Bellevue East Spring Varsity Sports Preview for Baseball, Boys’ and Girls’ Track & Field, Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Tennis, and Boys’ Golf as provided by the coaches.
Baseball
- Head Coach: Ian DeLaet
- 7th Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Corby Weaver, Jake Weaver, Zach Pinkerton, Leland Johnson, Landen Johnson, Jeffrey Noble, & Bodie Reisser
- Last Year’s Record: 17-17
Season Outlook: I am really looking forward to seeing who steps up to take some of the spots that are up for grabs. Our OF & some of the spots in the pitching rotation are wide open. There are many players pushing for playing time. We return a nice mix of players with varsity experience & some younger players who need some experience. I think we have a chance to really improve as the season goes.
The opening pitch of the season was last Thursday, March 20, at Schilke Field in Fremont.
Team Leaders:
- Tanner Miller (3B, 1B, & P)- Tanner has a lot of varsity experience & has a chance to be a big part of our lineup & pitching staff.
- Jackson Myers (OF & P)- Jackson is another player with a lot of varsity experience & is coming off surgery last summer that kept him out of legion ball.
- Ethan Greenwell (C, IF, & P)- Ethan started for us at catcher as a freshman. He has put a lot of work in the weight room & could be poised for a breakout Sophomore year.
- Jace Taggart (IF)- Jace will play a lot for us in the middle infield. He has had a great offseason & has improved his overall strength.
Most Improved:
- Ben Shearer (IF & P)- Ben did a great job in the weight room this offseason & his playing strength has really improved. We are expecting big things from him in the top of the order.
- Steven Thiede (C & OF)- Steven has really improved at the plate & has a chance to be an impact bat for us this year while splitting time at catcher & in the OF
- Bayler Truax (IF & OF)- Bayler has really worked on his swing & has been a leader in our offseason program. Bayler has a chance to help us at many positions defensively as well as being an impact bat.
- Chris Hedlund (OF & P)- Chris has grown into his body & has really improved his overall athleticism. Chris has a chance to help us in both the outfield, on the mound, & on the bases.
Track and Field
- Head Coaches: Tom Messier (Boys HC – 3rd Year), Bryan McKinley (Girls HC – 3rd Year)
- Assistant Coaches: Connor Mazzei, Emily Vidlak, Cameron Dacanay, Suzy Patterson, Delany Woodruff, Katja Martens, Nadarria Inge, Alex Boerner, Josh Peterson
Season Outlook: For the boys’ program we are most looking forward to seeing the growth of our athletes. We are returning a majority of our varsity squad from last season, so we expect to see improvements from them, as well as some competition from our younger athletes.
For the girls’ program, we have a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen. We look forward to seeing this group come together and push each other throughout the season to be the best that they can be.
Bellevue East Track and Field is ready to take the season head-on and represent the community in a positive way.
The season started last Saturday, March 22, at the College of Saint Mary. The Chieftain Invite at Bellevue East is scheduled for April 3rd at 3:00pm.
Boys Team Leaders:
- Kevin Matthews (Jr) (LJ, HJ, Sprints): Returning state qualifier in the High Jump, Matthews is an amazing athlete who has added strength and explosiveness this Offseason. He is starting to improve his leadership skills to really become a leader of the program.
- Calvin McKoy (Jr) (LJ, Hurdles): Returning state qualifier in the 300M Hurdles. Calvin has an amazing offseason, as he looks to build off an amazing Sophomore season. Leads by example.
- Christian McKoy (Jr) (LJ, TJ, Hurdles) Returning state qualifier in the Triple Jump. Christian a real student of the craft when it comes to his events. He is always learning and improving as he enters his junior year.
Girls Team Leaders:
- Brynn Friedrich (Jr) (LJ, Sprints): Returning state qualifier in the 400. A tremendous competitor who was a solid athlete for us last season. We look for her to continue to be a rock for our program as both a runner and a leader.
- Saniyah Legette (So) (LJ, Sprints) First year in our program. We expect Saniyah to has a great debut season for us in the 200 and 400. We have high hopes as she grows throughout the season.
Boys Most Improved: TayJon Morton-Swift (Jr.)(HJ, Sprints): Narrowly missed out on qualifying for state last season and has spent the offseason on a mission to get better this season. His focus and maturity has put him in a position to has a great season.
Girls Most Improved: Devon (Malinda) Heenan (Jr.) (Sprints): After spending the offseason in the weight room and wrestling in the winter, Heenan has shown the grit and determination to run with a purpose this season.
Boys Soccer
- Head Coach: Noah Bishop
- 1st Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Brian Locke, Karson Jeffrey
- Last Year’s Record: 6-13
Season Outlook: As a coach, I look forward to seeing the team take what they’ve been working hard on in training and translate it to matches this season. We will have lots of opportunities this year, and I look forward to seeing the team compete at a high level.
