2024 Inductee: John Gathje

 Coach John Gathje has been both a coach and a teacher at Mount Michael since 1991, inspiring and helping students in the classroom and on the trails. In cross country, his teams have qualified for state 25 times with five third-place team finishes, three state runner-up finishes, and six state titles. In addition to his teams’ successes, he has coached over 35 top-fifteen finishes. In track and field, Gathje has helped coach the sprinters, throwers, jumpers, middle distance, and distance runners. He has had numerous athletes qualify for and medal at the state meet, including 5 school record holders and two all-class gold medalists.

2023 Inductees: George Roshone, Dave Hahn

Coach George Roshone was born and raised in Omaha, NE. He attended St. Bernard’s, Holy Name, and Benson High School before attending St. John’s Seminary, now Mount Michael Benedictine School, for his final year prior to attending Omaha University. In the summer of 1970 George went to Mount Michael to visit Fr. Nathaniel. During his visit Father asked him if he’d be interested in serving as Mount Michael legend and Co-Hall of Famer, Jim “Killer” Kane’s assistant coach. That fall he began his 23-year career of coaching Mount Michael’s football, basketball, and track teams. During his coaching career he helped Mount Michael’s football team qualify for state seven times, bringing home state championships in 1982 and 1990. In basketball, he helped Mount Michael to success as well with the Knights winning 11 district titles, state runner up in 1984, and two state championships in 1983 and 1985. In track the Knights had state qualifiers each year George assisted the team. In 1989 he helped the Knights to a state runner up trophy and in 1973 he helped bring home Mount Michael’s only track and field state title. George retired from coaching in 1993 but came out of coaching retirement briefly in 2015 to assist his son, John, to coach the Knights. With his assistance the 2015 Knights qualified for the state basketball tournament. George and his wife Patty live in Omaha. They have three children, John ’99, Michael ’01, and Katie, and six grandchildren.

David Hahn ’69 was born and raised in Pierce and attended St. Joseph School before coming to St John Seminary, now Mount Michael Benedictine School, in the fall of 1965. While at St. John’s he participated in cross country, basketball, and track. During his cross-country career, Dave helped St. John’s Cross Country team to a third place at state his sophomore year. During his junior year, the team went undefeated, winning all nine meets they competed in. At districts, their team placed four individuals in the top five putting them just one point away from a perfect team score. At the state meet, the team scored 22 points with all four runners finishing in the top 10 with Dave finishing 8th overall in the state. His senior year they successfully defended their state title and only lost one race due to an injured runner. Individually, Dave improved his individual performance from the year before by placing 6th overall at the state meet. In Basketball, Dave was a four-year starter at guard. During his 81-game career, he averaged over 15 points and seven rebounds per game. In his junior year he helped lead the Knights to a state runner-up trophy. The next two seasons Dave and the Knights compiled an overall record of 29-5 and ended the seasons rated No. 2 and No. 4 respectfully. As a senior Dave was selected All-State from both the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star. He was also invited to participate in the first annual Nebraska Basketball Coaches North-South All-Star game. Dave worked in the telecommunications industry for 46 years for companies that included Northwestern Bell, U S West, Qwest Communications and retiring from CenturyLink. After a short retirement, he became the Executive Director of a small non-profit telecom company that focused on Distance Learning and Tele-heath applications as well Broadband initiatives in rural Nebraska. Dave and his wife Linda live in Omaha, NE. They have four children, Michelle, Matt ‘01, Josh and Amy, and nine grandchildren.

2022 Inductees: Jeff Jamrog, Doug Wemhoff

Jeff “The Hog” Jamrog ’83– During his time at Mount Michael Jeff was a dominant force on both the football field and the basketball court. In 1982 Jamrog help lead the Knights to an undefeated season and the state title. Jamrog capped off the Knights season rushing for 235 yards on 31 attempts and scored five touchdowns. Jamrog holds the school records for career rushing yards (3,220), career rushing touchdowns (41), single game scoring (30) and career scoring (246). In 1982 Jamrog was named all-state and was the Nebraska High School Player of the Year. In basketball he named to the all-state team as well and helped the Knights compile a 20-1 record on their way to a 56-45 victory over Fairbury in the state championship. This helped Mount Michael complete the football/basketball state title sweep in 1982/83. After leaving Mount Michael Jeff continued his football career walking on to play for the University of Nebraska and eventually earning a scholarship. In 1987, during his senior year with the Huskers, Jamrog was named an Academic All- American and the recipient of the Guy Chamberlin Trophy, an award given to a senior football player that is committed to the betterment of his team. Jamrog has coached collegiately for over 32 years and currently serves as the head football coach for Midland University.

