LINCOLN – Northeast Nebraska high school standouts, a coach and a referee as well as a top Husker volleyball player will be the next set of inductees joining the 2020 Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.
According to a release from the Nebraska Sports Council over the weekend, the list features twelve athletes, five coaches, three contributors and one official. The class will be inducted on Sunday, October 4 at Lincoln East High School.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for K-12 students as pre-kindergarten children will be admitted free. Tickets will be available through the Nebraska Sports Council.
Steve Erwin was a graduate of Laurel in 1971 where he was an All-Class, All-State selection in football and basketball. Erwin played quarterback for the Laurel team that won the 1970 mythical state championship. In basketball, he scored 1,427 points and collected 1,321 rebounds in his career and went onto attend the University of Nebraska starting 55 of 71 games over a three-year span.
The Laurel 1970 football team, who went 10-0 and outscored their opponents by an average score of 48-8, will also be recognized this year as the Golden Anniversary Team.
Another northeast Nebraska standout being inducted will be Megan Neuvirth Maslanka, a graduate of West Point Central Catholic (2005). She was the Nebraska Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year in 2005 and helped her high school volleyball and basketball teams win eight state championships and compile a 201-3 record. She was also a four-year letter winner at Creighton University, scoring more than 1,000 points in her career and was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
The former Husker volleyball player and graduate from Logan View High School was Jordan Larson (2005). Larson was also a key player on the U.S. Olympic volleyball teams of 2012 and 2016. She earned 12 letters in volleyball, basketball and track at Logan View, earning high school All-American honors in volleyball. Larson accepted a volleyball scholarship to Nebraska after her sophomore year in high school, starting four years for the Huskers and earning All-American honors three times.
Other athletes being inducted are Emily Anderson Hansen, Lincoln Southeast (1996); Dawn Crinklaw Gustafson, Ralston (1985); Glenwood Einspahr, Hildreth (1950); Todd Eubanks, Lincoln East (1983); John Gibson, Papillion-La Vista (1996); Nate Lashley, Mitchell (2001); Robert Rands, Bellevue East (2005); Nora Shepherd Ohrt, York (1994) and Tony Veland, Omaha Benson (1991).
Jeff Bellar will be inducted as one of five coaches. Bellar guided the Norfolk Catholic football team and is Nebraska’s all-time leader with 363 football coaching victories. Over 38 years of his coaching career they include nine state championships and five runner-up finishes with six of his teams going undefeated.
Other coaches being inducted include Norm Mannstedt, High Plains; Elroy Pierce, Eustis-Farnam; Jerome Skrdla, Gretna and Sue Ziegler, Lincoln Lutheran.
The lone official to be inducted this fall into the 2020 Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame will be Steve Farlee of Norfolk. Farlee has been tabbed as one of the busiest officials in the state. He officiated more than 3,000 basketball games over a 43-year period as well as referring football and umpiring high school and American Legion baseball for more than 25 years. His officiating resume includes NAIA and NCAA games in all three sports.
This year’s Hall of Fame Contributors will be Ken and Ryly Jane Hambleton, Lincoln as well as Bobby Mills, Grand Island.
In addition to the inductees, the Hall of Fame honors teams and individuals for special contributions to high school sports.
Great Moments in High School Sports: The 2013 Class A state championship soccer match between Omaha South and Creighton Prep that drew an estimated 8,200 attendance, a larger crowd than what attended the Class A football championship in that academic year.
Dominant Dynasties: Lincoln High football from 1911-55, which won 20 mythical state championships and compiled a 324-48-18 record.
Ron Gustafson Inspiration Award: Megan Wallman of Syracuse who weighed two pounds at birth and overcame several medical issues as a child to earn honorable mention all-conference volleyball honors in 2019 as a serving and defensive specialist. She set a school record for serving accuracy with only 12 errors in 399 serves.
Fischer Family Award: L.G. and Shirley Harrison family of Omaha, whose 11 children figured prominently in the sports scenes at Omaha Creighton Prep, Marian, Central, Benson, Cathedral and Bryan. Eight of the children were involved in athletics in college, and Les played more than 9,000 games for the Harlem Globetrotters and Meadowlark Lemon’s Harlem All-Stars.
Golden Anniversary Team: Fairbury’s 1971 boys basketball team, which won Class B with a 22-3 record after defeating Waverly, Aurora and Cozad in the state tournament.
Golden Anniversary Team: Laurel’s 1970 football team, which included 2020 inductee Steve Erwin and went 10-0, outscoring its opponents by an average score of 48-8.
Silver Anniversary Team: Chappell’s 1995 volleyball team, led by Hall of Fame inductee Kim Behrends, that went 28-0 to win the first of back-to-back Class D1 state titles
Silver Anniversary Team: Milford’s 1995 football team, which went 13-0 and won the first of back-to-back Class C1 state championships.
Visit nebhalloffame.org for more information.