HOLCOMBE FOCUSED ON RECRUITING IN FIRST SEASON AS CROSS COUNTRY COACH

Roane State Athletics welcomed Bobby Holcombe to its head coaching staff earlier this year as the award-winning running coach took the lead with the college's young cross country program.

The Raiders compete in Division II of the National Junior College Athletics Association's (NJCAA) Region 7 with a men's and women's cross country team. Holcombe will coach both teams as they enter their third season. Roane State established its cross country program in 2022.

"I get chills thinking about building a program that is still in its formative stage into a nationally recognized product," Holcombe said.

Holcombe came to Roane State following a highly successful nine-year coaching stint at Webb School of Knoxville. In 2023, Holcombe was named the Knoxville PrepXtra Coach of the Year after the Lady Spartans raced to a team DII-AA state championship.

Since 2014, Holcombe's teams have brought home 12 cross country and track state championships along with a combined 35 individual state championships in cross country, track, and relay.

"Coach Holcombe is a great addition to an already talented and motivated coaching staff," said David Lane, Roane State's director of athletics. "He has great ambitions and visions of developing our facilities, courses, and running culture at Roane State. We are blessed to have him as part of Raider Nation."

Holcombe will be joined this year by Brian Stout, the new assistant coach for cross country. Stout and Holcombe said they are already working to recruit top talent from across the region.

Roane State will be entering the 2024-25 cross country season with high expectations. In 2023, just the second year of the program, the Lady Raiders secured their first NJCAA Region 7 championship and advanced to nationals.

The Raiders and Lady Raiders start the season August 23 at Walters State in Morristown. The first home meet is scheduled for September 13 at Roane State's flagship campus in Harriman.