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(3/10/10) O'NEILL (KBRX SPORTS) -- The Dawg Pound is back to a fully loaded field for this Wednesday night. It is a load show on the eve of boys state basketball tournament and the Dawg Pound will be joined by a fleet of guests. At 7:15PM the show will be joined by Steve Stein from GI Family radio will bring the fans a scouting report on the Heartland Lutheran Red Hornets. Mr. Stein will be followed by head coach of the Ewing Tigers coach Greg Appleby. At about 7:45 we will be joined by head coach of the Lynch Eagles Dana Dae and then at 8:00PM Frank Greene from KAWL in York will pop in a give us a scouting report of the Hampton Hawks. On the girls side of the card, at 8:15 we will be joined by head coach of the D-One State Girls Basketball Champion Elkhorn Valley Falcons Coach Brendan Dittmer. That and a huge slate of Stadium Sports Top Dawg Athlete of the Week winners all on the Dawg Pound Sports Show tonight. Tune it in with Marc Zak, Gary Hostert, Michael Wiiest, and Scott Poese on 102.9FM and on kbrx.com beginning at 7:00PM.
The tournament is slated for Thursday March 11th through Saturday March 13th and features three area teams. The Burwell Longhorns punched a ticket for the tournament with a 61-to-52 win over Hartington Cedar Catholic on Monday. The Longhorns enter the C2 field as a three seed and will take their 22-and-one record against 22-and-three Johnson County. The Longhorns and Thunderbirds will tip at 8:45PM Thursday night at Lincoln Southeast. Coach Garrett Mann will lead his Longhorns to Lincoln for the second time in a row after a third place finish in 2009. The Ewing Tigers punched another ticket to state with a 49-to-40 win over the Sargent Bulldogs on Tuesday night. The number two Tigers get ready to tussel with the seven seed Heartland Lutheran Red Hornets out of Grand Island. The Tigers come in at 23-and-one on the year with their lone loss coming to C2 Axtell, while the Red Hornets come in a 20-and-three. The Tigers start their state tournament run at 9:00AM Thursday morning at Lincoln Southeast High School. The Tigers make their 19th apperance in school history after taking second place last year to Sterling and punching tickets eight times in the last 11 years. The Lynch Eagles have fought their way in after they took an 11-and-ten record to Crofton and defeated the Newcastle Raiders 65-to-63 in overtime of the D2-3 District final. They draw the 21-and-one Hampton on Thursday March 11th. That game will be played at Lincoln Northeast with tip time slated for 7:00PM. They make their 10th appearnce in school history and their first trip since 2004. You can catch the Ewing Tigers and Lynch Eagles through out the tournament on KBRX O'Neill and on the web at www.kbrx.com.
(3/10/10) LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Wesleyan University will have six athletes competing at the 2010 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships that will be held on March 12-13 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. Four women and two men have qualified for the track & field championships for the Prairie Wolves. Senior Anne Kersenbrock, from O'Neill (pictured left) leads the NWU women into the championships, as the only athlete to qualify in two events. Kersenbrock qualified in the long jump with the fifth best mark in the country at 18-9 ¼, and also will be competing in the 55-meter dash. She qualified in the long jump at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships and placed ninth, just missing All-America honors. Junior Amanda Brichacek (Schuyler, Neb.) will be making her first appearance at the Indoor Championships competing in the weight A pair of freshmen also have qualified for the Prairie Wolves. Taylor Tacha (Bertrand, Neb.) will be competing in the 55-meter hurdles. Tacha has the eighth fastest time in the country (8.31) to qualify for her first NCAA Championships. Deanna Dirkschneider (North Bend, Neb.) will be competing in the shot put for the Prairie Wolves after qualifying with the 15th best mark in the country (43-3 ¾). Two Nebraska Wesleyan men qualified for the NCAA III National Meet. Junior Kevin Janata (Howells, Neb.) will be competing in the 55 meter hurdles for the second straight season. He has a qualifying time of 7.64 to enter the meet ranked 13th. True freshman John Kersenbrock, the younger brother of Anne (pictured right) made a late season run and qualified for the long jump. Kersenbrock had a leap of 23-7 ¼ last Saturday and now enters the championships tied for the fourth best mark in all of NCAA Division III. (thanks Alex Linden, Sports Information Director, Nebraska Wesleyan)
(3/10/10) LEXINGTON, KY - The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today that Runza® Restaurants has been renewed as title sponsor of its College Volleyball Showcase in 2010, marking the third year of their involvement in the event. “On behalf of our employees across Nebraska, we are proud to sponsor the Runza/AVCA College Volleyball Showcase for the third year,” said Becky Perrett, Runza’s Director of Marketing. “The caliber of teams is outstanding and fans will be very impressed by the level of play during the tournament. Nebraskans love volleyball as much as they love Runza, and the two paired together are a great match.” The AVCA also announced the field of teams and schedule for the 2010 event, to be played at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday and Sunday, August 28-29. The Conference Challenge format that was unveiled in 2008 will continue in 2010, with host school Nebraska, as well as Iowa State, representing the Big 12 Conference. Florida and Kentucky, both from the Southeastern Conference, will be the Big 12 challengers. Under the Conference Challenge format, each school plays the two teams from the other conference, and does not play the other school from its own league. This year’s Showcase will be played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, a change from previous seasons in which the event began on Friday night. Florida will square off with Iowa State at 2 p.m. (CDT) on Saturday afternoon to open the event, followed by Kentucky playing Nebraska at 4:30. Sunday’s matches feature Iowa State and Kentucky at 2 p.m., with Nebraska and Florida facing off at 4:30. Now in its 16th year, the Showcase continually proves to be the country’s premier regular season collegiate volleyball tournament. Six of the Showcase’s eight participating teams in the past two seasons have reached the NCAA Tournament round of eight later that same year; four of those six advanced to the national semifinals. This year’s field promises to continue that tradition of excellence, as each of the four teams finished in the top 15 of the final 2009 AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, as well as reached an NCAA Regional in 2009. Iowa State reached new heights under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch in 2009, climbing to No. 5 in the AVCA poll, its highest ranking ever, and setting NCAA-era team records for both wins (27) and conference wins (17). The Cyclones finished second in the Big 12, their best conference finish since tying for second in the Big Eight in 1995. Iowa State, who will be participating in its first Showcase, returns AVCA All-Americans Victoria Henson and Ashley Mass to the court this season. In 2009, Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Tournament Regional Finals for the sixth consecutive year, and ninth time in head coach John Cook’s ten seasons. The 2010 Huskers return AVCA All-Americans Sydney Anderson, Brooke Delano and Tara Mueller, and welcome 2009 AVCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, Lauren Cook, who transferred to Nebraska from UCLA in January. Nebraska will be participating in its ninth Showcase. Since head coach Mary Wise arrived on the scene in Gainesville in 1991, Florida has won at least a share of 18 of the last 19 SEC regular season championships, and has been ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA poll in each of her 19 seasons. The Gators, who finished third in the conference in 2009, return to the fold two-time AVCA All-American Kelly Murphy. This will be Florida’s fifth Showcase appearance, the last coming in 2003. Kentucky has experienced a re-birth under head coach Craig Skinner, who has led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in each of his five seasons in Lexington, including their advancement to the round of 16 last year for the first time since 1993. The Wildcats also ascended to No. 7 in the AVCA poll last season, their highest ranking since 1993, and won the SEC Eastern Division, finishing second overall in the conference for the second consecutive season. Kentucky will be participating in its first Showcase. Qwest Center Omaha will host its fourth consecutive, and fifth overall, Showcase in 2010. The venue, which played host to an NCAA-record crowd of 17,430 during the 2008 national semifinals, has also hosted the four highest-attended Showcase sessions in the event’s 15 years. Information for purchasing tickets for the 2010 Runza/AVCA College Volleyball Showcase will be released at a later date. More information on the Runza/AVCA College Volleyball Showcase can be found on the AVCA website at www.avca.org/events/college-showcase. (thanks American Volleyball Coaches Association and Shamus McKinght, University of Nebraska) (3/10/10) KANSAS CITY (AP) - The Big 12 tournament gets started this week in Kansas City. For more than half the teams, it will be a warm-up for the real madness of March. That's because, barring a major meltdown, the conference will likely get seven teams into next week's NCAA tournament. Kansas, vying for the No. 1 overall seed, is a lock. Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma State also seem likely to get NCAA berths. It could interesting is if someone else wins the conference tournament and the automatic bid that comes with it. Colorado beat Baylor and played Kansas and Kansas State close. Iowa State closed out the season with a win over K-State and even 12th-seeded Nebraska has shown flashes of toughness during the season.
(3/10/10) SURPISE, AZ (AP) - Royals catcher Jason Kendall has returned to spring training and says his divorce and child custody case won't be a distraction. Kendall missed the exhibition game Monday against Cincinnati to be in court in Los Angeles. He returned on Tuesday and told reporters he will not "dignify the ridiculous accusations" being carried by various media outlets about his divorce. He says he wants his personal life to remain private. Kendall, a three-time All Star, brushed off any thought the divorce would affect his play, saying "Not at all." Kendall signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Royals in December. The 14-year veteran played the last two seasons in Milwaukee.
(3/10/10) FORT MYERS, FL (AP) - Minnesota third base prospect Danny Valencia hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Tuesday. Brendan Harris and Nick Punto are competing for the starting job at third base, but Valencia is coming up behind them. His long shot over the left field fence gave the Twins the lead on a day marked by bad news of a torn ligament in All-Star closer Joe Nathan's throwing elbow. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright struggled, allowing five hits, four runs and two walks in two innings. He had some help from Matt Holliday's RBI double in the first. Colby Rasmus also hit a two-run homer in the fifth. Justin Morneau hit a two-run double for the Twins, and Joe Mauer added an RBI single. (3/03/10) LINCOLN, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The NSAA has released the 2010 NSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament brackets. The tournament is slated for Thursday March 11th through Saturday March 13th and features three area teams. The Burwell Longhorns punched a ticket for the tournament with a 61-to-52 win over Hartington Cedar Catholic on Monday. The Longhorns enter the C2 field as a three seed and will take their 22-and-one record against 22-and-three Johnson County. The Longhorns and Thunderbirds will tip at 8:45PM Thursday night at Lincoln Southeast. Coach Garrett Mann will lead his Longhorns to Lincoln for the second time in a row after a third place finish in 2009. The Ewing Tigers punched another ticket to state with a 49-to-40 win over the Sargent Bulldogs on Tuesday night. The number two Tigers get ready to tussel with the seven seed Heartland Lutheran Red Hornets out of Grand Island. The Tigers come in at 23-and-one on the year with their lone loss coming to C2 Axtell, while the Red Hornets come in a 20-and-three. The Tigers start their state tournament run at 9:00AM Thursday morning at Lincoln Southeast High School. The Tigers make their 19th apperance in school history after taking second place last year to Sterling and punching tickets eight times in the last 11 years. The Lynch Eagles have fought their way in after they took an 11-and-ten record to Crofton and defeated the Newcastle Raiders 65-to-63 in overtime of the D2-3 District final. They draw the 21-and-one Hampton on Thursday March 11th. That game will be played at Lincoln Northeast with tip time slated for 7:00PM. They make their 10th appearnce in school history and their first trip since 2004. You can catch the Ewing Tigers and Lynch Eagles through out the tournament on KBRX O'Neill and on the web at www.kbrx.com. (3/09/10) LINCOLN - Big 12 regular-season champion Nebraska continued its special season by dominating the league's postseason honors, voted by the league coaches and announced by the conference office on Monday. Coach Connie Yori earned her first Big 12 Conference Coach-of-the-Year honor, while senior forward Kelsey Griffin became the first Cornhusker to garner Big 12 Player-of-the-Year accolades. Yvonne Turner was voted the Big 12's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, along with Baylor freshman center Brittney Griner, who was also the league's freshman of the year. Texas A&M's Danielle Adams was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while Colorado's Bianca Smith claimed the Sixth Man Award. Griffin earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for the third time, placing her on a short list of three-time all-conference players at Nebraska that includes Karen Jennings, Maurtice Ivy and Kiera Hardy. Griffin also joined Jennings (1992, 1993 Big Eight) and Ivy (1988 Big Eight) as the only conference players of the year in school history. It was Griffin's first appearance on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Griffin averaged 20.4 points and a Big 12-leading 10.4 rebounds per contest while leading the league with 17 double-doubles. She ranked second among the Huskers with 54 steals, trailing only Turner's 56 steals, while adding 21 blocked shots and a team-best 23 charges drawn. Griffin also led NU with 205 defensive rebounds. Earlier Monday, she also became the first player in league history to be named Big 12 Player of the Week for four consecutive weeks (Feb. 15, Feb. 22, March 1, March 8). Turner earned her third straight spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team while claiming first-team all-league honors for the first time in her four-year career. Turner ranks among Nebraska's all-time leaders with 222 career steals, while also ranking second in school history with 173 career three-pointers. This season she has averaged 12.3 points per game, including 13.9 points per game in league action. She also led the Big 12 in three-pointers made per game in league action. Griffin and Turner were joined on the All-Big 12 first team by fellow senior Cory Montgomery. Nebraska's leading scorer and rebounder a year ago, Montgomery has placed her name among the best in Nebraska history by averaging 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this year. She has joined Griffin as one of only eight players in school history with 1,300 points and 600 rebounds in her career. The 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., is also nearing Nebraska's all-time top 10 in three-pointers made. Montgomery was an honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick as a junior when she led NU with 15.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Nebraska junior Dominique Kelley added honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors. The 5-7 guard from Lincoln averaged 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game as one of the Big Red's "Big Four" scorers this season. Kelley has started 93 consecutive games for the Huskers since being named the Nebraska High School Player of the Year in 2007 at Lincoln Northeast. Point guard Lindsey Moore completed Nebraska's impressive list of accomplishments by earning one of five spots on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Moore averaged 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game while starting all 29 games for the 29-0 Huskers this season. Moore quarterbacked Nebraska's offense to a perfect 16-0 Big 12 mark by averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game in league. Over the final six games of the season, Moore averaged 10 points per game. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/09/10) LINCOLN - Nebraska senior Kelsey Griffin became the first Husker to win Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors when the league announced the coaches' selection for the conference's top award on Monday afternoon. Griffin, a 6-2 power forward from Eagle River, Alaska, has produced one of the best senior seasons in Nebraska history in 2009-10, averaging 20.4 points and a Big 12-leading 10.4 rebounds per game. She has led No. 3 Nebraska to the first perfect regular season by a Big 12 men's or women's team since the inception of the league in 1996-97, powering the Huskers to a 29-0 overall record and a 16-0 conference mark. The Wade, Naismith and Wooden Award candidate is also a finalist for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award has continued to improve throughout her career at Nebraska because of her tireless work ethic and her infectious team-first attitude. "It's a great honor to be selected by the coaches as the Big 12 Player of the Year," Griffin said. "The Big 12 is one of the best conferences in the country, so to be named the player of the year in a conference filled with so many great players is really an extraordinary honor. "I know it's an individual award, but to me, this award is more about my teammates. I could not have achieved this award without the players on this team. There are so many great players around me that have delivered the ball to me in great positions all year along. Vonnie (Turner) and Cory (Montgomery) have spaced the floor so well for us this year, because they are such great players. Nicole (Neals) and Kala (Kuhlmann) have gotten me the ball all season long, and Dominique (Kelley) and Lindsey (Moore) are great players who have made our team so much better in so many ways this year." The three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection was at her best in conference action, averaging 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds in 30 minutes per game, while adding 29 steals and 15 blocked shots. She also dished out 35 assists while committing just 28 turnovers in league play, despite facing constant double and triple teams by opponents. On Monday, Griffin also became the first player in Big 12 history to win four consecutive Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors. She was named the Big 12 Player of the Week six times this season, including awards on Feb. 15, Feb. 22, March 1 and March 8. Griffin leads the Big 12 with 17 double-doubles on the season, and she also leads the Huskers with 23 charges drawn on the year, while adding 54 steals and 21 blocked shots to go along with 205 defensive rebounds. Her efforts on defense this season earned Griffin one of five spots on the Big 12's All-Defensive Team. Yori said Griffin's work ethic from her first day on campus, set Griffin apart from most players and allowed the lightly recruited Alaskan to turn into a legitimate candidate for national player of the year. "There is no one more deserving of Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors than Kelsey Griffin, and I think it is terrific that the outstanding coaches in our league recognize how valuable Kelsey is to our team and how great of a player she is," Yori said. "Great example of why recruiting is not an exact science. From the moment she walked on campus, she has set herself apart in her work ethic to make herself the best player that she can be, and that has been a daily process for her." Griffin credits Yori and the Husker staff for her improvement throughout her five-year career in Lincoln. "I am so thankful to have had so many great coaches working with me every day for the last five years, who not only care about me as a player, but that genuinely care about me as a person and want me to get better every day not only as a player, but also off the court to be the best person I can become." Griffin, who is a candidate the Wade and Naismith trophies and the Wooden Award, is also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and is a three-time first-team academic All-Big 12 candidate. "Kelsey not only represents our program well on the court, but she also does an incredible job of representing our program in a positive fashion," Yori said. "It is great to see someone who is not only a great player, but who is also a great person win the award." Griffin said earning Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors was the farthest thing from her mind when she arrived at Nebraska as a freshman in the summer of 2005. "This award though is less about me, and more about what the players around me have done to make us all better this year. My teammates have put me in position to succeed and they have put our team in a position to win every game." Griffin was joined in Nebraska's Big 12 hardware haul on Monday by senior teammates Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner, who both claimed first-team All-Big 12 honors for the first times in their careers. Turner was also named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year while earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the third straight season. Junior guard Dominique Kelley earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades, while point guard Lindsey Moore claimed a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Griffin, who ranks among the top 20 players in the nation in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, has climbed to No. 4 on Nebraska's career scoring list (1,939 points) and No. 3 in career rebounding (967). She enters this week's Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., on the brink of becoming one of fewer than 125 players in NCAA history to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds. She would join 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings as the only Huskers to ever accomplish the feat. "I do believe that I have played a role in our success. I have worked really hard every practice and every offseason to improve. This year, I really focused on my perimeter shooting to help stretch the defense away from the basket," Griffin said. "But a lot of my teammates made huge improvements this year. Whether I was on this team or not, they were going to be better this year than last year because they have all worked so hard and taken the offseason to heart. The reason we have been successful is that we all know we are better than we have ever been, and our confidence has grown because of our commitment and love for one another." Nebraska will continue its season in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, March 12, at 11 a.m. The top-seeded Huskers will play the winner of the first-round game between No. 8 seed Texas Tech and No. 9 seed Kansas State. Nebraska's game will be televised live nationally by FSN from Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/09/10) NORMAN, OK - Senior Stephen Dwyer (174) earned the first conference title of his storied Husker career, while senior Craig Brester (197) finished runner-up to lead the Nebraska wrestling team at the 2010 Big 12 Championship on Saturday in Norman, Okla. The Huskers finished the tournament with 32 points and have now automatically qualified four wrestlers for the 2010 NCAA Championships this March 18-20 at Qwest Center Omaha. Dwyer is the 18th Big 12 champion in school history and the third consecutive NU conference titlist at the 174-pound weight class following back-to-back first-place finishes by former Husker All-American Brandon Browne. Oklahoma State edged Iowa State for the team title by 1 1/2 points (70.5-69), followed by Oklahoma (64), Missouri (33) and Nebraska (32). The third time was the charm for Dwyer, who was coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes at the 2008 and 2009 Big 12 Championships. As a senior, Dwyer did not waste any time claiming top honors at 174 pounds, racing to a 4-1 first period lead on Oklahoma State's Mike Benefiel in the finals en route to a 9-5 decision. Dwyer notched his first takedown just 32 seconds into the match and accumulated nearly 2 minutes of riding time following his second takedown with 56 seconds remaining in the first period. Benefiel closed the gap to 5-4 with 1:26 left in the match, but Dwyer closed the door with his last takedown in the final minute. A native of Rockton, Ill., Dwyer won his semifinal match in a defensive 2-1 decision against Iowa State's Duke Burk. "It feels really good," Dywer said. "I was always coming close (to first), but had that one match that kept it from happening. There's a big difference between winning and taking second. I just came out and wrestled hard right away. I wanted to establish my tempo and set a high pace." Brester battled top-seeded Jake Varner of Iowa State in the 197-pound finals, falling to the Cyclone by a 5-2 decision. The unanimous No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers in the nation entered the final period in a 2-2 deadlock, but with Varner's riding time advantage of more than 1 minute, Brester was forced to cut the Cyclone for an escape point. Trailing 3-2, Brester shot for a last-second single-leg takedown that Varner spun around for the match's final points. Earlier in the day, Nebraska won 4-of-8 first round matches to qualify six wrestlers for semifinals, as Brester and Dwyer earned first round byes. From there, a pair of underclassmen - redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen (184) and sophomore Tucker Lane - each claimed third-place finishes in corresponding fashion by defeating the same opponent twice and only falling to the No. 1 seed in their respective weight classes. Ihnen qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championships with his third-place finish at 184 pounds, despite entering the Big 12 tournament as the fourth seed. The Sheldon, Iowa native downed Oklahoma's Erich Schmidtke for the second and third time this season, defeating the Sooner by decision in the first round (8-3) and consolation final (4-0). The only hindrance between Ihnen and the championship round was No. 1 seed Max Askren of Missouri, who escaped with a 2-1 victory over Ihnen in the semifinals. Following a third-place finish at the 2009 conference meet, Lane repeated his performance against a stacked Heavyweight field with a pair of wins over Oklahoma's Nathan Fernandez. Lane has never lost to Fernandez in his short Husker career (6-0), although he needed an overtime takedown to tally his first victory of the day before an identical 3-1 decision over Fernandez in the consolation final. A native of Redvale, Colo., Lane fell by a 5-3 decision in the semifinals to first-seeded Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State. Lane had already qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championships, as the Heavyweight division was one of three weight classes (also 174 and 197) to earn five allocations in those bouts. A total of four Huskers have automatically qualified for nationals (Brester, Dwyer, Lane and Ihnen), while freshman David Klingsheim (125) and junior Mike Koehnlein (141) will wait until next Wednesday to learn if they have received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. Brester, Dwyer and Lane are all return qualifiers to the NCAA tournament. Klingsheim joined redshirt freshman Tyler Koehn (157) as Nebraska's fourth-place finishers. Both youngsters won first-round matches to advance to the semifinals before dropping the next two. Nebraska will now continue it's postseason at the 2010 NCAA Championships, which the University of Nebraska co-hosts at Qwest Center Omaha from March 18-20. This spring will mark the fifth time the University of Nebraska has hosted an NCAA Championship at the Qwest Center since it opened in 2003. Follow Huskers.com for further information over the next two weeks. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/08/10) LINCOLN (KBRX SPORTS) -- Maybe it was a long time coming for the Elkhorn Valley Lady Falcons to fly home from Lincoln with a state title, but for a team questioned as being in a rebuilding season, it seemed to be a cinderella season. The Lady Falcons had punched six tickets to the state tournament since 2000 only to be turned away three times in the first round, and maybe most memorable the semi-final lost to Perkins County in 2007 and the semi-final lost to Silver Lake in 2009. "I told the girls as we were driving up here, we're going to the Deveany but not just to watch a game any more," said Coach Brendan Dittmer. "This is pretty special so soak it in and it just feels good." Following that comment prior to the championship game on Saturday, the Falcons went to work. The Falcons opened up the first period with a 15-to-12 start and closed the half out front 33-to-22. It was a great start for the Falcons as they knocked down 13 free throws in the front 16 minutes. While seven different Falcons scored in the first half, East Butler stand-out Marissa Bongers would score just two points off the Falcons while the Tigers shot just seven-of-13 from the free throw line and the Falcons would pull out eight offensive boards leading to an additional nine points. The Falcons plain looked solid but the Tigers would make their run late in the game and Bongers would wake up and score 10 points in the second quarter to bring East Butler within eight points starting the fourth. Falcons fans would certainly have a nerve racking ride for the final eight minutes. Despite the Tigers never leading in the contest and the Falcons leading by as many as 15 points with 7:20 to play in the third, East Bulter would manage to tie the ballgame three times in the fourth quarter. No matter what the Tigers would try, the Falcons would not be denied. Sadie Rich would hit a bucket at with 3:50 to play and Kyleigh Parham would add a single free throw with 3:22 to play putting Elkhorn Valley up 53-to-49. Little did anyone know, the free throw by Parham would be the game winner as Marrisa Bongers would hit a layup with 2:51 to play and one free throw with 1:01 to play, but the Tigers would never score again. Sadie Rich would hit two free throws with 30 seconds left and the Tigers would commit a turnover on the next possession leaving the Falcons with a 55-to-52 lead with 26 seconds left. The Falcons could smell blood in the water and went to the free throw line to seal it. Kyleigh Parham would hit another free throw 19 seconds left and off a Bongers miss on the other end, Halle Dittrich would clear the glass and Sadie Rich would hit another free throw to seal the win at 57-to-52. Halle Dittrich would score 12, while Sadie Rich would score another 12 off the Falcons bench. Sonya Legate would add nine while Kyleigh Parham and Cami Oelsligle would each add eight. The Falcons would shoot 36% inside the arch and hit just two-of-eight back of the arch but burried the Tigers at the free throw line hitting 19-of-25 for an outstanding 76%. They also beat the Tigers on the glass dragging out 43 rebounds compared to East Butler's 37. Marrisa Bongers led the Tigers with 20 points after going off 18 in the back half. Donnita Helm added 11 in the loss. The Tigers shot 32% inside the arch, just 12% behind the arch and hit just 15-of-24 from the free throw line. The Falcons close the season at 18-and-seven after entering the tournament as a tournament with the five seed and knocking off a 20-and-two Stapleton-McPherson County team in the quarterfinals, a previously unbeaten Silver Lake team in the semi-finals and a 20-and-three team in championship finals. Some said after graduating five seniors, the Falcons were in a rebuilding season. At a pep rally for the Falcons on Wednesday, Kyleigh Parham told the fans, for all of those who said this was a rebuilding season, they could eat those words. Well said Kyleigh and well done Falcons. (photo from Bob Jensen, Huskerland Prep) (3/08/10) LINCOLN, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- It was the end of a true dynasty on Saturday in Lincoln as the Chambers Lady Coyotes brought a bitter sweet end to a storied program with a 43-to-40 win over the Lawrence-Nelson Lady Raiders in the D-Two Consolation game from Lincoln North Star. After a loss to the Wynot Blue Devils on Friday in the semi-finals, the Lady Coyote uniform would make it's final appearnce in history on the floor at Lincoln North Star High School and things were certainly not all sunshine and flowers. The Coyotes would trail most of the way as the Lady Raiders would build a 12-to-11 lead after one quarter on the back of two three pointers. The lead would only grow as Lawrence-Nelson led 26-to19 at half. The Coyotes would make their first run through the third quarter closing the gap to just three points at 31-to-28 at the end of three but would never lead until Laura Tomjack would hit a three pointer out of the right wing with 24 seconds to play. Trailing by one, after missing three free throws in the final two minutes, the Raiders would allow Kelsey Owen to tie them up at half court and take possession with 20 seconds left. With 8 seconds left, the Lady Raiders would finally commit a foul, putting Montana Libolt to the free throw line. Libolt would calmly hit both putting the win for the Coyotes on the board at 43-to-40. Laura Tomjack would lead the Lady Coyotes with 13 while Kelsey Owen would add 11 and Montana Libolt tossed in another 10. The Coyotes shot free throws well as always with a 10-of-14 effort at 71% while forcing 20 turnovers on the Lady Raiders. Kelsey Biltoff would lead the Raiders with 11 points despiting scoring just one in the second half as the Lady Radiers scored just 14 points and hit only five field goals through the second half. They connected on just five-of-nine free throw attempts. The Chambers Lady Coyotes close the 2009-2010 season with a 25-and-two. All told Coach John Miller and his Lady Coyotes put together a 587-and-114 record dating back to Coach Miler's first season in 1980-81. That is an average of just over 20 wins a seson over 29 years and a winning percentage of just shy of 84%. Toss in 11 Niobrara Valley Conference titles, 16 qualifications for the state tournament, five state titles, four second place finish and one third, and dynasty may not even cover what the last thirty years have ment in Chambers for girls basketball. When the 2010-2011 season comes around in December, the Coyotes will join forces with the Wheeler Central Broncos. The coop is yet to be named or assigned a mascot but one thing is for sure, with Chambers returning names like Owen, Tomjack, DeVries, Hoffman and DeKay and Wheeler Central adding names like Weber, Qualm, and Kasperbauer and new dynasty in Nebraska girls basketball is surely in near future. (3/03/10) LINCOLN, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The NSAA has released the 2010 NSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament brackets. The tournament is slated for Thursday March 11th through Saturday March 13th and features three area teams. The Burwell Longhorns punched a ticket for the tournament with a 61-to-52 win over Hartington Cedar Catholic on Monday. The Longhorns enter the C2 field as a three seed and will take their 22-and-one record against 22-and-three Johnson County. The Longhorns and Thunderbirds will tip at 8:45PM Thursday night at Lincoln Southeast. Coach Garrett Mann will lead his Longhorns to Lincoln for the second time in a row after a third place finish in 2009. The Ewing Tigers punched another ticket to state with a 49-to-40 win over the Sargent Bulldogs on Tuesday night. The number two Tigers get ready to tussel with the seven seed Heartland Lutheran Red Hornets out of Grand Island. The Tigers come in at 23-and-one on the year with their lone loss coming to C2 Axtell, while the Red Hornets come in a 20-and-three. The Tigers start their state tournament run at 9:00AM Thursday morning at Lincoln Southeast High School. The Tigers make their 19th apperance in school history after taking second place last year to Sterling and punching tickets eight times in the last 11 years. The Lynch Eagles have fought their way in after they took an 11-and-ten record to Crofton and defeated the Newcastle Raiders 65-to-63 in overtime of the D2-3 District final. They draw the 21-and-one Hampton on Thursday March 11th. That game will be played at Lincoln Northeast with tip time slated for 7:00PM. They make their 10th appearnce in school history and their first trip since 2004. You can catch the Ewing Tigers and Lynch Eagles through out the tournament on KBRX O'Neill and on the web at www.kbrx.com. (3/08/10) MANHATTAN, KS -- National Player-of-the-Year candidate Kelsey Griffin scored a career-high 36 points, including 20 in the second half to lead No. 3 Nebraska back from a seven-point halftime deficit for an 82-72 win over Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Griffin, who produced her fourth 30-point effort of the season, hit 15-of-19 shots from the field and 6-of-8 free throws while grabbing seven rebounds to lead Nebraska to the first perfect regular season in Big 12 Conference history with a 29-0 record, including a 16-0 league mark. The 36 points by the 6-2 senior forward from Eagle River, Alaska, tied for the ninth-highest total in Nebraska history and allowed NU to continue its record-breaking season, while dropping Kansas State to 13-17 overall and 5-11 in the Big 12. Fellow senior forward Cory Montgomery added 13 points and a 2010 Big 12 personal-best nine rebounds to push her past 1,300 points and 600 career rebounds - just the eighth player in NU history to accomplish the lofty numbers. Freshman point guard Lindsey Moore added 10 points, four rebounds and two steals in another strong effort, while senior guard Yvonne Turner scored all nine of her points in the second half while adding four steals to fuel NU's second-half comeback. Trailing for just the second time all season at halftime, Nebraska exploded out of the locker room on an 18-3 run in the first five minutes of the second half. Turner sparked NU's 11-0 run to open the half in the