Two-sport champ

Woitas joins Wacker and Bonk on legends list

Tyrone Wacker during his days coaching the Worthington Community College (now Minnesota West) football team. Photo from The Globe.

It’s a trivia question that has at least three correct answers.

How many high school coaches in Minnesota have been the head coach of a state championship team in two sports?

Whatever that number is, Bruce Woitas increased it by one on Saturday when Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s won the Class A title at the state girls basketball tournament.

I know that the number is now at least three.

There are quite likely more coaches of state championship teams in multiple sports, but that will require research during the next blizzard, which hopefully isn’t until at least late in 2026.

Around here, you likely know that one of the answers is Tyrone Wacker.

He coached two state championship football teams, Gaylord in Class C in 1972 and Jackson High School in Class B in 1985. Tyrone also coached Jackson County Central to the Class AA baseball title in 2004.

FUN FACTS: After Tyrone left to get his Master’s degree at South Dakota State, Gaylord won a second straight state Class C football title in the fall of 1973 and then won the state Class B track and field title in the spring of 1974. He had also been the track and field coach for the Spartans.

Gaylord is now of the Sibley East School District along with Arlington-Green Isle.

Former Fairmont cross country and track and field coach Bob Bonk.

Fairmont’s Bob Bonk also coached state championship teams in two sports.

He coached state girls cross country state champions in 1988 and 2016 and a state MSHSL boys track and field champion in 2008.

Bonk also led four true team track and field teams to state titles, four girls and one boys.

Bruce Woitas of Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s at his 2014 induction to the Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Photo from Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association. Among the other inductees that year was Minnesota Twins’ GM Terry Ryan (seated far left).

Woitas added a girls basketball state title to four state championship baseball teams at St. Mary’s, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The Minnesota Lake High School and Mankato State University graduate has been at St. Mary’s since 1987.

He’ll start the 2026 baseball season second in wins among active coaches and fourth overall:

• Bob Karn, St. Cloud Cathedral, 868-355 (54 years, active)

• Lowell Scearcy, Brainerd, 765-325 (49 years, retired)

• Jim Senske, New Ulm, 707-171 (40 years, retired)

• Bruce Woitas, Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, 564-274 (36 years, active)

He has also coached the Sleepy Eye Legion and VFW teams, Sleepy Eye amateur team, the Sleepy Eye Junior Bi-County team and the Minnesota Lake Legion team.