Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Releases 2020 Induction Class
Twelve athletes, five coaches, three contributors and one official make up the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame induction class of 2020.
The class will be inducted Oct. 4 at Lincoln East High School. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for K-12 students. Pre-kindergarten children will be admitted free.
Tickets will be available through the Nebraska Sports Council.
The inductees are:
ATHLETES
Emily Anderson Hansen, Lincoln Southeast (1996)
A key member of six state championship cross country and basketball teams at Lincoln Southeast, she finished in the top 10 at the state cross country meet all four years, winning the all-class gold medal as a freshman. She started at point guard for three years in basketball and was a four-year letterwinner in track. She continued her basketball career at St. Cloud State.
Dawn Crinklaw Gustafson, Ralston (1985)
The runner-up for the Dial National High School Athlete of the Year Award, she was recruited to play collegiately in four sports, eventually playing basketball and softball at U.S. International in San Diego before playing professional basketball in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. At Ralston, she was a three-year starter in volleyball and basketball and a two-time all-class gold medalist in the discus.
Glenwood Einspahr, Hildreth (1950)
A one-man track team, competing without a coach, Einspahr gave Hildreth a Class D co-championship by winning the 100- and 220-yard dashes and the long jump. A two-time all-state selection in basketball, he led Hildreth to an undefeated state championship in 1949. He played freshman football at Nebraska and after a stint in the Air Force, he played basketball at Kearney State College.
Steve Erwin, Laurel (1971)
An all-class all-state selection in football and basketball, he 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. At the University of Nebraska, he started 55 of 71 games over a three-year span.
Todd Eubanks, Lincoln East (1983)
A three-sport standout at Lincoln East and the Lincoln Journal Star Athlete of the Year in 1983, he earned all-state honors in football and basketball and won two gold medals at the state track meet. A high school All-American in track, he set a city record in the 400. He played basketball for two years and ran track for three years at New Mexico State.
John Gibson, Papillion-LaVista (1996)
The 1996 Omaha World-Herald Athlete of the Year, Gibson earned all-state honors on the football field and was a three-time gold medalist at the state track meet in the triple jump. At Nebraska, he was a four-year letterman at wingback and was among the team's leading receivers in 2001.
Jordan Larson, Logan View (2005)
A key player on the U.S. Olympic volleyball teams of 2012 and 2016, Larson earned 12 letters in volleyball, basketball and track at Logan View, earning 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.
Nate Lashley, Mitchell (2001)
A two-time state golf champion, leading Mitchell to the Class C1 team title both years, he went on to play for the University of Arizona where he was the Pac-10 runner-up in 2005. He turned professional after graduating from Arizona, winning the PGA's Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019. At Mitchell High School, Lashley is Mitchell's career scoring leader in basketball.
Megan Neuvirth Maslanka, West Point Central Catholic (2005)
The Nebraska Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year in 2005, she helped her high school volleyball and basketball teams win eight state championships and compile a combined record of 201-3. A four-year letterwinner at Creighton University, she scored more than 1,000 points in her career and was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Robert Rands, Bellevue East (2005)
The state's consensus Athlete of the Year in 2005, Rands broke Gayle Sayers' 44-year-old long jump record and became the first in state history to jump 25 feet. He won the national young men's championship in the long jump in 2005 and competed at Nebraska. He also enjoyed a stellar football career, rushing for a Bellevue East record of 2,650 yards in his career.
Nora Shepherd Ohrt, York (1994)
Undefeated in the 1,600 meter run in her high school career, she won three state cross country championships and seven state track meet gold medals. She set York High School records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs, establishing a Class B record in the 1,600 as a senior. At the University of Nebraska, she was a four-year letterwinner in track and cross country, running on the Huskers' school-record setting 4x1,500-meter relay team.
Tony Veland, Omaha Benson (1991)
Owner of national championship and Super Bowl rings, he was a nine-time letterman for the Bunnies in football, basketball and track. He earned second-team all-state honors as a quarterback and signed with NU and set a Shrine Bowl record for total offense. He was a defensive back on the Cornhuskers' national championship teams of 1994 and 1995. Drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, he was a special teams player on Denver's 1997 Super Bowl championship team and started five games the next year for Carolina.
Twelve athletes, five coaches, three contributors and one official make up the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame induction class of 2020.
The class will be inducted Oct. 4 at Lincoln East High School. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for K-12 students. Pre-kindergarten children will be admitted free.
Tickets will be available through the Nebraska Sports Council.
The inductees are:
ATHLETES
Emily Anderson Hansen, Lincoln Southeast (1996)
A key member of six state championship cross country and basketball teams at Lincoln Southeast, she finished in the top 10 at the state cross country meet all four years, winning the all-class gold medal as a freshman. She started at point guard for three years in basketball and was a four-year letterwinner in track. She continued her basketball career at St. Cloud State.
Dawn Crinklaw Gustafson, Ralston (1985)
The runner-up for the Dial National High School Athlete of the Year Award, she was recruited to play collegiately in four sports, eventually playing basketball and softball at U.S. International in San Diego before playing professional basketball in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. At Ralston, she was a three-year starter in volleyball and basketball and a two-time all-class gold medalist in the discus.
Glenwood Einspahr, Hildreth (1950)
A one-man track team, competing without a coach, Einspahr gave Hildreth a Class D co-championship by winning the 100- and 220-yard dashes and the long jump. A two-time all-state selection in basketball, he led Hildreth to an undefeated state championship in 1949. He played freshman football at Nebraska and after a stint in the Air Force, he played basketball at Kearney State College.
Steve Erwin, Laurel (1971)
An all-class all-state selection in football and basketball, he 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. At the University of Nebraska, he started 55 of 71 games over a three-year span.
Todd Eubanks, Lincoln East (1983)
A three-sport standout at Lincoln East and the Lincoln Journal Star Athlete of the Year in 1983, he earned all-state honors in football and basketball and won two gold medals at the state track meet. A high school All-American in track, he set a city record in the 400. He played basketball for two years and ran track for three years at New Mexico State.
John Gibson, Papillion-LaVista (1996)
The 1996 Omaha World-Herald Athlete of the Year, Gibson earned all-state honors on the football field and was a three-time gold medalist at the state track meet in the triple jump. At Nebraska, he was a four-year letterman at wingback and was among the team's leading receivers in 2001.
Jordan Larson, Logan View (2005)
A key player on the U.S. Olympic volleyball teams of 2012 and 2016, Larson earned 12 letters in volleyball, basketball and track at Logan View, earning 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.
Nate Lashley, Mitchell (2001)
A two-time state golf champion, leading Mitchell to the Class C1 team title both years, he went on to play for the University of Arizona where he was the Pac-10 runner-up in 2005. He turned professional after graduating from Arizona, winning the PGA's Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019. At Mitchell High School, Lashley is Mitchell's career scoring leader in basketball.
Megan Neuvirth Maslanka, West Point Central Catholic (2005)
The Nebraska Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year in 2005, she helped her high school volleyball and basketball teams win eight state championships and compile a combined record of 201-3. A four-year letterwinner at Creighton University, she scored more than 1,000 points in her career and was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Robert Rands, Bellevue East (2005)
The state's consensus Athlete of the Year in 2005, Rands broke Gayle Sayers' 44-year-old long jump record and became the first in state history to jump 25 feet. He won the national young men's championship in the long jump in 2005 and competed at Nebraska. He also enjoyed a stellar football career, rushing for a Bellevue East record of 2,650 yards in his career.
Nora Shepherd Ohrt, York (1994)
Undefeated in the 1,600 meter run in her high school career, she won three state cross country championships and seven state track meet gold medals. She set York High School records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs, establishing a Class B record in the 1,600 as a senior. At the University of Nebraska, she was a four-year letterwinner in track and cross country, running on the Huskers' school-record setting 4x1,500-meter relay team.
Tony Veland, Omaha Benson (1991)
Owner of national championship and Super Bowl rings, he was a nine-time letterman for the Bunnies in football, basketball and track. He earned second-team all-state honors as a quarterback and signed with NU and set a Shrine Bowl record for total offense. He was a defensive back on the Cornhuskers' national championship teams of 1994 and 1995. Drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, he was a special teams player on Denver's 1997 Super Bowl championship team and started five games the next year for Carolina.
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