Hastings College Men's Wrestling

Sheley attended Hutchinson, Kansas Junior College for two years competing in both football and track.  From HJC, he transferred to the University Of Northern Colorado in Greeley where he received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees while still competing in football and track.                   His first teaching/coaching position was in Palisade, Nebraska for two years.  From Palisade, he went to the other end of the state and coached for two years at Plattsmouth, Nebraska.  In the fall of 1969, Coach Sheley started a thirty-eight year teaching/coaching career at Hastings High School as a Biology and Human Anatomy/Physiology teacher and head wrestling coach for thirty years.  He also coached football at both the varsity and freshman levels for a total of about ten years.                   As head wrestling coach, Coach Sheleys teams won 180 dual matches, qualified 207 individual wrestlers to the state wrestling tournament, placed 82 wrestlers at the state tournament, had fourteen teams place in the top ten at the state tournament including the 1988 state championship team, had eight district championship or runner up teams and had twelve conference championship or runner up teams.   Three Hastings High wrestlers went on to win collegiate All-American honors.  In addition, the Hastings High Wrestling Handbook, authored by Coach Sheley, was judged the number one handbook in the U.S.A. on five different occasions.                                  Coach Sheley was elected president of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in 1978,  and was selected as Class A Nebraska Wrestling Coach Of The Year in 1988.  In 1997 Coach Sheley entered the Nebraska Wrestling Hall Of Fame after being nominated by his good friend and coaching competitor Tom McCann, currently on the wrestling coaching staff at University of Nebraska-Kearney.    In 2014, he was honored by an article in the Hastings Tribune about Faces In Tribland regarding accomplishments as a teacher and coach.                   Howard is married to the former Phyllis Steffen of Canby, Minnesota and they have one daughter, Jill, along with four grand children.  Their oldest grandson, a former wrestler, is currently a freshman at James Madison University and will pursue a career in medicine.   The other grandchildren are all actively involved in gymnastics, swimming and wresting.  Son-in-law, Mark, is a Commander in the United States Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Chris Hart is entering his second year as an assistant coach at Hastings College after a successful collegiate career at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.  In the spring of 2014 Hart completed a B.A. from WBU in sports management with emphasis in exercise science.  While competing as a collegian he qualified four times to the NAIA National tournament earning All American status after a 7 place finish.  During his career he also was named Academic All-American.  In high school, Hart was a two-time state medalist in Texas placing 5 and 2. Hart has also gained extensive coaching experience directing and working at several different wrestling camps, including the Hastings College Team Camp, several camps for schadwrestling.com, as well as camps at Legends of Gold, and many other camps for high schools and clubs.  Coach Hart works with the lower and middle weights predominately and helped develop two NAIA national qualifiers in 2016.  He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Teaching and enjoys fishing and traveling in his free time.

Westerby has been a part of the dynasty at Grand Island Senior High for eight years as a varsity assistant as well as co-directing the Islander Wrestling Club and leading the Walnut Middle School program. At GISH, Westerby, was part of the programs dominance by winning five consecutive state titles and the state dual championship in 2014.  He has assisted on GISHs wrestling staff at various points since 1997, but has been a mainstay from 2007-14.  At Walnut, Westerby has headed a program that has won twelve conference championships and amassed an impressive 83-4 dual record from 1998-2013.  From 1991-1996 Westerby served as the head coach at Barr middle school, ironically the rival to Walnut in Grand Island, and won the conference twice and ran up a 24-4 dual record.  Prior to returning to Grand Island, Westerby was a varsity assistant in Clear Lake Community School in Iowa in 1990-91.  Previously he spent a year, also as a varsity assistant coach, at North Mahaska High School in 1989. Westerby graduated from Grand Island Senior High and wrestled and played football at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, IA.  Coach Westerby holds a bachelors degree from William Penn University and Masters degrees from Doane College in Education and Nebraska-Kearney in Counseling.  