All-state selections for the 2025-2026 high school basketball season have been released by the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald, with several area athletes earning top-tier recognition across multiple classes.
Pleasanton senior Brennan Lindner headlines the list as a Class D2 boys first-team selection. The 6-foot-1 standout averaged 22.0 points per game this season, cementing himself as one of the top scorers in the class.
Twin Loup’s Yahya Harris also turned in an elite season, earning first-team honors from the Journal Star and second-team recognition from the World-Herald in Class D1. The sophomore powered the Wolves to a 21-4 record, an MNAC tournament title, and a district finals appearance. Harris averaged 28 points per game, along with 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
On the girls side, SEM’s Taryn Arbuthnot was a unanimous Class D2 first-team selection after leading the Lady Mustangs to a district championship and state tournament berth. Arbuthnot averaged a double-double, finishing the year with 22.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.
Gothenburg’s Zoe Beveridge and Halsey Thomalla both earned Class C1 girls first-team honors from each publication. Beveridge averaged 16.9 points per game, while Thomalla added 16 per contest as the Swedes captured a district title and placed third at the NSAA state tournament. Beveridge was also named to the Journal Star’s Super State third team, and Thomalla earned All-Nebraska second-team recognition from the World-Herald.
In Class C1 boys, Cozad’s Kellen Shoemaker picked up second-team all-state honors from both outlets after averaging 19 points per game.
A number of additional area athletes received honorable mention recognition from the World-Herald.
Broken Bow’s Charlee Myers, Halle Quinn, Jaycee Staples, and Jayden Gaffney were honored in Class C1 girls, along with Cozad’s Braelyn Malcolm and Aubrey Hammerlun and Gothenburg’s Lindly Anderson, Aubry Hall, and Ellie Wyatt. Class D1 girls honorees included Ansley-Litchfield’s Caydence Feldman and Burwell’s Brookelyn Gideon and Karsyn Bower. In Class D2, selections included Anselmo-Merna’s Rhianen Myers, Lily Thornton, and Shayleigh Coleman; Mullen’s Hayley Donohoe and Riley Hegland; Sandhills-Thedford’s Laney Dahlberg, Josie Morrow, Kallan Cox, and Emma Ray; SEM’s Jaycelyn Hoos and Kyler Jones; and Twin Loup’s Jaelynn Blackburn.
On the boys side, Broken Bow’s Kyan Tobey, Dominic Nowak, Zach Jackson, and Drew Ellis earned Class C1 honorable mention, along with Cozad’s Olliver Davis, Chayden Hoffmaster, and Gage Strauss and Gothenburg’s Boone Tederman, Braden Ehlers, and Kingston Koehn. Arcadia/Loup City’s Eli Jaixen was recognized in Class C2. Class D1 honorees included Anselmo-Merna’s Dane Duryea, Ceanyn Priest, and Colin Wright, along with South Loup’s Dylan Pandorf and Conner Paulsen. In Class D2, Ansley-Litchfield’s Owen Cunningham, Mullen’s Jacob Walker and Ben Werner, and SEM’s Preston Beattie and Chance Daake were selected.
Statistics courtesy of MaxPreps.
