NEW GLARUS — This past spring in the Alternate Fall cross country season, New Glarus-Monticello returned to rare air as both the boys and girls teams reached the state meet — which combined all schools regardless of division.

Even better for the Knights? Nearly everyone returns for fall camp.

On the boys side, Evan Guenther is coming off a record-setting track and field season, while Braylon Hoesly, Brayden Ryan and Thomas Nelson are ready to step up even more than in the spring. 

“Who will be the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth man?” coach Steve Werhler rhetorically asked, as his boys roster graduated six runners this summer. “Will it be Linden Lounsbury, or Ian Schwartzlow, or Collin Blum or Aiden Runkle — or one of the freshman boys? Our success this season depends on finding the guys who will compliment our top four runners.”

On the girls side, senior Dayna Karls returns, as does every other runner that raced on varsity last year. Sophomore Lily Maynard had a strong freshman season, as did Annika Ziperski, Melanie Fink, Emma Martinson, Tenley Faber, Ruth Marty, Lucy Melvin, Whitney Disch and Devi Duerst.

“They are joined by 15 freshman girls to produce one of the largest girls team’s we’ve enjoyed,” Wehrley said.

The Capitol Conference is no slouch, and NGM is slated to join a sectional that includes Monroe, Brodhead-Juda, Dodgeville-Mineral Point, Edgewood, Lodi, Evansville, McFarland, Mount Horeb, Platteville, Richland Center/Ithaca, River Valley, Wisconsin Heights-Barneveld, Southwestern-Benton-Cuba City and host Prairie du Chien. 

But if the Knights learned anything from being by far the smallest school (based on enrollment) at the state meet this spring, it is to believe in themselves and their talent. Add in continued hard work, effort and luck in the health department, the route to a return trip to state is mapped.

“Considering the competition in our conference and at sectionals, it will take an all-out effort to repeat last year’s success,” Wehrley said.