The Bonduel High School cross-country teams know this will be the last year James Watry will be their coach.
Watry, who has coached the boys team to Central Wisconsin Conference titles in 2008 and 2013, as well as state team qualifiers in 2012 and 2013 since taking over in 2008, is going to step away after this year.
“I told the kids that here about two weeks ago,” Watry said. “Had a lot of success, The team is looking good for the kids coming back next year. I just needed to step away and recharge and see what happens from there.”
That’s in the back of his mind as he coaches a senior group of boys pushing for one more trip to state and an inexperienced girls team that will need his coaching this year to compete in a tough Central Wisconsin Conference.
“The boys so far haven’t been beaten by anyone in our division,” Watry said. “The girls team, I think it’s going to be a real challenge. Wittenberg-Birnamwood has a really good team, and so does Rosholt. We’re just going to have to see. We’ve got the talent. The question is do I have enough time to get it out this year.”
Seniors Sam Falck, Travis Wollenberg, Austin Marcks and James Watry, the coach’s son, along with junior Josh Schill and sophomore Austin Kurey are the core group that reached state the last two years. Falck finished 21st at the state meet.
Gone from the group through graduation are Isaac Palmer, Bryce Robaidek and Gregg Shafer.
“The last two years we’ve done really well,” Watry said. “Replacing someone like Isaac Palmer is not easy. He was a 17-minute runner last year. We’ve got to try and grow somebody fast here.”
Joining the boys team this year are junior Alex Hammond and freshmen Jacob Moede, Charlie Mews and Craig Rusch.
“The boys team is one of the smallest I’ve had, probably since the first year I’ve coached,” Watry said. “We have a lot of quality returners. We have a couple of people out right now with injuries and that, just waiting to see how that turns out.”
The coach has the opposite problem on the girls side.
“We’ve got the biggest girls team we’ve ever had, but we’re real inexperienced,” Watry said. “Especially with the change to the longer distance. We have some work to do there.”
The WIAA changed the distance of the girls courses this season, from 4,000 meters to 5,000, to match the distance run by the boys.
“It’s just a psychological barrier,” Watry said. “This won’t be an issue next year. It’s all anybody is going to know. It’s the whole thought process of, ‘Oh, it’s so far.’ It’s not. We train the same distance every day as the guys. I keep telling the girls, this is just proof that you’re just as capable as guys. That’s why they made the change.”
The girls’ team lost Mallory Mews, a state qualifier, to graduation. Returning are sophomore Anna Palmer, sophomore Abigail Palmer, senior Aneta Rohloff, sophomore Megan Fischer, junior Marissa Mehlhorn, senior Katelyn Rohr and sophomore McKenzie Mews.
“The only one that graduated last year was Mallory,” Watry said. “We have everybody coming back. It’s just the conference got a little harder this year.”
Joining the team this year are senior Deanna Zernicke and five freshmen: Arianna Factor, Erica Fassbender, Abby Owen, Alana Paholke and Ashlyn Schnell.
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