BRUCE MOMSEN: Making tracks

BCHS coach leaves behind a legacy of working with kids

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For the first time in 26 years, the members of the Boulder City High School track team will be without head coach Bruce Momsen to guide them.

Momsen is retiring as a teacher at the end of the school year, and bowling was his last sport to coach for the Eagles this year.

His 26 years as head track coach is the longest tenure of any coach at the high school. He went out on top last year with his team winning the 2005 Class 3A boys track and field state championship.

Momsen is using his time off this spring to prepare for retirement and work on cleaning out the same classroom he's had for more than two decades.

"It was hard to announce my retirement to the kids after 26 years," he said. "I wanted to have the spring to prepare for my retirement and moving. After we won the state championship last year, my mind was made up."

Momsen teaches U.S. and world history at the high school. He also has taught government in the past.

"I loved teaching at Boulder City High School," Momsen said. "Through my coaching, I had some opportunities to teach elsewhere. I just didn't want to leave Boulder City. I like the community, the community-based school, living in Boulder, and the ability to walk to work. The students and staff here are great."

Momsen taught in Milwaukee for eight years before moving to Nevada for the weather. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, and started his career as a long-term substitute teacher.

When he was hired at BCHS in 1979, he was immediately offered the head track coach position. He also started the boys soccer program that year, and stayed on as head coach for seven years. Current boys soccer coach Dusty Barton played for Momsen.

In 1981, Momsen became the head girls basketball coach and continued for seven years. At that time, boys soccer was being played in the winter and girls basketball was played in the fall.

Momsen started coaching the boys cross country team in 1991 and coached the girls team for two years. He has been the boys and girls bowling coach since 1999. He usually coached three sports every year.

He also was an assistant football coach for Chuck Stuart for six years starting in 1985. He started out as the secondary coach and eventually became the defensive coordinator.

"I'm leaving the track program in good hands," Momsen said. "Head football coach Jeff Knutson has been a head track coach before and he does a great job with the kids. There are a number of talented athletes returning from last year's state championship team, so he should be in good shape for this year."

Momsen's track teams won 15 division championships and nine state championships and finished as runner-up at state eight times.

"We've always been very successful in track," he said. "We're known as a track school and we always qualify kids for the state championships. We've had a number of talented track athletes over the years, and my staff has been great. We couldn't have done it without them. I'm sure the success will continue."

One of the top teams competed in 1988, when the Eagles scored more than 200 points at the state championship meet and Boulder City runners took the top three finishes in several events.

"The thing that saved my career was when we installed the artificial track at the high school," Momsen said. "If it wasn't for that, I would have retired a long time ago. It was such a pain to line that track for every home meet."

In cross country, Momsen's teams won three state championships and finished as runner-up four times, and took 10 division championships.

In bowling, the boys team qualified for the division championships for the first time this year, and the girls teams have qualified for two regional tournaments in the past.

"My favorite sports to coach were track and football," Momsen said. "Cross country was enjoyable to coach because the team is so small, you really get to know the boys. I liked going to Hawaii with the kids last summer for a cross county invitational."

He wasn't alone in his efforts to bring success to Boulder City High sports teams.

"There's someone I need to thank a lot for all her help and support during my coaching years, and that's my wonderful wife Mary," he said. "She did a tremendous amount of work in the concessions stands for both cross country and track. She did that for years at all the invitationals and state championships we hosted.

"Being a coach's wife is not always the easiest thing in the world, and I want to thank her for all the support and understanding she's given me over the years."

During his career, Momsen had the opportunity to coach his two stepsons, Aaron and Adam Magnuson, to championship titles.

"It was great to have my two stepsons involved in cross country and track for four years," he said. "Aaron was the state champion in the 2-mile as a sophomore in track, and the Class 3A Southern Regional Cross Country Champion when he was a senior. Adam, my youngest son, was a member of the 1999 Boulder City High School Class 3A state championship team

"It's always nice to see your sons succeed. You see a lot of individuals do well over the years, but it strikes home when your family's involved."

Momsen said his proudest accomplishment is that his athletes were always prepared and performed well at the state championship meets. Many times his Eagles would win events that they weren't supposed to, and many times that made the difference between state champ and runner-up.

"I've been fortunate to be here at Boulder City," Momsen said. "I've enjoyed every year of coaching and teaching, and I've been able to surround myself with great assistant coaches like Jeff Knutson, Steve Roe, Chuck Stuart, Richard Welch and Rich Huggins. We've had some very talented athletes over the years."

Jim Konst is a local freelance writer. Send story ideas and comments to him at jkonst54@aol.com.