Track and field head coach, Taylor Bond, has added to her coaching duties at Mullen High School by accepting the head coaching position for the girls and boys’ Cross Country program. The added responsibility has enhanced her already determined focus. “I am thrilled to be announced as the new Cross Country Head Coach! I could not be more excited to get started, and this was a vision I have had since starting at Mullen was to hopefully be able to oversee both running programs!”
Coach Bond’s roots lie firmly with the distance events which she exclusively ran as a prep at Peyton High School in eastern Colorado and later at CSU-Pueblo and Grand Canyon University, and to this day she considers herself “a running enthusiast.” Not to be pigeonholed strictly as a distance coach, though, Coach Bond was a sprints coach at Falcon High School where she had great success coaching and qualifying numerous sprinters to the State meet. So, what advantages does she see being the head coach of both programs? “I think it breeds a lot of advantages including continuity and consistency: Having the same coach overseeing both track and field and cross country programs ensures consistency in coaching methods, training philosophies, and program goals. This allows for a seamless transition for athletes moving between the two seasons and helps maintain a consistent team culture throughout the year.”
The goal is to take the program to new heights or certainly bring back the days when Mullen had a lock on cross country and track championships. With that thought in mind, Coach Bond expressed, “I am very grateful Mullen has given me the opportunity to once again prove myself, prove my expertise and skill, and to be given the chance to oversee both programs is such an honor and privilege, and I do not take it lightly.” Her eagerness and commitment to take the cross country program to new heights is evident in her vision to deliver the best. “You can expect us going to some more competitive meets, training on diverse terrain, bringing in some outside experts and working harder than we ever have before! I am so excited to see what the kids do!” Simplified – “Show up, work hard, do your best, and repeat!”