Western Wrestling Receives Large Donation from Alumni

ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING – February 12, 2022 

The Western Wyoming Community College (Western) Wrestling team received a $125,000 donation from Lukas (Luke) Kjar. Kjar competed at Western from 2004 to 2005 in the 165–174-pound weight class and graduated Western with an associate degree in General Studies. He met his wife at Western, Becca Kjar, who played basketball for the Mustangs. Currently Lukas Kjar’s cousin, Christian Smoot, competes as a Mustang on the Wrestling team. Their family roots run deep.  

In appreciation and passion for the sport, they wanted to give back. “I used to wrestle in the dungeon and value what they’ve done here. What I really love about this wrestling program is the focus on building good human beings, not just athletes. I want to keep forging good humans and keep wrestling in the forefront. Boys build lasting friendships and go on to do better things,” state Lukas Kjar, donor. 

This past weekend Western had the pleasure of seeing Luke, who attended the Plains District championships, and thanked him personally. Western is grateful for the donation and looks forward to putting it to beneficial use. Western’s Wrestling team is currently ranked #2 by NJCAA. This past weekend they captured the Plains District Championship and qualified all 10 wrestlers/weight classes for nationals, which will be in Council Bluffs, Iowa on March 4 and 5. 

“This gift from Luke Kjar and his family is a program changer! We will use this gift for many years to come to create the best environment for our student-athletes with unwavering dedication to our core values and we will continue to build champions for life,” states Art Castillo, Head Coach for Wrestling.  

For more information on Mustang Athletics Wrestling, visit westernwyoming.edu/wrestling. For alumni donation information, please reach out to David Tate at dtate@westernwyoming.edu