Sports

McCOOK, Neb. — They’re already backhanding 2020 out of everyone’s memories as McCook spring sports athletes have returned with big numbers this week. That’s how coach Matt Wiemers basically described his first tennis team since the Bison finished Class B No. 4 in 2019...

MINDEN, Neb. — Tied 42-42, Southern Valley senior Clayton Berry had a calm and logical view of his potential district-winning shot Monday evening. “I realized if this goes in, our chances are way better,” he remarked about his one three-pointer of the Class D1-8 title game. “When I shot, I knew it was in.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — David Stockhaus from McCook and Mike Templeman from Oberlin, Kan., came up just short of advancing to the American Poolplayers Association’s (APA) 9-Ball Doubles Championship recently. They reached after the finals of the 9-Ball Doubles tournament and did earn second place...

GREAT BEND, Kan. – The McCook Community College baseball team split a pair of games Wednesday, dropping a 10-3 game to host Barton County Community College and downing Northeast Community College (Norfolk) 10-8 at Lawson-Biggs Field. “We got off the bus a little sluggish in Game 1 and faced a good Barton team, they jumped out early and we didn’t respond all that well,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “It was good to get the win over Northeast in Game 2.”...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Lucky charms almost seemed to change its shade of green when Stevie Handsaker’s shot bounced, bounced and bounced again through the net on Wednesday. The Maywood-Hayes Center girls only trailed 18-16 at this point and seemed ready to keep pace in a state tournament battle of 24-2 teams...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Complete Maywood-Hayes Center leaders and scoring summary from Wednesday’s D-2 state basketball quarterfinal at Lincoln North Star High School: WOLVES (31) — Jaycee Widener 19 points, Ashlin Broz 6, Stevie Handsaker 5, Kiley Hejtmanek 1. 3-pointer: Broz. Rebound leaders: Widener 6, Olivia Hansen 5, Alexis Wood 5, Hejtmanek 5. Assists: Widener, Broz, Wood, Hansen. Steals: Widener 2...

Most recent bowling league action at TJ’s Family Fun Center where Deveny Motors roared to top scores in all four team competitions. The season race has tightened though Fullmomentum remains in first place: Men’s Major Fullmomentum 203-127 Burton Well Drilling 190-140...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community College freshman infielder Zack Beatty of Maple Park, Ill., has been named the Region IX player of the week for Feb. 23-28. Beatty, the Indians’ first baseman, hit .500 and smacked five home runs to go along with 11 RBIs and 12 runs scored last week...

The North Platte men’s basketball team shot 59.6 percent from the field Tuesday on the way to a 96-89 win over McCook Community College in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center. “We’re a better defensive team than that,” Brandl said. “A team comes in here and shoots 56 percent on your home floor and the last two games you’ve held good offenses to 36 percent. They just went off tonight.”...

The McCook Community College completed a home sweep of Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference opponents with a 56-37 win over North Platte Community College Tuesday in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center. “The North Platte game is always a fun one. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Boys' state tournament pairings were officially set this afternoon as the Southern Valley Eagles will get a rematch of last year's state semifinal against Humphrey Lindsay Holy Family on Wednesday, March 9. The Class D-1 No. 7 Eagles (19-4 record) take on No. 2 HLHF (20-5) at 4 p.m. in Lincoln Southeast High School. Last March, Southern Valley was seeded sixth but took down No. 2 HLHF at Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena en route to the D-1 state championship game...

LINCOLN - While the McCook swim and dive team was happy to send a group of swimmers to the state championships this past weekend, the Bison swimmers saw their stay limited to just one of the two days of competition. Neither the individuals nor relay teams made it from the qualifying round on Friday to the final heats Saturday at the Nebraska State Swim and Dive Championship at the Devaney Center...

SPEARFISH, S.D. — As projected, the long jump proved to be an strong event for the Chadron State College men on Saturday during the second day of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Indoor Championships at Black Hills State. The Eagles collected 17 points in the long jump, where three Eagles placed. ...

HAYS, Kan. — Rawlins County wrestler Kaileigh Morrison (above and below) stepped up to reach the top five at last weekend’s Kansas Girls State Wrestling 3A-2A-1A meet at Gross Memorial Coliseum. 138 pounds — Kaileigh Morrison of Rawlins County (11-8 final record) placed fifth. She lost 8-3 to M. Ogden, Hoyt-Royal Valley (23-3); pinned D. Lacen, Columbus (21-8) in 4:43; lost 8-7 to B. Peters, Lindborg-Smoky Valley (20-6); won 4-2 over Ogden (23-3)...

MINDEN, Neb. — Her knee buckled and Kiley Hejtmanek fell to the floor just like her Maywood-Hayes Center teammates were falling behind Friday night. Senior top scorer Jaycee Widener couldn’t immediately help because she was saddled on the bench with four fouls...

McCOOK, Neb. — Madness swept through McCook High School and it was still two calendar days before March. What-who-how could this happen? The Chase County Longhorns shot 71 percent from two-point range (15 for 21), built a 15-point lead with barely five minutes remaining and now.....

HAYS, Kan. — Complete results for Gazette-area Kansas state qualifying wrestlers who competed on Saturday: Decatur Community 182 pounds — Gavon Uehlin (35-7 final record) placed third. He won 7-3 over T. VandeVelde, Silver Lake (43-7); was pinned by J. Ball, Hoisington (37-0), in 2:39; won 9-2 over B. Claibourn, Fredonia (21-3); and won 5-1 over B. Walker, Beloit (33-10)...

Dundy County-Stratton seniors Maggie Lutz (above) and McKinzie Baney (right) finished their DC-S basketball careers Friday. They reached the 2019 state finals and two tourneys.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Dundy County-Stratton’s five players teaming to hit six three-pointers couldn’t match what Pleasanton brought to their D1-1 district title game Friday night. The Bulldogs buried 12 three-point shots, built a 40-9 halftime lead and never looked back during their 68-35 victory at Mid-Plains Community College...

MINDEN, Neb. — Southern Valley's boys conquered late-game playoff pressure again and are going back to the Class D-1 state tournament following a 50-44 district finals win over Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Monday night. Tied 42-42 with less than two minutes remaining, senior Clayton Berry calmly buried a tie-breaking three and Southern Valley (19-4 record) never looked back...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Maywood-Hayes-Center's girls will face No. 2 Falls City Sacred Heart in their Class D-2 state basketball tourney opener at Lincoln North Star High School Wednesday afternoon. Opening tip time is set for 4 p.m. The Wolves and Irish both own 24-2 season records after winning their district championship games Friday evening...

COLBY, Kan. – The McCook Community College softball team picked up a pair of wins Sunday, downing Colby Community College 14-12, 14-8. MCC got three fourth-inning home runs from freshman in the first game and 15 hits to outlast the Lady Trojans and kept the offense rolling in the second game with a pair of home runs and 16 hits...

LA JUNTA, Colo. – For the second straight weekend, the McCook Community College women’s basketball team had the chance to win a Region IX road game with a last-second shot, but once again came up short. MCC lost 62-60 to Otero Junior College Sunday...

STERLING, Colo. – The McCook Community College baseball team split a pair of games against Northeastern Junior College in Empire League action Sunday. NJC won the first game 8-6 and MCC came back to win the second game 11-1. Second-year sophomore Austin Mathews (Clearwater, Fla.) held the Plainsmen to a double and three singles to pick up a five-inning complete win in Game 2 to help MCC salvage the only win of the three-game series. NJC opened the series Saturday with an 18-16 win...