By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photos

The Bennington girls basketball team took its talents beyond Nebraska last week, traveling to Columbia, Missouri, for the Midwest Showcase and returning home undefeated after four impressive victories against top regional competition.

Held June 18-19 at the Columbia Sports Fieldhouse, the Midwest Showcase featured some of the strongest high school programs from across the Midwest, including teams from Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and other surrounding states. Bennington faced four out-of-state opponents during the event, defeating Incarnate Word Academy (Missouri), Lincoln Christian (Oklahoma), Shawnee Mission South (Kansas), and Staley (Missouri).

For Head Coach John O’Connor, the showcase provided an opportunity for the Badgers to continue building chemistry while measuring themselves against elite competition.

“The Midwest Showcase features some of the top high school teams in the region, including Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and others,” O’Connor said. “It is a great opportunity for our team to play together against some elite teams. All of our girls play on very good club and aau teams but this gives us a chance to play together as a team in the summer. It is also one of the best opportunities for our players to play in front of multiple college coaches from all over the country at multiple levels.”

The event serves as both a competitive test and a recruiting opportunity, bringing together talented programs and college coaches from a variety of levels. While Bennington has already established itself as one of Nebraska’s premier programs, the showcase allowed the Badgers to see how they stack up against teams they would not typically face during the regular season.

“Nebraska has some of the best high school basketball in the region but it just gives a chance to see other competition and play other teams we do not see during the season, summer leagues, etc.,” O’Connor said.

The undefeated performance comes as the Badgers continue preparing for a new challenge on the horizon. After years of success in Class B, Bennington will move up to Class A for the upcoming season, where the competition level will be among the state’s highest.

“We need to continue to get better throughout the summer and into the preseason next fall,” O’Connor said. “We are moving up to Class A which will be a huge challenge for us. There are some elite players and teams in Class A. We still have a long way to go as a team to continue getting better.”

The team is also navigating its first offseason without standout leaders Reese Almquist and Regan Bluhm, whose contributions helped guide the program to unprecedented success. O’Connor acknowledged the impact of those graduates while expressing confidence in the team’s new leadership group.

“Reese and Regan are irreplaceable in everything that they did for our team,” O’Connor said. “They were amazing leaders that always kept our team together throughout the season. This year’s seniors are great players on the court and are embracing that new role off the court of being our senior leaders. Reese and Regan were great examples that laid the foundation for this senior class.”

While the four victories were certainly encouraging, O’Connor said the team’s approach throughout the event was what impressed him most.

“I was proud of our girls playing as a team,” he said. “Every single player made an impact and played well when they had their opportunities. They didn’t worry about stats or worry about college coaches watching. They were just focused on getting better as a team and spending quality time together as a team.”

That team-first mentality helped propel the Badgers to a perfect 4-0 record against quality regional opponents and provided another step forward as they prepare for what promises to be an exciting transition into Class A competition this winter.