A former Hastings College Bronco athlete, former coach and a professor will be inducted into the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame, Saturday, Feb. 17. Inductees include: Matthew Jurgena, Hastings Neb., former baseball player; Dr. Dale Behrens, former women’s soccer coach and for meritorious service; and Dr. Elizabeth Behrens, meritorious service.
 

M. Terry Petersen III, Omaha, Neb., will be recognized by the Hastings College Alumni Association as Alumni Coach of the Year.

Inductees will be introduced immediately following the 2 p.m. women’s basketball game against Northwestern College in Lynn Farrell Arena at the Osborne Family Sports Complex. The men’s team plays at 4 p.m.
 

A banquet and induction ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Hazelrigg Student Union.  To make reservations, call the Office of Marketing and Communications at
(402) 461-7757.
 

The Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame, established in 1989, honors and preserves the memory of athletes, teams, coaches, and those who have contributed meritorious service to Hastings College and its athletic programs.
 

A committee of college officials and alumni make selections based on submitted nominations.
 

Matthew Jurgena, a 1998 graduate of Hastings College, was a dominating pitcher for the Broncos during his three years in the program. He is the all-time Bronco strikeout leader, and posted the best three-year total for strikeouts in Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference history (now Great Plains Athletic Conference, GPAC). His 9-2 record in 1997 is tied for the best all-time at Hastings College.
 

The summer of 1997, Jurgena was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the Major League Amateur Draft.

Jurgena is sales, business and finance manager for Frontier Ford. Jurgena’s wife, Wyndi (Dickman), is a 1999 graduate of Hastings College.

Dr. Dale Behrens, Hastings College director of computer services, is being inducted as a former head coach and for meritorious service. He is the first Hastings
College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee to be honored for coaching and meritorious service. 
 

For more than 30 years, Behrens has served as a basketball scoreboard operator, and for several years, served as Faculty Athletics Representative. He runs the scoreboard for volleyball, and previously kept the scorebook for men’s basketball.

In 1994, Behrens sponsored a men’s and women’s combined soccer club, and in 1995, coached a women’s soccer club. In 1996, he became head coach of the inaugural women’s soccer team. In four years, he led the team to a conference title. In 10 years at the helm, his teams won nine regular season or post-season league titles, and won more than 84 percent of their conference games.

Behrens’ overall coaching record was 141-60-5, a 70 percent win average. His conference record was 69-13-1, and his conference tournament record was 17-4. He was named conference Coach of the Year three times.
 

Behrens coached 25 All-Conference athletes and 17 scholar athletes. His teams won six of their last seven conference tournaments and qualified for the regional tournaments his last seven years of coaching.
 

Dr. Elizabeth Behrens, Hastings College professor of mathematics and computer science, has served as scorekeeper at basketball (both men and women) and volleyball games for more than 25 years. Her role in the administration of Bronco athletic events has long been appreciated by administrators, coaches and players. Her integrity, professionalism and aptitude have been noted by officials in both sports.
 

The Behrens have three grown children: Eve Hindrichs, Anna Van Sligtenhorst, and Lee Behrens; and four grandchildren.
 

The Hastings College Alumni Coach of the Year award, established in 2004 by the Hastings College Alumni Association, is presented to a graduate who has shown outstanding achievement in an athletic coaching profession.

M. Terry Petersen III, a 1968 graduate, participated in football and tennis, earning eight letters at Hastings College. A long-time tennis instructor at Omaha Westside High School, his teams won 11 metro championships and six state championships.

In 1982, Petersen founded “T’s 13,” a softball team that holds a national record for the longest-running team with one name, one sponsor, and one coach. The team, a national tournament competitor, accomplished an overall record of 2,247 wins and 668 losses. In 1997, the team won the National Softball Association Class “A” World Championship, and in 2000 and 2001, were ASA/USA National Champions.
 

Petersen and his wife, Jill, have four grown children: Tricia, Tim, Ron and Jackie; and six granddaughters.