PENDLETON — A one-time Pendleton High School track and field record holder has taken the reins of the Bucks’ cross-country program.

Maddy Naughton, a longtime assistant coach for the program, stepped into the position after Ben Bradley stepped down earlier this month.

“I think we made it pretty easy on Mike (Somnis, the athletic director),” Naughton said. “I heard a measure of relief in his voice when he asked if I wanted the job, and I told him yes.”

Naughton graduated from Pendleton High in 1981, and held the 800-meter record until Nicole (Osborne) Stewart came along and broke it in 1990 (2:17.90).

“I had always wanted to meet her,” Naughton said after Stewart broke her record. “She said she was sorry. She still has the record.”

After graduating from Pendleton, Naughton went to college at University of Oregon, and lived in Eugene and the Portland area before returning to Pendleton in 1999.

“I wish I would have run in college,” she said. “Had I not gone to University of Oregon, I probably would have. I came back in 1999 and married the hardware guy (Jim Naughton).”

In 2004, Naughton began as an assistant for Stewart, then for Bradley. Now, Stewart is her assistant coach, along with Chris Thatcher.

“I honestly don’t mind the extra stuff,” Naughton said of the paperwork that comes with being in charge. “I’m a good team player and I have a good support system. Nicole is very outgoing and I am more reserved. It’s good for me to step out of my comfort zone.”

And with Stewart comes her parents Margaret and Jake Osborne.

“Her parents have been so supportive of the program,” Naughton said. “They are service-oriented people.”

Naughton, who works at the Pendleton Early Learning Center, has a young team on her hands this year. While the boys team features some up-and-coming freshmen, the girls team returns its top runner from last season in sophomore Melissa Tune, and sisters Tori and Bella Estrada. Tori is a junior, and Bella is a sophomore.

“We are pretty darn young,” Naughton said of the boys team. “We lost quite a few seniors last year. Our varsity team was made up mostly of seniors. We are in a rebuilding phase.”

Freshman Jack Reynolds has shown promise early, and former soccer player Atticus Tesch, a sophomore, who ran distances in track last year, joins the group, as does freshman Maliki Adams.

“Maliki is trying to keep up with Jack at practice,” Naughton said. “He has a little moxie and is getting after it. We also have freshman Khoda Brown and Owen Burt. Owen hasn’t done cross-country before, but I think he will be a very nice addition to our squad.”

Returning to the team are seniors Mekhi Spencer and Jobe Moffett-Wallahee, juniors Nathan Burcham and Desmond Minthorn, and sophomore Eric Baisley.

Juniors Aubrey Harrison and Persephone Bearchum also return for the girls’ team, which also has a newcomer in senior Kennedy Deem, a transfer from Cove.

New to the Bucks are freshmen Evie Christiansen, Janae Minthorn, Adreonna Hayes, Brielle Bonzani and sophomore Maddy Lieuallen.

“They are great kids,” Naughton said. “They just helped bring 1,000 boxes of books from the basement to the parking lot for the Friends of the Library book sale,” she said. “If their work ethic yesterday (Aug. 22) is any indication of the season, I’m really excited.”

Bradley moves on

Bradley, 32, accepted a job as the assistant track and field/cross-country coach at College of Idaho. Bradley is a 2008 graduate of Pendleton High School.

“They called me and informed me the main assistant coach position for track was opening up,” Bradley said. “They heard stuff about me from Lane (Maher). Once that initial contact was made, things moved pretty quickly. The former head coach (Austin Basterrechea) took a job as the assistant athletic director.”

While the move is an exciting one, Bradley said it came with a little sadness.

“I’m really excited about it, but it definitely was not an easy decision,” he said. “Every year you get a kid into the high school that you want to see through their senior year. Not an easy decision.”

Bradley’s move has him working with former Pendleton hurdler Lane Maher, who, in two years at College of Idaho, has set indoor and outdoor school records in the hurdle events.

“When you have an athlete of Lane’s caliber, it makes it easier on the coach,” said Bradley, who coached the hurdles at Pendleton for seven years. “We are excited to work together again. He has two more years. He has some national aspirations he wants to hit.”

It’s a cool group of athletes over there. They are welcoming and are happy to have me.”

Bradley said he leaves the program in good hands with Naughton.

“Maddy has been an assistant for a long time at Pendleton,” he said. “She was a coach when I was an athlete there. She is a familiar face to the kids.”