Nebraska Teams Taking on Show Me Qualifier: The 17s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>See you in Kansas City.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Show Me Qualifier remains one of Nebraska club teams' most important annual venues. We see the full spectrum of Great Plains Region representatives at this national qualifier, and a few bid-earning triumphs can be expected. It's a trip we cannot miss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first weekend of this year's Show Me Qualifier features all divisions for the 16s and 17s, plus two divisions for the 15s. This gives us a stacked contingent of squads to preview, so we're wasting no time diving into the previews.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bring on the 17s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">17 Open</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keep a close eye on this familiar duo in 17 Open.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 17 Elite</strong> and <strong>Nebraska Elite 17 Phoenix</strong> rejoin the qualifier fray in hopes of getting another Great Plains Region entry in 17 Open. We saw both of these squads make a strong debut at January's Northern Lights Qualifier, but narratives always change as the club season progresses. April presents new opportunities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] has been on a club-wide hot streak with teams clinching GJNC bids. 17 Elite has a 17 Freedom bid through the Great Plains Region, but an Open-level triumph would be a major step up. Opening-round matchups against IMGA, Mizuno M1, Boiler Jrs will give us a good early barometer on 17 Elite's development throughout the 2025 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meanwhile, Nebraska Elite 17 Phoenix encounters a tough early slate featuring Club V, TAV Houston, and Kairos. The 17 Phoenix roster looks a bit different than 2024's iteration, so this team might be heading toward a late-season peak. We've seen plenty of valuable reps from this group, and it's time to put it all together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">About time we checked on <a href="https://twitter.com/[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']</a> 17 Elite.<br><br>This squad won its opener and is back for Match 2. [player_tooltip player_id='275902' first='Siena' last='Sumner'] going to work on the slide. <a href="https://t.co/KHzDiJ24JV">pic.twitter.com/KHzDiJ24JV</a></p>&mdash; Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1890907531922346077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">17 USA</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is perhaps the most fascinating single-division group from the Great Plains Region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have varying agendas in 17 USA. <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 17 Black</strong> enters the conversation after several strong showings in regional competitions. This includes a second-place finish at the Great Plains Region Bid Tournament, locking up a 17 American bid for [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE']. All this positive momentum has helped land 17 Black in the No. 1 slot in 17 USA's Pool 12.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other three entries in this division are still looking for that coveted GJNC bid. We're eager to see the "underdogs" in this group, including <strong>AVC 17 Blue</strong> and <strong>Nebraska Juniors 17 Black</strong>. This is our first in-person look at these two teams on the national stage. It's hard to know what to expect here, but that's why event coverage is so compelling. We're scheduling early visits with this pair.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, we get our first Premier Nebraska mention. <strong>Premier Nebraska 17 Black</strong> has a valuable opportunity in Kansas City and could join its 17 Gold counterparts at GJNC. Saturday's slate has Mizuno Club North, IPVA, and MIDTN on the docket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">17 Liberty</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska has seen its share of Liberty champions at Show Me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It all starts with <strong>South Central NE 17 Black</strong>. Sure, this team looks a bit different from the one that clinched GJNC bids at the last two Show Me events. The core group remains the same, however, and the goal does, too. This is Show Me royalty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're betting on one division to produce a Nebraska bid this weekend, this might be the one. 17 Liberty has four more worthy competitors to join South Central NE on the GPR pedestal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 17 Black</strong> is the No. 1 seed in Pool 2, so this group is sure to draw attention this weekend. Recall this team's final bracket appearance at NLQ to start the season. We could see a repeat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nebraska Juniors 17 Red</strong> is a compelling contender in 17 Liberty. Much like South Central NE, this 17 Red roster has a large contingent of small-town stars hoping to make a splash on the club scene.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And how about <strong>Club Legacy 17 Alpha</strong>? This has been a thrilling squad to watch at regional venues and past bid tournaments. These athletes have vast experience in high-pressure situations, including Class A competition on the high school side. Perhaps we'll add a few more accolades after this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lastly, we find <strong>Premier Nebraska 17 Red</strong>'s dynamic, multi-talented lineup in Pool 8 of 17 Liberty. These athletes have enjoyed meteoric development since last season, and Show Me is a chance to pay it off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">17 American</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 American has four clubs that we've previously mentioned in this feature. Depth is on the rise around the Great Plains Region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been particularly impressed with <strong>Nebraska Elite 17 Motion</strong>'s midseason success against in-state foes. This could be the precursor to a few more milestones in Kansas City. 17 Motion gets an unusual three-team pool and a crossover match in the opening round, so keep an eye on that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>South Central NE 17 Red</strong> adds to the small-town flair in this division. This will be our best look at 17 Red so far this season, giving us even more names for our 2026 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've already touched on [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']'s massive bid momentum. Could <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 17 Blue</strong> be next? Nabbing an American bid through qualifiers requires a lot of work, but 17 Blue is a solid dark horse pick.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Club Legacy 17 Bravo</strong> joins its 17 Alpha counterparts in the Show Me field. This versatile group was mentioned during our coverage of the Northern Lights Qualifier. Bring on the next challenge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->