McNeese State University Men's Cross Country

Gilroy, a former McNeese athlete, is in his 10th season as the head coach of the McNeese track and field program and recently wrapped up his ninth season as the leader of the cross country squads. He took over the position in the spring of 2008 when his predecessor, Ty Sevin, was tabbed to become the pole vault coach for the U.S. Olympic team. Gilroy had served the 2007 season as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach. In his nine years as the cross country head coach, he led the Cowboys to the 2012 Southland Conference championship and was named the mens coach of the year that same season. Hes also coached the leagues freshman of the year (Stephen Kerr, 2012), newcomer of the year (Alex Bruce-Littlewood, 2011), and athlete of the year (David Rooney, 2012). In nine seasons, the Cowboys have had one first place finish, two second places and two third places. Rooney also also became the first McNeese cross country runner in school history to earn All-America honors after a seventh place finish at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships. On the womens side, he coached Amy Talbot to the league XC newcomer of the year award in 2011. His outdoor teams and competitors have been some of the best in school history. Combined, hes coached 22 conference champions and four all-Americans. His teams have won five SLC Athlete of the Year Awards (Rooney in 12 and 13; Jasmine Webb in 13 and 14; and Mariah Georgetown in 2012); five SLC Outstanding Track Performer Awards (Rooney in 12 and 13; Jasmine Webb in 13 and 14; and Simone Johnson in 2015); and outstanding field performer (Ashlee Smith in 2012); and a newcomer of the year (Brad Gebauer in 2007). His 2013 mens team finished third at the SLC meet for its best finish since placing third in 1991 while the 2013 womens team won the league runner-up trophy with a school record 134 points. For the indoor season, Gilroy has coached 15 conference champions, three all-Americans, and a NCAA champion in Brad Gebauer (pole vault in 2007). Gebauer was also named the leagues indoor newcomer of the year while Rooney earned outstanding track performer honors and the high point award in 2013. Alex Bruce-Littlewood (2013) and Ryan Holroyd (2014) were named the conferences newcomers of the year. The Cowboys placed third in the 2013 season, their highest finish since finishing third in 1999. On the womens side, LaShantena Rounds won the conference title in the weight throw three straight years and earned all-America honors in 2012 when she was named the leagues outstanding field performer. Shes just the second student-athlete in Cowgirl indoor history to win conference gold three consecutive seasons (Sita Waru 4-time champion in the 5,000-meters from 1998-2001). The Cowgirls placed third in the 2013 league championships, their best finish since a second place standing in 2000. He has been in charge of recruiting since he joined the staff and his recruiting class of 2007 was judged among the best in the nation by Track and Field News. A native of Ireland, Gilroy was a three year cross country and track letterman at McNeese where he received his bachelor degree in Chemistry in 1993 and his master in Health & Human Performance in 1999. He had spent nine years as head cross country and track coach at Iowa High School and had been head coach for the Lake Area Express Track Club for 10 seasons. During his prep coaching career Gilroy had been named the Louisiana Class AAA coach of the year for both cross country and track in 2004 and led Iowa to two state titles, the first such championships in any sport for the high school. In USATF junior Olympic competition he had his athletes earn 105 all-America honors as well as set seven national records and win 35 national championships. He is married to the former Keri Ange, a McNeese distance running record holder and champion and former school athlete of the year.  The couple has two daughter, both of whom are also distance runner standouts at Barbe High School. Keri is also a member of the McNeese Hall of Fame. Brendon Gilroy Head Coach 2015 Louisiana Womens XC Coach of the Year 2013 SLC Mens XC Coach of the Year Brendon Gilroy, a former McNeese athlete, is in his 10th season as the head coach of the McNeese track and field program and recently wrapped up his ninth season as the leader of the cross country squads. He took over the position in the spring of 2008 when his predecessor, Ty Sevin, was tabbed to become the pole vault coach for the U.S. Olympic team. Gilroy had served the 2007 season as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach. In his nine years as the cross country head coach, he led the Cowboys to the 2012 Southland Conference championship and was named the mens coach of the year that same season. Hes also coached the leagues freshman of the year (Stephen Kerr, 2012), newcomer of the year (Alex Bruce-Littlewood, 2011), and athlete of the year (David Rooney, 2012). In nine seasons, the Cowboys have had one first place finish, two second places and two third places. Rooney also also became the first McNeese cross country runner in school history to earn All-America honors after a seventh place finish at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships. On the womens side, he coached Amy Talbot to the league XC newcomer of the year award in 2011. His outdoor teams and competitors have been some of the best in school history. Combined, hes coached 22 conference champions and four all-Americans. His teams have won five SLC Athlete of the Year Awards (Rooney in 12 and 13; Jasmine Webb in 13 and 14; and Mariah Georgetown in 2012); five SLC Outstanding Track Performer Awards (Rooney in 12 and 13; Jasmine Webb in 13 and 14; and Simone Johnson in 2015); and outstanding field performer (Ashlee Smith in 2012); and a newcomer of the year (Brad Gebauer in 2007). His 2013 mens team finished third at the SLC meet for its best finish since placing third in 1991 while the 2013 womens team won the league runner-up trophy with a school record 134 points. For the indoor season, Gilroy has coached 15 conference champions, three all-Americans, and a NCAA champion in Brad Gebauer (pole vault in 2007). Gebauer was also named the leagues indoor newcomer of the year while Rooney earned outstanding track performer honors and the high point award in 2013. Alex Bruce-Littlewood (2013) and Ryan Holroyd (2014) were named the conferences newcomers of the year. The Cowboys placed third in the 2013 season, their highest finish since finishing third in 1999. On the womens side, LaShantena Rounds won the conference title in the weight throw three straight years and earned all-America honors in 2012 when she was named the leagues outstanding field performer. Shes just the second student-athlete in Cowgirl indoor history to win conference gold three consecutive seasons (Sita Waru 4-time champion in the 5,000-meters from 1998-2001). The Cowgirls placed third in the 2013 league championships, their best finish since a second place standing in 2000. He has been in charge of recruiting since he joined the staff and his recruiting class of 2007 was judged among the best in the nation by Track and Field News. A native of Ireland, Gilroy was a three year cross country and track letterman at McNeese where he received his bachelor degree in Chemistry in 1993 and his master in Health & Human Performance in 1999. He had spent nine years as head cross country and track coach at Iowa High School and had been head coach for the Lake Area Express Track Club for 10 seasons. During his prep coaching career Gilroy had been named the Louisiana Class AAA coach of the year for both cross country and track in 2004 and led Iowa to two state titles, the first such championships in any sport for the high school. In USATF junior Olympic competition he had his athletes earn 105 all-America honors as well as set seven national records and win 35 national championships. He is married to the former Keri Ange, a McNeese distance running record holder and champion and former school athlete of the year.  The couple has two daughter, both of whom are also distance runner standouts at Barbe High School. Keri is also a member of the McNeese Hall of Fame.

Matthew Bonnette, a 2002 graduate of McNeese in mass communication, was named Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Information in the summer of 2012, replacing his father, Louis, who retired that summer after a remarkable 46-year career as the school’s only SID. He was promoted to Associate AD for Communications and Digital Media in the summer of 2021 and Senior Associate AD in the spring of 2023. He's the sport administrator for the track & field and cross country programs and oversees the sports information office and all ESPN+ broadcasting and production as well as department production projects. Bonnette serves as the primary contact for the Cowboys football and men's basketball teams as well as the track and field programs. A Lake Charles native and LaGrange High School graduate (1990), Bonnette was named the Southland Conference's Louis Bonnette Media Award recipient for 2024, an award that is nominated and voted on by his colleagues within the Southland Conference. He was presented the prestigious Mac Russo Award by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) in 2021. Bonnette was awarded the Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest Award in District 6 by CoSIDA in 2018 in the General Feature of the Year category for his story on two-sport athlete (football and baseball) Austin Nelson who battled through, and overcome a brain tumor. He also won first place in the LSWA Writing Contest in the Division I Release category while his 2017 McNeese Football Media Guide won third place.  Overall, Bonnette has won 30 awards by the LSWA and CoSIDA in his 23 years in the profession.      Prior to returning home to his alma mater, Bonnette spent nine years at Northwestern State as an associate SID where he worked closely with the NSU women's basketball and baseball teams, and before going to NSU, he served one year as the SID at Henderson State, a NCAA Division II school in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  Bonnette is a member of CoSIDA, NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association), USBWA (United States Basketball Writers Association) as well as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. He's a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee and has edited and produced the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Program since 2003. He's also been a voter for the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 football national poll since 2012.      His brother, Michael, is Associate AD for Communications at LSU.      Before getting into the sports information profession, Bonnette spent several years as the commercial production manager for KPLC-TV in Lake Charles and in 2000, earned the “Best of Show” ADDY award for his commercial promoting McNeese football season tickets.      Bonnette is married to the former Colene Lanier of Lake Charles and the couple has two daughters, Haley, who is a McNeese graduate and local school teacher, and Katelyn, a who is a junior at Northwestern State University and is involved in the theatre program. Haley married Jake Snyder on Aug. 19, 2023. Katelyn starred as Morticia in the ACTS Theatre musical The Addams Family in August 2023 and spent the 2024 summer as a costume designer at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. He and Colene have two dogs (Chewie and Bailey) and a cat (Nugget).