Chadron State College Athletics

A native of Bridgeport, McKay set the Chadron State high jump record in 1961 when he cleared 6-4 ½ using what he called the belly roll. He graduated the following year and taught and coached for five years at Rushville, where he met his late wife, Ruth. She was from western Montana, and they went from Rushville to Flathead High School at Kalispell, Mont., where he had remarkable success as a girls’ track and field coach. His teams won 20 divisional and 12 Class AA state championships.
McKay received the Montana Girls’ Track and Field Coach of the Year Award 12 times and in 1991 was inducted into the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was selected the National Girls’ Track and Field Coach of the Year and in 2001 he was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. It is believed that he is the only Chadron State graduate to be in the latter hall of fame.