first 2:45 by scoring six points in the stretch. She added a three-pointer less than two minutes later, before Griffin got a steal and a layup to give the Huskers a 56-48 lead with 15:29 left while forcing KSU's second timeout of the half. K-State got no closer than six the rest of the way, as Nebraska notched its 24th double-digit victory of the season. "I think you have to credit Kansas State for playing a great first half and hitting shots on Senior Day," Griffin said. "They played some great basketball and we knew they were capable of doing that. We didn't have any sense of panic in the locker room, we just knew we had to do some things better defensively to slow them down in the second half." Senor Ashley Sweat led K-State with 24 points, while Taelor Karr pitched in 16 and Brittany Chambers finished with 13. K-State went just 9-for-26 in the second half, while committing 11 turnovers. In Nebraska's opening surge in the first five minutes of the second half, the Huskers forced six KSU turnovers after the Wildcats committed just five the entire first half. "Our team has continued to show great mental toughness and composure all season, and that showed again today," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "They really brought it in the second half and it started with Kelsey, Cory and Vonnie. Kelsey has the strongest will and the most mental toughness of any player I have ever coached. She was not going to let us lose that game today." Nebraska finished the game at 53.2 percent (33-62) fromt he field, including 4-of-14 from three-point range. The Huskers also hit 12-of-15 free throws, while matching KSU on the glass, 33-33. NU won the turnover battle, 16-12, including a plus-seven margin in the second half. In a high-scoring first half, Kansas State sizzled from the floor on Senior Day, hitting 17-of-33 shots, including 8-of-12 three-pointers to carry a 45-38 halftime lead. Senior forward Ashley Sweat led KSU with 12 points, including a pair of first-half three-pointers, while Brittany Chambers added 11 with a trio of three-pointers. Taelor Karr added 10 first-half points, included two threes. The 45 points scored were the most by a Husker opponent in the first half this season, while the halftime deficit was just the second in 29 games this season for NU. Nebraska trailed by their biggest halftime margin of the year despite hitting 50 percent (15-30) of its shots from the field, including 2-of-6 three-pointers. Griffin led NU with 16 points in the first half, while Moore added eight first-half points. NU also outrebounded KSU, 16-15, in the first half, but committed eight turnovers compared to just five for the Wildcats. Nebraska will be back in action at the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Friday, March 12. The top-seeded Huskers will take on either Texas Tech, Kansas State or Kansas pending the outcome of the rest of this weekend's Big 12 games and the first round of the league tournament on Thursday, March 11. NU will tip-off at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., at 11 a.m., with a live national telecast by Fox Sports Net. The game will also be carried live on radio by the Husker Sports Network, including free live audio on Huskers.com. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/08/10) LINCOLN, NE -- The 2010 Big 12 regular-season champion Nebraska women's basketball team is hoping to continue its special season well into March after becoming the first Big 12 men's or women's team in history to complete a perfect regular season. The Huskers head to the 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Kansas City with a 29-0 record and a 16-0 conference record. Nebraska was a perfect 16-0 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this season, and the Huskers shattered every school attendance record, attracting seven straight crowds of more than 10,000 fans over their last seven home games. NU led the Big 12 in home attendance during conference games, drawing nearly 11,383 fans per night to the Devaney Center. Now's your chance to join the excitement of Husker women's basketball and get your season tickets for the 2010-11 season. The Nebraska Athletic Department wants to thank all the great Husker fans who joined the fun at the Devaney Center this season, by offering a chance to purchase new season tickets at special locked-in prices. Nebraska's March Madness pricing is good from March 8 at 8 a.m. through March 31, as Coach Connie Yori and the Huskers hope to continue their history-making run into the postseason. After March 31, the ticket prices below are subject to increase, since demand for tickets is at an all-time high. Lock in at the following prices for the 2010-11 season:
Please note that although the 2010-11 schedule has not been finalized, the Huskers expect to again play 16 regular-season home games and two exhibition games at the Devaney Center next season. On March 31, this special offer will end, so order your season tickets now. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/08/10) LOS ANGELES -- Tyler Rahmatulla’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly broke a 4-all deadlock, as No. 14 UCLA completed a three-game sweep of Nebraska with a 5-4 victory at Jackie Robinson Stadium Saturday afternoon. Rahmatulla’s fly ball to center plated Dean Espy with the winning run, spoiling a strong relief effort from Casey Hauptman and foiling Nebraska’s opportunity after the Huskers rallied from a three-run deficit to tie the score one inning earlier. Hauptman (0-2) pitched far better than the fate he received, as he went 6.1 innings to single-handedly keep Nebraska in the game. The junior right-hander fanned four and kept UCLA (9-0) off the scoreboard until the Bruins plated an unearned run in the ninth to win it. It marked the Huskers' fourth last-at bat loss of the season. “Casey was outstanding,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “He’s earned some opportunities and I am proud of the way he pitched today.” Espy, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, opened the ninth with a single off of Hauptman before Steve Rodriguez’ bunt was misplayed by reliever Jordan Roualdes, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Beau Amaral moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice before Blair Dunlap was intentionally walked to load the bases. Mike Nesseth came in to face Rahmatulla, who lofted the first pitch he saw to center, allowing a sliding Espy to beat DJ Belfonte’s throw home for the game winner. Dan Klein (1-0) earned the victory after blowing the save in the eighth inning, as Nebraska (3-7) scored three times against the stout UCLA bullpen, which had not allowed an earned run in its first eight contests. Down 4-1, Nebraska loaded the bases with singles by Kale Kiser and pinch hitter Patric Tolentino before reliever Erik Goeddel hit Kyle Bubak to load the bases with no outs. After a pair of strikeouts, Boomer Collins came through with an RBI single before Adam Bailey, who went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, tied the game with a two-run single off the glove of first baseman Justin Uribe. “I’m glad we fought back, but this team doesn’t need moral victories,” Anderson said. “We’re going to be OK, but this team needs to figure out ways to win games, especially against big teams.” The Huskers were out-hit, 11-9, but were hurt by striking out a school-record 19 times against five UCLA pitchers, including 10 from left-hander Rob Rasmussen, who was in line for the win until Nebraska’s comeback. Nebraska got on the board first in the second, as Kiser doubled to open the frame and scored moments later as Cory Burleson’s bunt was misplayed by Rasmussen, allowing Kiser, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, to scoot home from second. The Huskers’ lead would be short-lived, as UCLA put up four runs in the second off of starter Tom Lemke. A two-out single by Brett Krill and a walk to Niko Gallego started the rally before Espy slammed a 0-2 pitch over the fence in left center to give the Bruins the lead. After a walk and a single, Dunlap greeted Hauptman with an RBI single to center to make it a 4-1 game. Hauptman then took over, as the junior allowed only two Bruins to reach scoring position from the third to the eight, allowing the Huskers to stay in the game. “The most valuable thing about this stretch is the things we can learn and take from it,” Anderson said, as NU wrapped up a stretch of 10 games on the road, including nine matchups with teams that made the NCAAs last year or ranked opponents. “We we look up halfway through the year and didn’t learn from these three weeks then we will be in trouble.” The Huskers will finally return home on Wednesday, when they take on Nebraska-Kearney beginning at 1:35 p.m at Hawks Field. Tickets are available by calling 800-8-BIGRED or on Huskers.com. The game will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/08/10) LINCOLN, NE -- The Nebraska basketball team opens the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Wednesday, March 10, when the 12th-seeded Cornhuskers face No. 5 seed Missouri at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The Huskers and Tigers will square off at approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday following the Colorado-Texas Tech matchup to open the session at 11:30 a.m. The game will be seen in select markets on the Big 12 Network as well as nationally on ESPN FullCourt. The telecast will feature Mitch Holthus (play by play) and Reid Gettys (analyst) and is expected to be seen on KLKN in Lincoln; KXVO in Omaha and Lincoln; and KIIT in North Platte. The game will also be heard live around the state of Nebraska on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network (Kent Pavelka, play by play; Matt Davison, color). Free audio and live stats will also be available on the Internet at Huskers.com. Nebraska will be looking to become the second No. 12 seed in three years to earn a first-round victory when it faces Missouri on Wednesday. Colorado became the first league squad to win a game as a No. 12 seed with an upset of fifth-seeded Baylor in two overtimes in 2008. The Huskers will need a balanced offensive and defensive attack to knock off the Tigers for the third straight time in postseason action. Nebraska trails 3-2 against MU at the Big 12 Championship, but has won the last two matchups in 2006 and 2008. It will not be easy, however, as the last time the Huskers won at the league championship while playing as the lower seed was 2006 when No. 6-seeded NU defeated No. 3 seed Oklahoma in the second round. Nebraska has gotten solid offensive production out of its freshmen this season, led by the 8.6 points per game from center Jorge Brian Diaz. The Caguas, Puerto Rico native needs 11 points to move onto the Nebraska freshman top 10 scoring chart. He already is on among the program's top 10 freshmen for rebounds (124) and tied the freshman blocked shots record with his 39th block of the season at Oklahoma State on Saturday. Along with Diaz, freshman Christian Standhardinger has given NU and offensive boost the past four games since joining the starting lineup. In those games, he leads the team with 13.3 ppg and has three games in double figures, including twice on the road. His 25 points at ISU were the ninth most ever by a Husker freshman. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/08/10) HARTFORD, CN (AP) - Geno Auriemma and the Connecticut Huskies are more focused on winning a 16th Big East tournament title than breaking their own NCAA record for consecutive victories. UConn will try for its 71st straight win Monday night when the top-ranked Huskies face sixth-ranked Notre Dame in the Big East conference semifinals. UConn tied the record the program set seven years ago by routing Syracuse 77-41 on Sunday. What's made UConn so good during its current run has been the Huskies' ability to block out the bigger picture. The last time UConn had 70 straight wins, the streak ended in a Big East tournament semifinal loss to Villanova. But that Huskies team was different from the one that had gone undefeated the year before. (3/03/10) CROFTON, NE (KBRX SPORTS ) -- Ever heard the saying "That's why they play the games?" It may have been an overlooked district final last night in Crofton. The D Two-Three District Final featured the Newcastle Raiders at 14-and-five and the Lynch Eagles at 11-and-ten. The Newcastle Raiders featured players at 6' 7" senior Colton Jacobs and 6' 4" senior Craig Kneifl. Lynch brought Terence Heiser in as the tallest starter at 6' 1". The Newcastle Raiders came in after going two rounds deep in the a huge Lewis and Clark Conference Basketball tournament. Lynch, knocked out first round of the Niobrara Valley Conference Tournament, but let's face the music. When Crofton Principle Todd Strom turned off the lights, Lynch wins 65-to-63 in overtime and punches a ticket for the 2010 NSAA State Boys Basketball Tournament. Early on the Eagles looked doomed. Newcastle went to the outside early as freshman Kyle Mohr and his partner junior Dylan Whelchel put on a shooting clinic hitting for four-of-six three point attempts closing the first quarter with Newcastle in front 17-to-eight. From there on out, it was nearly all Eagles in small doses. Lynch would get four points each from Michael Kalkowski, Terence Heiser, and Christopher Heiser in the second quarter and narrowed the game to 31-to-25 by halftime. Lynch would come back to even with 1:56 to go in the third quarter and by the end of three had built a 46-to-44 lead and behind 10 third quarter points from Kalkowski, the Eagles put together a 21-to-13 run and led after three quarters 46-to-44. From that point on, it was all nail biting from both sides. With 37 seconds left to play in regulation Dustin Black would hit two free throws and put Lynch in 59-to-56. Newcastle would strike right back. With 18 seconds left Kyle Mohr would hit a runner down the lane and would hit the basket and one free throw to tie it back at 59-to-59. Lynch then committed what looked like a fatal turnover as the committed a end line violation giving Newcastle the basketball on their own end with 18 seconds to go and a tie score. The Radiers would miss a golden oppertunity to win as they missed a layup and the overtime period would start in a dead heat at 59. Newcastle would start hot scoring the first four points on baskets by Kyle Mohr and Tyler Mohr, but they never scored again. With under two minutes to play the Eagles trailed by four, but that proved to not be enough. While the Raiders would miss four free throws in the final two minutes, Kalkowski would hit a three from the right wing with under a minute to go cutting the lead to a single point at 63-to-62. Then off two more missed Raider free-throws Dustin Black would hit a runner off the window and with 18 seconds to go, Lynch led yet again at 64-to-63. Newcastle would miss a layup on the other end and with six seconds left in overtime Christopher Heiser would grab the rebound, draw the foul and walk to the other end for a one-and-one free throw. Heiser was oh-of-two on the night when he connected on the front half of the one-and-one pushing the lead to two points. After missing the second, the Raiders would make haste the full lenght of the floor only to miss a layup and leave Lynch with a 65-to-63 win in overtime. The Lynch Eagles were led by Michael Kalkowski as he struck for 18 in the second half for a total of 22 on the night. Christopher Heiser tossed in 15 while Terence Heiser knocked down 11. Lynch shot nearly 63% from inside the arch and 30% from behind the arch while committing just 13 turnovers. Newcastle went outside an often as Dylan Whelchel led with 19 points and outstanding freshman Kyle Mohr knocked in 16 in the win. The Raiders shot 43% from inside the arch and an outstanding 46% from behind the arch as they hit 11-of-24 three point attempts and committed just 15 turnovers. Freethrows may have told the tale. The Eagles shot seven-of-16 for the ballgame but hit three-of-five in the fourth quarter and one-of-two in the overtime. The Raiders hit just four-of-13 attempts and two-of-six in th fourth quarter and oh-of-four in the overtime. With the win, Lynch improves to 12-and-ten on the year and looks to be an eight seed for the 2010 NSAA State Boys Basketball Tournament. That means a date with 21-and-one Hampton on Thursday March 11th. That game will be played at Lincoln Northeast with tip time slated for 7:00PM. (3/03/10) LINCOLN, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The NSAA has released the 2010 NSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament brackets. The tournament is slated for Thursday March 11th through Saturday March 13th and features three area teams. The Burwell Longhorns punched a ticket for the tournament with a 61-to-52 win over Hartington Cedar Catholic on Monday. The Longhorns enter the C2 field as a three seed and will take their 22-and-one record against 22-and-three Johnson County. The Longhorns and Thunderbirds will tip at 8:45PM Thursday night at Lincoln Southeast. Coach Garrett Mann will lead his Longhorns to Lincoln for the second time in a row after a third place finish in 2009. The Ewing Tigers punched another ticket to state with a 49-to-40 win over the Sargent Bulldogs on Tuesday night. The number two Tigers get ready to tussel with the seven seed Heartland Lutheran Red Hornets out of Grand Island. The Tigers come in at 23-and-one on the year with their lone loss coming to C2 Axtell, while the Red Hornets come in a 20-and-three. The Tigers start their state tournament run at 9:00AM Thursday morning at Lincoln Southeast High School. The Tigers make their 19th apperance in school history after taking second place last year to Sterling and punching tickets eight times in the last 11 years. The Lynch Eagles have fought their way in after they took an 11-and-ten record to Crofton and defeated the Newcastle Raiders 65-to-63 in overtime of the D2-3 District final. They draw the 21-and-one Hampton on Thursday March 11th. That game will be played at Lincoln Northeast with tip time slated for 7:00PM. They make their 10th appearnce in school history and their first trip since 2004. You can catch the Ewing Tigers and Lynch Eagles through out the tournament on KBRX O'Neill and on the web at www.kbrx.com. (3/03/10) O'NEILL (KBRX SPORTS ) -- The O’Neill Leprechaun Youth Sports Wrestling Club took part in two tournaments this past weekend. They took part in the O’Neill Pee Wee invitte on Friday night and at the Grand Island tournament on Saturday. There was no team scores kept at the O’Neill tournament but the Leprechaun club had a strong showning and wrestled very well for the first tournament of the year. At the Team G.I. invite the team was led by champions, David Fox, Blake Walters and the incredible Brady Thompson. Teams participating at the G.I. tourney were Kearney, Grand Island, Columbus, Lincoln, Aurora and many other teams. The Leprechaun team brought home the third place team trophy. Everyone really came together as a team and competed hard for the team trophy. One of the highlights from the team G.I. tournament was the match between Blake Walters of O’Neill and Dante Rodriguez of Kearney. Dante Rodriguez is the number one rated wrestler in the nation in Folkstyle, number two in Freestyle and number three in Greco Roman for his age division. Blake wrestled a very solid match and was winning the match 6-5 when he found the upper hand and pinned Dante in the third period. “We are very proud of all of our kids and their efforts this weekend. Everyone competed really well and gave their best efforts for a positeve outcome as a team. Blake Walters had an outstanding tournament and then really stepped up to the plate to take on one of the best wrestlers in the nation at his weight. Blake found himself down early in the match 5-0 but continued to be physical and battled back to take the lead in the second period before he pinned Dante. The last time Dante had been pinned was three years ago in a National Tournament. Blake’s efforts and leadership is a great example for all of our team. We want to continue to set our goals higher and continue to work hard to achieve those goals. “ Commented Coach Moore. Upcoming events for the team this weekend are Creighton on Friday and the USA District 3 tournament to be held in O’Neill on Saturday. The top four placers from this district tournament will move on to the USA state tournament. The tournament is a trophey tournament with the top wrestler in each class, top three teams, and an outstanding wrestler trophey awarded. The Leprechaun Extreme team consists of K-11th graders. If you are interested in participating please call coach Jess Moore 402-340-3807 or call Thad Fox (402) 340-1460. (thanks Jess Moore, O’Neill Leprechaun Youth Sports Wrestling Club ) (3/03/10) SEWARD, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The O'Neill Eagles have added another one to the college ranks for softball. O'Neill Eagle Kelsey Timmerman has inked a letter of national intent to play softball with the Concordia Bulldogs at Seward Nebraska. Timmerman who bounced from shortstop to catcher between the 2008 and 2009 campaigns, hit 0.333 her senior season. She slugged 0.373 while driving in 16 runs and stealing seven bases. She is the daughter of Bill and Kathy Timmerman of O'Neill. (3/03/10) LINCOLN -- The Big 12 Conference has announced its 2010 Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling Team, naming four Huskers to the squad, including three who have already qualified for this year's NCAA Championships at Qwest Center Omaha. For the fourth consecutive season, senior Craig Brester claimed a first-team selection to lead Nebraska's honorees. A native of Howells, Neb., Brester has been an academic and athletic standout at UNL while pursuing a degree in Mechanized Systems Management. Fellow senior Stephen Dwyer, a business administration major from Rockton, Ill., earned a spot on the team for the third time. Following a second-team selection in 2009, sophomore Tucker Lane improved his standing to first-team status, while redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen rounded out the cast of talented Huskers. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of his team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible. Brester, Dwyer and Lane learned last week they will each earn one of the Big 12's automatic bids for the 2010 NCAA Championships. Ihnen is vying for a spot at nationals as well, as the Huskers are currently preparing for the 2010 Big 12 Championships, which take place this Saturday in Norman, Okla. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/03/10) LINCOLN -- The Nebraska baseball program announced Tuesday morning that start times for six games this month have been changed. These changes are different that the times printed on publications, including game tickets and schedule posters and cards. Five of the changes involve the start times of home games being pushed back to alleviate class conflicts, while the change for the Texas game was made because of a cancellation of Nebraska’s flight leaving Austin. Nebraska’s game against the Longhorns will still be televised by Fox College Sports. Schedule Changes:
(3/03/10) HONOLULU (AP) - The Pro Bowl will be played before the Super Bowl when it returns to Honolulu next year. The Hawaii Tourism Authority and the NFL announced that the game will be played at Aloha Stadium on Jan. 30, the Sunday before the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl had historically been played in Honolulu the week after the Super Bowl, but was changed when the all-star game moved to Miami this year. The NFL says playing the Pro Bowl before the big game generated more excitement and interest and was a good kickoff to Super Bowl week. (3/02/10) O'NEILL, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- As the 2010 NSAA State Girls Basketball Tournament comes around beginning on Thursday, the Dawg Pound Sports Show on KBRX is going state bound. Coming up on Wednesday night, the guys in the pound, will be joined by Coach Brendan Dittmer of the D1 Elkhorn Valley Lady Falcons, and by Coach John Miller of the Chambers Lady Coyotes. No only will we have the insight on the Coyotes and Falcons, we will get insight on their opponets as well. We will be joined by Scott Leisy of the Sandhills/Thedford Knights giving us the scouting report on the Stapleton/McPherson County Cyclones, and a scouting report for the insight on the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Lady Mustangs with the voice of the Mustangs, longtime radio man Russ Holden from KRVN Lexington. How about a special treat. We will be joined by Coach Kris Freeland of the Dundy County-Straton as the Tigers have qualified for the 2010 Boys State Basketball Tournament. All that and more coming up Wednesday night on the Dawg Pound Sports Show with Michael Wiiest, Gary Hostert, and Marc Zak from 7:00PM to 9:00PM on KBRX O'Neill and on the web at www.kbrx.com. (3/02/10) O'NEILL, NE -- The O'Neill Eagles have put two more athletes into the college ranks. Demi DeVall and Kodie Nicolaus have both inked letters of intent to play softball at Central Community College in Columbus. DeVall, was a staple at third base in three years with the Eagles. She tipped the tables at a 0.407 batting average for the 2009 season with a 0.580 slugging average and drove in 22 for the Eagles. More impressively is a three hitter who awa 18-for-18 stealing bases and still managed to turn in a solid fielding percentage at 0.836 from the hot corner. Nicholaus came into the outfield over her senior campaign for the Eagles and hit out of the top of the order in the two-hole. Her batting average came in at 0.277 for the year, while slugging 0.431 and driving in an impressive 15 runs from the two spot. Toss in 11-for-11 stolen bases and just two errors over the course of 24-game season and Nicholaus becomes a flexible asset both defensively and on the bases. Demi DeVall is the daughter of Nelbie Devall of Page and Rick Devall of O'Neill and Kodie Nicolaus is the daughter of Kevin and Vicki Nicolaus of Page. Pictured above is O'Neill Assistant softball Coach Chuck Price, Jack Gutierrez, head softball coach at Central Community College in Columbus, Eagles head softball coach Monte Grossnicklaus, Demi Devall and Kodie Nicholaus. (3/02/10) LINCOLN, NE -- Nebraska Wesleyan had seven athletes post NCAA Qualifying marks on a very successful day as they hosted the NWU Indoor Open on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27) at Knight Fieldhouse. Four NWU men had qualifying marks including a pair of freshmen long jumpers. John Kersenbrock (pcitured left) had a mark of 23-0, and Jack Chatelain went 22-11 in the long jump. Elliot Bulling had a toss of 51-2.75 in the men's shot put to post a qualifying mark in that event. Senior Logan Watley was the only male athlete to post a qualifying time on the track. Watley won the Mile in a time of 4:13.70. On the women's side, Deana Dirkschneider threw the shot put 43-1.25 to post a qualifying distance in that event. A pair of NWU women had already posted qualifying marks but also had qualifying marks on Saturday. Anne Kersenbrock (pictured right) won the long jump with a leap of 18-9.25 for a season best in that event. Amanda Brichacek had a qualifying distance in the women weight throw in a toss of 52-6.75. John and Anne are the childern of MJ and Jane Kersenbrock of O'Neill. (thanks Nebraska Wesleyan University) (3/02/10) BENKELMAN, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- A face familar with north central Nebraska basketball fans with grace the 2010 NSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament. Former Lynch Eagles coach Chirs Freeland has led his Dundy County-Straton Tigers to the state tournament after a 57-to-44 win over the Bayard Tigers on Monday night. In just his second year with the southwest Nebraska team, the Tigers put together a 16-and-seven record over the 2009-2010 campaign and look to be an eight seed for the tournament. That means a date with the Axtell Wildcats in the opening round which would mean a 2:00PM tip-off on Thursday afternoon at Lincoln Southeast High School. (3/02/10) LINCOLN - The Nebraska women's basketball team's home regular-season finale against Kansas will be carried statewide by Nebraska Educational Television (NET) on Wednesday, the Nebraska Athletic Department announced on Monday afternoon. The No. 3 Huskers (27-0, 14-0 Big 12) will celebrate Senior Night with pregame ceremonies featuring the largest senior class in school history. Kelsey Griffin, Cory Montgomery, Yvonne Turner, Kala Kuhlmann, Nicole Neals and Nikki Bober will be honored prior to the game. Following the pregame festivities, the Huskers will put their perfect record on the line against a Jayhawk team that comes to Lincoln with hopes of keeping its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Kansas (15-12 overall, 5-9 Big 12) is No. 37 in this week's official NCAA RPI and battled Nebraska down to the wire in Lawrence on Feb. 10. KU led the Huskers by five points with eight minutes left, before Nebraska rallied with three straight steals in a one-minute span to take control down the stretch in a 67-60 win. Nebraska's game with Kansas was added to the Huskers' television schedule on Monday. NU's first game on NET this year represents the third time this season that the Huskers have been able to gain additional TV access in-season, joining the Texas Tech game in Lubbock and last week's Big 12 championship-clinching win at Oklahoma. It will be Nebraska's ninth televised contest in the past 13 games. The game will also be available through a live video stream on Huskers.com. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, including 98.1 KFGE in Lincoln, 93.3 KTWI in Omaha and 880 KRVN in Lexington. Free live audio will also be provided by Huskers.com. Advance tickets are still available through Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office web site on Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED during regular business hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. General admission tickets are also available at the door on the night of the game, but fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets and arrive early to avoid lines on the night of the game. Nebraska's regular-season finale at Kansas State will not be televised but will be available to premium subscribers of HuskersNside on Huskers.com. NU's games at the 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be televised live nationally by Fox Sports Net. The ESPN family of networks owns the television rights to the NCAA Tournament. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/02/10) LINCOLN - Nebraska senior forward Kelsey Griffin continued her special season by capturing her third consecutive Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award on Monday. Griffin, who earned her fifth player-of-the-week award of the season, produced two more remarkable performances last week to help the Huskers claim their first-ever Big 12 regular-season title. The 6-2 senior forward from Eagle River, Alaska, opened the week with 30 points and 13 rebounds in No. 3 Nebraska's Big 12 title-clinching win at No. 11 Oklahoma on Wednesday. In a battle of the Big 12's top two teams, Griffin hit 11-of-19 shots from the field against constant Sooner double-teams, while connecting on 8-of-10 free throws. She added an assist, a block and a steal while playing a Big 12-season-high 35 minutes. She capped her week with a record-breaking performance in Nebraska's home win over Missouri on Saturday. Griffin scored 19 points and pulled down a career high 17 rebounds, while also blocking a career-best five shots. She added three steals and an assist, while also setting the school record by hitting 17 free throws in a school-record-tying 18 attempts. Griffin finished the week by averaging 24.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 2.0 steals and 3.0 blocks. She hit 25-of-28 free throws on the week, and has smashed the school career record for both free throws made and attempted in her career. She also surpassed the school single-season mark in free throw attempts, and needs just two more free throws made to break that single-season record. Griffin is averaging 19.9 points and a Big 12-leading 10.6 rebounds per game. She also leads the Huskers with 49 steals while adding a team-leading 22 charges drawn this season. She has also blocked 20 shots this year and has moved into a tie for eighth on NU's career block chart with 88. She ranks among the top 25 players nationally in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. Griffin will hit her home court at the Bob Devaney Sports Center for the last time on Wednesday, when the Huskers play Kansas on Senior Night in Lincoln. Griffin will be joined by fellow seniors Yvonne Turner, Cory Montgomery, Nicole Neals, Kala Kuhlmann and Nikki Bober, during pregame ceremonies on Senior Night. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m., with live statewide television coverage by NET. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/02/10) LINCOLN - Nebraska ends a two-game homestand with its final regular-season home contest as it plays host to Colorado on Tuesday, March 2. The 7:07 p.m. tipoff can be seen in Nebraska on FS Midwest, in Colorado on FS Rocky Mountain and nationally on ESPN FullCourt. The telecast will feature Greg Sharpe (play by play) and Eric Piatkowski (analyst) and will be seen on channel 37 in Lincoln; channel 47 in Omaha; DirecTV channel 652; and Dish Network channel 449. Nebraska will be aiming for its second straight win while trying to send out the senior class in style. Four Huskers - guards Ryan Anderson and Sek Henry, forward Ben Nelson and student coach Chris Balham - will be honored before the game. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:40 p.m. for the Senior Night presentation. Once the teams hit the court, the Huskers will be gunning for a season split with the Buffs. CU won the first matchup 72-60 last month, but the Huskers have since found a scoring touch that would have come in handy in Boulder. Nebraska has averaged 75.8 points per game over the past four contests. During that span, the Huskers have had at least one player each game post 20 or more points (five total 20-point games), after having just four 20-point games in the first 25 contests of the season. In Saturday's double overtime victory, senior Sek Henry was the latest to step up. Henry hopes to build off his career-high 21-point game, which included 12 points in overtime plus two free throws with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Starting with those free throws with 42 seconds to play, Henry connected on his last nine scoring attempts, including three field goals (two 3-pointers) and six free throw attempts. Henry's strong effort helped the Huskers post their second-largest comeback victory in the Big 12 era, after being down by 14 points in the first half. The Huskers will be trying to split the season series with CU for the fourth time in five years, while holding off the Buffs' attempt at just their second season sweep of NU since 1972-73. Nebraska is 11-2 at home against Colorado since the formation of the Big 12 Conference. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/01/10) BATTLE CREEK, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The Elkhorn Valley Lady Falcons got off to a slow start on Friday night, and the Osmond Lady Tigers started hot, but by the time the dust settled the Falcons second half led to a 63-to-44 win and another trip to the Girls State Basketball Tournament. It was a rough start for the Lady Falcons while the Lady Tigers started flat on fire. Osmond got nine points from Laurel Krohn in the fist eight minutes and after one quarter the Tigers led the Falcons 20-to-14. The Falcons would begin there rally in the second quarter when freshman Lisa Henseleit would pop off the bench for six in the second period while Kyleigh Parham would toss in six more and the Falcons trailed by just three points at 29-to-26 at the half. Third quarter would roll in and the Falcons would switch out of there zone into a man-to-man defense and open it up. Cami Oelsigle would hit two three's early in the third quarter and the Falcons ran their first lead of the game to the end of the third at 46-to-36. The Tigers played well but never really over came the man-to-man pressure as they Lady Tigers mustered just 15 points in the final 16 minutes while the Falcons put up 37 in the second half an went on to the win at 63-to-44. The Lady Falcons got 20 on the night from Cami Oelsigle as the sophomore went off for 13 in the second half. Kyleigh Parham added 17 while Lisa Henseleit picked up eight off the bench. For the Osmond Lady Tigers, Brianna Kumm had a huge night as she led the Tigers with ten off the bench. Laurel Krohn added nine, all in the first quarter, while Kim Huwaldt tossed in eight in the loss. The Osmond Lady Tigers close a fine season at 14-and-seven, while the Falcons pack their bags for a trip to Lincoln. The Falcons will roll into the capitol city with a 15-and-seven mark and enter as a five seed. For Coach Brendan Dittmer and the Lady Falcons in marks the fourth consecutive trip to Lincoln, and the seventh state tournament bid in ten years. They will open play at 3:45 Thursday afternoon at Lincoln North Star against the Stapleton-McPhearson County Cyclones. The Cyclones come in at 20-and-two after losing the D-One Six District Championship to the Brady Eagles 36-to-30. You can catch all the Falcons on 102.9FM KBRX and on www.kbrx.com. (3/01/10) NORFOLK, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The St. Mary's Lady Cardinals traveled to Norfolk Catholic for the D2-3 District finals arguably playing their best basketball of the season. The Cardinals had the game within site after three quarters but unfortunately the undefeated Wynot Blue Devils poured in 24 points in the final quarter for a 60-to-37 win. The Cardinals started the game slowly, adjusting to the Blue Devils full court pressure. With 24 first half turnovers, the Cardinals were down by as many as 15 points in the first half. Fortunately for them, The Blue Devils gave the ball right back with 21 turnovers of their own in the first half. By the end of the second quarter, Mackenzie Connot stepped up big for the Cardinals hitting a couple of three pointers and bringing them back within seven points as they entered the locker room trailing 24-17. The Cardinals came out with fire in the second half. They eventually ended up tying the game 27-27 in the third quarter. That's when the Lady Cards finally ran out of gas. The Cards started running into foul trouble when senior Molly Gallagher fouled out of the game with three minutes to go in the third quarter. Add that to Wynot's very deep bench and the high pace of this basketball game, the Cardinals had nothing left to give. Wynot would take a one point lead into the fourth quarter and never look back eventually winning the game 60-37. The Cardinals were led in scoring by senior Mackenzie Connot with 18 points. They end their season