One week after becoming the school record holder in rushing touchdowns, WEM senior Gavin Atherton etched his name on top of another statistical category.

Atherton gained 169 yards on a career-high 39 carries in a 42-40 double overtime Homecoming win over Maple River Friday, Oct. 2.

His career rushing totals through four years are now the best in Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School History. Atherton has gained 3,304 career yards on 477 career carries, an average of more than 7 yards every time he rushes the ball.

WEM/JWP senior Wyatt Jans claimed his first individual cross country championship of the fall, winning the Grizzly Pie Run title Thursday, Oct. 1 at Prairie Ridge Golf Course in Janesville.

Jans, who has led the Grizzlies in all their races this season, ran second behind Mankato Loyola/Cleveland/ St. Clair eighth grader Griffin Rutz for a portion of the first mile of the 3+ mile race. But once he passed Rutz, Jans had little trouble claiming the race, finishing in a time of 17:25.4. Rutz placed second in a time of 17:44.3. NRHEG sophomore Kasey Jewison placed third in 17:51.7.

WEM/JWP freshman Norah Welvaert placed 9th among a very talented group of 49 runners Thursday, Oct. 1 at the Grizzly Pie Run held at Prairie Ridge Golf Course in Janesville.

Welvaert ran the 5,000-meter course in 21:28.2 in leading the Grizzlies to a 4th place team finish.

The team champions were from Mankato Loyola/Cleveland/St. Clair. The Loyola squad, rated No. 2 in Class A, finished with 25 team points. They were followed by Blooming Prairie (49), Maple River (65), WEM/JWP (98), and Randolph (135).

The WEM varsity bowling team won two of their three matches last week while bowling a the WOW Zone in Mankato Saturday, Sept. 19.

The Buccaneers swept Fairmont (195-142, 153-117, 145- 119, 181-154, and 177-124), defeated Janesville (171-170, 211-132, 186-158, 132-139, and 196-200), and lost to Faribault (157-110, 203-135, 136-167, 148-103, and 197-173).

In the win over Fairmont, Owen Boese, Trevor Johnson, and Kolton Green led the team with four strikes. Green also had five spares.

There are only eight teams remaining in Class AA who are undefeated after three weeks.

One of those teams are the WEM Buccaneers, who scored a season-high 64 points in a 64-6 whooping of Medford Thursday, Sept. 17.

The Bucs, who average the 3rd most points in Class AA scoring 42 per game, scored 44 at halftime against the Tigers, who were limited to less than 100 total yards.

Much like the win over Lewiston-Altura last week, the Buccaneers scored early and often and the reserves played well in the second half, while the starters watched from the sideline.

The WEM volleyball team played a pair of Gopher Conference opponents last week and those two teams were on different sides of the standings.

The Bucs faced Class A No. 6 rated Kenyon-Wanamingo Tuesday, Sept. 8 and were defeated by the Knights, 25-15, 25-10, and 25-14. Two nights later the Bucs faced winless NRHEG and dominated the Panthers in a 25-9, 25-17, and 25-21 victory.

In the loss to the Knights, eighth grader Greta Velzke led the team with nine kills. Inezsa Pope and Kalyn Novak each added three kills.

The WEM football team scored on their first five possessions of the first half in a 44-14 rout of Lewiston-Altura Friday, Sept. 11 at Lewiston Auto Field.

It was a dominating first half for the Bucs. They limited the Cardinals to a negative three yards while scoring four rushing touchdowns and a passing score.

Ethan Einertson started the scoring on a 55-yard run on the second play of the game. After a failed two-point conversion, WEM took a 6-0 lead only 49 seconds into the game.

Region 2C Champion Hanska ended the 2026 amateur baseball season for the Waterville Indians, downing Waterville, 13-3 in eight innings, in the Class C State Tournament first round Saturday, Aug. 22 in Shakopee.

The two teams started strong, with the score tied at 3-all after two innings.

But the Indians offense went silent and the 5th rated Lakers scored runs in each of the last five innings, including five in the game-ending eighth inning.

The 2025 WEM volleyball team tied for the Gopher Conference Championship with a 9-1 league record.

They finished 20-9 overall and 10 players return from that team which helped 20-year head coach Crystal Lamont reach 400 career wins.

Returning players include All-Gopher Conference libero Alix Velzke, Kyeria Morris, and Bryella Pope, all seniors. Juniors returning include Ellie Lamont, Paetyn Judd, and Brooklyn Novak. Sophomore Inezsa Pope, freshman Kalyn Novak, and eighth grader Greta Velzke also return.

Indians advance to 5th straight State Tourney with 9th inning heroics Sunday

Watching their team down two runs heading into the top of the 9th inning, the fans at the Waterville Indians Class C State qualifying game were a somber group.

Within minutes somber changed to elated.

The Indians, with a “Never Say Die” attitude, exploded for six 9th inning runs to come-from-behind to defeat Cannon Falls, 9-5, in the Region 5C second place game played Sunday, August 16 in Waterville.

CANNON FALLS - With one weekend completed and a big one on the horizon, the Waterville Indians and Morristown Morries are still alive in the Region 5C Amateur Baseball Tournament.

After playing games last weekend in Cannon Falls, the teams will now set their sights on Waterville for the final weekend of the eightteam tournament.

The number which is on the mind of both teams is three.

Twelve unanswered runs in the final four innings lifted the Waterville Indians to a 12-3 win over Pine Island Saturday, August 8 in Cannon Falls in the first round of the Region 5C Amateur Baseball Tournament.

The Indians allowed three unearned runs in the top of the second inning off starting pitcher Dalton Grose.

From that point on, Grose was masterful, allowing only five hits and allowed only one runner to reach third base, which happened on an Indian error.

Two straight wins in the 13-60 League Tournament has given the Morristown amateur baseball team a chance to play in the Region 5C Tournament.

The Morries picked up a 9-2 win over Albert Lea Wednesday, July 29 and an 11-8 win over Blue Earth in the 13-60 League winner's bracket final Saturday, August 1.

Those two wins have moved Morristown into the eight-team, double elimination Region 5C Tournament, which starts Saturday, August 8 in Cannon Falls.

Bulldog track and field teams earn All-Gopher honors

Seventeen JWP/WEM track and field athletes earned All-Gopher Conference honors following the 2026 spring season.

The girls team had 11 athletes named and the boys had six athletes named.

In order to make the First Team, athletes needed to win an event in the Gopher Conference Meet which was held in early May. Honorable Mention selections were picked based on their performances in the meet.

The Bulldogs boys and girls teams each won their respective conference championships.

Eagle Lake, a Class B amateur baseball team, came to Waterville Wednesday, June 24 and defeated the Waterville Indians, 12-2 in eight innings in a non-league game.

The Expos, who were previously in the 13-60 League with the Indians, scored five runs in the fourth inning and added four more in the eighth inning to pick up their ninth win in 12 games.

Dalton Grose started for Waterville and pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out two.