2006 was memorable year at Chadron State

During the fall, things also heated up on the football field as the Eagles had their best season on record, going through the regular schedule 11-0 and winning a playoff game to advance to the elite eight in NCAA Division II.

There were numerous other highlights during the year. For instance, the college inaugurated Dr. Janie Park as its 10th president, the assets of the Chadron State Foundation grew significantly and several CSC alumni, faculty and students gained special recognition.

During Park’s inauguration address in April, she stressed the importance of working with the residents of the region to develop strategies for solving common problems.

“Today, I challenge Chadron State College to a higher level of public service,” Park said. “I would like us to re-establish our commitment to the place where we live.”

As the fall term opened in late August, Park outlined several more goals for the college. She said Chadron State should be “a destination campus” that is the first choice of area students, develop “value-added” programs to complement degree offerings and capitalize on the beauty of its High Plains setting.

Another goal that the president spelled out, increasing the enrollment, began to show results this fall, when CSC’s enrollment grew by about 6 percent over the previous year. Park said within five years, she hopes CSC will have at least 2,500 resident students and up to 4,000 on-line students.

The college is now offering the coursework for 12 degrees that can be earned via the internet.

In keeping with Park’s goals for assisting the region, during 2006 the college reopened the Nebraska Business Development Center to support area businesses and hosted two Hometown Competitiveness conferences designed to bolster business development and provide opportunities for youths to remain in their home communities.

The Chadron State Foundation had what its executive director, Connie Rasmussen, called “a very good year.” Its assets grew to $11.6 million. The largest contributions included the first half of a $1 million gift from the estate of Bill and Frances Lindeken, $275,000 from the estate of Carolyn Thackham and $163,000 from the Claude Lefler Trust.

The Foundation also received six contributions of at least $10,000 for endowed scholarships and funds for five annual scholarships. And, it was announced that a long-time music professor at Chadron State, Dr. Jackson Hammitt, and his wife Peggy, now of Rapid City, will be leaving the college a large portion of their estate.

Numerous CSC faculty members received special recognition during 2006. They include:

--Dr. Norma Nealeigh, Outstanding Service Award from the Nebraska Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Association.

--Dr. Chuck Butterfield, Career Service Award from the Nebraska Chapter of the Wildlife Society.

--Dr. Clark Gardener, Outstanding Leadership and Service in Rural Education from the National Rural Education Association.

In addition, Dr. Scott Ritzen became the president of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association, Carola Winkle was elected president of the International Music Camp and Butterfield became president of the Nebraska Section for the Society of Range Management.

A professor emeritus, Dr. William Winkle, became the fifth former CSC music professor to be inducted in to the Nebraska Music Educators Hall of Fame.

A lecture series named in honor of Dr. Dorset Graves, English professor emeritus, was begun by the CSC library.

A number of CSC graduates also were given special honors. They include:

--Cindy Lanik of Hemingford, named Nebraska’s American Star of Teacher for 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education.

--Catie Limbach of Crawford, Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year for Nebraska.

--Michael Stedillie of Casper, Teacher of the Year for the Natrona County School District.

--Sharon Hoffman of Bayard, Nebraska Music Educator of the Year.

--Mike Mykris of Santa Fe, State Star of the New Mexico Small Business Development Center network.

--Patty Hawk, a faculty member at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Exemplary Teacher for 2006-07 by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.

--Todd Lowry, NAIA National Volleyball Coach of the Year after leading his National American University of Rapid City team to an undefeated season and the national championship.

In addition, Tim Walz of Mankato, Minn., a 1989 CSC graduate, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from that state’s First District.

A number of CSC students also earned special honors. They included:

--After completing more than 20 community service projects, the Students in Free Enterprise team became one of just four to place among the top 25 in the final standings at the National Exposition in Kansas City five consecutive years.

--Business students won three firsts, two seconds and four thirds during the Nebraska Phi Beta Lambda State Leadership Conference last spring. Janette Davidson, a senior from Imperial, won two of the firsts.

--Thirteen CSC musicians sang in Carnegie Hall as part of a 210-voice choir that presented Mozart’s “Mass in C minor” in late May.

--A flute quartet was selected to perform at the North Central Music Educators Conference this fall.

--Four range management students won the Rangeland Cup traveling trophy by placing first in competition at Sheridan, Wyo., in November.

The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center at CSC continued to make news. An Omaha resident, Esther Pilster, gave 3,731 acres of Dawes County ranchland appraised at nearly $1 to sponsor programs to be offered by the center. In addition, three major gifts were received in late 2006 to help develop the C.F. Coffee Gallery that will trace the development of the cattle industry in the region.

The highlight of this year’s annual Sandoz Society conference was a speech by former South Dakota senator and 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern.

Another special guest of the CSC campus this past year was nationally syndicated author and poet Baxter Black, who was the headliner at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in February.

Athletics drew more than the normal spotlight at Chadron State this year.

Track and field athletes broke 19 school records, won 16 firsts at Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Meets and gained 11 All-American honors. Team leaders included seniors Jacqueline Wells, who ended her career as a nine-time conference champion and a 10-time All-American, and Joel Duffield, who ran the 400 meters in 45.92 seconds, the fastest in the nation in Division II.

The football team finished the regular season undefeated and untied for just the fourth time in school history and won the RMAC title for the sixth time in the past 11 years. After winning 43-17 over West Texas A&M and losing 28-21 to Northwest Missouri in playoff games, the Eagles wound up 12-1 for the season and ranked No. 5 in the final American Football Coaches Association poll.

Junior tailback Danny Woodhead led the Eagles by rushing for 2,756 yards, the most ever by a collegiate running back at any level, and also set new Division II records with 3,158 yards and 38 touchdowns for 228 points. Woodhead’s accomplishments netted him the Harlon Hill Trophy that is presented annually to the outstanding player in Division II.

Like Wells and Duffield, Woodhead also was chosen an Academic All-American.

Head Football Coach Bill O’Boyle also got in on the laurels, winning conference, regional and national Coach of the Year honors.

The year ended on couple of sad notes. History professor Randall Austin died of cancer at age 46 on Dec. 12 and math professor Steve Haataja disappeared on Dec. 4 and was still missing nearly three weeks later as this was written despite extensive searches by law enforcement and college personnel and others.