The team will be looking to improve from last year and showcase all of the hard work they’ve put in leading up to this season and practices so far. We have a team with lots of returning players and starters, which should bring a strong sense of chemistry and familiarity of play on the pitch. Having a large group of upperclassmen will be a great asset as we welcome some new talented players to the team who want to make an immediate impact.
The season started last Thursday, March 20th at Omaha Bryan.
Team Leaders:
- Liam Parker, Center Back: Liam is a Senior and returning Varsity starter. We will be counting on him to command the team on the field. Liam leads by example through his discipline and work ethic. He pushes all of his teammates to be better each and every day.
- Noah Karim, Midfield: Noah is a Junior this year and has started to show a lot of signs as a team leader. Players often seek him out for advice and to ask questions. He is quick to give players positive feedback that often translates into immediate improvement. We look forward to seeing how he grows this year as a leader and makes the players around him better.
- Alex Bautista, Midfield: Alex has a great depth of soccer knowledge and is an engine in our midfield. His style of leadership is showing other players the level of intensity and effort that is expected of them at practice and in games without needing to say a word. We are excited to see him continue to grow his leadership qualities this season as a Junior.
Most Improved: Frank Zuniga, Defense: Frank’s improvement over the offseason has been very apparent. He looks extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet while making decisive passes at the right time. We look forward to seeing his improved skills on the pitch this season as he becomes a vital part of our defense.
Girls Soccer
- Head Coach: Nate Frankman
- 4th Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Sipres Hoefer, Michael O’Dell, Morgan Sheard, and Kourtney Caniglia
- Last Year’s Record: 5-14
Season Outlook: We have a great leadership group that will look to lead this team. We return a lot of underclassmen who hope to stay healthy throughout the season. Our team is a good blend of soccer talent and fantastic athletes who will compete in everything we do. I love our staff and the work that they put in throughout the season, and we hope to make a big jump in our program this year.
The season kicked off last week on Thursday, March 20 at Omaha Northwest.
Team Leaders:
- Fallyn Glomb – defender. She is our vocal leader and leads by example on the field
- Bailey Jones – defender. Missed all last year with an injury but was still voted as a team captain. That speaks volumes to her and her leadership abilities.
- Sophomores Adah Dishmon, JJ Reimer, Avery Larsen, Myah McManigal, and Juniors Haylie Serrano and Maddie Walter are all returning starters, also, and we will expect big things out of them this year.
Most Improved:
- Cota Barmore continues to grow and progress her game and has shown some great things this first week.
- Keziah Thomas is a senior who is looking to get some more minutes this year.
Boys Golf
- Head Coach: Trevor Lenear
- 2nd Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coach: Josh Schiefelbien, 1st year
Season Outlook: I am looking forward to the growth of our program. Last year we had 9 golfers on the team. This year we have 16 golfers who are out. We have some guys with casual playing experience who wanted to compete with the game of golf. We may play bad, we may play well, but we always play fast!
The season tees off this week on Wednesday, March 26th at the Benson Golf Course for The Frozen Open hosted by Omaha Northwest.
Team Leaders: Our senior leader is Adrian Davis, he is a three year letter winner in golf and is hoping to get his fourth this year. Adrian is very driven to be the best golfer he can be.
Most Improved: We have a few returners who have already shown improvement and are expecting to have an impact. Junior, Roderick Height, and Sophomore, Demetrius Washington. Both have been very eager for the golf season and are committed to improving their game.
Girls Tennis
- Head Coach: Krista Tew
- 6th Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Ben Dalton, Lilley Gulley
- Last Year’s Record: 9-7 (11th in Metro, 20th in State)
Season Outlook: The Varsity team has 4 returning players and we look to build on last season’s late success and confidence in their divisions. I look forward to watching their competitive nature show as they feel more comfortable with the Varsity level of competition. This squad is full of multi-sport athletes and they love playing in front of a crowd! Come out and support the Chieftain Girls Tennis Team!
We will open up our 2025 season at Bellevue East with a Triangular against Papillion LaVista and Papillion LaVista South.
Team Leaders: Layne Parker (1 Doubles) is one of our multi-sport athletes who can compete successfully at a high level, which gives her the ability to push our entire squad to be better. Mariah Blaha (1 Singles) has one of the best, if not the best, attitude on the court, she doesn’t let mistakes or one bad call affect her entire match. This is something all of our players can strive to be better at!
Most Improved: Teagan Hadley was out last season due to an ACL injury, she has put in the work to not only heal but grow as a tennis player. Her work ethic and compassion to be her best self is something that deserve to be recognized.
