UNK Pride of the Plains Marching Band opens season Saturday


KEARNEY – The University of Nebraska at Kearney Pride of the Plains Marching Band has announced its season schedule, which begins Saturday with UNK’s home football game against Northwest Missouri State.

In addition to performing at all Loper home football games, Pride of the Plains will perform in the annual UNK Band Day Parade at 10 a.m. Sept. 21 in downtown Kearney.

Other scheduled performances include the Columbus Marching Festival on Sept. 28, UNK Homecoming Parade on Oct. 12 and Nebraska State Bandmasters Association State Marching Contest hosted Oct. 26 at Kearney High School.

The show theme for the 2024 season includes music from “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies.

The band is under the direction of Brian Alber. The drum line instructor and director of bands is Duane Bierman, and the color guard coordinator is Adrienne Rall. Drum majors are Sam Heitz of York and Emma Schroeder of Kenesaw.

Pride of the Plains 2024 Performance Schedule
Sept. 7, 7 p.m. – Loper Football vs. Northwest Missouri State (Foster Field)
Sept. 21, 10 a.m. – UNK Band Day Parade (Downtown Kearney)
Sept. 21, 1 p.m. – Exhibition Performance, Bearcat Marching Festival (Kearney High School)
Sept. 21, 7 p.m. – Loper Football vs. Central Oklahoma (Foster Field)
Sept. 28, TBD – Columbus Marching Festival Parade and Field Marching Competition (Columbus)
Oct. 12, 10 a.m. – UNK Homecoming Parade (Downtown Kearney)
Oct. 12, 2 p.m. – UNK Homecoming/Band Alumni Day and Loper Football vs. Pittsburg State (Foster Field)
Oct. 26, 2 p.m. – Loper Football vs. Emporia State (Foster Field)
Oct. 26, TBD – Exhibition, Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Contest (Kearney High School)
Nov. 16, Noon – Loper Football vs. Fort Hays State (Foster Field)

Pride of the Plains Marching Band Members
Nebraska          
Alliance                               Aiden Zaro
Amherst                              Riley Riessland
Beatrice                              Abby Trantham
Beatrice                              Gavin Wolf
Belgrade                             Maria Moseman
Broken Bow                       Cameron Grafel
Broken Bow                       Cole Waterhouse
Columbus                          Douglas Davidchik
Columbus                          Marion Heindryckx
Columbus                          Rebecca Hoffman
Columbus                          Cherish Moore
Columbus                          Andrew Paez}
Fairbury                               Samantha Lee
Franklin                               Sierra Bloos
Fremont                              Bryce Reeson
Fremont                              Dan Shipley
Fremont                              Zoey Smallwood
Fullerton                             Rachel Hale
Gibbon                                 Juan Pablo Ramirez
Gothenburg                       Olivia Bonine
Grand Island                     Noah Foley
Grand Island                     Raegen Hillman
Grand Island                     Ben Thurston
Gretna                                  Jamie Vaughn
Hastings                             Shannon Armstrong
Hastings                             Jefferson Armstrong
Hastings                             Logan Vraspir
Hemingford                       Kylie Mendiola-Ozuna
Holdrege                             Matthew Garringer
Kearney                               Andrew Bartling
Kearney                               Elizabeth Daily
Kearney                               Micah Feddersen
Kearney                               Mackenna Goeke
Kearney                               Dillon Kusek
Kearney                               Dave Wedly Martin
Kearney                               Jesse Martinez
Kearney                               Avery Reitz
Kearney                               Ike Smith
Kearney                               Jacob Temme
Kenesaw                             Jaydn Jackman
Kenesaw                             Emma Schroeder
La Vista                               Kara Haffke
Lincoln                                Sydnee Ackerman
Lincoln                                Rylee Hennecke
Lincoln                                Gracyn Jozsa
Lincoln                                Meagan Konz
Lincoln                                Isabella Mattran
McCook                              Haylee Thomas
Minden                                Evan Porter
Minden                                Olivia Sheldon
Minden                                Alexis Tira
Mitchell                               Aubree Branson
Mitchell                               Riley Murphy
Nebraska City                   Lorelei Rakowski
North Platte                       Reace Anderson
North Platte                       Chyann Clark
North Platte                       Lucas Ratliff
North Platte                       Hannah Sims
Orleans                               Brianna Jorgenson
Ravenna                              Samantha Bursaw
Ravenna                              Kaia Johnson
Wallace                               Jesus Gomez
York                                      Sam Heitz
               
Out of State    
Wray, CO                            Benjamin Prentice
Lawrence, KS                    Annie Shew
Athens, TX                          Daniela Becker
Cheyenne, WY                 Lana Novotny
Cheyenne, WY                 Emily Schwaiger