Josh Welch is a pretty familiar name when it comes to running at Woodstock Academy.
After all, he is the boys’ and girls’ indoor track coach and the girls’ outdoor track mentor.
He has added another title to his resume this fall season.
After a year off of being the assistant cross-country coach, Welch takes over the boys’ cross-country helm after long-time coach Peter Lusa stepped aside after last season.
It’s much different than a track program.
He said: “It’s way more manageable. You get a chance to be way more personal with the kids. Twelve is a bit smaller than I would like to see the team but (cross-country teams) don’t get that big like 70 kids in 20 or whatever events. It’s nice to be able to focus in and spend a little more time on the interpersonal, social and emotional aspects of training versus designing 20 different training plans.”
And he has a standout to work with. Junior Christian Menounos returns after a fourth-place finish in the ECC, a fifth in Class MM, 22nd in the State Open and 51st in the New England championship.
“I really want to see our team do well and we’re just trusting the process of coach Welch,” Menounos said. “I just want to be consistent personally, put in the hard work and see where it takes me. I want to make Nationals so that would be top 10 (in New England).”
Obviously, after coming so close last season, Menounos has a goal of being the first across the finish line in both the ECC and state championship meets.
He would also like to be in the top-10 in the State Open.
“It comes week-by-week so right now; we’re in phase two of training. There are multiple phases and as the season comes to an end, Coach Welch will put me into different phases that will help me get faster and faster,” the junior said.
Welch is looking forward to that progress.
“He is going to be something else this year,” Welch said. “He’s put in an incredible amount of work this summer and the workouts that he is showing right now, he will be in the top couple in the state championship races without a doubt. I think it will be interesting to watch him this year.”
He does have some teammates to work with.
Junior Colton Sallum and seniors Joel Koleszar and Charlie Caggiano will all add depth for the team score.
“Colton is not too far behind (Menounos), he’s had some great times so far. Charlie looks a lot stronger than last year and Joel Koleszar is making significant gains over his training and training attitude of past years and I think he will see the dividends of that in the races,” Welch said.
Freshman Sam Greene will likely round out the top five for the Centaurs who finished 6-5 as a team last year.
Sophomore Harrison Durand and freshmen Jonah Costa, Bronson Eddy, Carter Mydlarz, Gabriel Hull and Callum Lusignan round out the squad.
Despite some experience, the Centaurs still will have an uphill climb against an ECC team like East Lyme.
“East Lyme might have the strongest team it has had in forever. I don’t know if we’re catching them any time soon but I think we will be in the running with Fitch and NFA and we will do quite well,” Welch said.
For Welch, it could also help in the future with the other programs that he works with.
“I’m going to like the continuity. It was great when we had the trio (of coaches) across all three seasons and I think we had a pretty uniform approach. That shifts over time so it will just be good to have eyes on everyone and see who is coming up. Will some of these kids try (indoor track) and can I convince them to come over? It’s one more way to, hopefully, boost that program up a bit,” Welch said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

caption:
Junior Christian Menounos would like to bring home an ECC and Class MM state championship individual title. He finished 4th in last year’s ECC Championship meet.

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