JEFF FIELDER Editor
GERING – Bryce Sherrell, a senior at Gering High School, has been named Nspire Today!’s Male Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. He was one of the region’s top basketball players, and he even signed recently to continue playing basketball at South Dakota School of Mines. He played forward for the Bulldogs. He also was planning to play golf this spring; however, the spring sports season ended up being cancelled because of COVID-19. At GHS, he was also involved in FCA. His parents are Ralph and Spring Sherrell.
Q: How do you feel this past basketball season went for you individually and also as a team?
SHERRELL: “We had a lot of younger players on the team, and we had a new coach, so there was a learning curve. Personally, I always feel like I can play better, but overall, I was happy with how things went. I tried to be a good leader on the team. As a team, we could have done better, but we did OK.”
Q: How would you describe the way your basketball career went overall?
SHERRELL: “It went good. I had a lot of friends on the team, so that made it a lot of fun. I enjoyed it.”
Q: What are your top memories from your high school basketball career?
SHERRELL: “My best memories are hanging out with my teammates and making each other better. They made basketball very enjoyable for me.”
Q: What was the most memorable game you played in?
SHERRELL: “This season I thought I had a breakout game in Chadron. We won the game by quite a bit, and I thought I played pretty well. I dunked it a few times. That was a really fun game.”
Q: How much progress do you feel like you made between your junior and senior seasons?
SHERRELL: “My goal really wasn’t to play college basketball until fairly recently, so I think I’ve gotten a lot better in the past year or so.”
Q: How thrilling is it for you to have a chance to keep playing basketball in college?
SHERRELL: “It’s super exciting. I’m really excited to be around people who support basketball and academics.”
Q: What factors led to you to pick South Dakota School of Mines?
SHERRELL: “The education you can get there is phenomenal. I want to be a mechanical engineer, and the engineering program there is really, really good. Also, I really like the coaches, and I had a chance to talk to some of the players, and they’re really good people. It was clear to me that that’s where I should go.”
Q: What do you see your role being on South Dakota School of Mines’ team, at least in your first year there?
SHERRELL: “I think I’ll be kind of a tall, athletic shooting guard.”
Q: What has their basketball program been like the last few years?
SHERRELL: “They’ve been pretty good. They have a solid basketball program. I think they have all the pieces to have some really good seasons coming up.”
Q: You said your goal hasn’t always been to play college basketball. So, when did you start thinking seriously about playing basketball in college?
SHERRELL: “I developed a bigger love for the game going from middle school to high school. Before, I just kind of played to play. But [coming into high school] I really started to love the game, and it just grew from there.”
Q: Has basketball always been your favorite sport?
SHERRELL: “No, actually, until I was about 15, I raced motorcycles. That was kind of my main sport. Until then, I didn’t really focus on basketball at all.”
Q: Why did you stop competing in that sport?
SHERRELL: “I think I sold my bike when I was almost 15. There’s a lot of risks in that sport. You can get hurt easily. Also, I wanted to start focusing more on basketball.”
Q: You were also planning to play golf this spring. How disappointed were you that the spring sports season got cancelled because of COVID-19?
SHERRELL: “It was really disappointing. I was really looking forward to golfing this year. But it is what it is. There’s nothing we could do about it.”
Q: What were your goals coming into this golf season?
SHERRELL: “I just wanted to improve. That was my main goal.”
Q: Will you continue to play golf even though your focus in college will be on basketball?
SHERRELL: “Yes, I’ll continue to play. It’s a really good stress reliever. It’s really relaxing, so I think I’ll continue to play to take my mind off of things and to get refreshed.”
Q: What are your plans the next few months until you take off for college?
SHERRELL: “I’m going to hang out with my parents as much as I can before I leave for college, and I’ll try to get into the gym when I can.”
Q: How challenging has it been lately to work out and do the things you want to do to prepare for your college basketball career?
SHERRELL: “So far, it’s been pretty tough. The only places we can shoot are outside, so we’ve been playing basketball outside. But that’s dependent on the weather, and in Nebraska the weather can change by the minute. So, it’s been kind of tough to get up a lot of shots.”
Q: How does it feel to be done with high school?
SHERRELL: “It’s exciting. I’m excited for the next chapter. I think I have a lot of good opportunities coming up in my life.”
Q: You said you were also involved in FCA. How much did you enjoy being part of FCA?
SHERRELL: “It was really rewarding to hang out with people who had a relationship with God and could help me grow my relationship with God. I think it was really important for my development through high school.”
Q: How much will you miss Gering High School and also the community of Gering?
SHERRELL: “The community has been great. I appreciate everyone who came to the games. I’m really going to miss Gering.”
Q: Outside of basketball, what else do you enjoy doing for fun?
SHERRELL: “I like fishing, being outside, and working on cars.”
Q: During your educational career, which teacher do you feel made the biggest influence on you?
SHERRELL: “I would say Randy Plummer. He taught at Gering for 41 years, and he’s retiring this year. We were planning to go to New York with him on a school trip because I was in a couple of his business classes. But that trip got cancelled because of COVID. We were all pretty upset about that because he’s retiring. He was my favorite teacher.”
Q: What was your favorite subject in school?
SHERRELL: “I really enjoyed the automotive classes.”
Q: What led you to want to major in mechanical engineering in college?
SHERRELL: “I’ve always been intrigued with how things work, and I like figuring stuff out, so I think a lot of the things I enjoy doing are what mechanical engineers do.”
Q: Specifically, what do you hope to do after college for a career?
SHERRELL: “I’m not sure yet. They offer some internships at the college I’m going to, so I think I’ll just see where things go. As of right now, I think I could go into anything [involving mechanical engineering] and be happy.”
Q: What’s your favorite kind of music?
SHERRELL: “I like Christian music and ’80s country music.”
Q: Name one person who you think is a big difference-maker in your community.
SHERRELL: “I had a trainer, John Boswell, and he really helped me in the gym. He taught me a lot about the game of basketball. He influenced me a lot.”
Q: What do you think is the coolest attraction in the WyoBraska region?
SHERRELL: “I would say the Scotts Bluff National Monument. That’s probably the most noticeable thing when you come to Gering.”
Q: What is one thing you wish people would do more of?
SHERRELL: “I think giving is really underrated. You can make someone feel really good when you give them something and they’re not expecting it. I think that can really spread happiness anywhere.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
SHERRELL: “Yes, I have an older brother [Grady, 19] and an older sister [Shayla, 23].”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC – American Family Insurance, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865.
For all your insurance needs, visit The Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance, located at 1012 Ave. I in Scottsbluff, or call 308-632-8598.
