In April 2025, the Kearney Sportsplex opened its doors for the first time, and over the weekend the facility was packed with crowds of people and events.
Recently, the facility was used for two big wrestling tournaments.
“We’re almost at our eight-month mark of being open, and I think when I initially talked to the community when we were having our groundbreaking, and then followed by our ribbon cutting, I think this weekend is a perfect example of what this facility was built for,” Lauren Brandt, Kearney Sportsplex Sports Director, noted.
Saturday, the Sportsplex hosted its first Younes Hospitality Open. A college wrestling tournament that previously had been held at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds
“The fairgrounds were great for us. For over a decade, we ran all of our wrestling events out there," Dalton Jensen, UNK Wrestling Head Coach, shared. "They just continued to grow and now we’re at pretty much a minimum of 20 mats for all of our events. This one 22 mats, so we just needed more space.”
Which Jensen said offers his squad more opportunities for tougher competition at a tournament early in the season.
“Having the opportunity to host something like this, you know, thanks to UNK and Younes Hospitality, and obviously a venue like this here at the Sportsplex," Jensen highlighted. "I think this event is going to continue to grow. This year was the most Division One participants that we’ve ever had.”
There were even notable names like Bowen Downey, the brother of University of Northern Iowa sensation Ryder Downey, in competition at the Younes Open on Saturday, but it wasn’t all just wrestling going on at the Sportsplex last weekend. Brandt described it as a blend.
“It’s a really unique blend of this facility becoming a sports tourism destination on the weekends," Brandt shared.
Certainly, no better example of this than the most recent weekend. Wrestling for two days, and then the Omaha Supernovas came to town for a clinic with younger girls.
“Just being at the level that we’re at, we love giving back to the community, and so for us to be able to come out here to Kearney has been really special," Merritt Beason, Omaha Supernovas Opposite Hitter and Husker Volleyball Alumna, said. "I love any opportunity that I get to work with younger girls and to just give back to the youth in any way.”
The camp saw over 240 participants and serves as testament to the state’s love for the sport.
“It’s so special, and it’s truly pretty hard to find," Beason shared. "That doesn't really happen in anywhere else in the country, so I just love how the state of Nebraska celebrates volleyball as whole, whether that’s collegiately or that’s professionally with us, and so it’s just really special to be apart of.”
It also comes during a time when high school sports participation numbers are dwindling in Nebraska, but across the state for years those numbers for volleyball have steadily increased.
“It continues to just blow my mind the support just expands regionally," Allison Holder, Omaha Supernovas Libero and Creighton Volleyball Alumna, confessed. "Not only in Omaha and obviously we have a huge fan base that comes out of Omaha, but to have so many cities that bring in so much support for us. Even coming out here to Kearney, and we were sold out for two clinics of 120 participants plus. It’s just so much fun to see so much love and excitement around us which really just helps grow the sport and grow our fanbase which only makes us play better and have more fun”
Brandt also shared that the Sportsplex is nearly booked up until April.
“During the weeknights, we are, all the courts and the fields are booked with practices and different clinics, and so I think again it proves that Kearney made the right choice in proceeding to build the Sportsplex because all the access we have available here and the people we can get into Kearney and support our local community, I think it just proves that it was worth the hard work," Brant said.
A spokesperson for the Omaha Supernovas shared that one girl attending the traveled all the way from Middleton, Colorado. Brandt said the facility will next host the Kearney High Invite for high school wrestling in two weeks.
Source: NTV News
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