Bulldog Boys Take Conference Swim and Dive

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The Kearney High School Boys Swim & Dive Team earned its 10th-consecutive conference championship on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Gladstone Community Center.

The Bulldogs won the 2024 conference title by 250 points and won every single event.

“All season long the boys have been focused on closing out and finishing this decade of dominance,” Head Coach Trevor Woehman said. “My staff and I are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication these boys have given to this team and this program.”

The postseason includes Districts for diving on Saturday, Nov. 9, and the Class 1 State Meet on Nov. 15-16 in St. Louis.

200 Medley Relay – Conference Champs

  • Whitaker Steward

  • Bennett Freeman

  • Parker Bartlett

  • Parker Mendel

200 Freestyle

  • Parker Bartlett – Conference champ & PR

  • Parker Mendel – 2nd-place finish & PR

  • Patrick McNellis – 4th-place finish & PR

200 IM

  • Whitaker Steward – Conference champ & season best

50 Freestyle

  • Bennett Freeman – Conference champ & PR

  • Chase Hoover – 2nd-place finish & PR

  • Jake Zwick – PR

  • Brayden Peck – PR

Diving

  • Isaac Clayton – Conference champ

  • Nathan Watson – 2nd-place finish

100 Butterfly

  • Whitaker Steward – Conference champ & season best

  • Braeden Mallonnee – 2nd-place finish & PR

  • Landon Morrill – 4th place finish and a new PR

100 Freestyle

  • Parker Mendel – Conference champ & PR

  • Brayden Peck – 5th-place finish & PR

  • Jake Zwick – PR

  • Peter Jensen – PR

500 Freestyle

  • Parker Bartlett – Conference champ

200 Freestyle Relay – Conference champs & season best

  • Braeden Mallonnee

  • Bennett Freeman

  • Landon Morrill

  • Chase Hoover

100 Backstroke

  • Braeden Mallonnee – Conference champ & PR

  • Chase Hoover – 5th-place finish & PR

  • Patrick McNellis – 6th-place & PR

100 Breaststroke

  • Bennett Freeman – Conference champ & PR

  • Landon Morrill – 3rd-place finish & PR

  • Peter Jensen – 5th-place finish & PR

400 Freestyle Relay -Conference Champs

  • Parker Mendel

  • Parker Bartlett

  • Braeden Mallonnee

  • Whitaker Steward

Ray Weikal contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Fall to Belton in Quarterfinals

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The Varsity Bulldog Softball team ended their season in a heartbreaking loss to the Belton Pirates in the State Quarterfinal game of Class 4 on Saturday October 26. The final score was 1-0.

The Bulldogs and pirates both played solid defense and allowed no runs until the top of the 7th inning. Belton designated player Corabelle Newman hit a solo homerun from a Kate Landewee fast ball to give the Pirates the only run in the game.

Kate Landewee pitched all 7 innings and recorded 21 outs. She only gave up one run on four hits, struck out 12, and had no walks. Leadoff hitter Macy Morrow led the Kearney Bulldogs with two hits in four at bats.

Kearney had an amazing year, breaking the school record of wins on the season with 30 games won. Alyssa Quick and Jocelyn were tied for the most homeruns this season with 6. Brooke Paalhar had 3, and Morgan Pennington made 2 homeruns. Kate Landewee, Kate Stumpenhaus, Caroline Jury, Ryleigh Van Emmerik and Reghan Lueken each had 1 homerun this season.

The Bulldogs won in District 8 and were Conference champions this year.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Clinch Conference Title

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The Kearney Bulldogs crushed Excelsior Springs in a 56-0 shutout, finishing the regular season with a 9-0 record and a Suburban Blue Conference championship.

“Our goal to start the year is always to win the conference championship,” said Head Coach Logan Minnick. “I'm excited for the boys to be able to add that date to the banner in the gym. That’ll be there forever.”

Senior running back Tristan Williams began the Bulldog scoring-fest in the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run. Photo by Eric Stevens.

This game was never close. Kearney racked up 456 yards of offense and held Excelsior Springs to 51 total yards on a night in which it appeared the entire team saw some playing time.

Kearney’s second team offensive and defensive players were filtering into the game during the first half of play. “I bet we played 80 kids,” said Minnick. “We told (the second unit) at halftime, ‘the expectation is you put more points on the board, and you hold the shutout,’ they did that, and I’m really excited for our young kids.”

Senior running back Tristan Williams began the Bulldog scoring-fest in the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run. First quarter scoring continued with a Carter Temple pass to senior wideout Trent Dostal for a 20-yard touchdown; senior running back Grant Noland scoring on a 2-yard run; and Dostal scoring on a 10-yard pass reception. Jacob Dillon was a perfect 4-of-4 on point-after kicks in the opening quarter.

Kearney’s second quarter started with junior quarterback Brad Doll passing to junior tight end Drew Nelson for a 20-yard touchdown. Senior Corbin Emmons scored on a 3-yard carry and Brad Doll scored on a 3-yard quarterback keeper. Dillon was 2-of-2 on point-after kicks following the Nelson and Emmons scores and Angelo Donze split the uprights following Doll’s touchdown.

With basketball-like scoring pace, Kearney headed to the halftime locker room with a 7-touchdown, 49-0 advantage.

“We told our kids before the game, this is week nine and we should be playing our best football game of the year tonight,” said Minnick. “We just need to continue to stack our best game after best game on top of each other as we go through this playoff run,” he added.

The Bulldog second unit finished the game’s scoring with a 65-yard push pass from freshman quarterback Cade Holder to junior wide receiver Graham Parker, for the 56-0 victory.

Kearney earned a first-round bye next week as district playoffs begin on November 1. The Bulldogs will host a yet-to-be-determined opponent at Bulldog stadium November 8.

Junior tight end Drew Nelson and his teammates are looking forward to the bye week. “Right now, going into this bye week, we just need to get in the weight room and get locked in for these next few weeks. Whoever (we play) doesn't matter. We're just going to bring it to them.”

Mike Davis contributed to this story.