Six athletes and three teams will be inducted into the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame, and an Outstanding Alumni Coach honored, during a dinner celebration on Saturday, October 8, 2016, at The Lark (809 W. 2nd St., Hastings).
A social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. and the dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased by contacting the college’s alumni office at 402.461.7363 or emailing kbargen@hastings.edu.
The 2016 Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame class includes:
- Lawrence Van Boening ’58 of Rapid City, South Dakota, for Football
- Ronald Devish ’63 of Hot Springs Village, Arizona, for Football
- Gerald Fisher ’66 of Lincoln, Nebraska, for Golf
- Christopher Kersting ’66 of Yuba City, California, for Tennis
- John Dvorak ’70 of Montrose, Colorado, for Track and Field
- Kelly (Opbroek) Breslin ’88 of San Rafael, California, for Track and Field
- 1965 Men’s Tennis Team
- 1987 Men’s Golf Team
- 1991 Men’s 1600 Meter Relay
Hastings College established its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989 as a way 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 2016 Outstanding Alumni Coach is Tim Rezac, a 1991 Hastings College graduate and head track coach of Wahoo Bishop Neumann High School. The Outstanding Alumni Coach of the Year award was established in 2004 and is presented to a Hastings College graduate who has shown exceptional achievement in an athletic coaching profession.
Recipient Details
Lawrence Van Boening ’58 was part of the All-NCC Football Selection in 1956 and 1957. As a freshman, he played 60 minutes in an upset win over Peru State to preserve an undefeated season in 1954. He played in three bowl games: 1954, 1955 and 1957. In 1957, Van Boening was also awarded Honorable Mention All-American.
Ronald Devish ’63 was part of the All-NCC Football Selection in 1960, 1961 and 1962. He played offensive and defensive lineman positions. When he wasn’t playing football, he was involved with track, and he married college classmate Celinda (Mounts) Devish ‘63.
Gerald Fisher ’66 was a three-year NAIA National Golf Tournament qualifier and was a Conference Golf Champion for three years: 1963, 1965 and 1966. He was also involved in the All-NCC Football Selection in 1966 and was named the football team’s MVP in 1964.
Christopher Kersting ’66 played #1 tennis singles for Hastings College all four years. He also reached conference finals all four years. He was the NCC Conference Title Champion in 1965 and 1966 and a three-time National Tournament qualifier. During his senior year, he had an undefeated regular season record.
John Dvorak ’70 set school records for the track team in the 120 yd. High Hurdles, High Jump, 330 yd. Intermediate Hurdles and 440 yd. Relay. In 1969, he received 6th place and was named an All-American in both 120 yd. High Hurdles and the High Jump. He was also named outstanding athlete at the District track meet in 1968 and 1969.
Kelly (Opbroek) Breslin ’88 left her mark on the Hastings College women’s track and field and cross country teams. In 1986 and 1987, she placed 2nd and was named an All-American in the Marathon. In 1988, she was again an All-American in the Marathon, placing 4th. She was also a member of the 1986 National qualifying cross country team.
The 1965 Men’s Tennis Team included Ian O’Connell, Ray Yost, Christopher Kersting ’66, David Crum ’71, Ronald Wachter ’65, Douglas Usher ’65 and Milton Terry Petersen, III ’68. The men’s tennis team was NCC Champions in 1965, scoring a perfect 16 points in the NCC Conference Championship.
The 1987 Men’s Golf Team included Clayton Meininger ’87, Robert Yoswa ’89, Dennis Fruchtl ’87, Martin Prazak ’87 and James Placke ’90. The men’s golf team won three consecutive NIAC and District 11 Championships in 1985, 1986 and 1987. They were three-time National Tournament qualifiers and in 1987, won Districts by 21 strokes and Conference by 29 strokes.
The 1991 Men’s 1600 Meter Relay included Todd Thorsheim ’92, David Slingsby ’92, Keith Salyers and Marvin Williams ’91. The men’s 1600 meter relay set the school record at the 1991 National outdoor meet for the 4x400m relay at 3:09.82. The team placed 2nd at Drake relays, which was the highest ever finish at Drake for a Hastings College member or team, and 3rd place in the 1991 National outdoor meet. They also won both Conference and District Championships.
Tim Rezac ’91 was assistant track coach at Wahoo Bishop Neumann High School from 1995 to 2008, when he was named head coach. He has successfully worked with student athletes to earn the District Championship Title in 2015 and 2016. Track team jumpers have qualified for 67 events at the State Track and Field Meet, where 45 qualifiers have placed in the top eight. The high school track team has been part of the Conference Championship two of the past three years. Under the direction of Rezac, the team received back-to-back State Championships at the State Track and Field Meet (2015 and 2016) and overall, they have won five State Championships in the Class C State Track and Field meet since 1995.
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With 64 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
