Neosho County Community College Men's Wrestling

Matt Hansen enters his sixth year as the Head Wrestling coach for the Panthers, he brings 20 years of collegiate coaching experience. He has coached as an assistant at Luther College, Hastings College and Simpson; and Head coach at Doane University.  In 2016, Coach Hansen was named “Rookie Coach of the Year” by Amateur Wrestling News Magazine, with his team finishing 6th at the NAIA Wrestling Championships.    A two-time national qualifier on the University of Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team, Hansen was a member of two Loper teams that finished in the Top 15 at National Championships. While at UNK Hansen was also a four-year starter and had the 9th most career victories for the Lopers at the time of his graduation.   Hansen is also a certified strength and conditioning coach through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  

Petterson begins his 10 th year at Neosho County and his 24th career season as a head wrestling coach. He will also spend the 2014-15 year as the President of the National Wresting Coaches Association.   In his time at Neosho Pettersons teams have three top 10 finishes at the NJCAA National Tournament. . He has also coached three national champions, 4 national finalists, 19 All-Americans, and numerous Academic All-Americans. In 2012 he was named the NJCAA Man of the Year.   The 2013-14 season Petterson and the Panthers had one their finest seasons in his Neosho career. For the second year in a row seven wrestlers qualified for the NJCAA National Championship. The Panthers would see their streak of seasons with a National Champion come to an end, but posted their best team finish in Pettersons career at Neosho as they finished 5 th . The feat was even more impressive as they didnt have a single wrestler in the finals. Five different Panthers earned All-American honors to help the Panthers to their 5 th place finish.   During the 2012-13 season the Panthers sent seven wrestlers to the NJCAA National Championship with two earning All-American honors. They also were able to claim their second national champion in as many seasons as LeRoy Barnes brought home the title at 133 pounds.   Petterson came to Neosho after a three year stay as the head coach at Colorado Northwestern Community College where he coached two All-Americans in addition to 9 national qualifiers and was once named the Region XVIII Coach of the Year. Prior to Colorado Northwestern, Petterson spent one season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division 1 Northern Illinois. The Huskies produced two national qualifiers including Pettersons workout partner, T.C.Dantzler who recently retired and was a member of the 2008 Olympic Team.   Before moving to the Division I level, Petterson spent 10 seasons at Fort Hays State University where he still is the longest tenured coach in school history. While with the Tigers, Pettersons teams set numerous school records including: two top 5 national team finishes, two NCAA Division 2 National Champions, and five national finalists. They also produced 18 All0Americans.   Petterson was a well decorated wrestler before he began his coaching career. At Beloit (KS) High School, Petterson was a two time state champion, AWN All-American, Free Style state champion, and twice wrestled in the USWF National Tournament. He then went on to wrestle at Graceland University and Fort Hays State University where he was a four time national qualifier and three time All-American. He was named the 1982 Busch Gross Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 1982.   Petterson received his Bachelors Degree in Physical Education from Fort Hays. He also received a Masters degree from Fort Hays in Physical Education. In addition to his coaching duties, Petterson also serves as a physical education instructor at Neosho. Coach Pete and his lovely wife Linda are the proud parents of four children: Chase, Jessica, Thain, and Jena.  

Hometown: Chanute, KS. Highschool: Chanute HS 2016 Junior college(s): NEO and Neosho 2018 College: Kentucky Wesleyan College 2022 Associates degree: Associates of Science Bachelor's degree: Exercise Science with Leadership Nickolas Ornelas is the assistant wrestling coach for the Panthers. He started his college career as a redshirt for NEO for a year before going to Neosho to finish out his associates of science degree. As a former Neosho wrestler, he was a national qualifier coming up short by one match to place. After he got his degree, he wrestled for a D-2 school in Owensboro Kentucky, Kentucky Wesleyan, where he got his Bachelor’s Degree.

Chenoweth begins his third year as the assistant wrestling coach. During his first season the Panthers qualified seven wrestlers for the NJCAA National Championships. With Chenoweths help, the Panthers produced two All-Americans and a national champion in Le'roy Barnes. Chenoweth is no stranger to Neosho County as he served a student assistant during the 2008-2009 season. During that year, the Panthers finished 11 th in the nation and boasted four national qualifiers and a pair of All-Americans. Chenoweth began his career at Newman University where he was National Champion. For his career he was a three time national qualifier and two time All-American. A graduate of Newberry College, Chenoweth received his Bachelors degree in History in 2011. An avid fantasy football fan, Chenoweth boasts a league championship in 2007.