Great Plains Region Bid Tourney Preview: The Favorites

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's put those final bids in the bank. It's time for the annual Great Plains Region Bid Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll be keeping a close eye on Sunday's action as the 15s, 16s, and 17s take the stage for one final opportunity to earn bids to GJNC in Chicago. One bid per division is allocated to GPR in the National, American, and Freedom divisions, so this tournament will offer some high-stakes matchups from the very beginning of Sunday's action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Time to set it all up. Our first preview feature takes a glimpse at a handful of teams that will be considered favorites to swipe a bid at this one. Put these squads on your radar this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>15s</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] 15 Red</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're going to learn a lot about [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] 15 Red this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15 Red is trying to join 16 Red in Chicago after the latter broke through to earn a <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/04/nebraska-bid-tracker-mvp-united-16-red-takes-show-me-gold/">USA bid at Show Me</a>. The 15s now enter the GPR Bid Tourney as the top seed in a cozy group of eight teams. Perhaps the most notable recent we can look at is a second-place finish for 15 Red at Great Plains Regions a month ago. A similar outing to finish April would be enough to lock up a Nationals bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] will bring several heavy hitters to the GPR Bid Tourney fold, and 15 Black is high on that list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NLQ and Show Me provided excellent glimpses at the high-end potential of 15 Black with the team in the championship conversation at both venues. After competing in the Liberty division for those national qualifiers, [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] will now try to clinch a bid through this weekend's regional showdown. A breakthrough here seems likely.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1639646489784754177?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1639646489784754177?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Premier Nebraska 15 Red</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's another Liberty competitor with a golden opportunity to secure that Chicago trip.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Premier Nebraska 15 Red was as close as you can get to securing a Liberty bid at NLQ last month. A third-place finish in the two-bid division was a heartbreaker, but that shouldn't take away from the head-turning season that this group has put together. Locking up a bid in the regular season finale would be solid retribution. Consider 15 Red an odds-on favorite heading into this pivotal GPR event, and stay tuned for more standout players to emerge from this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1639628491841732611?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1639628491841732611?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>16s</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nebraska Pride Gold 16s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Welcome back to the big stage, Nebraska Pride.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This star-studded 16s group has to be feeling confident after a top-five finish in 16 USA at the Show Me Qualifier. That result has helped yield a #1 seed for Gold 16s at the GPR Bid Tourney, and this ought to be another profound display of the talent lurking in central Nebraska. Expect some big 2025 and 2026 contributors to emerge on Nebraska Pride's diverse roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642636525543235585?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642636525543235585?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 16 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] gets back on the board with 16 Black looming large in this age group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like their 15s counterparts, [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 16 Black has made its mark in the Liberty division throughout most of 2023. That eventually culminated in a run through the Show Me bracket and a top-five placing at the Kansas City event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, it might be safe to bet on some solid [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] representation in Chicago if this weekend goes according to plan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642882123454468096?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642882123454468096?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Premier Nebraska 16 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm fascinated to see what this group can bring to the GPR Bid Tourney with so much on the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16 Black has battled through the gauntlet of 16 USA competition, and now it's time to take some of that high-level experience into this last-chance regional event. This is a squad capable of taking the tournament title if the stars align.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1639706591610929153?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1639706591610929153?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>17s</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Premier Nebraska 17 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This might be as safe of a bet as any this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Black is all too familiar with the rigors of qualifying for GJNC. This is the same core group that qualified in 16 USA last year with a championship at Northern Lights. Seeing this team as the top seed should be no surprise, and expectations will be as high as that ranking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642876211889160195?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642876211889160195?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Premier Nebraska 17 Red</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Speaking of NLQ success, 17 Red was right on the cusp of an early bid breakthrough this season. This is another group that posted a top-three finish in a two-bid Liberty division, but 17 Red has kept up its momentum since then.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, the spotlight is back on 17 Red entering this bid tournament. And, as a whole, seeing Premier sweep the top two seeds in the 17s group is a testament to the club's extraordinary depth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1619778990264446976?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1619778990264446976?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Club Legacy 17 Alpha</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It feels like we're completing the trifecta with another team that has seen its best moments at the Northern Lights Qualifier. Club Legacy 17 Alpha broke through to the 17 American bracket during January's iteration of NLQ, and that experience could pay off this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's see if 17 Alpha can fend off a stacked group of hard-charging challengers looking to swipe that final Nationals bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1619765181663563777?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1619765181663563777?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->