Ed Braun
LaVonne (Waetjen) Kroells
LaVonne (Waetjen) Kroells
Teacher and Coach
Distinguished Service
1950s to 1980s
Ed Braun was a long time teacher and coach at Central High School, starting in the early 1950’s where he taught social studies, history, and drivers education.
He coached Central High School Football and led the team to the conference championship in 1955 and 1956. He also coached Central High School and American Legion baseball for more than 30 years, coaching 14 championship teams with five state entries.
He also served as the school’s athletic director for 12 years and taught three generations of students to drive. He retired at the end of 1984 as a full time teacher but kept returning as a substitute teacher. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and when he returned earned his masters degree at Hamline University.
Ed’s legacy lives on through the many athletes and students that he taught such important lessons to throughout his time at Central.
LaVonne (Waetjen) Kroells
LaVonne (Waetjen) Kroells
LaVonne (Waetjen) Kroells
1964 Graduate
Distinguished Alumni
Community Involvement and Impact
LaVonne Kroells (Waetjen) graduated in 1964 and helped out when she was in school in a variety of ways including in the library and in the office. As she says, “There were no activities for girls back then, only cheerleading and I’m not that coordinated!”
After high school, she became an active member of the community and took initiative to help out the community and the schools.
“Back in 1973, all the town students needed to walk to school,” said LaVonne. “As a concerned parent, I went to the school board and was told there were no drivers, so I got a bus license and then students had bussing!”
She also helped to coordinate the four year old preschool screening in the early 1970s and worked with other parents in 1984 to organize the first post prom party. She also served as the prom advisor in the late 1980s.
Another big part of her legacy is that she chaired the first bloodmobile in 1977 for the Edward Born Legion Auxiliary, something she still does today along with others. She worked with the Norwood Planning Commission and was appointed to the City Council where she was involved with a variety of projects. She is also active with the Lions Club and Stiftungsfest and organizes activities for senior citizens in the community, including last year’s senior prom.
“I really didn’t have anyone to inspire me,” said LaVonne “I just enjoy doing good for others and helping out where needed if I can!”
Stan Werner
LaVonne (Waetjen) Kroells
Stan Werner
1976 Graduate
HWT State Champion
Wrestling
Stan Werner graduated in 1976 and in addition to being hailed as “most talkative” in the yearbook, also participated in C Club, Wrestling, Football, Prom Committee, Student Council, Homecoming Attendant, and served as class president his first three years.
He was the state wrestling champion in 1976, finishing the season 32-0 and was the runner up the previous year with a record of 31-1. After high school he received a scholarship to the University of Minnesota for wrestling and football. He returned to the family farm to help his dad until they sold the cows in 1999.
An active member of the Central Public Schools community, Stan served on the school board, drove a school bus, and was the football announcer for 20 years. Many of the chants and announcements he started are still used at games today!
“After 48 years I still have a passion for Central schools and the various activities they host,” said Stan. “I still am an active participant in the school board meetings, making sure there is a watchful eye!”
Bonnie Sons
Sheila (Stuewe) Erpenbach
Stan Werner
1983 Graduate
3200M State Champion
Track
Bonnie Sons graduated in 1983 and was very active during her time in high school! Her senior year she participated in Cross Country All Conference, Band, Track, NHS, C-Club, Declam, and Track. She set school records in the 1600M and 3200M her senior year finishing fourth and first at state respectively. During her Junior year, she finished seventh at Cross Country Regionals and was captain of the CC team.
“I ran track, but stuck mainly to the 400M and Dave Foss, the cross country coach, said I should try cross country,” said Bonnie. “I assured him there was no way I could race two miles but he promised that if I did not like it I could quit. So, I decided to give it a try and of course, the rest is history as they say.”
She had an incredible senior cross country season but a cold and rainy day for the regional meet led to her missing the cutoff to qualify for state. Determined to redeem herself, she set school records with strong finishes in track the following spring.
After high school she attended Iowa State University where she was part of the track team and competed as a Division I runner.
“I showed up that first day of training camp having no idea what I had really signed up for,” remembers Bonnie. “I was the first in my family to go to college, much less participate in a collegiate sport. Here’s this naive farm girl from Norwood at this top Division I running school.”
She stuck to it and had some great success in her time at Iowa State with one day being remembered as the highest and lowest point in her career. On November 25,1985, the team finished second in the NCAA Division I Cross Country meet and she was named an All-American for her top 25 place finish. Later that day, the team flew home and one of the planes carrying the team crashed with no survivors.
After college, she returned to Minnesota and continued running in various groups and continues to run and race today! She began working in the IT field, got married, and raised four children.
“As a way to give back to the running community I am a volunteer co-race director of the Tonka Turkey Trot 5K which is a fundraiser for the Minnetonka Track and Cross Country Teams,” said Bonnie. “This is our 14th year and it’s grown from 50 people to 2000! The joy of seeing people cross the finish line warms my heart. And to think it all started at Central High School. Thank you Coach Foss for believing in me and encouraging me to try something new and thank you to my college coaches and teammates whose presence is felt each and every day. Little did you know running would be my lifelong passion!”
