Sports

The Ainsworth Bulldogs Boys Basketball Team had three games this week and picked up wins over Valentine and Broken Bow, but recorded their first loss of the season against Cozad. The Bulldogs have a record of 5-1 with one game left before the holiday break.

The Ainsworth Bulldogs hosted the West Holt Huskies on Friday, December 8th and picked up their third win of the season, 48-41. Ainsworth jumped to an early lead in the first quarter and led 13-7.

The Ainsworth Lady Bulldogs Basketball Team hosted the West Holt Lady Huskies on December 8th and picked up their first win of the 2023-24 season, 49-40. Both teams struggled scoring in the first quarter.

Sam Wilkins of Ainsworth, an agricultural engineering major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, recently won a prize in the university’s 3-2-1 Quick Pitch competition. Hosted by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, the event gives Husker students from any college a platform to deliver a three-minute business idea to volunteer judges from Nebraska’s entrepreneurship community for the chance to win cash prizes totaling $12,000.00.

Dates, Times and Menu Subject to Change December 14th - 21st Thursday, December 14th 7:00 p.m.: High School Band and Choir Concert in Learning Center. Friday, December 15th 1:00 p.m.: High School Girls and Boys Wrestling at Valentine Invitational.

The Ainsworth Boys Wrestling Team competed in the Twin Loup Invitational on December 8th in Sargent and then in the Anselmo-Merna Invitational on December 9th in Merna. The wrestlers placed 16th at the Twin Loup Invitational with Holden Beel taking fourth place in the 106 lb.

The Ainsworth Girls Wrestling Team had a busy week with tournaments on December 4th in Atkinson for the West Holt Invitational and then on December 9th in Stapleton for the Sandhills Valley Invitational.

The annual Ainsworth Elks Hoop Shoot was held on Sunday, December 3rd at McAndrew Gymnasium. The Elks National Hoop Shoot is a free throw contest for youth, ages 8 to 13. The program is free to all participants and provides youth an opportunity to compete, connect and succeed through hard work and healthy competition. Winners advance through local, district, state and regional contests to reach the National Finals. Winners in each age group at the Ainsworth Elks Hoop Shoot can compete in District competition to be held on January 7th in Cozad. Placing at the Ainsworth Hoop Shoot are (Front Row - Left to Right): Sutton Brodbeck 1st place in Girls 8-9; Kimberlyn Doke - 1st place in Girls 10-11; Addilyn Doke - 2nd place in Girls 12-13; Payton Sears - 1st place in girls 12-13; Jett Hansmeyer - 1st place in Boys 8-9; Blake Hansmeyer in Boys 10-13; Leighton Konkoleski - 2nd place in Boys 10-11; and Zaine Evans - 1st place in Boys 12-13. Representing the Ainsworth Elks Lodge were (Back Row - Left to Right): Sherm Goochey - Trustee, Shane Kinnick - Exaulted Ruler, Brandon Evans - Chaplin and Nate Minor Loyal Knight.

The Ainsworth Girls Basketball Team opened the 2023-24 season on the road and dropped the first two games of the season. The Lady Bulldogs regular season opener was against the Ord Lady Chanticleers in Ord on December 1st and the Lady Chants handed Ainsworth a 52-46 loss.

Craig R. McKinley, Extension Forestry Specialist Oklahoma State University Assuming a relatively fresh Christmas tree was purchased, there are certain procedures that will assist in maintaining this freshness.