Marble Falls athletes return for final month of Forge
CAPTION: Brody Graham shows the strain of the weight as he prepares to lift the bar above his head. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
Marble Falls Independent School District athletes gathered at Mustang Stadium July 7 to begin the final month of Forge ’25, the department’s summer strength and conditioning program.
About 50 high school boys and 30 high school girls were on the artificial turf for agility and speed training and in the weight room for high-intensity lifting sessions.
Once Forge wrapped up, they split up to do sport-specific drills.
Assistant basketball and softball head coach Alex Lozoya accompanied the Lady Mustangs basketball players then met up with softball players and assistant coaches Hailey Wooten and Aspen Howie.
“They worked hard,” he said. “They went hard.”
The next day was more about recovery.
Athletic director Keri Timmerman reached out to the coaches to inquire about inviting the athletes to volunteer to help with flood efforts following the Fourth of July holiday instead of having a third day of Forge training.
“Everybody was in agreement,” Lozoya said, adding that he was at The Ark of the Highland Lakes warehouse to help there. “We said it was as great idea.”
He indicated he was impressed with how the athletes applied the same intensity for working out to how they loaded and unloaded all sorts of supplies, food and drinks.
“They were excited to go work,” he said. “They were excited to go help. A lot of kids were excited about what we’re working on and going to give back.”
Meanwhile, the high school athletes were at a RV park doing the heavy lifting of moving debris after they attended a muck training session that taught them how to remove damaged belongings and construction materials from a flooded home.
Lozoya said the department knew of some families who were on vacation. And he was glad to see the athletes return for the final weeks of the program. “If you’re in town, get some work in, get a lift, get out here,” he said. “A lot of kids didn’t get a chance to go out and do anything. We told them to be smart, stay safe.”
CAPTION: Rayleigh Crim runs to a spot to plant and turn the reaccelerate. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
