Eight Lopers selected as UNK homecoming royalty finalists
KEARNEY – Eight finalists for University of Nebraska at Kearney homecoming royalty were announced Monday during a pep rally on campus.
Queen candidates are Addison Chapman of Grand Island, Kyla Kenney of Phillipsburg, Kansas, Liz Lyons of Olathe, Kansas, and Paige Oltmans of Davenport. King candidates are Eli Bond of Kearney, Brodie Mitchell of Cambridge, Shawn Rathjen of York and Caleb Rother of Weskan, Kansas.
UNK’s homecoming king and queen will be crowned Thursday night following the lipsync competition, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Health and Sports Center. They will also be recognized during the homecoming parade scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown Kearney.
The lipsync competition and royalty crowning will be livestreamed at unk.edu/watch.
Homecoming royalty are selected by two rounds of student voting, with the final round occurring this week.
Queen candidates, and the organizations they represent, are:
Addison Chapman, Alpha Phi
Chapman is a senior studying psychology. She’s involved in the Alpha Phi sorority, UNK Honors Program and Order of Omega, Mortar Board and Psi Chi honor societies.
Kyla Kenney, Gamma Phi Beta
Kenney is a senior studying advertising and public relations. She’s involved in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and The Antelope student newspaper. Off campus, she works at Jordan Cochran DDS in Kearney, helping manage the dental clinic’s marketing and social media.
Liz Lyons, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Lyons is a senior studying interior and product design and construction management. As a member of the UNK women’s golf team, she’s earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition the past two seasons. She’s also a CSC Academic All-District honoree, three-time WGCA All-American Scholar and three-time recipient of the MIAA Academic Excellence Award presented to student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Lyons serves as the First Step co-chair for the UNK Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, helping connect Lopers with mental health resources on campus, and she’s part of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Order of Omega and Epsilon Pi Tau honor societies.
Paige Oltmans, UNK Honors Program
Oltmans is a senior studying political science and business administration with a minor in public law. She currently serves as UNK’s student body president, executive vice president of the Panhellenic Council and vice president of Pre-Law Society. A former New Student Enrollment leader, she’s also involved in the Kearney Law Opportunities Program, UNK Honors Program and Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
King candidates, and the organizations they represent, are:
Eli Bond, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Bond is a senior studying industrial distribution with a minor in entrepreneurship. He’s a past president of the Industrial Distribution Organization and current senator representing the College of Business and Technology. Bond is also involved in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, where he served as vice president of programming.
Brodie Mitchell, Delta Tau Delta
Mitchell is a senior pre-medical student studying health sciences in the Kearney Health Opportunities Program. He serves as a Chancellor’s Ambassador and Health Science Ambassador and is part of the Order of Omega, Mortar Board, Alpha Epsilon Delta and A.T.L.A.S. honor societies. A member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, he’s been an Interfraternity Council and GAMMA delegate, as well as an intern with the University of Nebraska Foundation. Mitchell will attend the University of Nebraska Medical Center next fall.
Shawn Rathjen, Pi Kappa Alpha
Rathjen is a senior studying exercise science with a minor in athletic training. He’s a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and a resident assistant on campus. Rathjen also participates in intramural sports.
Caleb Rother, UNK Honors Program
Rother is a senior studying molecular biology. He’s involved in the UNK Honors Program, Student Government and Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Rother has also participated in a UNK theater production and directed his own short film, which premiered at The World Theatre in Kearney. He works as an undergraduate student research intern in the Tal Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pursuing his passion for science communication, video production and biological research.