Hastings College women’s wrestling coach Cara Romeike poses with Reagen Gallaway, who won a bronze medal for Team USA at the World School Sport Games hosted by the International School Sports Federation in Normandy, France, in May. Gallaway was the 2022 138-pound state girls wrestling champion for Amherst.
Amherst’s Reagen Gallaway poses next to the school’s girls wrestling record boards. She holds all program records except escapes and reversals. “Hopefully they’ll stay up there for a while,” she said. Gallaway signed with Hastings College.
Amherst’s Reagan Gallaway signs to wrestle for Hastings College during a ceremony Thursday at Amherst High School. Gallaway is flanked by her parents, Wayne and Nancy, and was joined by Hastings College coach Cara Romeike (right).
Team USA athletes pose for a selfie with their medals and Hastings College women’s wrestling coach Cara Romeike (middle back) during the World School Sport Games hosted by the International School Sports Federation In Normandy, France in May.
Hastings College women’s wrestling coach Cara Romeike (front right) spent two weeks in Normandy, France, coaching during the World School Sport Games hosted by the International School Sports Federation.
Adams Central’s Kaley Waite signed with Hastings College women’s wrestling Tuesday afternoon. She is the first Hastings girl to pledge to the Broncos and coach Cara Romeike (right).
Bond with HC women's wrestling coach led Gallaway to Hastings College
The Amherst senior told the women’s wrestling coaches at the University of Iowa she wanted to be a Hawkeye. It was her dream to wear black and gold, and she’d earned it. When the offer came, she accepted. But Gallaway loved the idea of growing the sport of women’s wrestling more. And her desire to do so — her heart — is in Nebraska.
Hastings College women’s wrestling coach Cara Romeike poses with Reagen Gallaway, who won a bronze medal for Team USA at the World School Sport Games hosted by the International School Sports Federation in Normandy, France, in May. Gallaway was the 2022 138-pound state girls wrestling champion for Amherst.
Hastings College women’s wrestling coach Cara Romeike (front right) spent two weeks in Normandy, France, coaching during the World School Sport Games hosted by the International School Sports Federation.
Courtesy
Story Highlights
As Hastings College coach Cara Romeike recalled, Reagan Gallaway was involved in a game resembling tug-of-war.
All boys, except for one girl.
“I just saw her work ethic in the first five seconds of knowing her,” Romeike said. “It was literally insane that she wasn’t just like, ‘I’m a girl and I’m not going to be able to impact this game at all.’ She was pulling the weight of the whole team.”
That day began a friendship, mentorship, “sisterhood” that’s going to last at least four more years. Perhaps for life.
“We just have this bond that nobody else has,” Gallaway said.
As soon as Reagen Gallaway made the commitment, she felt a doubt.
The Amherst senior told the women’s wrestling coaches at the University of Iowa she wanted to be a Hawkeye.
It was her dream to wear black and gold, and she’d earned it. When the offer came, she accepted.
“I’m a big Hawkeye fan,” Gallaway, a Nebraskan, admits openly.
But something was holding her back from following through.
Maybe she loved Iowa. Maybe the Hawkeyes — at the Division I level — could take her higher places in the wrestling world.
But Gallaway loved the idea of growing the sport of women’s wrestling more. And her desire to do so — her heart — is in Nebraska.
The 140-pound Gallaway held no shortage of college offers. Her undefeated run at the first-ever girls state wrestling championships last year ensured she’d receive plenty of attention.
“Iowa, Life (University), Iowa Wesleyan, Grand View, Colorado Mesa,” she listed off five of her top six.
But one relationship mattered more than the rest. And it was 65 miles away from home instead of 445.
Amherst’s Reagan Gallaway signs to wrestle for Hastings College during a ceremony Thursday at Amherst High School. Gallaway is flanked by her parents, Wayne and Nancy, and was joined by Hastings College coach Cara Romeike (right).
Buck Mahoney/Kearney Hub
Gallaway on Thursday signed her letter of intent to wrestle at Hastings College for coach, friend, “sister” Cara Romeike.
“We’re going to do some big things together,” Gallaway said.
Standout from the start
These days, Gallaway isn’t difficult to spot in the crowd.
Back then it wasn’t so hard, either. But for a different reason.
In a venue filled with hundreds of male wrestlers, Gallaway stood as the lone female.
Romeike was volunteering at the camp hosted by UNK. She was one of few women’s wrestling coaches there, making connections for her infant program.
That’s when the coach first met Gallaway, now her newest signee but arguably her oldest recruit.
As Romeike recalled, Gallaway was involved in a game resembling tug-of-war. All boys, except for one girl.