He is currently a full time guidance counselor at Walnut Middle School in Grand Island.  He is the father of Bronco Wrestling program alum Nate Westerby.  He has another son Coleman, and daughter Ellie who are both in college.   A native Kansas, Coach Howard Sheley graduated from Scott Community High School in Scott City, Kansas.  After a highly successful high school athletic career, Coach Sheley attended Hutchinson, Kansas Junior College for two years competing in both football and track.  From HJC, he transferred to the University Of Northern Colorado in Greeley where he received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees while still competing in football and track.                   His first teaching/coaching position was in Palisade, Nebraska for two years.  From Palisade, he went to the other end of the state and coached for two years at Plattsmouth, Nebraska.  In the fall of 1969, Coach Sheley started a thirty-eight year teaching/coaching career at Hastings High School as a Biology and Human Anatomy/Physiology teacher and head wrestling coach for thirty years.  He also coached football at both the varsity and freshman levels for a total of about ten years.                   As head wrestling coach, Coach Sheleys teams won 180 dual matches, qualified 207 individual wrestlers to the state wrestling tournament, placed 82 wrestlers at the state tournament, had fourteen teams place in the top ten at the state tournament including the 1988 state championship team, had eight district championship or runner up teams and had twelve conference championship or runner up teams.   Three Hastings High wrestlers went on to win collegiate All-American honors.  In addition, the Hastings High Wrestling Handbook, authored by Coach Sheley, was judged the number one handbook in the U.S.A. on five different occasions.                                  Coach Sheley was elected president of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in 1978,  and was selected as Class A Nebraska Wrestling Coach Of The Year in 1988.  In 1997 Coach Sheley entered the Nebraska Wrestling Hall Of Fame after being nominated by his good friend and coaching competitor Tom McCann, currently on the wrestling coaching staff at University of Nebraska-Kearney.    In 2014, he was honored by an article in the Hastings Tribune about Faces In Tribland regarding accomplishments as a teacher and coach.                   Howard is married to the former Phyllis Steffen of Canby, Minnesota and they have one daughter, Jill, along with four grand children.  Their oldest grandson, a former wrestler, is currently a freshman at James Madison University and will pursue a career in medicine.   The other grandchildren are all actively involved in gymnastics, swimming and wresting.  Son-in-law, Mark, is a Commander in the United States Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Chris Hart is entering his second year as an assistant coach at Hastings College after a successful collegiate career at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.  In the spring of 2014 Hart completed a B.A. from WBU in sports management with emphasis in exercise science.  While competing as a collegian he qualified four times to the NAIA National tournament earning All American status after a 7 place finish.  During his career he also was named Academic All-American.  In high school, Hart was a two-time state medalist in Texas placing 5 and 2. Hart has also gained extensive coaching experience directing and working at several different wrestling camps, including the Hastings College Team Camp, several camps for schadwrestling.com, as well as camps at Legends of Gold, and many other camps for high schools and clubs.  Coach Hart works with the lower and middle weights predominately and helped develop two NAIA national qualifiers in 2016.  He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Teaching and enjoys fishing and traveling in his free time.

Hart completed a B.A. from WBU in sports management with emphasis in exercise science.  While competing as a collegian he qualified four times to the NAIA National tournament earning All American status after a 7 place finish.  During his career he also was named Academic All-American.  In high school, Hart was a two-time state medalist in Texas placing 5 and 2. Hart has also gained extensive coaching experience directing and working at several different wrestling camps, including the Hastings College Team Camp, several camps for schadwrestling.com, as well as camps at Legends of Gold, and many other camps for high schools and clubs.  Coach Hart works with the lower and middle weights predominately and helped develop two NAIA national qualifiers in 2016.  He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Teaching and enjoys fishing and traveling in his free time.

