Joe Vitrano successfully coached and mentored Tosa East cross country athletes for a quarter century. In that time, he took his team to eight conference championships, four sectional titles, and nine state meet appearances, including a second place finish in 1987. He retired with a .724 winning percentage in the regular season and .802 for conference meets. In addition to coaching cross country, Vitrano taught Latin and English and served as an assistant track coach, helping the track team to win seven conference championships and one state championship. In 1988, he was appointed as the Athletic Director, a role he held until 2006. “Coach V”, as his team knew him, treasured the relationship he had with each and every student-athlete he coached, from the most gifted runners to the ones who dedicated themselves to working hard and improving despite never reaching varsity status. Vitrano described his approach to coaching as, “I want to create an environment in which a young athlete can achieve success; not winning, but success.” He was also an ambassador for high school cross country and running across Wisconsin. He served as WCCCA president from 1979 to 1981, helped initiate the WCCCA Annual Clinic, and continued to serve as co-director of the clinic for 18 years. For his achievements at Tosa East and his dedication to cross country in Wisconsin, Vitrano was inducted into the WCCCA Hall of Fame in 2003.
