Seniors Britt Prince and Colin Nowaczyk have both committed to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after service as a vital part of their programs’ success since they were freshmen at Elkhorn North in 2020.
Colin Nowaczyk announced his commitment to UNL in July 2023. though his journey dates far back and involves loads of hard work and perseverance.
Nowaczyk started out playing little league baseball when he was just four years old. There have been a lot of people who helped him throughout his life to propel his career. There was one person in particular who Nowaczyk looked up to in his early years.
“My inspiration growing up was Alex Gordon, [former Kansas City Royal from 2007-2020]” Nowaczyk said. “He was a lefty and he played outfield and that’s what I played. He grew up in Nebraska, so I’ve kind of just stuck with him ever since I was young,” Nowaczyk said.
He was inspired from a very young age by Gordon because of their similarities in their home-state, position, and handiness. It was at this same age that Nowaczyk first thought baseball could get him somewhere.
“I realized baseball was going to be a big part of my life probably when I first started the competitive level when I was eight years old,” Nowaczyk said. “I went down to Florida and we did well down there and I seemed to do pretty well, so it sparked in my mind then that maybe I can expand.”
As he has traveled across the country with many different teams, Nowaczyk has varying experiences with competition, and has had many different coaches throughout his career.
“My coaches have been extremely important, they’re like your best friend for however long they coach you,” Nowaczyk said. “I still talk to my coaches that coached me when I was eight, nine years old, so they’re very important.”
Nowaczyk places an extremely high value on these relationships with his coaches. With his current coach, their relationship goes far beyond baseball.
“When a kid is a senior they suddenly start to open up a little bit more, you get to be more involved in their families, girlfriends, all those types of things and you see the success along the way,” head baseball coach Anthony Dunn said. “That natural growth has been fun to be a part of.”
Along with the impact that coaches bring to his game and personality, friendships are another facet of Nowaczyk’s life that have improved from through baseball.
“You talk to those people you play with ever since you were young. I still do and I even play with a couple of them now, so I’d probably say friends are the biggest contribution baseball brings,” Nowaczyk said.
For the Elkhorn North baseball team, Nowaczyk brings a profound impact to the program. According to MaxPreps, in the 2022-2023 season he went undefeated on the mound and racked up 72 strikeouts, all the while having 28 hits. Although the statistics speak for themselves, Nowaczyk’s performance begins behind closed doors.
“Colin’s work ethic is unmatched. In the weight room he’s always pushing himself and the people around him,” senior Christopher Thiessen said. “On the field, he’s always doing another rep of a sprint or staying after practice. He’s always there.”
Nowaczyk has very well represented the school’s baseball program, contributing to two state championships and will fight to win another in his senior year. Going forward to college baseball, he will need to face new challenges head-on.
“One thing that stands out to me as far as college baseball goes and continuing to move forward professionally is grit,” Dunn said. “I hope he can continue to be gritty and have passions for his long-term goals.”
Nowaczyk’s friends, classmates, and family are excited to see how Nowaczyk can move forward and compete at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Before the season begins for Nowzcayk, the basketball season will start for senior Britt Prince.
Prince has had a dominant tear over girls basketball at the high school level; one of the highest-ranked girls basketball recruits in the nation, second all-time scorer in Nebraska girls high school basketball history and 2x Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.
Prince’s high school career has been filled with and success, helping bring Elkhorn North four consecutive state championships. She will leave an everlasting legacy at the school, and with her commitment to the University of Nebraska, she hopes to bring the same winning energy to their team.
“I hope to improve the program,” Britt Prince said. “They’re already trending in the right direction. I’m super excited to go to Nebraska and help them win more games.”
Prince’s path toward her success in high school and soon to be in college has been a long one. Her deep understanding of the principles of hard work and dedication will help to reach her goals.
“The training and practice hours are what it takes to perfect your craft and Britt has never thought of that as work, rather something she loves to do,” Head girls basketball coach Ann Prince said. “It is not uncommon for her to go shoot an extra hour or more after practices and on off days it is not uncommon for her to go to the gym two or three times a week.”
An important factor in Prince’s development is that her mother, Ann Prince, has been her coach since she started playing basketball at three years old. This has not only been vital to Britt’s progression as a basketball player, but has also helped her make memories that will last.
“It has been the thrill of my lifetime to coach her and this team to accomplish something that is extremely rare- four consecutive state championships,” Ann Prince said. “It is extremely gratifying as both a coach and a mother to accomplish so many goals together. To be able to work together for a common mission is just a thrill beyond words.”
With her mom as her coach Britt has progressed into the basketball player she is today, and they’ve shared many valuable experiences on the court.
“It’s been good,” Britt Prince said. “She’s been my coach pretty much my whole life, and so it’s just been fun to be able to share those memories with her.”
Britt Prince has a lot of memorable times playing basketball for Elkhorn North. She was not only able to create memories for her and her mother, she was able to make memories for the children who came to watch her play.
“The part that’s most heartwarming is that Britt never appeared to be annoyed with it [people wanting to meet her],” Athletic Director Luke Ford said. “The one game we lost against Waverly, I bet there was no less than 20 to 30 little girls from Waverly that just surrounded her to get her autograph. She was very gracious, not many people would do that.”
Britt Prince showed flashes of potential growing up, dating back to her second grade co-ed basketball team where she and her team went undefeated. Her teammate and Colorado State University basketball commit senior McKenna Murphy, has watched Britt develop and grow over the years.
“She’s worked extremely hard, whenever I’m with her we’re always in the gym and when I’m not with her she’s either in the gym or studying film,” Murphy said. “She’s always going to workouts and trying to perfect her craft.”
Prince will carry her legacy of hard work, dedication, and commitment that began in the YMCA league now to Division 1 College Basketball.
“It’s my home state and I felt really comfortable there and I feel like the program is heading in the right direction,” Britt Prince said. “It’s something that I am excited to be a part of.”
