The Bandera girls cross country team showcased their skills at the final race before the district meet, securing a commendable second place finish last weekend, with Poth, a state-ranked team, being the only squad to outpace them. Carlye Niccum led the Lady Bulldogs with an impressive 11th place finish, supported by Taytum Moeller and Emily Presa, who clinched the 17th and 18th positions respectively.

In a notable achievement, Lori King finished 31st, improving her time by nearly 30 seconds, a feat that marked her breakthrough in just her second varsity-level race. Merry Robinson, Riley LaLanne, and Trinity Butler also contributed to the team's success, securing 23rd, 44th, and 50th positions respectively.

The JV Lady Bulldogs mirrored the varsity team’s success, clinching a solid second place, falling short of Lytle by only two points. Kinlee Lawlis, Layney Bowman, Kierstin Brown, and Jazlyn Dickerson secured the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 10th positions individually.

On the boys' side, Bandera's varsity team demonstrated their prowess, finishing sixth out of 17 teams with 163 points. Ruben Ruiz-Palacios and Mariano Casas led the charge, finishing 31st and 32nd respectively, closely followed by Mack Robinson, who secured the 35th position. Zach Goodin's determined finish at 44th place played a crucial role in securing Bandera's position ahead of La Vernia.

At the JV level, Bandera's boys finished 2nd overall out of six teams with standout performances from Ben Adamietz, Kyle Moore, and Ayden Sarver securing the 7th, 8th, and 9th positions respectively.

Both the girls and boys varsity teams are gearing up for the upcoming District 27-4A meet, slated to be held at Bandera City Park on Thursday, October 12th. The meet promises fierce competition as Bandera faces off against formidable opponents, with the top three teams advancing to the regional competition. Coaches Brooke Ashcraft and Sam Farrell expressed confidence in their teams, highlighting the need for strategic and aggressive racing to secure top positions in the upcoming district meet.