Kearney, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney head womens basketball coach Carrie Eighmey announced today that Mallie McNair will play for the Lopers next season.
The Imperial native is UNKs third recruit to date, joining Meg Burns (Ankeny, Ia./Ankeny Centennial H.S.) and Maddie Wiltse (Timken, Kan./Otis-Bison H.S.). The current No. 31/26 Lopers lose no one to graduation this year.
McNair, whose older sister Taylin is a setter on the UNK volleyball team, is a basketball, volleyball and track letterwinner at Chase County H.S. On the court she is part of a current Longhorns team that is 17-3 and aiming to make its first state tournament appearance since 1994.
As a junior the two-time Class C-1 honorable mention all-state selection broke the school single season scoring record (406 points) which had stood for 41 years. That mark was held by UNK Athletic Hall of Famer Cathy (Weir) Renk, the first 1,000-point scorer in Loper womens basketball history. Earlier this season she surpassed Renks career scoring record of 1,116 points. Two nights later she tallied a career-high 36 points in a win over Kimball.
Out of the basketball season McNair is an all-state volleyball player and was the 2019 Class C state runner up at 800 meters. She also ran lead for the 2017 Class C state championship 4×8 relay team that featured Taylin and current Loper track star Destiny Reinke.
UNK (23-3, 12-3) hosts Northeastern State and Rogers State this weekend, its final two home games of the 2019-20 campaign.
