelin), as a true freshman, go out there and complete 60% of his balls, or whatever he did today. I want the quarterback play to be great. Each guy from there has to bring their own sensibility. Dylan kind of makes these types of plays, and &nbsp;Heinrich kind of makes these types of plays. I really believe that it’s going to take all of us to play pretty well at quarterback in the Big Ten. We have aspirations of regaining Nebraska’s place of winning national championships. How many games is it now to win a national championship? Between Big Ten, playoffs and the championship game, if you don’t have a bye, it’s 15 or 16 games, yes? play one quarterback. I think watching Heinrich blossom and getting better, and watching Danny and watching Dylan. You know Luke (Longval) and Jack (Woche) went out there and moved the football. I just want the quarterback play to be good and I think it’s a credit to Glenn (Thomas). He’s done really well.”&nbsp;

On if Rhule came to the conclusion that they’re set on the quarterback position

“I would say we would always, always, always look for quarterbacks. If there’s a quarterback that comes along, we would always take another quarterback. I think we have our starter sitting in that room. Let me say that. I think we have three guys that we believe in, but if a young player comes along or a depth player comes along – I don’t go looking in the portal, but I’m also not stupid when things come across to us. Scott Fitterer was the GM when I was in Carolina. He used to say, from the Seahawks, “We’re in on every trade.” He just would explore everything, but I think we have quarterbacks capable of winning for us. I think the quarterback play’s significantly improved from last season, and that’s kind of where we’re at.”

On the plan for the next few days with the transfer portal deadline on May 1

“What I do at the end of every spring, is I have a team meeting on Monday, and then they meet with their position coach, then they all meet with me over the course of however many days. I’ll be available Monday, I’ll be available Tuesday. I’ve had so many guys already come and talk to me. As you can tell, there’s a lot of tampering going on in college football. I’ve had guys, like I said earlier in a press conference, guys showing me their phones. If a player is urgent and they’re trying to make a decision about going in the portal, then they’ll sign up early for their meeting with me. A lot of guys, most of the team is probably pretty set, they’ll sign up with me later in the week or next week. That’s kind of on them. We have our process, we meet with every single player, go through where they stand right now. We can’t make promises for the future. I think the biggest thing that I’d say is, wanting them to always understand – everyone is going to have your back, everyone is going to tell you what you want to hear when things are going well. When you’re one of the top players and they’re trying to get you into the portal, when you’re Demitrius (Bell) or Blye (Hill) and you’re laying there, and you have tears running down your face and you don’t know what’s going to happen to you, who has your back then? I’m an open, open, open book. We talk to every single guy regardless, but a guy who’s trying to make a decision on the portal, they can come talk to us. I wouldn’t forget that we do a great job here of graduating players. We don’t slow down graduations. If they’ve graduated, they can still go in the portal. In training camp, they can go in the portal. It’s kind of an open conversation the whole time. We’re going to leave here and recruit. We’re going to recruit tomorrow and then go honor the student-athletes at Night at the Lied tomorrow night, then Monday/Tuesday, we’ll start the process.”

“Today, I saw a burst in him. I haven’t seen that long run from him in the other scrimmages. Maybe it was blocked better, maybe Tony (White) didn’t blitz as much today. I didn’t tell Tony what he could or couldn’t do. It was great to see that from Dante. He’s had a good spring, but you saw a burst. When I stand down there, you could see a level of acceleration into contact in that long run down the left sideline. Some really good things. You have a pretty deep running back room. You saw Maurice Mazzccua – I saw a spin move that he made that was a fantastic run. Big fan of Kenneth Williams. I think Kenneth is a guy that’s going to play here in some different ways. Dante, Emmett (Johnson) – I kind of sidelined Emmett at one point, said ‘that’s enough from you.’ During practice this week, Rahmir (Johnson) took a lot of reps in one of the practices, and he looked good in the no-huddle stuff that we’re doing. We get Gabe Ervin Jr. back, I think it’s a deep room. We’ll have to do a good job as coaches of figuring out what each guy does well. I think we have a good feel for it, but I was really pleased to see some of the things that Dante did today. Just a flash and a burst that maybe I hadn’t felt as the spring has gone on.”

