Mike Bammes Named Barton's First Wrestling Coach

Mike Bammes Named Barton's First Wrestling Coach

After announcing in October 2014 to add Wrestling to its athletic opportunities, the Barton Community College Board of Trustees recently approved the hiring of Mike Bammes in becoming the first Head Coach in Barton Wrestling history.

"Mike Bammes comes highly recommended by his peers and is poised to set the stage for wrestling  to become just one of another record setting programs here at Barton," said Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs.  "Mike brings with him high energy and a passion to put a high quality product on the mat that the Barton family can all be proud of."

Arriving to Barton from his alma mater Fort Hays State University, Bammes has spent the last two years as a Graduate Assistant Coach for the nationally ranked Tigers.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity and ready to hit the ground running in our first year of Barton Cougar Wrestling," Bammes said. "My goal is to establish a two-year program where Kansas wrestlers and out-of-state wrestlers will compete and put Barton Wrestling and Barton County on the map academically and on the mat."

Prior to joining the Tigers' coaching staff, Bammes served as a high school head coach on two different occasions, Lakin High School in 2010-11 and Dodge City High School from 2006-08. Bammes has also had assistant coaching stops at Garden City High School, Manhattan High School and Salina South High School, along with a middle school in Salina, Kansas, and head middle school coach in Emporia, Kansas, and Hays, Kansas.

"The dawn of a new age begins as Barton starts a collegiate wrestling program," Rolfs sad.  "It is an exciting time bringing opportunity to so many high quality wrestlers in the state of Kansas aspiring to wrestle at the collegiate level."

A native of Manhattan, Kansas, Bammes began his collegiate wrestling career in the 142 weight division at Garden City Community College during the 1991-92 and 1993-94 seasons where the Broncbusters captured two NJCAA National Championships.

Following his collegiate years at Garden City, Bammes was a member of the FHSU varsity squad in 1995-96 and 1998-99, wrestling in the 150 and 165 pound weight divisions winning a regional and conference championship in 1998-99.  Voted a team Captain in his final season in a Tiger uniform, Bammes was ranked nationally and qualified for the NCAA National Championships.

Bammes received his bachelor's degree in Physical Education from FHSU in 2000 and is currently working towards completion of his master's degree in FHSU's Sports Administration program.