High School Varsity Sports - Winter 2024 Preview: Bellevue East
High School Varsity Sports – Winter 2024 Preview: Bellevue East
Bellevue East 2024 Winter Varsity Sports Preview for boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ wrestling, bowling, and swimming/diving as provided by the coaches.
Boys Basketball
- Head Coach: Trevor Lenear
- 2nd Season as Head Coach at East
- Assistant Coaches: Joe Chavis, Lee Reimer, Ryan Lowry, Shaq Esparrza, Nate Frankman, Ben Dalton
- Last Year’s Record: 2-20
Season Outlook: I am very excited about the group that we have this season. They are all great kids who are buying into the fun, yet competitive, culture that we are trying to establish. We have a little more depth than we did last season which will help us be successful and allow us to use some lineups that we could use in the past. This senior class is special to me. I coached them all as freshmen on the freshmen team, then had them on JV their sophomores, then last season was most of their first times playing big time varsity minutes. We have all grown together these last four years and I hope to give them a memorable senior year.
We want the Bellevue community to see a team that is going to compete and fight for one another. We are creating a family environment where we have players who are thankful to be a part of the BEAST Fam!
Team Leaders
Kris Brown and Isaac Gore will be two of our key players this season. Ever since the end of last season they have been very committed to spending time with our coaches in the gym to improve their game on the court. We also return starters Trey Tolbert and Ammi Williams. Both are dynamic guards who can impact the game on both ends of the floor.
Most Improved
Last season, Kevin Matthews and Tayjon Morton-Swift were in our rotation and played pretty inconsistent minutes. This year, as juniors, our hope for them is to make a significant impact in our success on the court. They, as well, have been very committed this offseason.
The Chieftains kicked off their season last week at Westside.
Girls Basketball
- Head Coach: Eric Lenear
- 1st Season as Head Coach at East
- Assistant Coaches: Morgan Lampe, Peyton Hagen, Larry Bonner Jr., & Nadarria Inge
- Last Years Record: 16-8
Season Outlook: I am looking forward to having a very talented and senior-led group this season. We have a lot of players who have played a lot of varsity minutes over the last 3 seasons. I think we are a little deeper than last year as well, which will help us throughout the season.
This is a very talented group of kids that work extremely hard. They are a really fun group to watch and we hope to make the Bellevue community proud! I am very excited for the opportunity to coach this team this season!
Team Leaders
Mya Weber and Bra’Ni Jackson have both had a really good summer and preseason. They have become more vocal leaders over the last few months and continue to lead with their actions as well. T’Niyah Wilson has also been someone who has stepped up as more of a leader after a strong freshman season.
Most Improved
I think Zoey Howard has put in a lot of work over the summer in her aggressiveness and confidence. So far, it has translated to practice and we’re hoping that it transfers to the games as well.
The Lady Chieftains kicked off their season last Thursday at Westside.
Boys Wrestling
- Head Coach: Jake Nieman
- 1st Season as Head Coach at East
- Assistant Coaches: Pat Rush, Ron Piele
- Volunteer Coaches: Nolan Koehler, Shadrach Zarwie, Dillyn Miller, Kelby Bachman
- Last Year’s Record: Dual Record 6-12
Season Outlook: I am very excited to see the relationships develop between the athletes, coaches, and managers. Creating a family atmosphere helps foster a positive team dynamic that encourages members to be involved and hold each other accountable.
Bellevue East has six events at home and would love to have all the support possible. We are always trying to help youth and middle school kids develop into the best athletes they can be. Growing wrestling in Bellevue will be beneficial to both schools and the community as a whole. Please feel free to reach out to me if you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns!
Team Leaders
Dillon Ginter, 175lbs, is a great leader for us. Dillon takes a lot of initiative in the wrestling room and holds his team accountable. His confidence is infectious and acts as a role model for younger athletes.
Ian Stec, 165lbs, is our vocal leader. Ian is a sophomore, so his courage to speak up is very commendable. He helps bond the older kids and younger kids together, and genuinely cares about supporting his teammates.
Most Improved
Aiden Alvarez, 285lbs, will be great for us this year. Last year, he tore up the JV scene. Now, after waiting his turn, Aiden will be able to make his own name, and hopefully have plenty of success.
Lucas Perrin, 157lbs, has made a weight jump this year and is stronger, smarter, and ready to go. Lucas has been putting in a lot of off-season work all summer and fall, trying to become the best wrestler possible for his senior year. Expect a lean mean, fighting machine from Lucas.
The Chieftain wrestlers started their season last week at the Kearney High Invite.
Swimming & Diving
- Head Coach: Peggy Speer – Coached the West team for 32 years
- Coached the West team for 32 years
- Dive Coach: Tami Dolphens
- Assistant Coaches: Kaitlyn Caniglia, Angelina Allen, Nathan Nixon, Chuck Jones
- Last Year’s Record(s): 1-6 Girls (In Dual Meets), 4-3 Boys (In Dual Meets)
NOTE: Starting this year Bellevue West and Bellevue East/Platteview have combined to form one team: Bellevue Swim and Dive.