“I just saw her work ethic in the first five seconds of knowing her,” Romeike said. “It was literally insane that she wasn’t just like, ‘I’m a girl and I’m not going to be able to impact this game at all.’ She was pulling the weight of the whole team.”
That day began a friendship, mentorship, “sisterhood” that’s going to last at least four more years. Perhaps for life.
“We just have this bond that nobody else has,” Gallaway said.
“It’s one of a kind. When I was getting recruited by other coaches they’d be like, ‘Hey, I know you have a great relationship with Cara and everything, but we’d love to get you on campus.’ That’s how they’d start the conversation off, and I thought that was pretty funny.”
‘Auntie Cara’
Put them side to side and you can see a resemblance.
Gallaway and Romeike could be mistaken for sisters. In fact, they often are.
“Any tournament or event we go to, somebody always asks,” Romeike said.
“I’m always like, ‘No. I’m her aunt,’ which isn’t true, either, but it’s just a running inside joke that we have going on.
“She always calls me ‘Auntie Cara,’ which is good and cute, but we’re just very alike personalities.”
Team USA athletes pose for a selfie with their medals and Hastings College women’s wrestling coach Cara Romeike (middle back) during the World School Sport Games hosted by the International School Sports Federation In Normandy, France in May.
Courtesy
Romeike sees a bit of herself in Gallaway.
“We have a joke that we’re the same person. She’s just me a few years back,” said Romeike, who wrestled collegiately at Jamestown.
They share a love for each other and for wrestling.
But swaying one of the state’s top wrestlers to remain a Bronco and come to Hastings College, Romeike said, was less about the sport itself and what she can bring to the program — which is a lot.
“I keep telling people, I really didn’t recruit Reagen because she’s No. 1 in the state,” Romeike said. “Of course, that’s awesome and a bonus, but I recruited her because I have so much love for her and I want to see her succeed and accomplish her dreams.”
That would remain the case if Gallaway stuck with Iowa. Or chose anywhere else but Hastings College.
Romeike was a friend and mentor first, coach second, through the recruiting process, Gallaway said.
“She knew Iowa was my goal and dream, but when I started talking to her about it, I realized my main goal was to just grow the sport,” Gallaway said. “And my other main goal is to be a coach.”
What better way to accomplish those goals than learn under your most cherished teacher?
“I want to be a coach like Coach Cara, so why not go and wrestle underneath her?” Gallaway said.
“Ultimately I think she picked Hastings for the right reasons,” Romeike said.
Adams Central’s Kaley Waite signed with Hastings College women’s wrestling Tuesday afternoon. She is the first Hastings girl to pledge to the Broncos and coach Cara Romeike (right).
Courtesy
Romeike’s program, now in its third year, is finally taking form. Additions like Gallaway and Adams Central’s Kaley Waite for next year will only grow the local and regional interest.
The Broncos had their first national consolation quarterfinalist last season and were runners-up in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
“I really think I’m building something special here,” Romeike said. “It hasn’t been easy... but I think this year we finally feel established. We have this amazing culture on the team and I’m just looking for people who are going to keep that.”
First thing’s first
It took all of 50 seconds for Gallaway to etch her name in Nebraska’s history books. That’s how long it took for her to win her the state’s first girls wrestling gold medal on the grandest stage Omaha can offer.
There was plenty of camera time to follow. Photographers and sports TV anchors captured her celebration.
Reporters trailed her to the hallways under CHI Health Center Omaha to ask how she did what she did, what it felt like, and her journey to becoming one of Nebraska’s best girls wrestlers in the first year the sport was officially recognized by the Nebraska Schools Activities Association.
Gallaway, who is unbeaten since the sport has been sanctioned, had fielded all the questions before in her head. She’s been a unique force on the wrestling mat since she could walk.
“Wrestling is my sport,” she said.
And for a long time, she was the only girl in the wrestling room.
During her freshman year, she wrestled only against boys. By the time her sophomore year rolled around, girls wrestling was an emerging sport in the state with more girls out.
“Before it was sanctioned, you never saw any girls only tournaments,” she said.
That’s all different now. More than 1,000 girls have joined Gallaway on the mat statewide in its second sanctioned season.
She is one of many happy to see the sport grow.
“There are some freaking studs right now,” she said. “The talent difference in just a year, is insane. I believe we’re going to be a top recruiting state in 5-10 years.”
As she eyes a second title to cap her prep career, Gallaway has become somewhat of a wrestling celebrity.
People, even competitors, often tap her on the shoulder to simply say hello. Others ask for pointers.
That’s what being a girls wrestling pioneer gets you.
Amherst’s Reagen Gallaway poses next to the school’s girls wrestling record boards. She holds all program records except escapes and reversals. “Hopefully they’ll stay up there for a while,” she said. Gallaway signed with Hastings College.
