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Woitas named AD of Year for Class A

Bruce Woitas

SLEEPY EYE — All of Bruce Woitas’ hard work as the athletic director at Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s has paid off in more ways than one.

This time, Woitas has been named the Athletic Director of the Year for Class A, as recognized by the Minnesota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MnIAAA).

Having been the head coach of both the baseball and girls’ basketball teams since 1989, Woitas took on the role as athletic director in 1998 and has been involved in numerous roles as a coaches rep for Region 2A. He is currently the Section 2A, North Subsection coordinator for girls’ and boys’ basketball as well as volleyball.

“It’s kind of like another head coaching job in some ways,” Woitas said. “You’ve got to put your team together and your people who help at events and things like that. We’ve been very fortunate to have that here with people who get involved and help out in some capacities, whether it be prepping football fields, running clock or supervision — whatever it may be.”

Every year, each athletic director who is named the Athletic/Activities Administrator of the Year for each region is eligible for the AD of the Year award. Woitas was appointed out of Region 2A and won the state-wide award for small schools.

“It’s pretty special; it caught me off guard,” Woitas said. “It’s nice recognition for our school here.”

Woitas said that there is a lot more to being an athletic director than some may think. He lauded his fellow ADs in the Tomahawk Conference for the organizational prowess within the conference.

“We’ve already got everything for the Tomahawk Conference scheduled through baseball and softball for next year,” Woitas said. “That gives us the opportunity to start lining up our officials for those events and thinks like that as well. We have a really neat group of ADs in the Tomahawk Conference. … There’s a process to it and it takes some time. But the way we’re set up within our conference and in our region, it helps a lot.”

One of the key people in Woitas’ successful career has been his wife, Mary, who has been supportive of his sometimes-hectic schedule.

“There’s not too many people who are going to be head coaches and then be an AD — you’re gone all the time,” Woitas said. “Back in ’98, our twin sons, Alan and Andrew, would have been 11 years old when I became the AD and prior to that coaching when they were just born, so she had to do a lot and you’re gone a lot. As a coach and an AD, you’re gone a lot, so I really appreciate her support and for allowing me to do what I love to do.”

In his time as the girls’ basketball coach, Woitas has a career record of 360-305 and led the Knights to two state appearances (1999 and 2005).

A 2014 inductee into the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Woitas has a career record of 462-192 and led the Knights to four state championships in baseball (2002, 2004, 2006, 2007).

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