COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four Chadron State College student-athletes, the most-ever for CSC in a single season, have been honored as Strength and Conditioning All-Americans by the National Strength and Conditiong Association. Football players William Stemler and Tanner True, track and field athlete Chayton Bynes and men's wrestler Keegan Gehlhausen were all named recipients by the organization.

Both Stemler and Gehlhausen are repeat NSCA All-American honorees from last year. With their 2025 and 2026 accolades, Stemler and Gehlhausen become the second and third two-time NSCA All-Americans in Chadron State athletics history, joining football alum Cole Thurness, who received the honor in 2021 and 2022. 

The award recognizes each athlete's athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength and conditioning. Athletes are nominated by each institution's strength and conditioning coaches, with CSC's athletes nominated by Head Strength and Conditioning Coach E.J. Kreis and Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning Chase McLendon.

Stemler and True were both vital members of the Chadron State defensive line as the Eagle football program returned to the postseason for the first time in 13 years with an 8-4 record, including an 8-1 mark in RMAC play. Stemler racked up 57 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and an interception while earning Second Team All-RMAC honors. Stemler, a redshirt junior from Sierra Vista, Arizona, also competes as a thrower for the CSC track and field team. 

"Will approaches training with purpose and intensity, developing the total-body strength, explosive power and durability needed to dominate at the line of scrimmage," Kreis said. "Will is an anchor of our defense and a direct reflection of the culture and standards within our strength and conditioning program." 

True, a senior from Eaton, Colorado, finished up a decorated career that saw earn First Team All-RMAC honors as a defensive tackle for the second time in his career in 2025. True had 35 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks across this past football season. 

"Tanner's performance in the weight room directly translates to elite production on the field," McLendon said. "Beyond the numbers, he is a leader in the weight room, setting the standard for intensity, accountability and consistency, making him a complete representation of what an NSCA All-American should be."

Bynes, a Chadron native, has already finished third in the triple jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning his third career All-American honor, and currently holds the No. 2 mark in Division II in the outdoor triple jump. The RMAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year holds both the indoor and outdoor school records as well as the Chadron State facility record. 

"What separates Chayton is the way he connects preparation to performance," Kreis said. "He possesses an advanced understanding of the weight room and applies it, progressing from foundational strength to elite power. His explosiveness is evidnet in every phase of training."

Gehlhausen received All-American honors for the second straight year in the 184-pound bracket, finishing fourth one year after a national runner-up finish. Gehlhausen also earned First-Team All-RMAC honors and was ranked No. 1 in the nation entering the 2025-26 season. 

"Keegan's work ethic drives those around him to improve," Kreis said. "His approach to strength and conditioning is unmatched. His total-body strength, explosive power and elite conditioning translate directly to the mat, allowing him to compete with relentless pace, control positions and finish matches with authority."

Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world.

The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.