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Coaching pom for her third year, this is Christine Wagner’s fourth year at Bethany. She began coaching in high school, working with young softball players in her hometown as a coach and an umpire. Her teaching career began as a choral director and band director at Chase High School and Raymond Junior High, near Hutchinson, Kansas. She then worked as music teacher in the McKinney, Texas, ISD. Opening her private music studio in 1986, she has operated a successful studio while teaching and coaching for many years.
Once she and her family moved to Oklahoma, she began working as an assistant for Mustang bands, helping in several schools and serving as brass teacher, as well as accompanying choral and band students at contest. She eventually accompanied at Mustang Middle School, was accompanist for the MAC district choir, and taught math and English at Mustang intermediate schools. Volunteering her time to work with middle school track athletes, Coach Wagner was in her element, enjoying coaching athletics.
Hired in 2017 as Bethany choral accompanist, also accompanying band and orchestra soloists and elementary choirs, Coach Wagner began coaching Pom during her second year at Bethany. Her team won third place at State in Lyrical (Jazz) that winter, and also won third place at State Dance (OSDTDA) in Lyrical (Jazz), last year. Under Wagner's leadership, Pom began meeting as a 1st hour class in 2018-2019, and became part of athletics in 2019-2020 at Bethany, lettering for the first time in 2019-2020.
Coach Wagner takes pride in her work at Bethany. “I love the students and faculty at Bethany! They are family, to me, and it is a privilege to work here.” Sharing about her team, Coach Wagner admits she pushes them. “I expect a great deal from them—and they always deliver! Their commitment to the team and to dance is inspiring.”
Accompanying school and church choirs since she was 12 years old, Coach Wagner sang and danced in show choir, as well as on drill team, throughout high school and college. She is an award winning soloist at the Wichita Jazz Festival and NATS. She accompanied and was section leader, and was drum major at the collegiate level. Wagner was a varsity athlete, lettering in track and volleyball as well as being a walk-on varsity athlete in college. She was a top softball player in her region. She still holds the record distance for girls’ shot put at her former junior high school! She even represented her high school as mascot. Having great coaches who held her accountable helped mold her into the coach she is, today.
Bethany High School Assistant Principal Jim Drummond stated, “…under the leadership of Ms. Wagner, Bethany Pom has grown tremendously, earning a reputation for excellence and dedication. Mrs. Wagner is a dedicated teacher who truly espouses commitment to all Bethany High School students.” Coach Wagner lives in Yukon with her husband, Jay. The couple have two children; Erich, who is studying business administration at Cameron University, and Emma (our Pom mascot), who is a 5th grader at Bethany.
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