Season Outlook: On the boys’ team, swimmers to watch are seniors Ryan Bartlett & Jarod Fasnacht, along with freshman Alex Jones. On the girls’ team, swimmers to watch are senior Addi Hedin and Junior Allison Rutherford.
Our first meet was a dual against Gretna. The boys qualified in their medley relay as well, and Bartlett, Fasnacht, and Jones achieved State qualifying times. Our first home meet is on December 17 against Omaha South, followed by the Elkhorn Invite on December 20-21.
With over 30 swimmers and 8 divers, the team is looking forward to an exciting competitive season. I am excited to combine the programs!
Girls Wrestling
- Head Coach: Bryan Irsik
- 4th Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Pat Fetter (4th Season), Nick Allman (2nd Season)
- Last Year’s Record: 6-1 Dual Record
*The girls’ wrestling program is a united team between both Bellevue East and West, with practices taking place at BJSA during the season.
Season Outlook: The first competition of the year was last week in Kearney, Nebraska. On December 6 against the Kearney Girls Wrestling team and on December 7 for the Kearney High Girls Invite.
We are looking forward to the continued growth of our varsity this season; we are returning seven starters from last year’s roster and look to build on to it by adding some new faces to the lineup this season.
Girls’ Wrestling is continuing to grow across the state and the nation. We currently have over 40 girls wrestling at the middle school level and 37 girls on the team for the high school. This is a great time full of opportunities for girls in the community to try wrestling at all ages in Bellevue.
BJSA is currently starting its wrestling season and always looking to add wrestlers, we would love to see more young ladies starting to wrestle at the younger age levels. Stop by and sign up today.
Team Leaders
Zoe Stricker (28-10) Returning starter and has a great ability to lead the team by being supportive and providing a strong example
Farrin Thieman (29-12) Returning State Qualifier – Vocal leader who is encouraging and demonstrates a strong work ethic.
Kaliyah Evans (23-14) Kaliyah helps push others around her to be better as she puts in the work during and out of season and helps work with others from a teaching standpoint, helping aid in developing her teammates.
Violet Aulner (19-14) Returning State Qualifier, Violet provides a strong work ethic and demonstrates the commitment needed to be successful on and off the mat. Violet is a strong asset to her teammates as she helps bring unity to the team by including all her teammates.
Most Improved
Kira Mabry and Samantha Carroll have both been showing great improvement in their levels of confidence which is shown in their efforts at practice as they continue to grow in the sport of wrestling.
Bowling
- Girls & Boys Head Coach: Kent Crossley
- 5th Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Brandon Fisicaro, Dave Dieterich, Bob Cote
- Last Year’s Record(s): Boys 9-8, Girls 9-9
Girls’ Team
Season Outlook: It will be interesting to see how we come back this year after making it to state for the first time last year. We lost some key seniors, including Chloe Fisicaro, who had been our team leader for four years. We’ll have three returning letter winners who are juniors this year in leadership roles.
It will be a challenging season for us as we have a small group of girls who are going to get a lot of time together on the alleys. We hope they can gel as teammates and perform to their potential. We are also returning to bowl in Bellevue at The Alley (formally Leopard Lanes), so the reduced travel time has been nice.
We are in a tough district. The Papio schools are always very competitive. Then there’s Bellevue West in our backyard, who will have a couple of the best bowlers in the state. We face some challenges.
The first duel was last Thursday at The Alley Vs Papio/LV.
Team Leaders
Our three returning letter winners are Shania Curtright, Jayda Cumberland, and Abbey Stinson. This will be a unique year for them as they inherit leadership roles. Each is capable of bowling well, and each has some different but positive personality characteristics.
Most Improved
Addison Coleman and Sylvia Williamson were not really on our radar to bowl varsity this year, but we appreciate their efforts to get better in pre-season. They have proven they are committed and will be a big part of the program.
Boys’ Team
Season Outlook: It will be interesting to see how we come back this year after making it to state for the first time last year. We graduated some key seniors, like Jayce Hollars and Kevin Dillingham. We have a senior-dominated team again this year, and our guys are pushing each other to get better. We believe each can contribute, but they all can’t be in the line-up, so someone is going to have to come in as a sub, if at all, and that may change week to week.
As always, it will be a challenging season for us. Our effort is there and our kids want to compete. We have a good group of kids who are supportive of each other, so we hope good things will be the result. We are also returning to bowl in Bellevue at The Alley (formally Leopard Lanes), so the reduced travel time has been nice. Tough schedule. Tough district. We are going to face some very good teams. We have to be ready.
The first duel was last Thursday at The Alley Vs Papio/LV.
Team Leaders
Matt Dieterich is back for his final year. He has been stellar for us since his freshman year and we are looking forward to his senior leadership. He can’t do it alone, so kids like letterwinners Brent Buck and Liam Zarp will also be an important part of the mix.
Most Improved
It seems like everyone has a history to make it where they are and this year is no different. Peyton Ricci has been out the last two years because of an injury. Hayden Maline moved into the area with his military family this summer. Brandon Tracy is bowling on the team for the first time as a senior. Sophomores Justin Paine and Keyan Watson can also be mentioned for the time they have put in to get better. We appreciate the effort and commitment of all of our kids.
