UNK’s Kinsella ranked third

KEARNEY, Neb. — The Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team is ranked fifth in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) top 25 poll for NCAA Division II wrestling.

St. Cloud State remains in the top spot with two-time defending national champion Central Oklahoma second.

Redshirt junior Jackson Kinsella of Creston is ranked third nationally at 197 pounds.

The Lopers used four majors, a tech fall and a fall to beat No. 16 Western Colorado, 33-10, in dual action on Nov. 14. Kinsella won an 11-2 major decision and top-ranked heavyweight Crew Howard of Clarinda won by fall in 26 seconds.

Kinsella and Howard were among 14 Nebraska-Kearney wrestlers placing at the 13th annual Younes Hospitality Open Nov. 23 at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Howard placed first in improving to 8-0 for the season. Kinsella placed third with several high-scoring victories. Kinsella won by scores of 20-3, 21-5 and 13-2 on the way to the 197-pound semifinals, where he lost a 9-6 decision to Brock Fettig of South Dakota State. In the consolation bracket Kinsella had victories of 20-3 and 11-7 to place third and conclude a 5-1 tournament.

NAIA playoffs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Avery Fuller of Creston is a member of the ninth-ranked Benedictine College football team playing in the NAIA playoff quarterfinals Saturday against third-ranked Indiana Wesleyan.

The 6-5, 230-pound junior is an offensive lineman for the Ravens.

After earning a 42-33 win in its first game of the 2024 NAIA Football Championship Series last Saturday over Texas Wesleyan University, Benedictine travels to Marion, Indiana on Dec. 7 for a noon kickoff against Indiana Wesleyan. It is a rematch of the 2022 quarterfinals, when Indiana Wesleyan earned a 24-13 win.

Three Iowa teams are involved in the playoffs — No. 2 Grand View hosts No. 11 Northwestern (Iowa); and No. 4 Montana Tech hosts No. 6 Morningside of Sioux City.

Just missing the NAIA playoffs was 8-2 Dordt University, which ended an 8-2 regular season with a 75-12 win over Waldorf. Derek Paup is a 6-1, 255-pound junior defensive end for the Defenders.

FCS playoffs

BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota State University football team begins its quest for a third consecutive Football Championship Subdivision national title as it hosts Montana in what will be a rematch from last season’s championship game.

Sam Chapman, a 6-2, 300-pound freshman redshirt defensive lineman from Creston, is a member of the South Dakota State team.Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The game will be available for viewing exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming platform.The third-seeded Jackrabbits closed out the 2024 regular season with a 10-2 overall record and earned the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s automatic bid to the 24-team FCS playoffs for the third season in a row via a tiebreaker after sharing the league title with North Dakota State and South Dakota with a 7-1 mark in the MVFC.

Final appearance

INDIANOLA — After suffering an elbow injury in the first game of the season, Simpson College senior Briley Hayes was cleared to play in the team’s final game, a 29-15 victory over Luther that completed an undefeated home season for the 5-5 Storm.

Hayes was Simpson’s rushing leader for the day with 69 yards on 15 carries. Hayes will graduate in May. Kayleb Howard of Creston is a wide receiver and special teams player for Simpson.

Seventh win

WAYNE, Neb. — Freshman running back Brennan Hayes of Creston was a member of the Wayne State University football team that concluded a 7-4 season with a 21-0 victory over Condordia-St. Paul in the Egg Bowl game Nov. 16.

Hayes carried 11 times for 93 yards for Wayne State. For the season, Hayes rushed for 335 yards and three touchdowns in 38 attempts. Also a member of the Wayne State team is 6-2. 260-pound freshman offensive lineman Quinten Fuller of Creston.

Bearcats 7-2

MARYVILLE — Center Kelsey Fields of Creston is off to a good start in her senior season with the Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team.

Fields is averaging a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game and ranks second on the team in scoring with a 10.6 average. Fields has led the Bearcats in scoring in two games in the 7-2 season to date. The Bearcats dropped their MIAA opener Tuesday to Missouri Western, 57-48, and played at Emporia State Thursday night.

The Bearcats are ranked ninth in NCAA Division II women’s basketball.

Simpson wrestler

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Winning six of 11 brackets, the Simpson College women’s wrestling team had a successful outing at the 8 Women Battle hosted by Wis.-Eau Claire.

Along with six champions, Simpson had six wrestlers finish runner-up and three others take third place. Among those placing third was freshman Savannah Sistad of Creston at 207 pounds, who had a 2-1 record for the day. Simpson returns to action at home against Augustana on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Storm basketball

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Sophomore forward Doryn Paup of Creston had six points and four rebounds in Simpson College’s 79-63 loss to nationally-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater at the Gunderson Hotel and Suites Thanksgiving Classic.

Paup is averaging 5.0 points per game and 2.6 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game. Junior guard Maddax DeVault of Nodaway Valley is playing 14.9 minutes a game for the Storm, scoring 8.0 points with 1.1 steals per game.

Simpson, 3-4 overall and 1-0 in American Rivers Conference play, returned to conference action Wednesday at Coe College.

Grand View hoops

DES MOINES — The Grand View University women’s basketball team earned a 73-67 victory at Mount Mercy University Nov. 26.

Brianna Fields of Creston had an assist for a 3-pointer by Taryn Lindsey to establish a five-point lead during the first quarter. The 5-11 junior forward is averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game. Ellie Ringstorf of Red Oak had a team-high four assists for the Vikings in the Mount Mercy game.

The Vikings traveled to Peru, Nebraska, to face Peru State College on Wednesday in another Heart of America conference matchup.