Julie (Glaeser) Olson
Sheila (Stuewe) Erpenbach
Sheila (Stuewe) Erpenbach
1987 Graduate
4x100M Relay and 100M High Hurdles
State Champion
Track
Julie Olson (Glaeser) graduated in 1987 and participated in lots of activities including Choir, Swing Choir, Choir President, C-Club, Volleyball, Track, and Cheerleading. Her senior year she was part of the school record setting team in the 4x100M Relay at 49.38 and achieved 1st in State.
She was recruited to run track for Mankato State University but said she had California dreams! She got married and moved to St. Cloud.
“I have two amazing sons that I enjoyed watching grow up and become great athletes and students ultimately graduating from St. Cloud State University,” said Julie. “I remarried in 2018 to Scott Olson and gained two more sons. Scott and I recently purchased our dream lake home on the south side of Lake Mille Lacs and enjoy the lake and outdoors!”
Sheila (Stuewe) Erpenbach
Sheila (Stuewe) Erpenbach
Sheila (Stuewe) Erpenbach
1987 Graduate
4x100M Relay and High Jump
State Champion
Track
Sheila Erpenbach (Stuewe) is also from the class of 1987. She is the daughter of Myron (Mike) and Monique Stuewe; she attended Central High School along with her siblings. She is married to Ron Erpenbach, another Central graduate and current Central Elementary Principal. They have two children who also graduated from Central.
In high school, Sheila participated in volleyball, basketball, and track and was captain and all-conference in all three sports. She was voted best female athlete in the class of 1987 and was part of the school record setting 4x100m relay team and also set the school record for high jump her senior year of 5’6” which also got her first in state.
“After high school, I attended St. Cloud State and received my BA in Education and went on to earn my Masters in Educational Leadership from Mankato State University,” said Sheila. “In my educational career I have taught elementary students, delivered staff development to teachers, been a peer coach and mentored teachers in their jobs!”
She is in her 32nd year of being an educator and works in the Prior Lake-Savage School system. She credits her coaches and teammates for pushing her and her fellow athletes to achieve their best.
“Our 4x100 conference record stood for almost 30 years and was broken when I was attending a track meet of my daughter’s at Holy Family,” said Sheila. “To hear over the speaker our relay names and that our record was broken brought about mixed emotions at the time. But wow, that was a long standing record!”
Steve Vymola
Brigitte (Stuewe) Kohls
Brigitte (Stuewe) Kohls
1988 Graduate
145 lbs State Champion
Wrestling
Steven Vymola graduated in 1988 and accomplished a lot during his time in high school! He was the 145 lb State Wrestling champion his senior year with a 30-1-1 record that year and an overall record of 121-14-2 with 66 pins. He had an 88.3%-win rate and received a variety of recognitions and titles during his time. He was also involved with Baseball Captain, Cross Country, Wrestling, C-Club, German Club, Cross Country All Conference, Wrestling All Conference, and was named biggest flirt.
After high school attended the University of North Dakota and graduated with a BA in Airport administration while wrestling all four years of college. He was the team captain his senior year and placed sixth in the nation earning all American honors. He also worked as an electrician which was his career until 2016.
“My parents Lou and Kay Vymola were extremely dedicated supporters and fans of my brother Brian and I,” said Steven. “They never missed a match and nurtured us through it all. My brother was also instrumental in my success both in wrestling and life!”
He began a passion for rock climbing in 1999 and spends his time working with groups and traveling in pursuit of climbing adventures. He also earned a Yoga Teaching Certification in 2008 and continues to teach both in-person and virtually.
“With the absence of wrestling and organized sports, climbing has completely filled that void and helped me become a more well-rounded person,” said Steven.
Brigitte (Stuewe) Kohls
Brigitte (Stuewe) Kohls
Brigitte (Stuewe) Kohls
1989 Graduate
100M High Hurdles and 4x100M Relay
State Champion
Track
Brigitte Stuewe (Kohls) graduated in 1989 and participated in a lot of activities including track, basketball, volleyball, cross country, C-Club, swing choir, choir, and was a homecoming candidate.
In addition to the school record 4x100M relay, she also set school records in 100M hurdles and was first in state her junior and senior year in hurdles and third in state in the 200M dash her junior year. She was captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, ran on all conference track, and was the team most valuable player her junior year. Even in her freshman year, she was setting school records and finishing second in state in the 200M dash and 400M dash.
After high school, she attended college at NDSCS where she also played basketball and ran track. She then went to cosmetology school at Scott Lewis, graduating in 1994. Since then, she has worked in several salons and taught back at the school as an instructor and still does hair.
“I live in St. Boni and keep myself busy with clients doing hair and also have picked up several side jobs along the way,” said Brigitte. “My new most favorite job is getting to babysit my seven-month-old grandson August, the son of my oldest son Tanner and wife Mariah!”
