SALADO — The Bonham Middle School 8th Grade Boys Cross Country team officially kicked off its season on Wednesday evening, lacing up their spikes for the Soaring Eagles Cross Country Meet at Salado Middle School.

Bulldog Runners Lead the Charge

The Bulldogs showcased strong individual grit on the 1-mile course, spearheaded by an elite performance from Dawson McCauley, who earned a prestigious Top 5 finish among a field of 67 runners.

McCauley locked down a 5th-place finish overall with a blazing time of 9:55.80, placing him well within the Top 20 medal threshold and setting a high standard for the team's season opener.

While Bonham did not field enough runners to qualify for the official team standings, all three participating Bulldogs posted strong individual efforts:

Dawson McCauley (5th Place) – 9:55.80 (Top 20 Performance)
Kevin Medina (46th Place) – 12:23.92
MacGvier Jones (47th Place) – 12:44.17

Top 5 Individual Finishers

Salado's Landon Everett took top honors on his home course, pacing the 1-mile run with a sub-9-minute finish.

1 - Landon Everett (Salado MS) – 8:53.09
2 - Joshua McComb (Legacy Ranch MS) – 9:25.42
3 - Easton Reid (Legacy Ranch MS) – 9:31.23
4 - Jacob Hart (Liberty Hill MS) – 9:31.78
5 - Dawson McCauley (Bonham MS) – 9:55.80

Team Standings

Legacy Ranch Middle School captured the overall team crown, edging out Florence MS by 25 points.

1 - Legacy Ranch Middle School – 40 points
2 - Florence MS – 65 points
3 - Salado MS – 77 points
4 - Liberty Hill MS – 81 points
5 - Thorndale – 109 points
6 - Santa Rita MS – 115 points

(Note: Bonham MS did not register a team score due to incomplete roster numbers).

Up Next for the Bulldogs

The Bonham Bulldogs will look to build on their opening-meet momentum when they return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at the Dragon Middle School Relay. The event will take place at Heritage Park in Belton, with races scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM.