Chmelka, Husker Stars to be Inducted into Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame

Lincoln - Nebraska men's gymnastics head coach Chuck Chmelka will be inducted into the 2026 Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame alongside fellow former Huskers Phil Cahoy and the late Jim Hartung. The ceremony will be on Oct. 4, at 1 p.m., at Lincoln East High School.

The three are being honored as part of the golden 50th anniversary of the 1976 Omaha South state championship men's gymnastics teams. The team set a state record with a score of 185.70, breaking the record they had established during the 1975 state championship.

Omaha South won the Metro, District and State championships in 1976 and finished the season undefeated. The 1976 Omaha South teams included Robert Buglewicz, Ed Buglewicz, Bob Faulk, John Hartung, Jim Hartung, Phil Cahoy Jr., Jesus Vasquez, Randy Contreras, Chuck Chmelka and Rex Vlcek. Richard Beran coached the team.

Hartung finished his high school gymnastics career with 18 state titles. He also won the all-around title at the 1976 state championships.

Cahoy and Hartung went on to lead Nebraska to four consecutive NCAA team championships from 1980-83. Chmelka was a part of the 1979, 1980 and 1981 championship teams.

Several other former Nebraska athletes and coaches are also among the 2026 Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame inductees, including Bret Clark, Ken Clark, Guy Ingles, Brett Maher, Shannon Guy-Adamsick, Emily Cady, Pat DiBiase and Dan McLaughlin.

Bret Clark was a three-year starter at safety for Nebraska and recorded 143 career tackles. He also spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

The late Ken Clark recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Nebraska and finished his career with more than 3,000 rushing yards. He carried the ball 494 times, averaging more than 6.1 yards per carry, and scored 29 touchdowns. He played three seasons for the Indianapolis Colts.

Ingles was a three-year football letterman at Nebraska who played split end and returned kicks. He finished his career with 80 receptions for 1,072 yards. He later served as a graduate assistant and held other coaching roles at Nebraska from 1972-79.

Maher was the Big Ten Kicker and Punter of the Year in 2011 and was a two-time Big Ten Kicker of the Year during his Nebraska career. He played five seasons in the NFL and set a single-season scoring record for the Dallas Cowboys. Maher returned to Nebraska as a special teams analyst in 2024. He served as an assistant special teams coach in 2025 and is the Huskers' special teams coordinator in 2026.

Guy-Adamsick set the Nebraska school record in the 100-meter butterfly and was a four-time letterwinner. She qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in Omaha the summer following her sophomore season.

Cady was a four-year starter in women's basketball at Nebraska and earned multiple All-Big Ten honors throughout her time as a Husker. She finished her career with 1,461 points, 1,114 rebounds, 305 assists, 140 steals and 115 blocked shots.

DiBiase is being inducted as a swimming coach. During his time as a Nebraska swimmer, he won the conference championship in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1976.

McLaughlin is being inducted as a football coach. He previously served as a graduate assistant for Nebraska under coach Frank Solich, working with the offensive line and assisting the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator.