Cinder Club Board 2024-2025

Our Board is made up of hard-working parents & coaches who pool their talents to enhance and elevate the athletic program. Those listed below volunteered to provide leadership this year.  Please contact us if you have an interest in serving on the Board in the future!

We have several open spots for the upcoming season and year! Please email Blakely Hill if you are interested in learning more information!

Meet Our Coaches

Travis Gower, Head XC Coach, Track & Field Coach

Coach Gower has been dedicated to teaching social studies and coaching cross country and track & field since 2002. He began his career at his alma mater, McEachern High School, before moving to Walton in 2008. After a brief hiatus from education and coaching in 2021, Coach Gower returned to Walton in the fall of 2024. Over the years, he has led both boys’ and girls’ teams to state championships in cross country and track & field, along with numerous region titles and individual state champions.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Coach Gower competed on the cross country and track & field teams for the Bulldogs. He married his wife, Barbie, in 2022, and together with their dog Mika, they enjoy hiking, camping, mountain biking, and traveling. An avid runner and triathlete, Coach Gower has completed two Ironman Triathlons and raced in the Boston Marathon. He is passionate about instilling a love of running and hard work in his athletes while striving to bring home many more championships for the Raiders.

Emily Navitsky, XC Coach

 Coach Navitsky joined the Raider coaching staff in August of 2020. This is her third year with the team and will be her first year as head coach. She attended Walton and ran cross country and track during her high school years. She was a member of a State Champion Cross Country team. This is her eighth-year teaching Spanish, her third at Walton.

Coach Navitsky graduated from the University of South Carolina, with a degree in Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, spending time outside & with family, and watching sports (her favorite teams are the Gamecocks, Atlanta United, and the Patriots). She loves the family aspect of cross-country and is looking forward to a great season.  

Bill Stewart, XC and Track Coach

Coach Bill has been coaching male and female distance runners since 1998 (Walton High School since 1999, prior year Cherry Hill East, NJ). During that time, his teams have won 4 state championships (3 XC and 1 track), and placed in the top 5 at the Georgia State meets 15 times in Cross Country. In Track, distance runners (800,1600, 3200) have had at least one representative qualify for the state meet each year.

Adult Running: Coach Bill has had five runners qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials and two female international runners achieve personal bests of 2:34 and 2:38 in the Marathon. He coached two runners to national teams (US and Sweden), as well as nationally ranked runners in the 10K, half marathon, and full marathon.

Coach Bill has been an active runner for 30 years. He is the current school record holder at the University of Massachusetts for the indoor 800m (1:52) and indoor 1000m (2:24). Other personal bests include 3:52 (1500m), 14:32 (5000m), 30:07 (10,000m) and 1:06:00 (half marathon). In cross country, he was named All-American (Top 10) at US National Club Cross Country Championships in 2001.

Beth Old, XC Coach

Coach Beth is a Walton XC community coach. Beth has three children who have been involved with Walton running. She's a member of the GaTech Athletic Hall of Fame for achievements as part of track & cross country teams. She was top 20 in the US Olympic Marathon Trials and has been a long time Walton Youth coach.

Patrick Kay, Head Track Coach

This is Coach Kay's eighth season with the Walton Raiders. Patrick is an also an alumni of Walton High School, where he played both football and threw for the track and field team. As a senior, he threw competitively on the varsity level with a PR in the shot at 47' 6.5".

Coach Kay graduated from Johns Hopkins University where he played football for the Blue Jays and earned a B.A. in political science. He also earned his masters in arts and teaching from Georgia State University.

As a coach, Patrick has had the opportunity to work with countless athletes and to help lead the Raiders to multiple Region titles and the 2012 State title. His athletes have thrown competitively in both Region and State championships, with two females finishing in the top 9 overall in the state and one male finishing 6th overall in the state.

Terran Viehe, Pole Vault Coach

Coach Viehe is also a Walton High School class of '97 alumni. He pole-vaulted for Walton Track and Field and holds one of the top school records.

Terran continues his passion through understanding the physics behind the pole-vaulting technique and developing new advanced drills each season. He often demonstrates a wide variety of pole-vaulting drills while focusing on the individual's needs to accommodate each vaulter's areas of improvement. His devotion to teaching proper form and technique enables each vaulter to reach their full potential.

Since coaching for Walton since 2005, vaulters have competed in State Competitions 19 times and placed 7th or higher, earning a spot on the podium 13 times. Placing first in County and Regional meets are not uncommon for his athletes. At the regional meets, Terran's pole-vaulters have set the male record in 2017 and the female record in 2018.

When Terran is not coaching, he enjoys his work as a Wireless Telecommunications Design Engineer. In his free time, he enjoys applying his technical skills to Class V+ whitewater kayaking, which utilizes similar core strengths, balance, and courage as pole-vaulting. Terran’s passion for all things technical make him a great contribution as a coach for pole-vault coach.