Doug Wemhoff ’85 is one of the most accomplished athletes in Mount Michael history. As a three-sport athlete Wemhoff helped guide the Knights to the state championship in basketball 2 times in his last three years. His senior year, he led Mount Michael to a 22-2 record and a 22 point average margin of victory for the season. In the state tournament he scored 83 points with 26 of them coming in the Knights 53-46 win over Valentine. He was a multiple time All State Class B selection and averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds per game his senior year. In 1985 he was named to the first team of Nebraska’s All Super State Team and is the only Mount Michael basketball player to have ever earned this honor. Wemhoff still holds the school records for points in a season (559), rebounds for a career (661), rebounds for a season (278), rebounds for a game (19), career field goals (493) and field goals for a season (293). His senior track season, Wemhoff won the Class B discus title with a throw of 165 feet. He also set a school record of 172 feet, his record still stands. After leaving Mount Michael, Wemhoff competed in basketball for Rockhurst University where he finished his career with 2,063 points and 887 rebounds. In 1989, during his senior year, he was named the Most Valuable Player for Rockhurst and was an NAIA All-District selection. Upon graduating from Rockhurst, he earned his juris doctorate from University of Missouri- KC School of Law. Doug has practiced law in the Kansas City area for the last 30 years.

2021 Inductees: Conroy Jefferies, Br. Francis Schmitz, 1982 Football Team

Conroy Jeffries ’73 is one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Mount Michael history. Fairly quiet during his first two seasons, Jeffries did not place at state meet until his junior year when he finished 2nd in the 220 yard dash at the Nebraska State Track and Field Championships. Jeffries’ senior year he exploded onto the scene and set school records in the 200 meters (21.7) and the 400 meters (48.9).During his senior campaign, Jeffries won gold medals in the 220 yard dash (22.0), the 440 yard dash (50.2), the 880 yard dash (1:56:3), and anchored the 4 x 440 yard state champion relay team (3:29:2). Jeffries’ 32.5 points helped the Knights beat second place Howells 46-38 for the team title. The 1973 track team is the only team in school history to win a team title in track and field. Jefferies still holds the school record in the 400 meters.

Br. Francis “Frankie” Schmitz was the definition of contributor. He was a sports enthusiast with a special love for Mount Michael athletics. He had an unwavering loyalty to Mount Michael athletics and was not afraid to challenge friend or foe to find a better athlete or team than a Mount Michael one. He was well-known for his famous “predictions” of games’ outcome. Sometimes his zealous game time enthusiasm would find him next to Coach Kane after a big play or an official’s call giving the business to a player or to an official. Br. Francis’s love for Mount Michael athletics was most apparent when the lights were dimmed on the field or court and he could be found washing, drying, and repairing uniforms in the Abbey laundry room into the wee hours. Br. Francis set the standard for what it means to be a contributor to Mount Michael athletics and help establish Mount Michael’s strong athletic tradition.

1982 Football Team– Mount Michael’s 1982 state championship football team is the most dominant football team to date for the Knights. On their way to the state title, the defensive line of Al Hageman, Tim Wilcox, Joe Hettinger, Roger Peterson, Kevin McCauley, and Rick Hanna helped the Knights shut out 9 of their 11 opponents. Backing up the line were Jeff Jamrog, and David Tamisiea, with Jeff Ciurej, Shane McCann, and Paul McCann in secondary. This Knights defense only allowed 19 points to be scored on them the entire season. The backfield of Paul McCann, Shane McCann, Clete Menke and Jeff Jamrog led a high-powered offense that averaged 27 points per game and scored 296 points for the year. After recording their undefeated regular season the Knights steam rolled McCook 24-0 in the first round of the state playoffs, blanked Lincoln Pius X 28-0, in the second and shut out O’Neill 38-0 in the state championship game. This state title helped earn Coach Jim “Killer” Kane recognition as the Omaha World Herald’s Boys Coach of the Year in the spring of 1983. The 1982 Mount Michael Knight football team is the only team in school history to have completed an undefeated season.

2020 Inductee: Coach Jim Kane

Coach Jim “Killer” Kane- Coach Kane was hired to start athletic programs at Mount Michael, then St. John’s Seminary. Kane was a graduate of Wisner High. He went on to attend UNL where lettered in baseball for three years and was twice selected All-Big 7 catcher. After college he spent three seasons in the New York Yankees farm system. Leaving baseball in 1962, Kane took a job as teacher and coach at Waterloo High School for two years before moving up the road to St. John’s Seminary, which later would be known as Mount Michael.
As sports were added he became the “all everything coach.” His cross country teams were state champions in 1967 and 1968. His football teams had an overall record of 174-93 and two state championships in ’82 and ’90 while qualifying for the playoffs a total of 10 times. Coach Kane coached his basketball teams to an overall record of 531-254 with 12 trips to the state tournament. Four of those trips were consecutive, ’82 to ’85, and two were champions, ’83 and ’85. As a track coach he had many successful seasons taking the Class C state championship in ’73. He was selected as the Omaha World Herald Coach of the Year in 1983. Kane is also a member of the Nebraska State High School Association’s Hall of Fame.