Sheley attended Hutchinson, Kansas Junior College for two years competing in both football and track.  From HJC, he transferred to the University Of Northern Colorado in Greeley where he received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees while still competing in football and track.                   His first teaching/coaching position was in Palisade, Nebraska for two years.  From Palisade, he went to the other end of the state and coached for two years at Plattsmouth, Nebraska.  In the fall of 1969, Coach Sheley started a thirty-eight year teaching/coaching career at Hastings High School as a Biology and Human Anatomy/Physiology teacher and head wrestling coach for thirty years.  He also coached football at both the varsity and freshman levels for a total of about ten years.                   As head wrestling coach, Coach Sheleys teams won 180 dual matches, qualified 207 individual wrestlers to the state wrestling tournament, placed 82 wrestlers at the state tournament, had fourteen teams place in the top ten at the state tournament including the 1988 state championship team, had eight district championship or runner up teams and had twelve conference championship or runner up teams.   Three Hastings High wrestlers went on to win collegiate All-American honors.  In addition, the Hastings High Wrestling Handbook, authored by Coach Sheley, was judged the number one handbook in the U.S.A. on five different occasions.                                  Coach Sheley was elected president of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in 1978,  and was selected as Class A Nebraska Wrestling Coach Of The Year in 1988.  In 1997 Coach Sheley entered the Nebraska Wrestling Hall Of Fame after being nominated by his good friend and coaching competitor Tom McCann, currently on the wrestling coaching staff at University of Nebraska-Kearney.    In 2014, he was honored by an article in the Hastings Tribune about Faces In Tribland regarding accomplishments as a teacher and coach.                   Howard is married to the former Phyllis Steffen of Canby, Minnesota and they have one daughter, Jill, along with four grand children.  Their oldest grandson, a former wrestler, is currently a freshman at James Madison University and will pursue a career in medicine.   The other grandchildren are all actively involved in gymnastics, swimming and wresting.  Son-in-law, Mark, is a Commander in the United States Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Chris Hart is entering his second year as an assistant coach at Hastings College after a successful collegiate career at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.  In the spring of 2014 Hart completed a B.A. from WBU in sports management with emphasis in exercise science.  While competing as a collegian he qualified four times to the NAIA National tournament earning All American status after a 7 place finish.  During his career he also was named Academic All-American.  In high school, Hart was a two-time state medalist in Texas placing 5 and 2. Hart has also gained extensive coaching experience directing and working at several different wrestling camps, including the Hastings College Team Camp, several camps for schadwrestling.com, as well as camps at Legends of Gold, and many other camps for high schools and clubs.  Coach Hart works with the lower and middle weights predominately and helped develop two NAIA national qualifiers in 2016.  He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Teaching and enjoys fishing and traveling in his free time.

Schadwinkel the program has claimed one NAIA Scholar Athlete and has graduated 100% of the student-athletes who finished their eligibility! Prior to his arrival in Hastings Schadwinkel was the head coach at Grand Island Senior High School, in Grand Island, NE.  At Grand Island he built one of the greatest dynasties in Nebraskas high school wrestling history, where he led the Islanders to five consecutive Class A state titles, coaching 21 individual state champions, 83 state medalists, and racked up an amazing 156-41 dual record in 11 years at the helm. In addition to the five individual team state championships, he added another state championship winning the state dual championship in 2014.  At various times during the 2009-2013 seasons, Schadwinkels teams were nationally ranked by Amateur Wrestling News, WIN Magazine, and Intermatwrestle.com as one of the top programs nationally. Overall in eleven years, his teams only finished outside of the top 10 once in the state and set state tournament records in scoring, most state medalists, and most pins in state history.  His teams won eight Heartland Athletic Conference Championships, eight District tournaments, 58 invitational tournaments, several of which were in Colorado, Kansas, Iowa and many were comprised of some of the top programs in the region or country.  In 2009, he was named both Nebraska Wrestling Coaches Association Class A Coach of the Year and Nebraska Coaches Association Coach of the Year and repeated the honor in 2014. In 2013, Schadwinkel was a finalist for National High School Athletic Coaches Association National Coach of the Year. Before joining the staff at GISH as a physical education teacher, Schadwinkel served as Head Wrestling Coach at Dakota Wesleyan University and Physical Education/Exercise Science Instructor. At DWU Schadwinkel took a fledgling program and transformed it in four years.  He coached Five NAIA All-Americans highlighted by recruiting and developing DWUs first and only national champion in any sport, Justin Portenier who also was a three-time All-American.  Overall at DWU, Schadwinkel coached five NAIA All-Americans, two NAIA Academic All-Americans and finished as high as twelfth nationally, a program record.  A native of Alliance, Neb., Schadwinkel graduated with honors as a double major in K-12 Physical Education and Exercise Physiology and Leisure/Sports Management from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo.  