West Noble High School filled two major head coaching vacancies with the hiring of Steve Wiktorowski for its girls basketball program and Brandon Chordas for is girls cross country program. Both hires were approved Monday evening, April 28, at the West Noble School Corporation board meeting. Steve Wiktorowski, West Noble Girls Basketball Wiktorowski is no stranger to the area basketball scene, having decades of coaching experience in West Noble’s backyards. Wiktorowski spent a combined 15 years coaching boys basketball at Fairfield and Wawasee, as well as seven years in boys hoops at Prairie Heights. On the girls side, ‘Wik’ guided Fort Wayne Dwenger’s girls program from 2019-24 to 47 wins in those five seasons. He also was a men’s and women’s basketball coach at Goshen College for nine seasons, highlighted by the men’s program’s first NAIA tournament berth as well as a MCC Coach of the Year honor in 2004. Retired from education, Wiktorowski inherits the girls program last guided by Haley Holliday, who coached the Lady Chargers the past two seasons. With no seniors on the past season’s roster, Wiktorowski is excited to hopefully infuse a young and energetic program. “Having a good, balanced group of kids coming up that seem to have a good frame of mind and want to get better and be coached, that’s what made this a very attractive job,” Wiktorowski said. “This is one place where the coaches just don’t change every other year. There are people who have been here for a long time, and they can give you a feel for what to expect. It’s a sectional West Noble can compete in. They’ve had success there, and obviously you have other great programs in there, but I think we also are a team that can be a program that can compete very quickly.” Added West Noble athletic director Tom Schermerhorn, “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Wik as the new leader of our girls basketball program. His energy, experience, and deep knowledge of the game make him an exceptional fit to guide our athletes in reaching their full potential - both individually and as a team. Coach Wik's vision for our current players, as well as his plans for developing our feeder programs, will help ensure that West Noble girls basketball remains a strong and competitive program.” Brandon Chordas, West Noble Girls Cross Country “Summer miles equal fall smiles.” That’s how Chordas is looking at the front end of his first high school head coaching opportunity. As part of the West Noble Middle School track and cross country programs for nearly a decade, Chordas is making the jump to the high school ranks to take over the girls program. Chordas began his coaching career back in 2002, where he was a program assistant at Churubusco, but began his assistant roles at WNMS in 2016 helping both cross country and track programs. In 2019, Chordas took over the middle school boys cross country program, and two years later, the middle school girls cross country program. He also oversees the spring track programs at WNMS. Of note on Chordas success sheet with the middle school was a 2023 Jr. NECC cross country team title, breaking a 12-year reign by Westview, and back-to-back girls Jr. NECC team titles in 2023 and 2024. Chordas replaces Aden Burke-Steiner, who steps away from a high school girls program that has won nine sectional titles and is hungry to reach double digits in one of West Noble’s true legacy programs. “I told the middle school girls that I was giving up a year or two with them, but gaining four years of you at the high school,” Chordas said. “My family has all bought into the cross country lifestyle. It makes it easier as we’re all on the same page. It’s a program I’m very familiar with and really excited to now work with the high school program.” Added West Noble athletic director Tom Schermerhorn, “Coach Chordas is a well-established and respected presence at West Noble. He brings a strong work ethic and excels at building meaningful relationships with his student athletes. While he sets high expectations for his team, he also creates an environment that is both motivating and enjoyable. I look forward to him continuing the success that the girls cross country program has always come to expect.”