HASTINGS —Six individuals and two teams will celebrate their induction as the 35th class to join the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame during a reception and banquet held in conjunction with Hastings College Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The celebration begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. in Kiewit Gymnasium (715 E. 7th Street, Hastings) on campus, followed by a banquet at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased online at hastings.edu/homecoming, or by contacting the Hastings College alumni office at 402.461.7363 or alumni@hastings.edu.
The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to honor and preserve the memory of athletes, teams, coaches and those who have contributed meritorious service to Hastings College and its athletic programs.
The 2024 Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame class includes:
• Eugene Fleharty ’56 of Hays, Kansas, for football, track and tennis
• Bill McGuire ’69 of Inver Grove, Minnesota, for football
• Jim Doty ’79 of Owasso, Oklahoma, for football
• Jeff Chmelka ’95 of Grand Island, Nebraska, for baseball
• Kay (Broekemeier) Dent ’09 of Mullen, Nebraska, for basketball and track
• Jenn (Maag) Cooper ’15 of Orchard, Nebraska, for track
• 1978 Football Team, which finished 8-1 and was the NIAC champion
• 1980 Football Team, which finished 8-1 and was the NIAC champion
Previous Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame recipients can be found at hastings.edu/halloffame.
Biographies of the 2024 Inductees
Eugene Fleharty was a four-year starter and letter winner in football, a three-year letter winner in track and a two-year letter winner in tennis. He set the Hastings College record in shot put during his time as a Bronco and placed 10th at NAIA nationals in shot put and qualified for nationals in high jump.
Bill McGuire was a three-year starter both ways for football and was named Honorable Mention All-NIAC (Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) in 1966 and 1967 and Honorable Mention All-District in 1967. He was also a starter for the Bronco baseball team.
Jim Doty was a four-year letter winner for football and was named to the 1978 All-NIAC team. His coach, Wendell Maupin, rated him as one of the top 10 players he ever coached and a backbone of the team.
Jeff Chmelka was named 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-District and NIAC co-Player of the Year in 1994. His .387 career batting average is first in school history, while his .480 career on base percentage is third. In 1994, his on-base percentage of .511 set the single season record, which stands today.
Kay (Broekemeier) Dent was 1st Team All-Conference for track in 2008, and in 2009 was an All-American on the 4×800 outdoor relay team and named a 3rd Team All-American in basketball. Her 800m outdoor time ranks 5th all-time for the Broncos, while the 4×800 relay outdoor time ranks 1st.
Jenn (Maag) Cooper was a five-time NAIA National Champion, a 14-time All-American, seven-time GPAC Individual Champion and a member of the 2014 outdoor track team that finished 4th at NAIA Nationals. She still holds both indoor and outdoor Hastings College records in the shot put.
The 1978 and 1980 football teams both went 8-1 and were NIAC champions. They are two of three teams in the Hall of Fame with only one loss and have multiple players already in the Hall of Fame.