with an 11-11 record and will say goodbye to seniors Connot, Gallagher, Sarah Spencer, Avery Schneider, and Ruth Wetzel. The Wynot Blue Devils move onto the state basketball tournament scheduled to kick of Friday, March 5th, in Lincoln. (KBRX Sports, Marc Zak) (3/01/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- The KBRX listening area will prepare for another trip to the NSAA State Basketball Tournament as two area teams have qualified but one team has fallen just short. In the D-One ranks the Elkhorn Valley Falcons will roll into the capitol city with a 15-and-seven mark and enter as a five seed. For Coach Brendan Dittmer and the Lady Falcons in marks the fourth consecutive trip to Lincoln, and the seventh state tournament bid in ten years. They will open play at 3:45 Thursday afternoon at Lincoln North Star against the Stapleton-McPhearson County Cyclones. They come in at 20-and-two after losing the D-One Six District Championship to the Brady Eagles 36-to-30. The Chambers Coyotes could not of been happier on Friday night. While the Coyotes defeated the Pleasanton Bulldogs 59-to-53 to secure the Coyotes bid for state, they also watched their seeding improve. While the Coyotes were winning the Falls City Sarced Heart Irish were losing the D Two-One to Lawrence-Nelson 38-to-33. That moved the Coyotes from number two to number one for the state tournament field. The Coyotes will be busy with the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Mustangs. They come in on a 13-and-eight mark after winning the D Two-Five District over Hitchcock County 44-to-41. It is the 16th trip to Lincoln for the Coyotes. That includes the fifth in a row and eight trip in the last ten years. While the Coyotes and Falcons were winning in, the West Boyd Lady Spartans were knocked out of the tournament. The Spartans looked to be in as a wild card if Silver Lake, Humphrey, East Butler and Stapleton-McPherson County would all win. Three of those four teams did just that but SMC stumbled to lose the D One-Six to Brady and took the wildcard the Spartans were counting on. You can catch the Lady Coyotes and the Lady Falcons on KBRX and on www.kbrx.com through out the state basketball tournament. (3/01/10) HOUSTON – Tom Lemke allowed one run over 5.2 innings, while DJ Belfonte drove in two runs, as the Nebraska baseball team downed Elon, 5-3, Sunday afternoon at the Rice Invitational. Lemke (2-0) scattered four hits and took a shutout into the sixth, as Nebraska (3-4) picked up its third win in the last four games. The right-hander was efficient, facing one over the minimum over the first five innings and not allowing a runner to get into scoring position through five frames. Four relievers preserved the win for Lemke, as the Phoenix (4-3) pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth and got the tying run on base on second, but Mike Nesseth fanned Mike Melillo to end the contest for the Big Red. Belfonte drove in two runs on the afternoon, while Cory Burleson went 2-for-4 and scored twice to pace the Huskers’ 12-hit attack, as Nebraska pushed across runs in four of the first five frames to build a 4-0 cushion. The Huskers strung together three straight two-out hits in the bottom of the first, getting an RBI single from Cade Thompson to take a 1-0 lead against Elon starter Daniel Britt. Adam Bailey and Tyler Farst started the rally with back-to-back singles before Thompson lined a 1-0 pitch to center, scoring Bailey with his first hit of the year. Belfonte extended the Husker lead to 2-0 in the second, plating Burleson with an RBI fly ball to left. Burleson singled with one out before freshman Bryan Peters picked up his first collegiate hit, a double past third, to put two runners in scoring position. Belfonte then lofted the next pitch to left as Burleson just beat the throw of left fielder Nike Frasier to spot NU a two-run cushion. Nebraska added to its margin in the fourth, getting a bases-loaded RBI single from Boomer Collins to make it a 3-0 game. Josh Scheffert walked to open the inning before Kyle Bubak’s single put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Peters was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Collins sent Britt’s 0-1 pitch to left for an RBI. The Huskers chased Britt in the fifth, as single by Farst and Thompson put runners on first and second. Scheffert than greeted reliever John Brebbia with an RBI single past first, staking the Huskers to a 4-1 lead. Lemke, who needed only 49 pitches to get through the fifth, ran into trouble in the sixth, as a leadoff walk to Seth Canipe and a hit batter with one outs gave the Phoenix their first scoring opportunity of the day. Lemke retired Niko Fraser for the second out, but Melillo put Elon on the scoreboard with an RBI double to right that Farst nearly made a spectacular play on. Britt (0-1) allowed four runs on nine hits to take the loss for Elon. The Huskers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, as DJ Belfonte extended his hit streak to 10 games dating back to last season with an RBI single to plate Burleson, who got a one-out single and moved to second after Peters walked. The Huskers will continue their season-opening 10-game road trip next weekend, as they travel to nationally ranked UCLA. Friday’s first pitch is at 8 p.m. and will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations and Huskers.com. There will be no live video of next weekend’s games. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/01/10) LINCOLN - Kelsey Griffin produced her 17th double-double of the year with 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while setting the school record with 17 made free throws to lead No. 3 Nebraska to a 67-51 victory over Missouri in front of the first-ever sellout for a women's basketball game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday. Playing in front of a school-record crowd of 13,595, Nebraska improved to 27-0 overall and 14-0 in the Big 12, while Missouri slipped to 11-16 overall and 1-13 in the league. Yvonne Turner added 15 points, while Dominique Kelley pitched in 11 points and six boards for the Huskers, who were officially honored by the Big 12 with the presentation of the regular-season title following the game. Nearly all of the more than 13,000 watched and cheered as Griffin cut the final loops down on the net of Nebraska's first-ever Big 12 title, which they clinched with a win over No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman on Wednesday. Following the game, Nebraska Coach Connie Yori thanked the Husker fans for their support during her eight years in Lincoln, while crediting the toughness of her team for their success. "I have been harder on this team than any other team that I have ever coached," Yori said. "It's because I know they can take it, and they have proven that. This team is the hardest-working team I have ever coached, and that's why they are champs." The Huskers extended an 8-0 run to end the first half with a 5-0 run to start the second half to create an 18-point lead early in the second half. Missouri was never able to get the lead to single digits the rest of the way, as Nebraska notched its 22nd double-digit win of the year. Nebraska hit just 40.8 percent (20-49) of its shots from the field, including 2-of-5 three-pointers. The Huskers were strong at the line, hitting 25-of-27 attempts, including Griffin's school-record 17-of-18 performance. NU was also plus-16 on the glass, posting the entire margin in the second half, when the Huskers outrebounded the Tigers, 24-8. NU did commit 21 turnovers, while forcing just 16 by the Tigers. The Huskers held MU to just 33.9 percent shooting, including just 3-of-18 from three-point range. The Tigers also hit 10-of-13 free throws. In a hard-fought first half, Nebraska used an 8-0 run in the final two minutes to take a 40-27 halftime lead. Griffin led the Huskers with 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals an assist and a career-high four blocked shots in the first half alone. Turner and Kelley each added seven points, while Catheryn Redmon pitched in six points, three boards and a block. The Huskers hit 52 percent (13-25) of their shots from the field in the first half, including 1-of-2 three-pointers, while connecting on all 13 of their free throw attempts. NU matched Missouri on the boards at 18, while winning the first-half turnover battle, 10-9. Brown led the Tigers with 11 points, while Johnson added seven points, but MU hit just 10-of-33 field goals (30.3 percent), including 2-of-9 three-point attempts. Mizzou was also 5-of-7 at the line. Nebraska will play its final home game of the 2009-10 campaign on Wednesday, when the Huskers take on Kansas. Tip-off with the Jayhawks is set for 7:05 p.m. Before the game, Nebraska will honor its school-record six-player senior class with Senior Night festivities. Kelsey Griffin, Cory Montgomery, Yvonne Turner, Kala Kuhlmann, Nicole Neals and Nikki Bober will all be honored. (thanks University of Nebraska) (3/01/10) LINCOLN, NE (AP) - The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has added five boater safety courses to its home-study list. Students have to register by the deadline to receive home-study materials. A review class is held later, followed by a test. People ages 14 through 17 who operate motorboats or personal watercraft have to pass a Nebraska boating safety course. They must possess course certificates when operating boats. The review classes will be held March 27 in Hastings, March 27 in Kearney, April 21 in Hastings, May 27 in Thedford and June 17 in Kearney. Contact Daryl Teter at 308-754-7829 to register for the classes in Hastings and Kearney and contact the Upper Loup NRD at 308-645-2250 to register for the Thedford class. (3/01/10) WAYNE, NE (AP) - Volleyball fans can get special instruction from the Nebraska women's team at an upcoming clinic at Wayne State The April 3 clinic will begin with pointers for elementary-age players from the Wayne State volleyball team. The Cornhuskers will hit the court in the afternoon for a behind-the-scenes look at the team, with Nebraska coaches working with fans. An autograph session will follow. Cost of the clinic is $10 per person. For details, go to wscvolleyballcamps.com or call 402-375-7303. (3/01/10) UNDATED (AP) - The top three teams in The Associated Press college basketball rankings lost over the weekend. That opens the door for fourth-ranked Syracuse to ascend to the top spot when the new AP poll is released Monday. Raymar Morgan had 16 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 14 Michigan State beat third-ranked Purdue 53-44 and snap the Boilermakers' 10-game win streak. The loss dropped Purdue a half-game behind Ohio State in the Big Ten race. Purdue lost its first game since losing versatile forward Robbie Hummel. The junior tore the ACL in his right knee last Wednesday against Minnesota and will miss the rest of the season. Purdue lost one day after No. 1 Kansas lost to Oklahoma State and No. 2 Kentucky lost to Tennessee. (2/26/10) O'NEILL, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The North Cental Knights are all kinds of tall, but they went to the shortest guy and youngest guy on the floor on Thursday night as Carter Camp went for ten points, and the Knights defeated the West Boyd Spartans 38-to-36 in the D 1-8 Sub-District Semifinals. Camp got the Knights off and rolling the right way as he would hit for five in the first quarter and the Knights led after one quarter 12-to-four. The Spartans caming raging back through the next two frames as Sam Johnson and Todd Dawson would both hit second quarter three-pointers and cut the Knight lead to 23-to-18 at the end of the half. The rally continued in the third and Spartan pressure would cause the Knights problems and by the end of the third West Boyd was in front for the first time at 29-to-27. From that point on, it would go blow-by-blow the rest of the way, but with the game tied at 36-all and just 6 seconds to play, the Jeff Knox would toss in a baseline runner over the top of Todd Dawson leave the Spartans trailing by two points with six seconds left. West Boyd had missed oppertunities all night and their last possession would be no different. The Spartans would throw away a pass with two seconds left and the Knights hung on for the 36-to-34 win. Austin Barstow and Carter Camp each had ten for the Knights, while the post was very quiet with Brandon Udd covered very well by the Spartans Jon Alford. Udd was held to eight points on the night. North Central shot 44% inside the arch but just 23% behind the arch while hitting just one-of-three free throw attempts. Meanwhile the Spartans shot well but missed tons of oppertunities. West Boyd shot 43% inside the arch, 28% behind the arch and hit six-of-nine free throws. Trouble was the Spartans committed 15 turnovers six of which came in the final five minutes. The North Central Knights improve to 15-and-eight on the year and moves on to battle the 13-and-seven Randolph Cardinals in the D1-4 District Final. That contest is slated for Tuesday March 2nd at Elkhorn Valley High School in Tilden with tip time slated for 7:00PM. The Spartans close their 2010 season at 17-and-five and will say goodbye to seniors Sam Johnson, Brady Neilan, and Todd Dawson. (2/26/10) CREIGHTON, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- In the D2-6 Sub-District Boys Final at Creighton last night, the St. Mary's Cardinals were enjoying a 10-point lead at half. That was until the Lynch Eagles hit for 27 points in the last 16 minutes while the Cardinals mustered just 13 and Lynch went on for the win at 51-to-47. It was a even game at the end of one at 10-all but the Cardinals came out swinging for the fences putting up 24 points in the second quarter. While the Cardinal's offense rolled, the Eagles just plain didn't keep up as they scored 14 in the second quarter and the Cardinals led to the locker room at 34-to-24. Then here came Lynch. The Eagles would pour in 16 in the third quarter and 11 more in the fourth. While the Eagles scored 27 second half points, the Cardinals went ice cold from the floor scoring just 13 points in the second half and only five in the fourth quarter while Lynch went on to a 51-to-47 win. Clay Claussen led the Eagles with 20 points, while Dustin Black threw down 12. St. Mary's got a huge night for Tanner Timmerman as he poured down 17 in the loss. The Cardinals end their season at 11-and-ten and will send off seniors Tyler Stracke, Josh Tomjack, Michael Krotter and Tanner Timmerman. Meanwhile the Lynch Eagles are 11-and-ten as well but they are moving on to Tuesday March the 2nd when the meet the 14-and-five Newcastle Raiders for the D2-3 District Finals. That game is slated for Crofton High School at 7:00PM and you can catch the Eagles on 102.9FM and on www.kbrx.com. (2/26/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- With the 2010 Boys Sub-District Basketball tournaments in the book, it is time for another round of the ins, the outs, and the hanging abouts. Well the answer is simple. Ewing is in. Period. The Tigers sit at number two going in to district finals on Tuesday night as the number two seed in the power points. With that being said, even with a Tigers loss, Hay Springs, Sterling, and Sumner-Eddyville-Miller would all also have to lose to knock the 22-and-one Tigers out. The bigger question maybe, can the Tigers secure a number one seed? No. Hampton sets number one in the points even after being beaten out of the sub-districts by Giltner 54-to-51 in overtime. The Tigers with a win would gain points but only like 0.01 and that would not be nearly enough. The Tigers have a date with the Sargent Bulldogs on Tuesday night at Wheeler Central with game time slated for 7:00PM and lets just plan on the Tigers winning and being a two seed for state. The Lynch Eagles are still active in the D-Two ranks but for the Eagles the mission goal is pretty simple. Beat Newcaslte and be an eight seed facing Hampton in the opening round of the 2010 State Basketball Tournament. A Ealge loss means they turn into a track team. The North Central Knights are in pretty much the same boat in the D-One's. Without anything majorly strange happening, the Knights with a win over Randolph would likely be an eight seed playing the Freeman Falcons in the opening round in Lincoln. A loss for the Knights on Tuesday night at Elkhorn Valley and they trade the basketball for track cleats. Well unless your the Camp brothers and then you pick up the golf bag. The C field for the neighborhoods are nearly over. The Creighton Bulldogs lost a hard fought battle to the Burwell Longhorns in the C2-8 Subdistrict finals. While the Bulldogs bow out, the Longhorns are still in the mix from two lines of thought. The Longhorns with a Monday night win over the Hartington Cedar Catholic Trojans are in with maybe as high as a three seed. A lost to the Trojans may not change much but the seed for the Longhorns. None the less, these are just projections and we will not have an official state projection until the morning of Wednesday March the 3rd, and the official brackets from the NSAA are not due until the end of next week. A complete listing of all sub-dsitrict and district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. (2/26/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- They are just ahead, as the 2010 Girls District Basketball Finals open on Friday February 26th. In Districts of area interest, the Elgin Public-Pope John Wolf Pack will take their 19-and-three record and place it on the table against the 18-and-four Hartington Cedar Catholic Lady Trojans. That contest will take place on Friday at Norfolk High School with tip scheduled for 7:00PM. In the D-One ranks, the Elkhorn Valley Falcons will take a 14-and-seven mark to Battle Creek to battle the 14-and-six Omsond Tigers. That game is slated for Friday to tip at 7:00PM and we will have it on 102.9FM an on the web at www.kbrx.com. The D-Two Three will be played at Norfolk Catholic High School and will feature the St. Mary's Cardinals at 11-and-ten against the 22-and-oh Wynot Blue Devils. That game is scheduled to tip at 7:00PM and can be heard on 1350AM The Shamrock and on line at www.kbrx.com. The other D-Two contest will be the D-Two Four at Burwell. That is where the 22-and-one Chambers Coyotes will lock up with the 19-and-three Pleasanton Bulldogs. That game will also tip at 7:00PM. A complete listing of all sub-dsitrict and district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. (2/26/10) HOUSTON, TX -- The Nebraska baseball program continues its early-season travels, as the Huskers travel to Houston, Texas, for the Rice Invitational this weekend at Reckling Park. Nebraska (1-3) will take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday (1 p.m.), No. 9 Rice on Saturday (4:30 p.m.) and Elon on Sunday (Noon). It was a short turnaround for the Huskers, as they returned to Lincoln Tuesday afternoon and left Thursday morning for Houston. Fans across Nebraska can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action this weekend on the Internet at Huskers.com. Saturday’s game will be Internet only because of conflicts with men’s and women’s basketball that day. The Huskers come off a 1-3 weekend at Fresno State, as two of the Bulldogs’ three victories came on its last at-bat. The Huskers took the finale, 4-1, late Monday, as freshmen Tom Lemke and Kurt Giller held Fresno State scoreless until the ninth. Lemke fanned six over five shutout innings in his collegiate debut, while Giller, who made two appearances on the weekend, went the final four innings for the save. Nebraska hit .279 as a team on the weekend, reaching double figures in hits in each of the final two games of the series. The Huskers were led by senior outfielder DJ Belfonte, who hit .611 (11-for-18) in last week’s series with the Bulldogs, as he recorded four straight multiple-hit games. He matched a career-best four hits on Feb. 21, in the Huskers’ extra-inning setback to the Bulldogs. Belfonte leads the Big 12 in hits (11) and is fourth in batting average entering this weekend’s action. Belfonte was one of three Huskers to hit over .500 in Fresno, as Adam Bailey went 9-for-17 with a homer and three RBIs, while freshman Josh Scheffert went 5-for-7 with five RBIs in just two contests. Bailey also had a four-hit day on Feb. 21, including his first homer of the season. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/26/10) LINCOLN – The Nebraska Athletic Department announced Thursday that Nebraska’s scheduled home opener against South Dakota State set for Tuesday, March 2, has been postponed until Tuesday, March 16, at 1:35 p.m. Fans that had tickets to the March 2 game (Game 1 in season-ticket package sheets) should use those tickets for the rescheduled game on March 16, or have the option to use those tickets for general admission seating at any regular-season home game in 2010, depending on seating availability. The Huskers will now open the home portion of their 2010 schedule on Wednesday, March 10, against Nebraska-Kearney. First pitch for that game is at 1:05 p.m. The South Dakota State game will now wrap up a five-game home stretch from March 10-16. The Huskers head to Houston, Texas, this week for the Rice Invitational, taking on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, No. 9 Rice and Elon. All games this weekend can be heard on select Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/26/10) FORT MYERS, FL -- The phone call was one that Brian Duensing didn't expect to make. When the former Nebraska Cornhusker left-hander picked up the phone to call his father in early April last year, the words that he was about to utter almost seemed hard for him to believe. "I made the team." When Duensing had arrived in Fort Myers last February for his second big league Spring Training with the Twins, his only hope had been to improve upon his performance from his forgettable first time in camp the previous year. "I was the first guy sent down from camp in 2008," Duensing said. "I was embarrassed by it. I was walking guys left and right. So last year I just wanted to go in there and throw strikes." Duensing threw enough strikes to earn an unlikely spot in the Twins' bullpen out of Spring Training. He made his Major League debut against the White Sox during the first week of the season before being sent down to Triple-A Rochester. But though his first stint with the club lasted just nine days, his thrilling rookie season had only just begun. Duensing returned to the club in July, and the next month, with the starters struggling, he found himself with an opportunity to join the rotation. As the Twins were pushing to stay in the playoff hunt, Duensing went 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA once he joined the rotation full time. Thanks to circumstances, he wound up starting Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees. And now, a little less than two years after being the first cut made in camp, Duensing finds himself back in Fort Myers among the top contenders for the fifth spot in the rotation. Talk about one heck of a ride. "It's ridiculous," Duensing said with a laugh. "I can't even tell you what happened last year, for the most part. It was just so unreal. That's the only way I can describe it." Duensing had never even been to New York prior to his start in the playoffs. In fact, he still recalls the shock he felt the moment pitching coach Rick Anderson told him that he was going to be the starter in the club's first playoff game. "I threw an inning in that last Kansas City series, and after the game, [Anderson] wanted me to do a little touchup," Duensing said. "He then said, 'You're going to start Wednesday.' I didn't think much about it, but then it hit me that Wednesday was the first day of the playoffs. I was like, 'Are you sure it's me?' " That start didn't go as well as Duensing would have liked, as he took the loss after allowing five runs in 4 2/3 innings, but the experience certainly was one to remember. And during the offseason, at his home in Omaha, Neb., the questions about that start came constantly. What was it like? What was Yankee Stadium like? What was it like throwing to A-Rod? "I don't know how to explain it," Duensing said. "I tell people, it's like, think of the one thing you'd love to do, and you actually get the chance to do it. How would you feel? That's how it feels. I never dreamed I would be in that situation." Duensing now has the experience of pitching in a pennant race and starting a postseason contest in Yankee Stadium on his resume. He doesn't know exactly how that will affect him going forward, but he thinks it can only help. But starting a postseason game doesn't necessarily mean that Duensing has secured a spot on this year's roster. He knows that the competition will be stiff for the fifth spot. Francisco Liriano is coming off a strong performance in winter ball, and Glen Perkins spent the better part of the past two seasons in the rotation prior to his shoulder injury last year. General manager Bill Smith has said that whichever pitchers don't earn the fifth spot will be candidates for the bullpen. So Duensing could have a chance to make the team in a relief role, although that's no easy race either. The Twins have their share of pitchers competing for what appears to be one or two open spots in the bullpen. "Obviously, I have to earn a spot," Duensing said. "I always look at it that last year was last year. So I've got to start over. I'm approaching it as though I've never been in the big leagues and that I have to prove that I can pitch at that level. I think that's the only way I can really do it." Duensing impressed his teammates and coaches with the poise he showed down the stretch last season. For a pitcher who had never been in that type of situation, he never appeared to show nerves, although he admits that they were there. "It was a nice surprise to see him go out, and in spots that most people would expect him to at least show a little bit of his youth, he was able to pitch the way he did," said closer Joe Nathan. "He was going into games that meant everything, where it comes down to his start for our season, and he was going out and trusting his stuff. He almost pitched like it wasn't that big of a deal to him." Duensing will try to carry that demeanor to the mound this spring as he competes for a job as a starter. But two years after being that first cut in camp, he is just pleased to find himself in his current situation, and he's ready for whatever is in store for 2010. "It's hard to wrap my mind around all that has happened," he said. "But at the same time, it's kind of neat to see how personally I've matured and grown up as a pitcher. Whatever happens this spring, whether I make the team or head back to Triple-A, as long as I'm pitching and trying to get better, that's all that matters." (thanks Kelly Thesier, MLB.com) (2/26/10) SURPRISE, AZ -- David DeJesus is always on the move. He's faster than a speeding bullet, more elusive than Jason Bourne. DeJesus is not a guy you'll find lounging on his chair in the Royals' clubhouse. He's always going somewhere -- to the workout room, the video room, the batting cage, the trainers' room and who knows where? But when you see him, there's usually a big smile on his face. He's happier than David Letterman with the audience rolling in the aisles. So it's not surprising that DeJesus is moving to right field with an upbeat attitude. It was just last year that DeJesus became a full-time left fielder after spending most of the previous five seasons in center field. That move was an unqualified success. He made no errors, had 13 assists and made so many diving, sprawling catches that the Royals launched a spirited, if futile Gold Glove campaign for him. This year's plan is to have DeJesus play right field with newcomers Scott Podsednik in left and Rick Ankiel in center. Jose Guillen, the incumbent right fielder, seems headed for a lot of designated hitter duty. "I pride myself in being able to play all the positions where I'll be able to do the job as good as anybody else," DeJesus said. "It'll be a bit of a change but I feel like I'm athletic enough to go out there and do the job." Actually, playing right field seemed better than the alternative for the Royals' longest-tenured player (he debuted on Sept. 2, 2003). DeJesus thought for sure he was going to be traded. "The morning we signed Rick Ankiel, I woke up and saw it on the bottom line of ESPN. I went to the gym and started working out and in my mind, I was going to get traded," he said. "It was just one of those things that there were a whole bunch of outfielders, we brought a lot of guys in." They sure did -- Ankiel and before that Podsednik and before that Brian Anderson. And Mitch Maier was already in the house. But manager Trey Hillman caught up with DeJesus during his workout that day with a message. "We feel you're going to move to right field and it's going to be better for the team and I was like, sure, I just want to have a spot and a job," DeJesus said. "There's a lot of stuff going on in the world, it's a tough world out there right now and a lot of people don't have jobs but I have a starting job and that's all I'm really worried about right now." DeJesus didn't make a case for staying in left field even though he had the credentials, including 153 consecutive games without an error and just one in his last 282 games. "No, I didn't want to pull out that card," he said. "But it was one of those things, I did feel comfortable out in left field but left field was new to me last year and I did a good job so I just feel right field is going to be the same thing." His first act, after the trade anxiety subsided, was to call the Royals' outfield instructor, Rusty Kuntz. DeJesus wanted to know what he was in for. One thing, of course, is that balls down the line will be hooking in the opposite direction so DeJesus will be moving to his left. But because he's a left-handed thrower, he can backhand a ball with his glove and get off a quick throw to second base. Righties, Kuntz said, take longer because they have to do a reverse turn while the runner takes another two strides. Also Kuntz believes that DeJesus will see more fly balls in right field. "It'll be easy in the sense that most of the balls that are going to be hit to him are going to be elevated with what we call 'hang,' " Kuntz said. "Most of the balls hit that direction by a righty are coming off something up in the zone or, if it's down, they're going to get under it and loft it. If it's hit by a lefty, and typically a lefty likes a low ball, if he pulls he's going to elevate it." Hillman feels that DeJesus has enough arm to handle right field, even though there are longer throws and he doesn't match Guillen's gun. Kuntz sees another big plus for DeJesus. "He's got an above-average arm and he's got above-average accuracy," Kuntz said. "And his ball for a lefty is incredibly straight. Usually you don't see that from a lefty. You'll see it from Rick Ankiel because he's got super-human arm strength -- I mean, he can throw a ball through a brick wall. That's just what he's blessed with." DeJesus boils down the throwing process to its simplest terms. "My job is to hit the cutoff man. Once we hit the cutoff man, our job is done and that's what I'm going to do. I don't have an arm like Jose Guillen but I feel like I'm accurate enough to hit the cutoff man and let them do their job of throwing the runners out," DeJesus said. Something else that might be new this season for DeJesus is batting in the third slot of the lineup ahead of Billy Butler. He's been a leadoff batter through most of his career, but Hillman's tentative plan is to have Podsednik there instead and drop DeJesus to No. 3. "I'm leaning toward that but I don't know yet. Billy did a good job in that spot last year and he started to take off when I moved him there," Hillman said. DeJesus has been a good run-producer for a leadoff batter, averaging 72 RBIs in the last two seasons. "I like hitting with runners in scoring position, yes, but I really do feel comfortable in the leadoff spot so it's going to be one of those things that I'm going to have to find that middle ground," DeJesus said. "I haven't had that much experience in the middle slot." Just 47 times has DeJesus batted third but he's been pretty productive with 30 RBIs coming out of 207 at-bats and a .263 average. He's been tried in the second slot but that didn't work very well, just a .245 mark in 88 games. His average for 607 games in the leadoff spot is .297. So there's a new position in right field and a new slot in the lineup for DeJesus. "It's a challenge and when you get challenged, you want to beat that challenge and overcome it," he said. "It's just another step in my career, just another step in me growing as a person and a baseball player and I'm ready for it." (thanks Dick Kaegel, MLB.com) (2/25/10) O'NEILL (KBRX SPORTS) -- On Wednesday night, on the KBRX Dawg Pound Sports Show, KBRX released their 2010 "Top Dawg All Area Wrestling Team," and the group features a ton of area talent. All told, the eight different teams represented bring two state champions, six state second place finishers, five other assorted medal winners, and a combine record of 579-and-105. For these 16 wrestlers that is a winning percentage of 84.6%. The teams features one wrestler in every weight class and two at-large nominees. The list includes Daniel Dominguez-Jimenez of O'Neill; Evan Aschoff, Dalton Bevill, Jacob Jessen, Teran Boyer, and Brandon Wills all of Plainview; Carter Tegler and Drew Smith of Elkhorn Valley; Nathan Merchant, Dominic Miller, and Deryk Wortman of Crofton; Nick Farmer and Dylan Heithoff of Elgin Public-Pope John; and Scott Kester of Neligh-Oakdale. These wreslters will recieve certificates of achivement from KBRX radio. (2/25/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- After two nights of basketball the 2010 Nebraska State Boys Basketball Sub-Districts get down to finals coming up on Thursday night around the neighborhood. In the Class C-One Nine at Norfolk High School the Norfolk Catholic Knights will battle their old foe the Pierce Blue Jays in a 7:00PM matchup. In the C One-Ten at West Holt High School in Atkinson, the Ord Chanticleers defeated the top seeded Ainsworth Bulldogs setting the Chants a Thursday matchup with the Valetine Badgers. Valetine defeated the O'Neill Eagles 66-to-47 Tuesday night to move to the finals slated for 7:00PM Thursday night. In the C Two-Seven Wayne High School, Hartington Cedar Catholic continued their winning ways with a 57-to-39 thumping of the Homer Knights. That sends the Trojans to the finals to meet Laurel-Concord after the Bears defeated Ponca 55-to-49. That final is slated for Thursday night at 7:00PM. In the C Two-Eight at Neligh-Oakdale High School, the Burwell Longhorns remained a one-loss team as they defeated Plainview 79-to-43. That sets the Horns a 7:00PM date with the Creighton Bulldogs who used a second half run to defeat West Holt 60-to-49. The D One-Seven at Wausa the Bees of Bloomfield buzzed the Osmond Tigers 63-to-54 while Randolph defeated Hartington 55-to-32. That sets a meeting between the Tigers and Bees for Thursday night at 7:00PM. In the D One-Eight at O'Neill High School, West Boyd survived a solid effort from the Elkhorn Valley Falcons for a 55-to-48 win. They move on to meet the North Central Knights in Thursday 7:00PM tip as the Knights defeated Clearwater-Orchard 51-to-48 The D Two-Five played at Hartington Cedar Catholic the Newcastle Radiers managed a 46-to-28 win over Coleridge to move on to the Thursday finals. They will meet the Wyont Blue Devils at 7:00PM as they defeated the Wausa Vikings 55-to-38. The D Two-Six at Creighton High School, the St. Mary's Cardinals took a 51-to-44 win over the Verdigre Hawks, while Lynch defeated Stuart 56-to-53. That sets the Cardinals against the Eagles on Thursday night at 7:00PM. The D Two-Seven at Ord High School Ewing continued to be a force to behold as they rolled the North Loup-Scotia Wildcats 82-to-39. They will get a familar foe in the Chambers Coyotes at 7:00PM on Thursday. Chambers defeated Greeley-Wolbach 69-to-54 in the night cap. In the D Two-Eight at Broken Bow, Pleasanton drilled Arcadia 76-to-37 to advance to a Thursday 7:00PM final. They will get the Sargent Bulldogs as they come off a 48-to-41 win over the Litchfield Trojans. A complete listing of all sub-dsitrict and district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. (2/25/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- They are just ahead, as the 2010 Girls District Basketball Finals open on Friday February 26th. In Districts of area interest, the Elgin Public-Pope John Wolf Pack will take their 19-and-three record and place it on the table against the 18-and-four Hartington Cedar Catholic Lady Trojans. That contest will take place on Friday at Norfolk High School with tip scheduled for 7:00PM. In the D-One ranks, the Elkhorn Valley Falcons will take a 14-and-seven mark to Battle Creek to battle the 14-and-six Omsond Tigers. That game is slated for Friday to tip at 7:00PM and we will have it on 102.9FM an on the web at www.kbrx.com. The D-Two Three will be played at Norfolk Catholic High School and will feature the St. Mary's Cardinals at 11-and-ten against the 22-and-oh Wynot Blue Devils. That game is scheduled to tip at 7:00PM and can be heard on 1350AM The Shamrock and on line at www.kbrx.com. The other D-Two contest will be the D-Two Four at Burwell. That is where the 22-and-one Chambers Coyotes will lock up with the 19-and-three Pleasanton Bulldogs. That game will also tip at 7:00PM. A complete listing of all sub-dsitrict and district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. (2/25/10) NORMAN, OK (AP) - Kelsey Griffin had 30 points and 13 rebounds, Cory Montgomery added a season-high 24 points and No. 3 Nebraska clinched its first Big 12 title by pulling away from No. 11 Oklahoma on Wednesday night for an 80-64 victory. After allowing Oklahoma to overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half, the Cornhuskers (26-0, 13-0 Big 12) matched the Sooners blow for blow before Turner and Montgomery created some distance with a quick eight-point burst. Turner followed Montgomery's basket inside with a steal that led to a three-point play, and Montgomery added a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put Nebraska up 70-63 with 2:23 to play. The Sooners (19-8, 9-4) got 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds from Abi Olajuwon but didn't score a field goal after Amanda Thompson's layup with 3:33 remaining. (2/25/10) AMES, IA (AP) - Craig Brackins scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Iowa State beat Nebraska 78-74 Wednesday night to snap Scott Christopherson added 17 for the Cyclones (14-14, 3-10 Big 12), who moved back to .500 while sweeping a Big 12 opponent for the first time in three years. Brackins broke a 65-65 tie with a pair of dunks, then hit two free throws to give Iowa State a 71-66 lead with 1:56 left. Lance Jeter hit a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left to pull the Cornhuskers within 76-74, but Marquis Gilstrap iced the win with two free throws. Freshman Christian Standhardinger scored a career-high 25 points for Nebraska (13-15, 1-12), which went 3 1/2 minutes without a field goal down the stretch and lost its seventh straight game. (2/25/10) SURPRISE, AZ (AP) - The Kansas City Royals are still waiting for Alex Gordon to have that breakout season after picking him second overall from Nebraska in the 2005 draft. In three big league seasons, Gordon has a .250 career average and has struck out 300 times in 1,200 at-bats. Hip surgery last April 17 derailed Gordon's season. He missed 79 games and hit just .232 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in 49 games. He was swinging so poorly in August the Royals sent him to the minors. While Gordon is penciled in to open the season as the starting third baseman, he does have competition for the first time in spring training. The Royals acquired third baseman Josh Fields from the Chicago White Sox in an offseason. (2/25/10) ALLISON, IA (AP) - Jurors are set to deliberate the fate of an Iowa man accused of fatally shooting a nationally known football coach at his former high school. The 12-member jury is expected to try Thursday to reach a verdict in the first-degree murder trial of 24-year-old Mark Becker. Jurors spent four hours deliberating following closing arguments Wednesday. Becker has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the June death of 58-year-old Ed Thomas. Investigators say Becker shot the Aplington-Parkersburg coach at least six times in front of students, then walked away. Prosecutors say Becker carefully planned the attack. Defense lawyers say Becker is a paranoid schizophrenic whose delusions were so severe that he was incapable of telling right from wrong. (2/25/10) SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - The Connecticut women's basketball won its 67th consecutive victory, 87-66. Maya Moore had a season-high 38 points and a career-high 20 rebounds to help top-ranked Connecticut beat Syracuse 87-66 on Wednesday night for its 67th straight victory. Tiffany Hayes added 22 points for the 28-and-0 Huskies, who've beaten Syracuse 18 straight times. UConn is within three of tying its own NCAA record for consecutive wins at 70. UConn also is within two games of its sixth undefeated regular season. The Huskies finish against two ranked teams: No. 13 Georgetown at home and at No. 7 Notre Dame. (2/24/10) O'NEILL (KBRX SPORTS) -- The West Boyd Spartans took a one point lead to the halftime locker room on Tuesday night but needed everything they had to hold off the scrappy Elkhorn Valley Falcons for a 55-to-48 win in the semi-finals of the Boys D1-8 Semi-Finals at O'Neill High School. West Boyd started strong behind five points from Ryan Kaczor in the first quarter and led after the first eight minutes 11-to-nine, but the young Falcons battled back. Elkhorn Valley would take their first lead at 4:26 to go in the second off a three-pointer from Bryce Potter and despite back-to-back three's by West Boyd's Todd Dawson, the Spartans led just 24-to-23 at the break. West Boyd looked strong to start the second half as the Spartans started the frame on a five point run and extended their lead to 36-to-29 at the end of three quarters. The Falcons made a strong bid for rally in the fourth but between West Boyd's ability to manage clock and hitting 11-of-15 from the freethrow line in the fourth, the Spartans just proved to be too much and held on for the win 55-to-48. Senior Todd Dawson led the Spartans with 21 in the contest as Jon Alford added 10 and Kendall McCarthy tossed in eight more. The Spartans did not get alot of shots off but the ones they took counted. They shot nearly 49% from the floor attempting only 13 two-point field goals but connecting on ten of those. Behind the arch they were seven-of-22 and shot freethrows fairly well at 14-fo-21 for 67%. The Spartans did commit 13 turnovers in the game that led to eight Falcon points. Sophomore Bryce Potter led the cause for the young Falcons. He knocked in 20 in the contest as Junior Drew Rautenberg tossed in 15 more. The Falcons shot well hitting on 55% of two-point attempts and 23% from behind the arch. Freethrows did not come nearly as often for the Falcons as they shot just three-of-five on the night. The young Falcons bring back nearly everyone as just one senior leaves a team that went 10-and-11 on the year in a fairly salty schedule. The Spartans move to 17-and-four on the year and look to avenge a NVC west finals loss as they battle the 14-and-eight North Central Knights in the D One-Eight Sub-District Final on Thursday night at O'Neill High School. Tip time is slated for 7:00PM and we will have the game on 102.9FM KBRX, O'Neill and on the web at KBRX.com. (2/24/10) O'NEILL (KBRX SPORTS) -- It was a battle in the paint as the North Central Knights blocked over a dozen Clearwater-Orchard shots and behind a 13 point second half from freshman Carter Camp, the Knights knocked out the Cyclones 51-to-48 in the D One-Eight Sub-District Semi-Finals Tuesday night in O'Neill. This game was touch and go all the way as the Cyclones led by a single point at the end of one quarter and held that lead at 21-to-20 at halftime. Logan Hoffman was a man on fire as he scored 14 through the first 16 minutes. Meanwhile, Jeff Knox went off for 14 for the Knights in the first half. The Cyclones led most of the third quarter until Hoffman went to the bench for a two-minute breather. Without Hoffman on the floor the Cyclone offense struggled to find points and the Knight surged ahead to lead 38-to-34 at the end of three. It would be a hole the Cylcone could really never close and as time trickled away on the Cyclones the Knights would turn to freshman Carter Camp as he drilled six-of-seven freethrows through the last eight minutes and sealed the Knights win 51-to-48. Jeff Knox led the way for the Knights with 21 but Carter Camp showed up big tossing in 13 in the second half. The Knights shot very well inside the arch hitting on 17-of-30 two-point attempts and despite struggling from behind the arch at 19%, they managed seven offensive rebounds leading to 12 addition points while committing 14 turnovers. Logan Hoffman had another career night for the Cyclones finishing with 26 points including at six-of-eight effort from the free throw line. Brock Belik added 10 in the loss. The Cyclones did not shoot well at all. Despite hitting 13-of-19 from the freethrow line they hit just 25% from two-point land and 21% back of the arch in the loss. The Cyclones end their year at 11-and-ten and will say goodbye eight seniors including Logan Hoffman, Skyler Strope, Brock Belik, Ethan Thiele, Cody Schacht, Dillon Finch, Eric Maple, Jim Thiessen, and Josh Lytle. The Knights improve to 14-and-eight on the year and will meet the 17-and-four West Boyd Spartans in the D One-Eight Sub-District Final on Thursday night at O'Neill High School. Tip time is slated for 7:00PM and we will have the game on 102.9FM KBRX, O'Neill and on the web at KBRX.com. (2/24/10) ATKINSON (KBRX SPORTS) -- The O'Neill Eagles entered West Holt High School on Tuesday night to take on the Valentine Badgers in the C1-10 subdistrict semifinals. They left West Holt High School feeling like they were hit by a freight train named Jeffery Borer as the Eagles bowed out of the C1-10 with a 66-to-47 loss. Things were bad from the very start as Valentine jumped to a quick 15-4 lead to start the game. Senior Kayden Johnson of the Eagles then hit two big back-to-back three pointers to bring it to a 15-10 lead for the Badgers. That's as close as the Eagles would get for the rest of the night. Jeffery Borer simply could not be slowed down. He notched 23 points in the game including a spectacular alley-oop dunk to start the second half. The 23 points is even more impressive considering Borer sat on the bench most of the third quarter with foul trouble. Give the Eagles credit, however, as they battled hard throughout the game but just could not close the gap as the Valentine Badgers would be victorious 66-47. Kayden Johnson led the Eagles in scoring with 11 points. The Eagles end their season with a 7-and- 12 record. Valentine will move on to the C-10 subdistrict finals against Ord on Thursday. (KBRX Sports, Marc Zak) (2/24/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- After two nights of basketball the 2010 Nebraska State Boys Basketball Sub-Districts get down to finals coming up on Thursday night around the neighborhood. In the Class C-One Nine at Norfolk High School the Norfolk Catholic Knights will battle their old foe the Pierce Blue Jays in a 7:00PM matchup. In the C One-Ten at West Holt High School in Atkinson, the Ord Chanticleers defeated the top seeded Ainsworth Bulldogs setting the Chants a Thursday matchup with the Valetine Badgers. Valetine defeated the O'Neill Eagles 66-to-47 Tuesday night to move to the finals slated for 7:00PM Thursday night. In the C Two-Seven Wayne High School, Hartington Cedar Catholic continued their winning ways with a 57-to-39 thumping of the Homer Knights. That sends the Trojans to the finals to meet Laurel-Concord after the Bears defeated Ponca 55-to-49. That final is slated for Thursday night at 7:00PM. In the C Two-Eight at Neligh-Oakdale High School, the Burwell Longhorns remained a one-loss team as they defeated Plainview 79-to-43. That sets the Horns a 7:00PM date with the Creighton Bulldogs who used a second half run to defeat West Holt 60-to-49. The D One-Seven at Wausa the Bees of Bloomfield buzzed the Osmond Tigers 63-to-54 while Randolph defeated Hartington 55-to-32. That sets a meeting between the Tigers and Bees for Thursday night at 7:00PM. In the D One-Eight at O'Neill High School, West Boyd survived a solid effort from the Elkhorn Valley Falcons for a 55-to-48 win. They move on to meet the North Central Knights in Thursday 7:00PM tip as the Knights defeated Clearwater-Orchard 51-to-48 The D Two-Five played at Hartington Cedar Catholic the Newcastle Radiers managed a 46-to-28 win over Coleridge to move on to the Thursday finals. They will meet the Wyont Blue Devils at 7:00PM as they defeated the Wausa Vikings 55-to-38. The D Two-Six at Creighton High School, the St. Mary's Cardinals took a 51-to-44 win over the Verdigre Hawks, while Lynch defeated Stuart 56-to-53. That sets the Cardinals against the Eagles on Thursday night at 7:00PM. The D Two-Seven at Ord High School Ewing continued to be a force to behold as they rolled the North Loup-Scotia Wildcats 82-to-39. They will get a familar foe in the Chambers Coyotes at 7:00PM on Thursday. Chambers defeated Greeley-Wolbach 69-to-54 in the night cap. In the D Two-Eight at Broken Bow, Pleasanton drilled Arcadia 76-to-37 to advance to a Thursday 7:00PM final. They will get the Sargent Bulldogs as they come off a 48-to-41 win over the Litchfield Trojans. A complete listing of all sub-dsitrict and district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. (2/24/10) LINCOLN, NE (AP) - Nebraska coach Doc Sadler has suspended guard Eshaunte Jones and forward Quincy Hankins-Cole for Wednesday night's game at Iowa State. Sadler said in a statement Tuesday that Hankins-Cole (left) and Jones (right) would not travel to Ames, Iowa, because they didn't meet "certain academic requirements." Sadler did not elaborate. Jones missed Saturday's game against Missouri because of what Sadler said was illness. He has averaged 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 17 minutes in 25 games. Hankins-Cole has averaged 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 14.7 minutes in 22 games. (2/24/10) LINCOLN, NE (AP) - The unbeaten Nebraska women keep winning - just not quite so easily lately. The third-ranked Cornhuskers have won their past five games by an average of 9.6 points. That's impressive, but not nearly as convincing as the 24-point margin between them and their first 20 opponents. Nebraska (25-0, 12-0 Big 12) expects nothing less than No. 11 Oklahoma's best shot Wednesday night when the teams meet in Norman, Okla. The Cornhuskers can lock up their first conference championship since 1988 against the defending champion Sooners. Nebraska has lost 10 of the last 11 meetings with the Sooners and hasn't won in Norman since 1998. Second-place Oklahoma (19-7, 9-3) has won six of the last 10 Big 12 regular-season titles. (2/24/10) CARBONDALE, IL (AP) - Antoine Young scored a career-high 22 points, including six in overtime, to lead Creighton past Southern Illinois 83-78 on Tuesday night. Justin Carter scored 15 points and Kenny Lawson Jr. added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bluejays (15-14, 9-8 Missouri Valley), who swept the season series. Justin Bocot's 21 points led the Salukis (15-13, 6-11). Carlton Fay added 18, Tony Freeman 14 and Gene Teague 11. The Salukis led 72-68 with 2:00 left, but Young scored and then Darryl Ashford sent it to overtime tied 72-72 on two free throws with 51 seconds to play. The Bluejays scored the first six points of overtime, four by Young. Southern Illinois came within 81-78 with 54 seconds to go, but Young scored with 28 seconds left and the Salukis missed four shots in the final 18 seconds. Southern Illinois scoring leader Kevin Dillard sat with a sprained ankle. (2/24/10) MESA, AZ (AP) - News Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts is at spring training in Arizona. Ricketts addressed his team Tuesday before his team's first full-squad workout. He says told the players he and his family will be around and willing to listen. Ricketts declined to address in detail the building of a new $84 million spring training facility for the team in the Mesa area. He said he planned to look at some prospective sites. A legislative committee has approved a $1 surcharge on each auto rental in the Phoenix area and an 8 percent surcharge on tickets to all spring training games played in Maricopa County. The tax on spring training tickets is opposed by some owners of other teams in the Cactus League, including the White Sox's Jerry Reinsdorf. Ricketts said he was confident a solution could be reached that works for everyone. (2/23/10) O'NEILL (KBRX SPORTS) -- The stars came out Monday Night in O'Neill for the D1-8 boys basketball subdistrict game as Elkhorn Valley defeated Neligh-Oakdale 58-to-46. Or should it be said, the "Starman" came out, and although he shined the Falcons were steady from the free throw line in the win. Neligh-Oakdale junior Bradly Starman, played his best game of the year Monday Night. Starman, coming off the bench, knocked down 20 first half points to give the Warriors a 28-20 lead at halftime over the Falcons. The second half became a different story as the duo of Drew Rautenberg and Bryce Potter woke up the Falcons and carried a surge of momentum to bring the Falcons back within 1 point at the end of the third quarter. That's when the Warriors finally ran out of steam and into foul trouble. Trevor Schrader and Tanner Knutson both fouled out of the game for the Warriors and the Falcons took advantage of that. The Falcons went to the free throw time 36 total times in the game and made 19 of them to take and ultimately hold on to the lead, winning the game 58-46. Bradley Starman led all scorers and the Warriors with 29 points. Neligh-Oakdale ends their season with a 1-20 record but the good news is that they return their entire roster next season. Elkhorn Valley will move on to play West Boyd in the D1-8 subdistrict semifinals on Tuesday at 6:00PM at the O'Neill High School. (KBRX Sports, Marc Zak) (2/23/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- The 2010 Nebraska State Boys Basketball Sub-Districts got underway on Monday night and with one round in the book we take a look at the second rounds. In the Class C-One Nine at Norfolk High Scholl Lutheran High Northeast moved on with a win over Battle Creek and will next get the Norfolk Catholic Knight tonight at 6:00PM. Pierce will meet Crofton at 8:00PM. The final will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM with the tournament to be played at Norfolk High School. The C One-Ten is on the move at West Holt High School in Atkinson. The Ord Chanticleers defeated the Broken Bow Indians on Monday and will move on to battle the Ainsworth Bulldogs tonight at 5:30PM followed by the O'Neill Eagles taking on the Valentine Badgers at 7:15PM. The final will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. In the C Two-Seven Wayne High School, the Homer Knights defeated the Wakefield Trojans on Monday. That means the Knight get Hartington Cedar Catholic tonight at 6:00PM while Laurel-Concord and Ponca will hook up at 7:30PM. The final will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. In the C Two-Eight at Neligh-Oakdale High School, Elgin Public-Pope John watched a 15-point halftime lead dry up as they were defeated by the Plainview Pirates. That means Plainview will be advancing to play Burwell at 6:00PM tonight. Meanwhile, West Holt and Creighton will meet at 7:45PM with the final to be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. The D One-Seven at Wausa Hartington downed Winside on Monday. That means the Wildcats of Hartington are on to play Randolph at 6:15PM. The other side is Bloomfield taking on Osmond at 8:00PM with the final to be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. In the D One-Eight at O'Neill High School, Elkhorn Valley defeated Neligh-Oakdale on Monday. The Falcons will move on to take on West Boyd tongith at 6:00PM while Clearwater-Orchard and North Central will follow at 7:30PM. The finals will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. The D Two-Five will be played at Hartington Cedar Catholic the Coleridge Bulldogs knocked off the Santee Warriors on Monday night. Coleridge moves on to play Newcastle tonight at 6:00PM while Wausa and Wynot will hook up in the late game at 7:30PM. The final will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. The D Two-Six got under way at Creighton High School. The Verdigre Hawks defeated the Niobrara Lions and moves on to take on the St. Mary's Cardinals at 6:15PM while Lynch and Staurt will meet at 8:00PM tonight. The final will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. The D Two-Seven at Ord High School had North Loup-Scotia beating Wheeler Central in the play-in game. That means the Wildcats move on to take on the top seeded Ewing Tigers at 6:00PM while Greeley-Wolbach and Chambers will meet at 7:45PM tonight. The final will be played on Thursday at 7:00PM. In the D Two-Eight at Broken Bow, Arcadia defeated Loup County and will move on to take on Pleasanton on tonight at 6:00PM while Litchfield and Sargent will meet tonight at 7:45PM. The final will be played on Thursday night at 7:00PM. A complete listing of all sub-dsitrict and district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. (2/23/10) OMAHA, NE (O'NEILL HIGH SCHOOL) -- Three Eagles made their way to Omaha’s Qwest Center this past weekend for the 2010 NSAA State Wrestling Championships. Representing O’Neill on the mat were Daniel Dominguez at 103 lbs. Nathan Wabs at 112 lbs. and Alejandro Vergara at 145 lbs. These three individuals qualified for the State Tournament by placing in the top 4 at the previous weeks B-2 District tournament held in Schuyler. The Eagles hit the Qwest Center mats at 8:30 am on Thursday morning as Daniel Dominguez was the first match called. Daniel made short work of Holdrege’s Erwin Solorio defeating him by technical fall 17-2. The Eagles encountered some difficulties later in the round as Nathan Wabs and Alejandro Vergara both dropped their first bouts. Wabs dropped a decision to Bryce Rolenc of Seward 9-3 and Issac Roth of Platteview defeated Vergara 11-3. With the losses both wrestlers moved into the consolation bracket. Dominguez continued his success Thursday, in the quarterfinals, with a win over Trevor Shroeder of Fairbury. Dominguez controlled the entire match cruising to a 10-3 victory. Both Wabs and Vergara rebounded Friday morning. Wabs emerged victorious over Gunner Wiebusch of Lincoln Christian 10-0 while Vergara followed defeating Bill Reynoso of Lexington 15-6. The momentum was short lived, as both wrestlers would fall in the second round of the consolations; Wabs by fall to Cozad’s Logan Hunke and Vergara by 9-3 decision to Crete’s Cody Wendelin. “Both Nate and Alejandro wrestled well down here, they both were able to notch wins which was good. It was a great learning experience for them and should serve them well next year,” commented Coach Corkle. Daniel Dominguez returned to action in Friday night’s semifinals. Dominguez secured an early takedown over AJ Farrad of Aurora, and never looked back scoring two more takedowns and nearfall in route to his 9-2 victory. The win would propel Dominguez into Saturday’s finals. O’Neill’s last state wrestling champion was Thad Fox. Fox’s championship came in the 171 lbs. weight class of the 1991 State Tournament. Since that time the Eagles have had 4 state finalists: Mike Cole in 2000, Lucas Watson in 2006, Terry Laursen in 2009 and Dominguez this season. Dominguez’s opponent in the finals was not unfamiliar. The O’Neill Junior would square off against fellow junior Trent Mertes of Auburn. Mertes entered the match with a record of 38-0. Last season he placed 3rd at the state meet in the same weight class and just two weeks ago he notched a win by fall over Dominguez in the finals of the GICC invite. This previous meeting was short lived as Mertes recorded the pin over the O’Neill wrestler in under a minute. Additionally, Mertes had secured pins in all three of his previous matches at this years state tournament. His dominating streak was about to come to an end. The 103 lbs. finals match began immediately after the “Parade of Champions” ceremony. Dominguez scored a takedown by fireman’s carry as time expired late in the first period. With a 2-0 lead Daniel chose to stay in the neutral position for the second period. The next two minutes saw Dominguez take several shots with Mertes fighting each off. Mertes appeared to be working to set-up a throw, the same type of move he had used to defeat Dominguez at GICC. The second period ended with the score the same as it began 2-0 in favor of Dominguez. In the third period Mertes chose bottom. Dominguez kept Mertes down for nearly a minute before Mertes was able to cut the lead to one, scoring an escape. With just a 2-1 advantage in the closing seconds Dominguez was able to put an exclamation point on his victory securing a final takedown just before time expired. The takedown made the final score to the match 4-1 and with the victory Dominguez became O’Neill’s ninth state wrestling champion. “Nineteen years is a long time to go without a state champion. In that time there have been some outstanding wrestlers that have passed through our program, guys that had the ability to get it done. The fact that Dan was the guy to finally do it...it's poetic really. Here is a kid who is so determined. When you realize all the sacrifice that he has made, the walking to practice at 5 am, running home in the bitter cold because he stayed late and everyone with a car that could give him a ride had left. These things are just snapshots. His story is so inspiring, what happened Saturday was the only fitting outcome. I think the best way to sum it up is to say this: the secret to becoming a state champion isn't really a secret at all, there are lots of coaches and wrestlers out there that can tell you what it takes, but there is a huge difference between knowing what it takes and actually doing it. Dan...he did it,” commented Coach Corkle. (thanks Coach Bryan Corkle) (2/23/10) LINCOLN - Nebraska senior Kelsey Griffin captured her second straight Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award and fourth of the season on Monday in voting by conference media members. Griffin, a 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, averaged 18 points and 11.5 rebounds in 30 minutes per game, as Nebraska stretched its school-record winning streak to 25 games while improving to 12-0 in the Big 12 with wins over No. 13 Iowa State and Colorado at the Devaney Center last week. In Saturday's win over Colorado, the National Player-of-the-Year candidate produced 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field, while adding 12 rebounds and a career-high six assists. She also snagged two steals and blocked two shots in a 16-point win over the Buffs. It was her 15th double-double of the season and 10th in 12 conference games. Griffin added 11 points and 11 rebounds in Nebraska's 60-50 win over the No. 13 Cyclones on Wednesday. The award was Griffin's seventh Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honor of her career, joining one as a junior in February of 2008, and two as a sophomore in 2007. She also claimed two Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors as a freshman in 2006. Baylor's Kimetria Hayden was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, to join Griffin among the league's award winners. Griffin will lead No. 3 Nebraska against No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. A win by the Huskers against the defending league champion Sooners would give Nebraska its first-ever Big 12 women's basketball title. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/23/10) FRESNO, CA – Freshmen Tom Lemke and Kurt Giller held a potent Fresno State in check, as Nebraska won the final game of the four-game series by a score of 4-1 Monday night at Beiden Field. Lemke (pictured left) (1-0) tossed five shutout innings for his first career win, as the right-hander scattered five hits and struck out six in his Husker debut. Giller closed the door on NU’s first win of the season, going the final four innings for his first save, as he allowed one run on four hits. Giller set down nine in a row heading to the ninth, as the Huskers took a shutout into the frame and were forced to hold off the late charging Bulldogs. Fresno State opened the frame with three straight hits, pulling to within 4-1 on Trent Garrison’s RBI single and getting the tying run to the plate. Giller then found his groove again, fanned Kenny Wise for the first out before Bobby Coyle whistled a shot down the first base line which was snared by a leaping Tyler Farst, who went to first to double-up pinch-runner Andy Qualls for the game ending double play. “Going 0-3 into tonight and having two freshmen on the hill, you are hoping to survive with the offense they have, but both really filled up the zone tonight and showed what competitors they are,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “It was nice to see out there. There is going to be a point where we split those two up and let them start on the weekend, but to see them compete was very encouraging.” The matchup between Lemke and Fresno State starter Cody Kendall was a pitchers’ duel early on, as the game was scoreless through four innings. Lemke worked around jams, as the Bulldogs got multiple runners on each of his last three innings, but pitched his way out of trouble long enough to have the Huskers’ stake him a lead. Consecutive hits from Adam Bailey and Patric Tolentino to open the fifth got the Huskers going with their first substantial rally of the night. Josh Scheffert’s sacrifice moved both runners over before Bryan Peters collected his first RBI, reaching on a fielding error from second baseman Danny Muno, as Bailey scored from third. Scheffert, who has five RBIs in two games, came up big one inning later, delivering a two-out RBI single to stake the Huskers to a three-run lead. A leadoff single by Asche and a one-out double by Adam Bailey, who went 2-for-4 and scored twice, put runners on second and third with one out. Two batters later, Scheffert blooped a single to left center, clearing the bases and giving NU a 3-0 lead. “We did some good things offensively, as we found ways to extend the lead in situations,” Anderson said. “We didn’t hold it yesterday but tonight we did. Scheffert really came through with a big two-out hit in the fifth.” Kendall (0-1) pitched well in a losing effort, allowing three runs on eight hits over six innings of work The Huskers added an insurance run in the top of the ninth, as Peters reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually came around to score on DJ Belfotne’s RBI single to right. Belfonte went 2-for-4 and had four multi-hit games in the series. The Huskers will travel to Houston, Texas, for the rice Invitational this weekend. NU opens action against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1 p.m. on Friday. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/23/10) SURPRISE, AZ -- All of the surprise that accompanied the Royals' declaration that they'd look at Kyle Farnsworth as a starting pitcher was no surprise to one guy: Farnsworth. Actually, Farnsworth had started thinking about the possibility a year ago during the Royals' camp at the -- hey, what's in a name? -- Surprise training complex. It's been 10 years since Farnsworth started a game back in 2000 as a hard-firing 24-year-old right-hander with the Chicago Cubs. "I'm real excited about it," Farnsworth said. "It's something I did all throughout the Minor Leagues and the first two years of my career. I had success in the bullpen, and I stayed there for a while, but this opportunity has come about, so I'd be more than willing to do it." For Royals manager Trey Hillman and pitching coach Bob McClure, the idea bloomed last Sept. 9 when Farnsworth reeled off two perfect innings against Detroit with two strikeouts and four groundouts. They saw good action in Farnsworth's two-seam fastball. "I was interested in getting outside of the box with it originally when we saw the life in the two-seamer," Hillman said. "But then it was after that two-inning outing that we saw the consistency and the life in how he utilized the two-seamer at the high velocity with that great sink. Then he'd throw the four-seamer to elevate. When you can do that with one pitch -- it's two different pitches but both fastballs -- and change the eye level of the hitter, that's when we went, 'Wow! That's kind of interesting.'" Hillman told McClure the idea might be "far-fetched," but, at the time, they were looking at a rotation that had three arms shut down -- Gil Meche, Brian Bannister and Kyle Davies. They had no starter in the Minors on the verge of breaking out. So why not look at Farnsworth along with another relief pitcher, Robinson Tejeda? Tejeda already was being tested as a starter and trying Farnsworth in the future made sense, too. "Physically, he's in great shape, he doesn't have a lot of wear and tear on his arm, and he showed us last year, at the end, that he could do some different things, and it might be something to look at," McClure said. To make the possible conversion even more appealing, Farnsworth pulled a surprise. He showed off a new changeup after his arrival in camp. "He pulled that thing out of his backpocket the day before yesterday, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again," Hillman said. That little development is coming right along. "It's more of a feel pitch," Farnsworth said. "I haven't really thrown it, but I've messed around with one, trying to find the right grip. I think that's the main thing with anybody throwing a changeup is you just have to find a comfortable grip, and I think I've finally found one." Working as a reliever over the years for the Cubs, Tigers, Braves and Yankees, there really wasn't a need in Farnsworth's pitch arsenal for a changeup. "Coming out of the bullpen, I've never really needed one," he said. "I had one when I first started a long time ago, but it wasn't very consistent. I didn't feel comfortable with it, but I feel comfortable with this one." When Farnsworth signed in 1994 -- he was the Cubs' 47th-round Draft choice out of Milton High in Alpharetta, Ga. -- he broke in gently with 16 relief outings in Rookie ball. But after that in the Minors, he was strictly a starter and was called up to join the Cubs' rotation on April 29, 1999. For the Cubs, he started 21 times in his 27 appearances and finished with a 5-9 record. In 2000, he started five games but faltered -- 1-3 with an 8.23 ERA -- and was reassigned to the bullpen. "I really didn't have a third pitch -- just mainly my fastball, and my slider was so-so and my changeup was so-so. So that's probably the main reason I went to the bullpen. The second or third time around [the lineup], they kind of figured out what I was throwing." Gee, if he'd have developed a changeup then, his entire career might have been different. Now there's a possible change, although at this point, the rotation seems set with Zack Greinke, Luke Hochevar, Davies, Bannister and Meche. But things can happen and the Royals want to have alternatives. That's where Farnsworth might figure in. "It's important that we build our whole inventory in case we run into a problem," Hillman said. "He's done it before. It's been a lot of years, but we don't have a starting inventory in our own system right now or somebody that's close to being ready." If Farnsworth isn't needed for the rotation, he figures as a possible right-handed setup man or long reliever. But he's eager to take a flier as a starter. "I definitely think it's something I can do -- not easily, but I think I'm up to the challenge," he said. "I'm going to take the opportunity and go with it. What's the worst thing that could happen -- go back to the bullpen?" (thanks Dick Kaegel, MLB.com) (2/22/10) OMAHA, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- After sending 30 plus area wrestlers to the 2010 NSAA State Wrestling Tournament in Qwest Center Omaha over the weekend you could say the area faired well. 16 medals of all different colors are headed back to the neighborhood but maybe none bigger than a first time gold for Daniel Dominguez and head coach Bryan Corkle of the O'Neill Eagles. The Eagle Junior fought to maintain his weight at 103 pounds and it certainly paid off. He went four-and-oh and defeated previously undefeated Trent Mertes of Auburn in the state final at four-to-one. All said he rolled up 38 points in four matches while allowing his opponets just eight points total. It is the first only gold medalist since Thad Fox (pictured with Dominguez left) in 1991. "Nineteen years is a long time to go without a state champion," said Eagles Coach Bryan Corkle. "In that time there have been some outstanding wrestlers that have passed through our program, guys that had the ability to get it done. The fact that Dan was the guy to finally do it...it's poetic really. Here is a kid who is so determined. When you realize all the sacrifice that he has made, the walking to practice at 5 am, running home in the bitter cold because he stayed late and everyone with a car that could give him a ride had left. These things are just snapshots. His story is so inspiring, what happened Saturday was the only fitting outcome. I think the best way to sum it up is to say this: the secret to becoming a state champion isn't really a secret at all, there are lots of coaches and wrestlers out there that can tell you what it takes, but there is a huge difference between knowing what it takes and actually doing it. Dan...he did it." Gold also came home with Drew Smith out of Elkhorn Valley. Just a sophomore, Smith went four-and-oh and improved his fourth place finish from 2009 to a gold in 2010 with a win over a familiar foe. He defeated Corey Forbes of Plainivew in the 103-pound Class D Final four-to-two to seal the four win series and the gold. Considering he pinned his first opponet and pitched shut-outs in the Quarter and Semi-Finals, the two points he gave up in the final was the only points he gave up in the four match series. No while the area put nine wrestlers into the finals, only two came home with gold, but none of the losses were tougher than those suffered by the Plainview Pirates. The Pirates were tied in second place in the Class C team race going to the finals on Saturday with the Palmer Tigers at 97-to-97. Plainview looked to have the edge with four wrestlers in finals including Forbes at 103, Bevill at 135, Boyer at 152 and Wills at 285. The Palmer Tigers would bring just two to finals including Tyler Wichman at 160, and Riley Santin at 189. Plainview would lose their first three bouts as Forbes was beaten by Smith of Elkhorn Valley four-to-two, Dalton Bevill dropped his match to Clayton Moore of Friend ten-to-six, and Teran Boyer lost a heartbreaker to Bryce Dibbern, Amherst six-to-four in overtime. Palmer could not have handled the tie much better as Wichman would win an eight-to-two match over Dalton Fletcher of Scribner-Snyder and undefeated Riley Santin would stay just that way with a pin oer Bryant Borgman of Stanton sealing the Pirates fate as Palmer would edge the Pirates for second place at 107-to-97. None the less, of seven Pirate wrestlers five brought home medals as Forbes, Bevill, Boyer, and Wills all took seconds and freshman Evan Aschoff managed a 6th place finish. Elkhorn Valley brought three and medaled three as Drew Smith won the 103, Carter Tegler took a second place and Tyler Hart managed a sixth place medal after lossing his opening round match. The Crofton Warriors maganed three medals as well. Nathan Merchant and Dominic Miller brought home second place medals from the 125 and 130 respectively while Deryk Wortman grabbed a fifth at 215. Neligh-Oakdale brought home one medal as Scott Kester took a third place finish out of the 125 and Elgin Public-Pope John had one medal winner as well as Dylan Heithoff brought home a third place finish at 189. Landon Pospisil of Creighton-Verdigre battled back for a third place medal at 171. Wesley Cole, after not wrestling his freshman season, managed a medal in his first year at 135 with a sixth place finish. A hat's off to all our area wrestlers and KBRX will be releasing our "Top Dawg All-Area Wrestling Team" on Wednesday night during the Dawg Pound Sports Show. (2/22/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- They are just ahead, as the 2010 Girls District Basketball Finals open on Friday February 26th. In Districts of area interest, the Elgin Public-Pope John Wolf Pack will take their 19-and-three record and place it on the table against the 18-and-four Hartington Cedar Catholic Lady Trojans. That contest will take place on Friday at Norfolk High School with tip scheduled for 7:00PM. In the D-One ranks, the Elkhorn Valley Falcons will take a 14-and-seven mark to Battle Creek to battle the 14-and-six Omsond Tigers. That game is slated for Friday to tip at 7:00PM. The D-Two Three will be played at Norfolk Catholic High School and will feature the St. Mary's Cardinals at 11-and-ten against the 22-and-oh Wynot Blue Devils. That game is scheduled to tip at 7:00PM and can be heard on 1350AM The Shamrock and on line at www.kbrx.com. The other D-Two contest will be the D-Two Four at Burwell. That is where the 22-and-one Chambers Coyotes will lock up with the 19-and-three Pleasanton Bulldogs. That game will also tip at 7:00PM. A complete listing of all district tournaments are posted at KBRX.com in the Sports Center and brought to you by M & M Lockers of Bristow. |
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throw. Brichacek has the 14th best mark in the country with a toss of 53-10 ¼.
