News

Northwest Tech has named Jay Bradley to serve as the 4th men’s basketball coach in the program’s history. Bradley, a Wichita KS native, will return to the sunflower state as the Mavericks work to build a competitive team in a dominant KJCCC Jayhawk Conference. “We are looking forward to welcoming Coach Bradley to the Northwest Tech team,” said Athletic Director Rory Kling. “Experience on the court as both a coach and his work with ProSkills EYBL, will help him recruit the needed talent to be able to compete in the Jayhawk conference.”

Coach Bradley has already hit the ground running to recruit incoming student-athletes for the 2021-2022 academic year. “It’s an honor to be named the Head Coach of this program,” said Bradley. “Northwest Tech immediately made an impression on me by showing the pride they take in their school success and the community.” The Mavericks are coming off a 3-18 record for the prior year and are looking to position the program for success. “We had several great conversations with Coach Bradley leading up to this point,” said NT President Ben Schears. “We feel he is a guy who is not afraid to jump in, work hard, and put in the effort to build a winning program.”....

Northwest Tech is pleased to announce the launch of collegiate Women’s Wrestling at the college, with competition beginning in the Fall of 2021. The move comes following a decision at the March board meeting as the college works to strengthen enrollment and increase female student-athletes on campus. 

“We have discussed adding the program for a few years, but with the recent decision by the NJCAA to recognize women’s wrestling as an emerging sport the timing was right to make the move,” said Athletic Director Rory Kling.

Northwest Tech is no stranger to women’s wrestling, as it was a club sport during the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 academic years. “We are excited to bring the program back and provide an additional opportunity for student-athletes to earn a degree in a high-demand and high-wage field of study,” said Kling.

Women’s wrestling is on the rise all across the country. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association website, the number of women wrestling at the high school level has grown from 804 athletes in 1994 to well over 21,124 by 2019 – and that was as of two years ago. Even while participation has increased, opportunities for female wrestlers in Kansas to compete at the collegiate level in-state are few and far between. According to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association website, there are only five private NAIA colleges and universities in Kansas with women’s wrestling. “High school programs have grown rapidly in Kansas and all around the Midwest,” said Northwest Tech President Ben Schears. “This is an opportunity for us to be among the first in the state to meet the growing demand and provide an equal opportunity to compete.”

The creation of the women’s program will be a great addition to a highly successful NJCAA Men’s Wrestling program at Northwest Tech. The men’s program is currently ranked 9th in the nation and has already produced three national champions, eleven All-Americans, and has several nationally-ranked wrestlers heading to the national competition in late April. “We want to see the same success, talent, and skill with our women’s program as we have with our men’s program,” said Wrestling Head Coach Chris Guillot. “Our goal is to develop high-quality student-athletes in the classroom and on the mat.”

Both the men’s and women’s programs will be under the guidance of Head Coach Chris Guillot and Assistant Coaches Lelund Weatherspoon, Ramico Blackmon, and Ben Kritsonis. “Our coaching staff are the right people at the right time to get this off the ground,” said Schears. “They have the vision, skills, and mindset to get the program started on the right foot.”

For more information about the new wrestling program, contact Wrestling Coach Chris Guillot at chris.guillot@fhnw.edu or by phone at 785.890.1545. https://www.ntmavericks.com/sports/wwrest/index

Northwest Tech Earns 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School Designation

Goodland, KS (02/17/2021)— Northwest Kansas Technical College announced today that it has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly^® School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly^® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with 747 earning the designation.

The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly^® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources, within a logic based scoring assessment. We measure the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“Northwest Tech is delighted to be recognized for our commitment to those who have, and are serving, our country in the Armed Forces,” said Ben Schears, Northwest Tech President. “The US military has had a long history of offering highly-structured technical training that results in job-ready skills and bright futures - as a technical college we can appreciate the shared values in our approach to education.”

“Military Friendly^® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data driven standards in our designation process. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to consistently evolve and invest in their programs. Schools who achieve designation show true commitment and dedication in their efforts. Our standards assist schools by providing a benchmark that promotes positive educational outcomes, resources, and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community.” - Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly^®

For more information about Northwest Kansas Technical College student veteran programs, visit Northwest Tech’s website at www.fhnw.edu/students/military-veterans or call (785) 890-3641.

About Military Friendly^® Schools:

The Military Friendly^® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate.

Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

About Viqtory:

Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs® and Military Friendly® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about VIQTORY at www.viqtory.com.

Welcome Back, Maverick Fans!

25% Occupancy Allowed at Home Games

Goodland, KS (2/3/21) - The Jayhawk conference will allow in-person attendance at Northwest Tech athletic events effective Saturday, February 6th, 2021. Events are limited to 25% capacity, and fans will be required to follow COVID-19 safety protocols per the Jayhawk conference guidelines:

1. Events are limited to 25% capacity.
2. Capacity varies by venue size.
3. Masks must be worn at all times.
4. No food or drinks allowed.

Northwest Tech welcomes fans to attend spring athletic events that include shooting sports, women’s softball, wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, track and cross country. For an up-to-date athletics schedule, visit www.ntmavericks.com.