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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Cross-country
Rochester cross-country coach Scott Stalbaum has stepped down after 11 seasons. His resignation became official at the Rochester School Board meeting Tuesday.;
Prior to his resignation becoming official, Stalbaum told RTC in a text message Tuesday that he was stepping down to “pursue other hobbies.”
The Rochester girls cross-country team has won back-to-back Three Rivers Conference titles and have made it to semistate four straight years.
This year’s Lady Z team did not have any seniors and had four all-TRC runners in Madilyn Calloway, Araceli Ochoa, Zoe Seward and Kendyll Bradley. Calloway was the TRC individual champion and qualified for the state finals for the second straight year.
In addition to Calloway, other top RHS girls striders during Stalbaum’s tenure included Anna Meyer, Anna Bearss, Kelsey Tyler, Sarah Rohr and Mallory Hiatt.
The girls team made it to semistate seven times under Stalbaum.
The RHS boys did not make semistate in 2020, but they made it eight times in a nine-year span from 2011-19. The top RHS boys team during that time was the 2015 team, which placed ninth at semistate.
Top runners under Stalbaum included Alex Gudeman, Jeff Ferrell, Tyler Byerline, Wesley Meyer, Eli Pugh, Thomas Rohr and Eli Seward.
RHS was third in the TRC in 2020. Like the boys, the team also had no seniors. Juniors Peyton Hiatt, Dylan Steininger and sophomore Chris Rohr all made the all-TRC team.
“I expect to be back into coaching eventually, but for a little while here, I have other important things that need my focus,” Stalbaum said.
Stalbaum said he was “itching for some new challenges” and added that not all of them are related to coaching.
Stalbaum is also an assistant track coach at RHS. He is also the founder and executive director of the Manitou Monster Triathlon, which was canceled in 2020.
