LINCOLN – Each year as part of the NSAA State Girls Basketball championships, the Nebraska School Activities Association honors a select few that have made an indelible mark on high school sports.
Among this year’s selections for the NSAA Distinguished Service Award were Mike Fuehrer of Norfolk and News Channel Nebraska’s own Bryan Cook of KWBE radio in Beatrice.
Cook has been in radio for over 20 years, 19 of which have been with KWBE. Cook says the sportscasting profession has become a family environment for him
“Being in the companionship of all the media guys is truly an honor. It really is,” Cook said.
Cook says the honor was overwhelming.
“I’m honored,” Cook said. “But I could think of 1,000 people that are more deserving.”
Fuehrer, meanwhile, has been synonymous with sports in Northeast Nebraska for over 30 years, as a reporter for the Norfolk Daily News, and then as the first director of the Norfolk Area Sports Council, where he was instrumental in bringing both state golf tournaments, the State Play Production and Journalism championships to Norfolk and founding the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football Classic.
“Even though we’re hosting four state championships with boys and girls golf and journalism, I think that we really set the bar in Norfolk by bringing the state one-act play production championships,” Fuehrer said. “That’s very special to me.”
Fuehrer says a statewide honor like this is humbling.
“I think it’s a very special award,” Fuehrer said. “I’m tickled pink to be honored and represent the Nebraska School Activities Association.”
Also being honored were Jeff Maul of the Nebraska Sports Council, Jack Tarr of Malcolm High School and basketball coach John Miriovsky.
