Coach Steve Golemon is a man who knows cross-country and holds the keys to success. “If the girls and guys work hard, show commitment and focus, and continue to improve, they will succeed,” Coach Golemon said.

                 This year he has help in the program; Coach Eric Thormaehlen (better known as Coach T) and Coach Brooke Ashcraft are teachers and cross country coaches at the middle school who are lending a hand to Coach Golemon.  Not to be forgotten, Coach David Farber is the newest addition to the cross country family. He’s excited to be in Bandera calling it “a breath of fresh air.”

                     Farber said, “I love Bandera and cross country. It’s a difficult sport and not for everyone. The kids I’ve met are great.”

                     Leading the boys this season is the only senior, Chris Mallory. He plans to continue participating in cross-country through college but first, he has to get the team to state.  Mallory said, “I’m sure of myself and my team. We just need to learn to run as a team. Coach Farber knows what he’s doing. Coach T’s always cool. Dalton (Hopkins) and Zac Chelin will help.”

       And of course Coach Golemon is always in on the right methods to win. A bullet on the list, his strong girls team, filled with high expectations.  “I think that our team will make it all the way to state!  We are great this year,” said one of last year’s varsity runners, junior Aimee Denham.

                  Some of the top teams in the state make our district one of the hardest in Texas. Most Bandera High School runners predict that if they start off on the right foot, figuratively, and do well throughout the first few meets (starting on August 29^th) that everything else will flow smoothly this season.

           So who are the Bulldogs’ competitors this year?

               Coach Farber said, “It’s the team that can put five high placing runners out there. Everybody’s got at least one or two main people.”

                          And that just won’t cut it for Bandera; they want to be state champs.  As Coach T said, “The team that runs the fastest wins,” and the Bulldogs are hoping they are that team.

                This past weekend, the runners competed at the Wimberley Texan Invitational.  According to Coach Golemon, the teams made an admirable showing.  “Though we were running without 8 of the top 9 returning runners from last year, the varsity girls finished 9^th of 12 teams, while the junior varsity boys finished 5^th of 13 teams.”