In her free time, she enjoys spending as much time as she can with her kids, daughters-in-law and grandson, being involved with her church as well as biking, hiking, and camping.
Steve Kurtz
Brigitte (Stuewe) Kohls
Cathy (Oelfke) Gruenhagen
1989 Graduate
145 lbs State Champion
Wrestling
Steve Kurtz graduated in 1989 and was very active during high school, participating in Football, Wrestling, Baseball, and Track throughout the years. He was the 145 lb champion his senior year and also wrestled on the All-Conference team.
After high school he attended Anoka Technical College for small engine repair while wrestling at Anoka Community College until 1991. He then attended Detroit Lakes Technical College for two years to continue to learn about engine repair focused on marine engines. After he graduated in 1993, his first job was at Prior Lake Marine for four years until he took a job with Marine Innovations, a extended warranty company for marine products. He went back to Prior Lake after two years under a different name Excel Motorsports and worked there until the company closed In 2001.
“I called St Boni Motorsports for a job and started working in the summer of 2001 and still working there today, “My wife also graduated from Central in 1990 and we live in Hamburg so my children also went to Central High School.”
He looks back at his time in high school fondly and knows all of the hard work his teachers and coaches put in.
“Special thanks to my parents for putting up with us, and bringing us to all the Tournaments growing up along with my teammates' parents,” said Steve. “My coaches Mr. Clark, Mr. Damman, Mr.Teitz, Mr. Rasmussen, and Mr. Iverson all made a huge impact on me and all my teammates would push each other all the time on the mat and off.”
Cathy (Oelfke) Gruenhagen
Cathy (Oelfke) Gruenhagen
Cathy (Oelfke) Gruenhagen
1990 Graduate
4x100 State Champion
Track
Cathy Gruenhagen (Oelfke) graduated from Central in 1990 and participated in a variety of activities during her time in high school including homecoming committee, German club, prom committee, band, track, C-Club, and basketball.
During her freshman year in 1987 she was part of the 4x100M relay team that set a school record of 49.38 and earned first in state. She says that running came naturally to her and that she loved playing sports and found that track helped her release the anxiety she felt by being in a bigger school than she was used to in her experience at a small private school.
“I was lucky to run track with Brigette and Sheila cause we all grew up in Hamburg and went to the same school,” said Cathy. “Track and field was a big part of growing up in a small town like Hamburg. So, coming to Central was scary to say the least and my mom was last an elementary teacher there so everyone knew my mom but didn’t really know me.”
She said that friends, teachers, and coaches all played a role in shaping who she was and encouraging her throughout high school.
“Mr. Hanson was a great coach he would push you to your highest potential and made sure you were conditioned, and our handoffs were perfect,” said Cathy. “I also played basketball and Mr. Lemke is another great coach. A great coach makes a great team!”
Cathy is married to Shane Gruenhagen and has worked at Carver County full time for the past 18 years. She says she loves being a mom, wife, and dog mom and wants the world to be a better place for her kids.
Corey Feltmann
Cathy (Oelfke) Gruenhagen
Nick Mackenthun
2002 Graduate
189 lbs State Champion
Wrestling
Corey Feltmann is a member of the class of 2002 and was voted “most athletic” in the yearbook his senior year. This was well-deserved as he was very active while in high school, being involved with football, wrestling, C-Club, Peers, and Royalty.
He was a captain of the football and wrestling teams and was a state entrant and all-conference wrestler his senior year with a record of 33-0 before sections, going on to be the 189 lb state champion.
He started wrestling in middle school and had quite an impressive list of accomplishments including:
2002 State Champ with a record of 40-0
2001 State Runner Up 31-1
5 time State Entrant
2002 KNUJ Wrestler of the Year
2002 Pioneer Press All-State Team
4 time captain of the Wrestling team
Part of the 1998 State Tournament Team
After high school, he attended Ridgewater College where he continued to wrestle and he later coached 8th grade football for eight years and volunteered in the wrestling program at Central.
He owns and operates Feltmann Dairy LLC with his brothers, Chad and Chris, where they milk 170 cows that include high type show cattle. He has been married to his wife Katie for 14 years and they have two daughters who both attend school at Central.
Nick Mackenthun
Cathy (Oelfke) Gruenhagen
Nick Mackenthun
2008 Graduate
285 lbs State Champion
Wrestling
Nick Mackenthun graduated from Central High School in 2008 and was involved with sports including baseball, football, and wrestling. He was a captain on the football team his senior year and was also named the Offensive MRC Lineman of the year.
He also had great achievements in wrestling his senior year including wrestling all conference and a 33-2 record. During wrestling he had a 90 win record overall for his four years. He was Homecoming king in 2008 and was a state entrant for wrestling his senior and sophomore years.
His parents are Clayton and Trule Mackenthun from Hamburg and he has two brothers, Jason and Jared.
Nick lives in Hamburg with this wife Heather and six-year-old son Tanner. He works at Sackett Waconia as a shop lead to support the agricultural industry and enjoys spending time with his family in his free time as well as his bowling league and softball team.