This year’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, Cole Manlove, pictured above celebrates last season’s Girls State Title.

Coach Cole Manlove, teacher at Burns High School, has been honored as this year’s girls cross country coach of the year and calls the honor “a double edged sword.”

The cross country program in Laramie County School District No. 2 is unique in that it is a dual program between Pine Bluffs and Burns. Last year’s girls cross county coach of the year was coach Dustin Lee of Pine Bluffs. Manlove and Lee share coaching duties for the joint program and practices are split throughout the week, with two at Pine Bluffs then two in Burns.

“I am glad for any recognition of the program Dustin and I work hard on,” Manlove said, adding, “Dustin is head coach as well. He works hard, promotes it and helped start it.”

Manlove said they work equally hard and said it is unfortunate the title cannot be awarded to two coaches.

“I couldn’t have a better person to work with than coach Lee.”

The program allows children from rival high schools to unite for a common goal and Manlove explained the athletes enjoy it.

“I love getting to know Pine Bluffs kids,” Manlove said. “I’ve never had the opportunity before.”

With experience coaching track for 22 years, Manlove began his cross country coaching career last year as coach Dan Marquardt was leaving. When first started the LCSD2 cross country program had only three or four athletes, Manlove said. Entering a new sport, Manlove was excited because he knew Lee and Marquardt. Manlove credits the sports early success to Marquardt’s enthusiasm. Now with around 30 participating (Junior High and High School), Manlove works to recruit new kids and keep the dynamic.

“My biggest concern was not screwing it up,” said Manlove.

As a former track athlete in high school and baseball player in college, Manlove now runs recreationally in 5Ks. His experience coaching track has converted over to cross country with application of speed workouts, which Manlove, a former sprinter, has seen to be beneficial.

The new experience has made Manlove a better coach, he explained. It was his first experience coaching girls, which have taken state for the second consecutive year in the young program’s five years.

“The boys are often in the shadows of the girls’ success, but we’re just as excited about the boys as the girls,” Manlove said. The boys team took second in the 2A division at state this year and looked set to do just as well last year but, as Manlove explained, the number of runners moved the boys to 3A, where they still managed seventh at state. The tough and talented Wyoming Indians team was all that stood between the boys and first this year and Manlove predicts it will be the same next year. Despite losing the talented Alejandro Garcia and hard-working Matt Jackson to graduation, Manlove sees a strong future for cross country and talented freshmen coming up.

Looking to next season, from the girls’ team, Angel McFarlin has been lost due to transferring out of district, Manlove said. The girls are no strangers to working to overcome the loss of a teammate, this season their third-best runner was not able to compete at state and the whole team picked up the pace to take the state trophy again.

Manlove said his season highlight was the girls winning the conference meet, which was actually a 3A competition they attend to prepare for state.

“When our fifth girl crossed the line it all came together,” Manlove said of the realization they had just won a 3A division meet. Manlove also noted that Lee won conference coach of the year.

In an effort to further illustrate the team’s unity between the two schools, Manlove said they want to be known as the Bronets next year, a combination of both mascots – the Burns Broncs and the Pine Bluffs Hornets.