Announcements

UNK Announces Eight Finalists for 2024 Homecoming Royalty

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UNKโ€™s homecoming royalty finalists are, from left, Shawn Peterson, Caleb Wiseman, Olivia Lawless, Courtney Cox, Sydney Owen, Lily Seibert and Lance Haberman. Joey Orellana isnโ€™t pictured. (Photo by Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications)

Eight finalists for University of Nebraska at Kearney homecoming royalty were announced Monday during a pep rally on campus.

Queen candidates are Courtney Cox of Alliance, Olivia Lawless of Aurora, Sydney Owen of Kearney and Lily Seibert of Kearney. King candidates are Lance Haberman of Utica, Joey Orellana of Cozad, Shawn Peterson of Sint Maarten and Caleb Wiseman of Plattsmouth.

UNKโ€™s homecoming king and queen will be crowned Thursday night following the lip-sync competition, which begins at 7:30 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 and the home football game set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Cope Stadium.

The lip-sync 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:

Courtney Cox, Future Business Leaders of America

Cox is a senior studying business administration with emphases in finance and accounting. Sheโ€™s been involved on campus as a resident assistant, Chancellorโ€™s Ambassador, New Student Enrollment leader and Honors Program member. Cox also competes with the Future Business Leaders of America chapter and plays the flute in the UNK Wind Ensemble.

Courtney Cox

Olivia Lawless, Alpha Phi

Lawless is a senior studying business administration with a finance emphasis and a minor in marketing and management. Sheโ€™s involved in UNK Student Government, the Honors Program and the Order of Omega, Mortar Board and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies. Lawless serves as president of the Future Business Leaders of America chapter and vice president of finance and housing for the Alpha Phi sorority. She recently received the Emerging Young Professional Award from the Kearney Young Professionals Network and Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce.

Olivia Lawless

Sydney Owen, Honors Program

Owen is a senior studying business administration with an accounting emphasis. She serves as vice president of marketing for the Honors Student Advisory Board and as a mentor and mentor leader in the Honors Program. Sheโ€™s the chapter historian for the Mortar Board honor society and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma and Beta Alpha Psi honor societies. Owen has also been involved in Loper Programming and Activities Council and campus intramurals. She volunteers with Special Olympics Nebraska.

Sydney Owen

Lily Seibert, Gamma Phi Beta

Seibert is a junior studying communication disorders with a special education minor. She serves as administrative vice president for the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, vice president of external recruitment on the Panhellenic Council and vice president of the Kearney Student Speech Language and Hearing Association. Seibert is also involved in Chancellorโ€™s Ambassadors, the Honors Program, Order of Omega honor society and UNK Student Government. She was recently honored as Gamma Phi Betaโ€™s outstanding member of the semester.

Lily Seibert

King candidates, and the organizations they represent, are:

Lance Haberman, Delta Tau Delta

Haberman is a junior studying exercise science (pre-physical therapy) with a health science minor. He serves as vice president of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and is active in the Exercise Science Club and campus intramurals. Haberman also participates in undergraduate research. He received UNKโ€™s Transcending Leader Award last spring.

Lance Haberman

Joey Orellana, Sigma Phi Epsilon

Orellana is a senior studying recreation management with a sports management minor. Heโ€™s active on campus as a Chancellorโ€™s Ambassador, Thompson Scholars Learning Community mentor and member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Orellana serves as secretary of the treasury for UNK Student Government and student coordinator for the new Regional Engagement Center.

Joey Orellana

Shawn Peterson, Pi Kappa Alpha

Peterson is a senior studying health science with a public health minor. Heโ€™s been involved on campus as a New Student Enrollment leader, assistant hall director, chief justice for UNK Student Court and vice president of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Shawn Peterson

Caleb Wiseman, LoperCatholic

Wiseman is a junior studying 6-12 math education. Heโ€™s involved in LoperCatholic, the Honors Program, UNK Student Government and campus intramurals. Wiseman also serves as a resident assistant and math and statistics tutor, and he was a New Student Enrollment leader last summer.

Caleb Wiseman