Bandera High School's varsity Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs excelled at the second annual Steve Golemon Invitational, securing top 3 finishes and demonstrating continuous improvement in their cross country season.
In the boys' division, junior Ruben Ruiz-Palacios secured an impressive 14th place finish with a time of 17:51, while sophomore Zach Goodin closely followed, claiming 15th place just six seconds behind. Senior Mack Robinson finished 16th with a time of 18:01. Junior Nino Martinez had a remarkable performance, finishing 21st with a time of 18:21, marking a 44-second personal record improvement. Other varsity finishers included Fili Quintero in 25th (18:38), Mariano Casas in 26th (18:40), Hudson Jackson in 27th (18:48), Kyle Moore in 31st (19:03), Ben Adamietz in 32nd (19:10), and Ayden Sarver in 40th (19:48). As a team, the varsity boys finished second with 55 points, ahead of district competitor Fredericksburg and behind a strong TMI squad.
In the JV division, Bandera took the top spot out of five teams with just 43 points. Juniors Layne Timmons (13th) and Hayden Swalve (14th) led the way, with contributions from Chris Hoffman (16th), Keaton Sarver (18th), and Jacob Tuma (22nd), among others. Coach Sam Farrell expressed satisfaction with the team's performance and praised their improvement.
On the girls' side, the Lady Bulldogs showcased their talent with sophomore Taytum Moeller earning a 7th place medal. Freshman Merry Robinson placed 15th, senior Carlye Niccum finished 16th, senior Emily Presa was 20th, and senior Trinity Butler secured 21st place. Other varsity finishers included junior Jazlyn Dickerson (24th), junior Madi Lewis (33rd), senior Layney Bowman (34th), Kierstin Brown (37th), junior Kinlee Lawlis (38th), and sophomore Riley LaLanne (40th).
The Lady Bulldogs placed 3rd overall as a team, with Fredericksburg and Lytle taking the top spots.
In the JV category, the Bandera girls secured 2nd place as a team behind Fredericksburg, with several athletes earning medals. The team included Jalyn Lamb, Lori King, and Riley Noon, among others.
Both the boys and girls cross country teams will have a break this weekend before heading to the McNeil Hoka Invitational on September 22 in Round Rock, where they will compete on the state course. Coach Brooke Ashcraft expressed excitement about the girls' progress and looks forward to the upcoming competitions.
