Marble Falls athletes to begin final weeks of Forge

CAPTION: Coach Hayden Kesserling stands between Gregory Lemon (left) and Brody Graham before the two compete in a sprint. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

One week remains of organized summer strength and conditioning workouts with the Marble Falls Independent School District coaching staff guiding the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs.

But that doesn’t mean the end of summer workouts, according to athletic director Keri Timmerman.

Instead, Forge ’25, the department’s summer strength and conditioning program, will be led by members of the Class of 2026 during the week of July 28-31, he said.

Timmerman has been encouraged by numerous factors this summer. Top of the list are the number of Lady Mustangs attending their sessions.

“We’ve had a great number of girls come out the past couple of months,” he said.

After they finish, they split into sport-specific drills. Some head to gymnasiums for volleyball and basketball, while others go to the other side of the field for soccer.

Those sports also have participated in summer leagues. The volleyball program competed in the Llano May League, while the basketball team is participating in a summer league against teams south of the city on U.S. 281, and the soccer program just started playing in the Burnet league on Thursdays.

“Those are the things that I’m excited about and seeing,” the athletic director said.

Another highlight is attendance by the seventh and eighth graders, who train after the high school athletes finish. They usually start at around 9 a.m. The athletic director noted middle school athletes are adding something new to their schedules for the first time. They, too, are making the most of their sessions, Timmerman said.

Mother Nature continues to be a factor in summer workouts. But not in the usual way where athletes are contending with daily heat and humidity. Instead since returning from the mandatory week off from June 30-July 4, the department has faced the aftermath of the Fourth of July flood and heavy rain on July 14 that compelled Timmerman to contact athletes and families and tell them to stay home. He noted some athletes live in areas with low water crossings and parents contacted him about those obstacles.

“I made the decision to cancel,” he said. “We’re so spread out.”

In addition, athletes and coaches volunteered at a RV park to remove debris and other flood-related hurdles and at the ARK of the Highland Lakes to load and unload supplies all on July 9 during what would normally be a Forge workout.

But once the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs met back up from those schedule changes, they attacked every drill with the same intensity they showed throughout June, he said.

In the weight room, athletes are using their phones to submit data on the amount of weight and number of reps they’re doing on different lifts. That allows coaches to track their progress. Timmerman said they’re getting close to having a max-out day where the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs will lift the heaviest weight they can for a single rep.

“I’ll look at some numbers next week,” he said. “The kids are taking steps forward.”

And as encouraged as he is, Timmerman noted he’d like to see more athletes attend the sessions where they can put in the time and energy with their teammates, build rapport and strengthen those bonds.

“I’m still always going to push for more,” he said.

C APTION: Addie Martin (front) and Gracie Goff have been consistently attending Forge ’25 workouts throughout the summer. Their attendance along with the rest of their teammates and classmates has encouraged athletic director Keri Timmerman. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro