Sports – Page 510 – North Platte Post Archive

Arthur, Robinson Exercise Player Options

Posted on June 23, 2014June 23, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur and point guard Nate Robinson have exercised their contract options for the upcoming season.

Denver general manager Tim Connelly announced the news Monday.

Arthur averaged nearly six points a game for Denver last season and knocked down a career-high 24 3-pointers. The Nuggets picked him up in a draft-night trade last June.

Robinson scored 10.4 points and dished out 2.5 assists last year for the Nuggets before a knee injury on Jan. 29 ended his season. In his career, the diminutive point guard has also played for Chicago, Golden State, Oklahoma City, Boston and New York.

Rockies Place McKenry on Bereavement List

Posted on June 23, 2014

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies placed catcher Michael McKenry on the bereavement list and selected the contract of catcher Jackson Williams from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Williams will be available for the game Monday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

McKenry is hitting .298 in 16 games with the Rockies this season. He has four RBIs and scored six runs.

Williams has yet to play in the majors. He saw action in 41 games for the Sky Sox, hitting .262 with nine doubles and two homers. The 28-year-old was a first-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2007.

Penn State’s Taylor and Purdue’s Bunch Named Big Ten Athletes of the Year

Posted on June 23, 2014

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State wrestler David Taylor was named the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year and Purdue track and field athlete Dani Bunch was tabbed the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year, the conference announced on Monday. The pair of standouts have combined to record two individual national championships, four NCAA team titles, 13 All-America honors, nine individual Big Ten Championships and 10 individual postseason conference awards during their illustrious careers.

Taylor is the second Penn State student-athlete to win Male Athlete of the Year accolades, following gymnast Luis Vargas in 2005. Taylor received the 2014 Hodge Trophy as the nation’s top wrestler and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year for the third time in his career. He became Penn State’s first-ever four-time NCAA finalist and won his second NCAA individual title at 165, leading Penn State to its fourth-straight NCAA Championship in March. He also was named an All-American for the fourth time in his career and earned the NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler Award and the NCAA Championships Outstanding Wrestler laurel in 2014. Taylor leaves Penn State as a member of four NCAA and Big Ten Championship teams. He went 34-0 this season to end the year as the nation’s lone unbeaten Division I wrestler and closed out his career with a 134-3 record. His 97.8 career win percentage included an all-time Penn State best 53 pins, 42 technical falls and 30 majors. Taylor never lost in a dual meet and was a perfect 56-0 all-time against Big Ten competition. A four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Taylor was a first-team Capital One Academic All-American in 2014.

Bunch becomes the sixth Purdue student-athlete to be voted the conference’s Female Athlete of the Year and first since golfer Maria Hernandez claimed the honor in 2009. During the 2013-14 school year, Bunch was a three-time first-team All-American, with a third-place finish in the weight throw and fifth in the shot put during the NCAA Indoor Championships and a fifth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bunch won the Big Ten Championship in the weight throw in March, the third of her career, to become the first Big Ten woman to win three weight throw titles. The fifth-year senior was runner-up in the Big Ten in the shot put and also scored in the hammer throw with a second-place finish. She was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year for the indoor season and swept the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year and Field Athlete of the Championships awards for the outdoor campaign. Bunch broke the school records in the indoor and outdoor shot put, as well as in the weight throw. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Bunch leaves Purdue as a nine-time All-American.

Bunch and Taylor were among a field of heralded nominees for the annual conference honors that included nine individual national champions and three team national champions. The field included 22 All-Americans in 2013-14 that claimed a total of 36 All-America honors this season.

The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 when Indiana’s Jim Spivey earned the inaugural award. The conference first honored a Female Athlete of the Year in 1983, with Michigan State’s Judi Brown collecting the initial award. The Big Ten Athletes of the Year are selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submitted by each institution.

The complete list of 2014 Athlete of the Year nominations, as well as the list of all-time winners for each award, can be found below.

2014 BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

School Male Nominee Female Nominee

Illinois Jesse Delgado (wrestling) Jannelle Flaws (soccer)

Indiana Joey DeNato (baseball) Brooklynn Snodgrass (swimming & diving)

Iowa Tony Ramos (wrestling) Natalie Cafone (field hockey)

Michigan Connor Jaeger (swimming & diving) Joanna Sampson (gymnastics)

Michigan State Darqueze Dennard (football) Allyssa Ferrell (golf)

Minnesota Ellis Mannon (gymnastics) Lindsay Mable (gymnastics)

Nebraska Miles Ukaoma (track & field) Emily Wong (gymnastics)

Northwestern Jason Tsirtsis (wrestling) Alyssa Leonard (lacrosse)

Ohio State Logan Stieber (wrestling) Catherine Shields (rowing)

Penn State David Taylor (wrestling) Deja McClendon (volleyball)

Purdue Raheem Mostert (track & field/football) Dani Bunch (track & field)

Wisconsin Michael Lihrman (track & field) Alex Rigsby (ice hockey)

BIG TEN JESSE OWENS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1982 – Jim Spivey, Indiana, track and field/cross country

1983 – Ed Banach, Iowa, wrestling

1984 – Sunder Nix, Indiana, track and field

1985 – Barry Davis, Iowa, wrestling

1986 – Chuck Long, Iowa, football

1987 – Steve Alford, Indiana, basketball

1988 – Jim Abbott, Michigan, baseball

1989 – Glen Rice, Michigan, basketball

1990 – Anthony Thompson, Indiana, football

1991 – Mike Barrowman, Michigan, swimming

1992 – Desmond Howard, Michigan, football

1993 – John Roethlisberger, Minnesota, gymnastics

1994 – Glenn Robinson, Purdue, basketball

1995 – Tom Dolan, Michigan, swimming

1996 – Eddie George, Ohio State, football

1997 – Blaine Wilson, Ohio State, gymnastics

1998 – Charles Woodson, Michigan, football

1999 – Luke Donald, Northwestern, golf

2000 – Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, football

2001 – Ryan Miller, Michigan State, ice hockey

2002 – Jordan Leopold, Minnesota, ice hockey

2003 – Amer Delic, Illinois, tennis (co)

2003 – Matt Lackey, Illinois, wrestling (co)

2004 – Damion Hahn, Minnesota, wrestling

2005 – Luis Vargas, Penn State, gymnastics

2006 – Peter Vanderkaay, Michigan, swimming

2007 – Cole Konrad, Minnesota, wrestling

2008 – Brent Metcalf, Iowa, wrestling

2009 – Jake Herbert, Northwestern, wrestling

2010 – Evan Turner, Ohio State, basketball

2011 – David Boudia, Purdue, diving

2012 – Draymond Green, Michigan State, basketball

2013 – Derek Drouin, Indiana, track and field

2014 – David Taylor, Penn State, wrestling

BIG TEN FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1983 – Judi Brown, Michigan State, track and field

1984 – Lisa Ishikawa, Northwestern, softball

1985 – Cathy Branta, Wisconsin, cross country/track

1986 – Stephanie Herbst, Wisconsin, cross country/track

1987 – Jennifer Averill, Northwestern, field hockey/lacrosse

1988 – Suzy Favor, Wisconsin, track and field/cross country

1989 – Suzy Favor, Wisconsin, track and field/cross country

1990 – Suzy Favor, Wisconsin, track and field/cross country

1991 – Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse, Michigan State, diving (co)

1991 – Joy Holmes, Purdue, basketball (co)

1992 – MaChelle Joseph, Purdue, basketball

1993 – Lara Hooiveld, Michigan, swimming

1994 – Kristy Gleason, Iowa, field hockey

1995 – Laura Davis, Ohio State, volleyball

1996 – Olga Kalinovskaya, Penn State, fencing

1997 – Kathy Butler, Wisconsin, track and field (co)

1997 – Gretchen Hegener, Minnesota, swimming (co)

1998 – Sara Griffin, Michigan, softball

1999 – Stephanie White-McCarty, Purdue, basketball

2000 – Lauren Cacciamani, Penn State, volleyball

2001 – Katie Douglas, Purdue, basketball

2002 – Christie Welsh, Penn State, soccer

2003 – Perdita Felicien, Illinois, track and field

2004 – Kelly Mazzante, Penn State, basketball

2005 – Jennie Ritter, Michigan, softball

2006 – Tiffany Weimer, Penn State, soccer
2007 – Jessica Davenport, Ohio State, basketball

2008 – Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern, lacrosse

2009 – Maria Hernandez, Purdue, golf

2010 – Megan Hodge, Penn State, volleyball

2011 – Shannon Smith, Northwestern, lacrosse

2012 – Christina Manning, Ohio State, track and field

2013 – Amanda Kessel, Minnesota, ice hockey

2014 – Dani Bunch, Purdue, track and field

Tyree Peter of Omaha Benson Signs with Knights

Posted on June 23, 2014

North Platte- Tyree Peter of Omaha Benson High School signed his National Letter of Intent to join the North Platte Community College Knight’s men’s basketball team. Peter is the fifth player to sign with the Knights for the 2014 class and the ninth player from the Omaha Metro to play for the Knights in the past four years.

“We are excited to welcome Tyree to our program,” said head coach Kevin O’Connor. “He plays with great energy and competes on every possession. Tyree is a versatile player who can play either forward positon.”

The 6’6 forward is the newest Knight after helping lead his Benson Bunny team to a 3rd place finish at the 2014 State Tournament after a 4th place finish at the 2013 State Tournament as a junior. Peter was named All-State Honorable Mention as a senior during a season in which he averaged 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Peter was a teammate of North Platte signee Matt Thomas during the summer on the Omaha Sports Academy Crusaders National Team.

“I am glad that I found a school with coaches I feel will help improve my game,” said Peter. “It was a blessing to have North Platte offer me a scholarship and I am looking forward to some great years there.”

First Nationals Win Home Tournament, Extend Winning Streak to 10 Games

Posted on June 23, 2014

The North Platte First Nationals hosted its 2014 Great Plains Health Junior Senior Tournament over the weekend and the NP Seniors defended its home turf with a championship victory.

The rain that poured Wednesday night changed the schedule for the tournament on Thursday and as a result the North Platte Seniors (20-10) didn’t get to play Ogallala during the tournament, but that didn’t stop them from winning three games during the tournament.

The First Nationals played Edgar Friday night and wasted no time jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning of a 10-0 win. The game lasted just three innings as North Platte scored four more runs in the second inning to get the dominant win. Jace Barker went 1-2 in the game with two runs batted in and Drew Callaghan went 1-2 with a double and two runs scored. Marcos Silos earned the win on the mound, giving up just one hit.

North Platte played Laramie, Wyo. on Saturday night and won 11-1. The First Nationals led 4-0 after two innings, added two runs in the fourth inning and scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to get the run-rule victory. Riley Vierya pitched a complete game gem while earning the win. He gave up one run on five hits while striking out three batters.

North Platte pounded out three extra-base hits in the game. Alec Wesslund was 2-4 with a double and two RBI. Alex Harms also hit a double, going 1-4 with an RBI and Jack Kenny went 3-3 with a triple and two runs batted in.

Laramie got a chance at a rematch with the First Nationals by earning the No. 2 seed during round robin play. North Platte was the No. 1 seed for Sunday’s championship game. The Sunday afternoon game proved much closer than Saturday night’s as North Platte won 4-3. The First Nationals scored a run in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead before Laramie scored its first run in the fourth inning. Laramie tied the game at 3 with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. North Platte loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a walk, a hit by pitch and a single. After a strikeout gave Laramie two outs in the innin Darian Allberry stepped to the plate with a chance to give North Platte the go-ahead run. Allberry watched four straight pitches to take a base on balls and get the game-winning RBI as Austin Chitty scored from third.

The one-run lead was all Kenny needed as he came in to close out the game and earn the save on the mound. Luke Volz started on the mound and earned the win after pitching six innings and giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits. Volz also struck out five batters compared to just two walks.

North Platte next plays on Tuesday, June 24 at Kearney. The First Nationals beat Kearney at home earlier this season, 6-5. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:00 pm Tuesday night. The next home game for North Platte is Wednesday, June 25. The First Nationals Juniors and Seniors host Overton. The Juniors play at 5:30 with the Seniors getting underway at 8:00 pm at Bill Wood Field.

The North Platte Juniors went 3-0 during the Great Plains Health Junior Senior Tournament as well. The Juniors improved to 17-5 by beating Lincoln East B 8-3 then sweeping Gretna in a Saturday morning doubleheader, 9-3 and 10-7.

Nebraska Athletics Reaches Unprecedented Milestone; First in the Big Ten Conference

Posted on June 23, 2014

Nebraska Athletics has reached an unprecedented milestone in athletic performance this season. Nebraska became one of two NCAA institutions, and the first Big Ten program to qualify for a bowl game, plus NCAA postseason play in each of the following sports in the same calendar year— football, volleyball, and soccer in the fall; men’s basketball and women’s basketball in the winter; and baseball and softball in the spring.

Nebraska and Louisville were the only two schools to qualify for postseason play in those seven sports, and Nebraska was the only institution to win at least one game in six of those seven sports. Even if soccer wasn’t included, only Texas and Arizona State would be the only two other institutions to join Nebraska and Louisville in this shared achievement.

Nebraska is the first and only school to accomplish this rare seven-sport feat among current Big Ten institutions, dating back to 1982, the year the NCAA launched postseason play in women’s basketball and softball.

2013-14 Postseason Recap for the Huskers

To recap postseason play for the Huskers:

The football team defeated Georgia in the Gator Bowl;
Volleyball advanced to the Elite Eight;
Soccer won the Big Ten regular-season title as well as the postseason tournament and defeated Southeastern Louisiana in hosting an NCAA Regional
Women’s basketball won the Big Ten Conference postseason tournament and for the second-straight year earned a win in the NCAA Tournament
Men’s basketball team made its first appearance in the Big Dance in 16 years
Softball tied for the Big Ten regular-season championship, won an NCAA Regional and advanced to a Super Regional for the second straight year, taking eventual national runner-up Alabama to the wire.
Baseball won one game in its Stillwater regional against Binghamton.

Overall, it was a productive season in more than just the seven sports listed above. Seven other Husker sports competed in NCAA postseason action over this past year:

The women’s bowling team was the NCAA Championship runner up
The rifle team finished fifth at the NCAA Championships
Women’s gymnastics shared the Big Ten regular-season championship and made it to the Super Six
Men’s gymnastics placed eighth at the national meet
Wrestling finished 11^th at NCAA Championships
Men’s track and field placed 17th indoors and 12th outdoors
Women’s track and field placed 19th last weekend at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

First for Husker Men’s Basketball and Baseball

This calendar year also brought about another Husker first. The 2013-14 season qualified as the first time in Nebraska Athletics history that our men’s basketball and baseball teams qualified for NCAA Tournaments in the same year. It was also just the third time that both the men’s and women’s programs qualified for the NCAA basketball tournament the same year and the first since 1998 (1993 was the first time).

Oh So Close, Americans Wilt at End in Amazon Heat, Draw with Portugal

Posted on June 22, 2014

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — They were less than 30 seconds away.

The Americans were about to romp into the round of 16 at the World Cup, about to walk off with their first come-from-behind win at soccer’s showcase. About to advance with a game to spare. About to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1930.

But they wilted in the Amazon heat and humidity.

Varela’s goal on a diving header off Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross on the game’s last play gave Portugal a 2-2 tie Sunday on an exhausting night in the rainforest capital.

Now the Americans may need at least a point Thursday against Germany to advance to the knockout stage. They could advance with a loss, depending on the result of the Portugal-Ghana game that will be played simultaneously.

Ramirez Homers to Lead Brewers Past Rockies, 6-5

Posted on June 22, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Aramis Ramirez homered and drove in two runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers continued their road dominance with a 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Milwaukee swept the Rockies to finish 6-1 on a road trip that started in Arizona. The Brewers’ 27-15 record and .643 winning percentage away from home is the best in the majors. Oakland (.622) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (.615) are the only other teams close to matching Milwaukee’s success.

Wilin Rosario homered among his four hits and had three RBIs for Colorado, which has lost six straight and fell to 6-14 in June.

Brewers starter Kyle Lohse (9-2), who allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings to win consecutive starts for the first time in a month.

Rockies rookie right-hander Tyler Matzek (1-2) was roughed up in the second before setting down 11 straight.

Elias, Zunino Lead Mariners over Royals for Sweep

Posted on June 22, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rookie Roenis Elias pitched neatly into the seventh inning, Mike Zunino homered and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

Elias (7-5), a 25-year-old left-hander from Cuba, limited the Royals to one run and five singles over 6 2-3 innings. He struck out five, walked two and improved to 4-1 in June.

Zunino hit his ninth home run, tops among AL catchers. He connected off Yordano Ventura (5-6) leading off the seventh to break a 1-all tie.

Fernando Rodney, pitching for the fourth straight day, earned his 21st save in 23 chances.

Kansas City has lost four straight.

Virginia’s O’Connor is on Home Turf for CWS Finals

Posted on June 22, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Virginia coach Brian O’Connor is the hometown favorite when his Cavaliers meet Vanderbilt in the College World Series finals starting Monday night.

O’Connor was born in Omaha, grew up in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, and pitched in the CWS in 1991 for Omaha’s Creighton University.

O’Connor said he would prefer to downplay his background, but knows that is unlikely. He said he wants to keep the focus on the players and their experience.

Virginia (52-14) and Vanderbilt (49-20) both are in the finals for the first time. The Cavaliers went 3-0 in bracket play. The Commodores went 3-1 in their bracket. They’ve never played each other in baseball.