The Bolles School boys' cross country team hit the track Thursday, Aug. 13, as the defending FHSAA Class 2A state champions, opening a season with the program riding a dynasty run of four titles in five years.
The girls' squad, Class 2A state runner-up last fall, also began practice Thursday at the Baker-Gate Petroleum Track on the Upper School San Jose Campus, according to the school's weekly campus newsletter. Middle school girls start Monday, Aug. 17.
Boys captured ninth state title behind Sharma brothers' top-10 finishes
Head coach Steven Stam, a 2000 Bolles graduate, led the boys to their ninth overall state championship on Nov. 22, 2025, at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. The Bulldogs scored 62 points, nearly doubling up runner-up Bishop Kenny at 124, according to the Florida Times-Union's coverage of the meet.
Brothers Arrian Sharma (16:19.3) and Armaan Sharma (16:21.4) paced Bolles with seventh- and eighth-place individual finishes. Montverde Academy's Will Moss won the individual title in 15:35.3.
"They all were a little upset about being second last year and they wanted to carry on the tradition," Stam told the Florida Times-Union after the November 2025 state meet. "They all banded together and really pushed each other."
On the girls' side, Bishop Kenny took the 2025 team title with 32 points. Bolles finished second at 78, ahead of Episcopal's 94.
Alumnus ties program's national history to Flagstaff training camp
The program's offseason included a 10-day training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona, where alumnus Xander Hastings, a 2019 graduate, volunteered to assist with transportation and daily operations. Hastings competed on Bolles teams that finished ninth nationally in 2018 and 20th nationally in 2017, giving current runners a direct link to the program's history at the national level, according to a Bolles news post about the camp.
Stam said Hastings volunteered out of love for the program.
Fans can vote for Bolles in Times-Union preseason polls
The Florida Times-Union launched fan polls Wednesday, Aug. 12, asking readers to vote for the top boys' and girls' cross country teams in the Jacksonville area for the 2026 season. Bolles is featured in both polls.
The FHSAA cross country season runs through late November.
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