Outstanding Members of Monticello Athletics Awarded

NGM Cross Country Coaches Steve Wehrley and Coach Ann DeNure were presented with the 2023 Outstanding Members of Monticello Athletics award on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
Steve Wehrley taught New Glarus Middle and High School Physics and Chemistry from 1972-2012, and began coaching the NGM Cross Country teams in 1987, leading the program until announcing his retirement this winter after completing his 35th season. In 2012, Wehrley was inducted into the Wisconsin Cross Country Hall of Fame.
Ann DeNure began her teaching career as a student teacher in Monticello in the fall of 1991, staying through the second semester as a teacher's aide. She accepted a teaching position in Monticello in the fall of 1992, where she is currently a second grade teacher, along with coaching Cross Country and Track.
Coach Wehrley recruited Coach DeNure to help with the NGM Cross Country teams while she was coaching Track. DeNure loved running but had never been to a cross country meet and Wehrley was excited to show her the ropes of his coaching style leading her to assist him and the team for 30 years.
Prior to Wehrley and DeNure taking over the teams, NGM had never won a state, sectional or conference championship but have since won 28 conference championships (14 for the boys and 14 for the girls), have had 19 state qualifying teams (8 for the boys and 11 for the girls) of which three teams took first place at sectionals and 16 teams took second place at sectionals. Five individual runners earned a trip to the state cross country meet. At the WIAA State Cross Country meets, the team has produced five individual state championships, three team runner-up trophies, two runners broke existing state meet records, one of which still holds, and two runners have been inducted into the Cross Country Hall of Fame. Three members of the team are currently competing at the D1 college level.
The coaches agree that it is most satisfying for them to watch a runner complete their first race. The pride they feel is contagious to the other runners and their fans and they say that it takes a special person to train for and complete a cross country race.
Coach Wehrley is widely known for telling stories and connecting them to the athletes and their races (along with french fry theft – it is estimated that he ^borrowed^" approximately 2