While serving as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, he added a MA in Health, Physical Education and Recreation while coaching two NCAA DII All-Americans. As a competitor at Adams State he qualified for the NCAA II National Wrestling tournament three times, earning All-American status in 1997 for a fourth place finish and in 1998 for a runner-up finish, both at 190 lbs. Schadwinkel also earned NCAA II Academic All-American status all four years, including three years on the First Team. In 2008, he added a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership at Doane. Schadwinkel is married to Kelli Schadwinkel, a juvenile probation supervisor.  They have three children, Dylan, 20, Caden, 10, and Keyan, 8.   Jeff Westerby will continue coaching as an assistant at Hastings College, but he is not new to coaching with Head Coach Mike Schadwinkel.  Westerby has been a part of the dynasty at Grand Island Senior High for eight years as a varsity assistant as well as co-directing the Islander Wrestling Club and leading the Walnut Middle School program. At GISH, Westerby, was part of the programs dominance by winning five consecutive state titles and the state dual championship in 2014.  He has assisted on GISHs wrestling staff at various points since 1997, but has been a mainstay from 2007-14.  At Walnut, Westerby has headed a program that has won twelve conference championships and amassed an impressive 83-4 dual record from 1998-2013.  From 1991-1996 Westerby served as the head coach at Barr middle school, ironically the rival to Walnut in Grand Island, and won the conference twice and ran up a 24-4 dual record.  Prior to returning to Grand Island, Westerby was a varsity assistant in Clear Lake Community School in Iowa in 1990-91.  Previously he spent a year, also as a varsity assistant coach, at North Mahaska High School in 1989. Westerby graduated from Grand Island Senior High and wrestled and played football at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, IA.  Coach Westerby holds a bachelors degree from William Penn University and Masters degrees from Doane College in Education and Nebraska-Kearney in Counseling.  He is currently a full time guidance counselor at Walnut Middle School in Grand Island.  He is the father of Bronco Wrestling program alum Nate Westerby.  He has another son Coleman, and daughter Ellie who are both in college.   A native Kansas, Coach Howard Sheley graduated from Scott Community High School in Scott City, Kansas.  After a highly successful high school athletic career, Coach Sheley attended Hutchinson, Kansas Junior College for two years competing in both football and track.  From HJC, he transferred to the University Of Northern Colorado in Greeley where he received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees while still competing in football and track.                   His first teaching/coaching position was in Palisade, Nebraska for two years.  From Palisade, he went to the other end of the state and coached for two years at Plattsmouth, Nebraska.  In the fall of 1969, Coach Sheley started a thirty-eight year teaching/coaching career at Hastings High School as a Biology and Human Anatomy/Physiology teacher and head wrestling coach for thirty years.  He also coached football at both the varsity and freshman levels for a total of about ten years.                   As head wrestling coach, Coach Sheleys teams won 180 dual matches, qualified 207 individual wrestlers to the state wrestling tournament, placed 82 wrestlers at the state tournament, had fourteen teams place in the top ten at the state tournament including the 1988 state championship team, had eight district championship or runner up teams and had twelve conference championship or runner up teams.   Three Hastings High wrestlers went on to win collegiate All-American honors.  In addition, the Hastings High Wrestling Handbook, authored by Coach Sheley, was judged the number one handbook in the U.S.A. on five different occasions.                                  Coach Sheley was elected president of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in 1978,  and was selected as Class A Nebraska Wrestling Coach Of The Year in 1988.  In 1997 Coach Sheley entered the Nebraska Wrestling Hall Of Fame after being nominated by his good friend and coaching competitor Tom McCann, currently on the wrestling coaching staff at University of Nebraska-Kearney.    In 2014, he was honored by an article in the Hastings Tribune about Faces In Tribland regarding accomplishments as a teacher and coach.                   Howard is married to the former Phyllis Steffen of Canby, Minnesota and they have one daughter, Jill, along with four grand children.  Their oldest grandson, a former wrestler, is currently a freshman at James Madison University and will pursue a career in medicine.   The other grandchildren are all actively involved in gymnastics, swimming and wresting.  Son-in-law, Mark, is a Commander in the United States Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Chris Hart is entering his second year as an assistant coach at Hastings College after a successful collegiate career at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.  In the spring of 2014 Hart completed a B.A. from WBU in sports management with emphasis in exercise science.  While competing as a collegian he qualified four times to the NAIA National tournament earning All American status after a 7 place finish.  During his career he also was named Academic All-American.  In high school, Hart was a two-time state medalist in Texas placing 5 and 2. Hart has also gained extensive coaching experience directing and working at several different wrestling camps, including the Hastings College Team Camp, several camps for schadwrestling.com, as well as camps at Legends of Gold, and many other camps for high schools and clubs.  Coach Hart works with the lower and middle weights predominately and helped develop two NAIA national qualifiers in 2016.  He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Teaching and enjoys fishing and traveling in his free time.

