Chadron State College Athletic Hall of Fame
A native of Lewellen, Bartak was a four-year starter on the Eagles’ outstanding basketball teams of the 1960s. He was the only senior starter of the 1966-67 team that had a 22-6 record and represented Nebraska at the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City.
Bartak led Chadron State in scoring as both a sophomore (13.1 points per game) and a junior (18.3), when the Eagles were 19-5. He averaged 17.5 points as a senior to rank second in scoring to Jim Rhodes’ 24.4-point average.
He scored 1,389 points, third-highest on the Eagles’ career list when he graduated and still is the 11th best. He was a member of the Nebraska College Conference all-star team as both a junior and a senior and was an NAIA District 11 choice and honorable mention All-American as a senior. He also was recognized as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete that season.
Bartak was a teacher and coach at Newhall, Calif., for a number of years before going into private business. His wife, the former Connie Mehrer of Gering, also attended Chadron State.