Story by NU Athletic Communications<div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/PY0cmVPW-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Rhule Presser Springgame Cam 7" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Opening Statement“I want to express our gratitude for all the people that came to help. Knowing that everyone in the state is going to help moving forward. My thoughts and prayers are with the people that were affected. Obviously in the game, Demitrius (Bell) went down with a significant injury. Blye Hill looks like maybe a semi-significant injury. Both to the patellas, I don’t know long term. I hate to speak until the MRIs are done and all that. It looks like it could be somewhat significant for each. From a football perspective, that hurts, from a personal perspective, they really hurt. I know both guys are tremendous competitors and young players and they’ll bounce back and be great. Just wanted to start with that. I thought the crowd, for an early game, for everything that happened yesterday, to have over 60,000 people there – what a great message in recruiting, what a great message to our team. Hopefully, we brought people some joy today on a dark day after yesterday.”On if the offense showed what he wanted to see“There were some explosive plays, there were some extended drives, there were some big plays. I have to watch the film to see who did what. Obviously, sometimes, some players are matched up against a player that’s older than them or better than them, but I thought there was a lot of positive energy in terms of the way the offense conducted itself – got in and out of the no huddle, sometimes got in a huddle. Just the overall feel from the field felt really good. Those are the things I was looking for. Obviously the two turnovers back-to-back, I didn’t like, but I’m happy that the defense made those plays. I felt for the rest of the game, that some plays were made that we have to make.On if the game was a summary of Dylan Raiola’s spring season“That’s a great question. I don’t know how to answer that, to be honest with you. I don’t get tongue twisted very often. Dylan’s had a very good spring. The plays I liked – I was up doing the TV at one point – one where we kicked a field goal that we missed, you could see that he so badly wanted to throw the ball back across the middle of the field as he was scrambling and he didn’t. The one scramble probably ends in a sack, but he has two hands on the ball, he’s running. It’s going to be the little things with Dylan, not the big things. He’s got a great feel for the game, he’s got a big arm. He’s calm. It’s going to be the little things – protecting the football, taking three, managing the game. It just felt like he did a lot of those things. He hasn’t done all of them. He’s grown as the spring has gone on. He, like the rest of our players, had a chance today to just improve on what they did last week, and I thought, in a lot of ways, he did.<div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/Kmo1p8Ma-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Dylan Presser Spring Cam 7" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On showcasing Jaylen Lloyd’s talent“I think the thing with Jaylen is his ball skills just continue to improve. It’s really a credit to Marcus (Satterfield) and Garret (McGuire). They’ve introduced drills that I’ve always been against. Deep down, I’m just a d-line coach. They do pat and go and all these drills and I’m against them, and the guys have just bought in and gotten better and better and better. From the first scrimmage to this scrimmage, the ball skills, the catching of the football has just improved. I think Jaylen is one of the prime guys with that. It’s one thing when the guys have great speed, but when you’re a triple jumper and when you’re a long jumper – he has such athleticism and mobility. He can track balls, he’s loose, he can track it over his shoulder. He plays hard. When the quarterbacks get outside the pocket, he can turn up. To be honest with you, Dylan has the ability to get outside of the pocket and make those throws. Heinrich (Haarberg) can throw the ball 75 yards. So (Jaylen) has the feeling of ‘I can turn up on these plays.’ Danny (Kaelin) – I don’t know if you saw him get outside of the pocket and throw one downfield. He has a big-time arm and can do it as well. It’s contagious. Jaylen has been one of the most improved players on the team. His becoming a receiver is just growing exponentially.<div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/W1mGPMlT-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Lloyd, Jaylen" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On Jacory Barney Jr.“I felt bad for him. I think he thought the kicker was the same color jersey as him. I was watching that on tv. The kickoff return is hard to tell because it’s not live, but I watched the tv replay up there, and I think Koby (Bretz) grabbed his flag and that's it. Jacory’s dynamic, and he’s tough. He’s still learning a lot. They jumped offsides, and he took off before the ball was snapped because he saw them jump offsides, so he’s really a smart player. He’s really, really competitive, really fast, and if he can bring just a little bit of that kick return dynamic to our team, that changes things. He can play all three spots because he is quick and fast and can catch the ball across the middle.”On Dylan Raiola’s ability to make throws"I’m not going to compare the guys. I don’t know if I can prepare to do that. I think the thing that Dylan has done really well this spring as a young player is sometimes young quarterbacks can pass on– ‘oh that guy is kind of covered– where as Dylan knows the ball’s supposed to go there and he’s going to throw it there. He’ll throw it on his back shoulder. He’ll throw it where he needs to throw it and then trust those guys to make those plays. You can’t play quarterback and receiver. You can only play quarterback. You gotta throw the ball away from the defender and let the guys go make the plays. I think all of our quarterbacks have done that, but you saw that today from him. To your point, I thought that was a big time catch. The four verticals to (Alex) Bullock, that’s the kind of thing we do pretty well. We are a pretty good four vertical team. I think later on when I was up in the TV booth, did we hit (Nate) Boerkircher down on the seam, I think? Heinrich (Haarberg) did, so we do that well, but the in-cuts and controlling in the middle of the field is really important to us. I think one of the major keys to that Mitch (Sherman), is throwing the ball below the chin so the ball is in a catchable space but if there’s a tip it’s not up in the air. That’s what happened on the triple slant interception, the ball was a little bit behind, a little bit high. Red zone tips equal picks. To me, we’re just constantly evolving those areas but Dylan has a great feel for that. The thing he does is he just trusted that the ball was supposed to go there. I’m gonna put it there where the defender isn’t and let the guy make those plays, and those guys made those plays.”On Janiran Bonner“I think he’s an NFL fullback, but I also think he’s a dynamic wideout too, and I think it’s a credit to Corey (Campbell) that the way that Janiran’s really continued to improve his body, but he’s in that 218 range, and so to me, he is a true weapon. He’s a guy that we could conceivably play at wideout for 10 plays in a row, or we could motion in and he’ll block defensive ends. He carried the football for us last year, but what I love is you see the perimeter screen game that we have going on, but to have a 220 pound wideout out there blocking their nickel, that helps. Then you put (Isaiah) Neyor and Jahmal (Banks) out there. You have some big men on the perimeter, so I’m really pleased with what Janiran’s done, and I think he’ll continue to evolve, and you’ll see him line up in a lot of different places in the offense.”On how Thomas Fidone is moving this spring“He’s a pretty explosive guy. He’s four five. I think the biggest thing with Thomas is at the end of the season, I said to Thomas. I was like, ‘What a great fall we had,’ meaning him. Like us. We had. He’s like, ‘What do you mean?’ What I love about Thomas Fidone is he’s never happy. He’s never happy, and it’s because he wants to be great. He wants to be the best tight end in the world, and he’s always trying to get better, but my point was, coming off two ACL’s, to get through a spring, a fall camp and a season healthy, that’s what he needed because now, instead of rehabbing this winter, he’s lifting, and he’s in the 260 range at four five, with 35 inch arms, 34 inch arms. He’s a physical freak and he’s loyal. Every team in the country’s trying to get him to leave and go there, and he’s a Nebraska Cornhusker through and through. I love that guy, and I love his approach, and it’s so good for our players to see a guy who’s so obsessed with being great and never happy. But at the same time, to your point, he just had to have a true off-season. He just had to have weightlifting, where he’s not rehabbing, and now I think you’re starting to really see what he can do.”On if Rhule was resting veterans today"Minimal warmups like (Marques Buford Jr.) and Giff (Isacc Gifford) and Ty (Robinson) and Nash (Hutmacher) and I told Tommi (Hill) not to and then typical Tommi Hill he’s out there the whole first series playing corner. He’s just like ‘let me get a series coach.’ And I’m like alright go get a series. And I love that guy, his competitive nature. Bryce (Benhart) and Ben Scott and other guys who played we kind of set numbers for them. Let’s get this guy three series. Let’s get this guy four. It’s kind of hard because we’re so thin and then with D-Bell (Demetrius Bell) we’re really thin. Jaidyn Doss, he played both ways for us. I don’t know if you saw that, he played corner, he played wideout so Jaidyn is a guy we think is really really special and we are just trying to foster many different talents for him.”On strides Heinrich Haarberg has made since last season“You saw a lot of this. He still had the ability to tuck the ball down and run. He’s truly a dual threat at a quarterback who can change the game. I love him taking what’s there. I love him being explosive, pushing the ball down the field, deep balls down the field. Elite ball in the middle of the field. I also love him moving in the pocket – Taking check downs, taking a bad play and getting out of it. I think it’s really, really important in our job. You guys haven’t asked the question yet of when you’re going to name a starter. I went to dinner with Eric Crouch. Eric tells me his entire freshman year here, he couldn’t sleep Friday night because on Saturday morning, they’d go to breakfast and Coach Gill (Turner Gill) would tell them who was starting that week. That’s Nebraska. What I love is that we’re going to focus on Dylan Raiola. I get that. But you can see the improvement in Heinrich (Haarberg). You can see Danny (Kaelin), as a true freshman, go out there and complete 60% of his balls, or whatever he did today. I want the quarterback play to be great. Each guy from there has to bring their own sensibility. Dylan kind of makes these types of plays, and &nbsp;Heinrich kind of makes these types of plays. I really believe that it’s going to take all of us to play pretty well at quarterback in the Big Ten. We have aspirations of regaining Nebraska’s place of winning national championships. How many games is it now to win a national championship? Between Big Ten, playoffs and the championship game, if you don’t have a bye, it’s 15 or 16 games, yes? play one quarterback. I think watching Heinrich blossom and getting better, and watching Danny and watching Dylan. You know Luke (Longval) and Jack (Woche) went out there and moved the football. I just want the quarterback play to be good and I think it’s a credit to Glenn (Thomas). He’s done really well.”