Rush left the program as the most decorated wrestler in the Bronco program as he was a 4 time National Qualifier, 3 time Academic All-American, All-American (5th at 174 in 2010). His 143 career victories put him in a rare class as one of the top 3 all-time winningest wresters in the GPAC conference history. Rush also kept a perfect 4.0 grade point average through his collegiate days and graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2011. While coaching Rush has assisted in many areas, but is a great mat technician and works with the middle weights. He has assisted in driving a program that has produced All-American Blake Fruchtl, 19 NAIA National Tournament qualifiers, and produced six NAIA Scholar-Athletes.  Rush is a native of Clay Center, KS and is currently employed by Heartland Bank in Hastings as the Vice President of marketing. Jeff Westerby will assist in ushering in the new era at Hastings College, but he is not new to coaching with Head Coach Mike Schadwinkel.  Westerby has been a part of the dynasty at Grand Island Senior High for the past eight years as a varsity assistant as well as co-directing the Islander Wrestling Club and leading the Walnut Middle School program. At GISH, Westerby, was part of the programs dominance by winning five consecutive state titles and the state dual championship in 2014.  He has assisted on GISHs wrestling staff at various points since 1997, but has been a mainstay over the past 8 seasons.  At Walnut, Westerby has headed a program that has won twelve conference championships and amassed an impressive 83-4 dual record from 1998-2013.  From 1991-1996 Westerby served as the head coach at Barr middle school, ironically the rival to Walnut in Grand Island, and won the conference twice and ran up a 24-4 dual record.  Prior to returning to Grand Island, Westerby was a varsity assistant in Clear Lake Community School in Iowa in 1990-91.  Previously he spent a year, also as a varsity assistant coach, at North Mahaska High School in 1989. Westerby graduated from Grand Island Senior High and wrestled and played football at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, IA.  Coach Westerby holds a bachelors degree from William Penn University and Masters degrees from Doane College in Education and Nebraska-Kearney in Counseling.  He is currently a full time guidance counselor at Walnut Middle School in Grand Island.  He is the father of Coleman and Nate, both sophomore wrestlers in the Bronco Wrestling program.  He is married to Jolyne and also has a high school aged daughter, Ellie.  They reside in Grand Island.  A native Kansas, Coach Howard Sheley graduated from Scott Community High School in Scott City, Kansas.  After a highly successful high school athletic career, Coach Sheley attended Hutchinson, Kansas Junior College for two years competing in both football and track.  From HJC, he transferred to the University Of Northern Colorado in Greeley where he received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees while still competing in football and track.                   His first teaching/coaching position was in Palisade, Nebraska for two years.  From Palisade, he went to the other end of the state and coached for two years at Plattsmouth, Nebraska.  In the fall of 1969, Coach Sheley started a thirty-eight year teaching/coaching career at Hastings High School as a Biology and Human Anatomy/Physiology teacher and head wrestling coach for thirty years.  He also coached football at both the varsity and freshman levels for a total of about ten years.                   As head wrestling coach, Coach Sheleys teams won 180 dual matches, qualified 207 individual wrestlers to the state wrestling tournament, placed 82 wrestlers at the state tournament, had fourteen teams place in the top ten at the state tournament including the 1988 state championship team, had eight district championship or runner up teams and had twelve conference championship or runner up teams.   Three Hastings High wrestlers went on to win collegiate All-American honors.  In addition, the Hastings High Wrestling Handbook, authored by Coach Sheley, was judged the number one handbook in the U.S.A. on five different occasions.                                  Coach Sheley was elected president of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in 1978,  and was selected as Class A Nebraska Wrestling Coach Of The Year in 1988.  In 1997 Coach Sheley entered the Nebraska Wrestling Hall Of Fame after being nominated by his good friend and coaching competitor Tom McCann, currently on the wrestling coaching staff at University of Nebraska-Kearney.    In 2014, he was honored by an article in the Hastings Tribune about Faces In Tribland regarding accomplishments as a teacher and coach.                   Howard is married to the former Phyllis Steffen of Canby, Minnesota and they have one daughter, Jill, along with four grand children.  Their oldest grandson, a former wrestler, is currently a freshman at James Madison University and will pursue a career in medicine.   The other grandchildren are all actively involved in gymnastics, swimming and wresting.  Son-in-law, Mark, is a Commander in the United States Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.   Chris Hart is entering his first year as an assistant coach at Hastings College after a successful collegiate career at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.  In the spring of 2014 Hart completed a B.A. from WBU in sports management with emphasis in exercise science.  While competing as a collegian he qualified four times to the NAIA National tournament and gained All American status after finishing in 7 place.  During his career he also was named Academic All American.  In high school, Hart was a two-time state medalist in Texas placing 5 and 2. Hart has also gained extensive coaching experience directing and working at several different wrestling camps, including the Hastings College Team Camp in the summer of 2015.  He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Teaching.