&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/PUZ41hyK-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Heinrich Presser Cam 7" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On if Rhule came to the conclusion that they’re set on the quarterback position“I would say we would always, always, always look for quarterbacks. If there’s a quarterback that comes along, we would always take another quarterback. I think we have our starter sitting in that room. Let me say that. I think we have three guys that we believe in, but if a young player comes along or a depth player comes along – I don’t go looking in the portal, but I’m also not stupid when things come across to us. Scott Fitterer was the GM when I was in Carolina. He used to say, from the Seahawks, “We’re in on every trade.” He just would explore everything, but I think we have quarterbacks capable of winning for us. I think the quarterback play’s significantly improved from last season, and that’s kind of where we’re at.”On the plan for the next few days with the transfer portal deadline on May 1“What I do at the end of every spring, is I have a team meeting on Monday, and then they meet with their position coach, then they all meet with me over the course of however many days. I’ll be available Monday, I’ll be available Tuesday. I’ve had so many guys already come and talk to me. As you can tell, there’s a lot of tampering going on in college football. I’ve had guys, like I said earlier in a press conference, guys showing me their phones. If a player is urgent and they’re trying to make a decision about going in the portal, then they’ll sign up early for their meeting with me. A lot of guys, most of the team is probably pretty set, they’ll sign up with me later in the week or next week. That’s kind of on them. We have our process, we meet with every single player, go through where they stand right now. We can’t make promises for the future. I think the biggest thing that I’d say is, wanting them to always understand – everyone is going to have your back, everyone is going to tell you what you want to hear when things are going well. When you’re one of the top players and they’re trying to get you into the portal, when you’re Demitrius (Bell) or Blye (Hill) and you’re laying there, and you have tears running down your face and you don’t know what’s going to happen to you, who has your back then? I’m an open, open, open book. We talk to every single guy regardless, but a guy who’s trying to make a decision on the portal, they can come talk to us. I wouldn’t forget that we do a great job here of graduating players. We don’t slow down graduations. If they’ve graduated, they can still go in the portal. In training camp, they can go in the portal. It’s kind of an open conversation the whole time. We’re going to leave here and recruit. We’re going to recruit tomorrow and then go honor the student-athletes at Night at the Lied tomorrow night, then Monday/Tuesday, we’ll start the process.”On Dante Dowdell today“Today, I saw a burst in him. I haven’t seen that long run from him in the other scrimmages. Maybe it was blocked better, maybe Tony (White) didn’t blitz as much today. I didn’t tell Tony what he could or couldn’t do. It was great to see that from Dante. He’s had a good spring, but you saw a burst. When I stand down there, you could see a level of acceleration into contact in that long run down the left sideline. Some really good things. You have a pretty deep running back room. You saw Maurice Mazzccua – I saw a spin move that he made that was a fantastic run. Big fan of Kenneth Williams. I think Kenneth is a guy that’s going to play here in some different ways. Dante, Emmett (Johnson) – I kind of sidelined Emmett at one point, said ‘that’s enough from you.’ During practice this week, Rahmir (Johnson) took a lot of reps in one of the practices, and he looked good in the no-huddle stuff that we’re doing. We get Gabe Ervin Jr. back, I think it’s a deep room. We’ll have to do a good job as coaches of figuring out what each guy does well. I think we have a good feel for it, but I was really pleased to see some of the things that Dante did today. Just a flash and a burst that maybe I hadn’t felt as the spring has gone on.”On level of comfort with tampering“It is what it is. It is what it is. They’re going to call D-Bell (Demitrius Bell) and say ‘come here, come there,’ but when he’s hurt, who’s there with him? We are. I just have to coach them all like they’re my younger brother. I don’t like to say sons. I coach them all like they’re my younger brother. I’m hard on them probably, like an older brother is, but I try to give them advice, I try to listen to them. Help them through this. Sometimes they offer you so much money, you’ve got to leave. Coaches complain about it. My assistant coaches do the same thing to me – ‘hey, coach, I got this offer to go there.’ I just want them all to be successful. It’s a sad state. I’ll just say that. It’s a sad state. But it is what it is. And you know what? A lot of people want to come here too. A lot of people want to stay here. Roster numbers are certainly not going to be our issue in terms of having enough good players. I hope everyone saw that today. You saw a lot of guys flashing and doing some things. Maybe I’m thinking through three scrimmages, but we have a lot of depth. Keelan Smith made some big time catches down the stretch. I think we have a lot of guys that can make plays.”On how close he was to the storms“I was in the stadium. We had recruiting going on. I know some of my neighbors out there in Waverly and some of you were kind enough to even check on us as those things happened. I didn’t even realize what was happening. I was in the middle of recruiting and your phone is kind of going off, but everyone is in the building. My daughter called me – she’s in Omaha in school – she’s in the shelter. I went out to the Waverly road and my neighbors were affected. I talked to some friends. I talked to Eric Crouch, up there in Elkhorn and they were affected. But I was here. Obviously, we weren’t directly affected, but it’s just a sad thing to see.”