Johnny Bomar enters his fifteenth season at the helm of the Wofford College cross country and track and field programs in 2025-26. He has coached 56 Southern Conference Champions and 185 All-SoCon selections. Bomar was named the league’s women’s outdoor coach of the year in 2019 and 2023, along with the women’s indoor coach of the year honors in 2021, 2024, and 2025. In addition, eleven different student-athletes have competed in the NCAA East Preliminaries.
The 2024-25 season saw the men and women combine for 11 All-Southern Conference honors in the indoor season and 14 All-Southern Conference honors in the outdoor season. A total of 12 new school records were set and eight Southern Conference titles were claimed between the indoor and outdoor seasons. At the Southern Conference Indoor Championship, the women were second overall. Sherika Christie was named the Most Outstanding Athlete and the Most Outstanding Field Performer, while Bomar was named Women’s Coach of the Year. At the SoCon Outdoor Championships, the women were third overall. Christie was named Most Outstanding Athlete and Most Outstanding Field Performer. Christie capped the outdoor season by competing in the long jump at the NCAA East Preliminaries in Jacksonville.
In the 2023-24 season, there were a total of sixteen school records set in the indoor and outdoor seasons. The men and women combined for 14 All-Southern Conference honors in the indoor season and added 18 All-SoCon honors during the outdoor season. A total of 14 individual Southern Conference titles were won and the women’s team was the runner-up at both the indoor and outdoor Southern Conference Championship. Jasmine Jefferson was the SoCon Outdoor Track Performer of the Year, while Jefferson added SoCon Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer honors and Sherika Christie was the SoCon Indoor Freshman of the Year and Most Outstanding Field Performer. The outdoor season ended with Cameron Dalton (200m) and Jasmine Jefferson (400m) competing in the NCAA East Preliminaries.
During the 2022-23 season, the teams combined for seven individual Southern Conference titles. During cross country, the team once again competed at the NCAA Regionals. The indoor track season was highlighted by a title in the 200 meters by Conor Murphy, along with two titles by Netanya Linares and one each by Kerrington Johnson and Madeline McNinch as the women were fourth overall. Linares was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer of the meet. In addition, ten school records were set during the indoor campaign. During the outdoor season, eight school records were broken. A total of twelve All-Southern Conference honors were earned, along with an individual title in the 100 meter hurdles by Kerrington Johnson and a title in the 4x100 meter relay. The season was capped by appearances in the NCAA East Preliminaries Kerrington Johnson in the 100 meter hurdles and Jenna Reid in the javelin.
The Terriers put together another remarkable campaign in 2021-22. In cross country, Josh Hendry became the first Wofford men’s runner to earn All-SoCon honors. During indoor track, seven new school records were set. Megan Dunn won the pentathlon and Kerrington Johnson won the 60 meter hurdles as the women finished second overall, the highest ever. The men had four All-SoCon honors and the women picked up twelve. Following the meet, Madeline McNinch was named the SoCon women’s indoor Freshman of the Year, Netanya Linares was named the Most Outstanding Athlete, and Bomar was named Coach of the Year. In the outdoor season, school records were set in 16 events. Kerrington Johnson won the 100 meter hurdles and 400 meter hurdles, Megan Dunn won the pentathlon and the 4x100 took first as the women finished second overall. The men were sixth with the second-highest point total in school history. A total of fifteen All-SoCon honors were received and Kerrington Johnson was named the Freshman of the Year. Isaiah Ellis, Tanner Henry, and Kerrington Johnson competed at the NCAA East Preliminaries.
The 2020-21 indoor season saw the women finish second at the Southern Conference Championship, which included two individual titles and eleven All-SoCon honors. The men had four All-SoCon honors. During the outdoor season, the teams combined for 18 All-Southern Conference honors. The women were second overall and Kerrington Johnson was named the Freshman of the Year. Johnson also competed at the NCAA EAst Preliminaries in the 100-meter hurdles.
During the 2019-20 season the team picked up four individual Southern Conference championships. Hannah Steelman won the women’s cross country title for the second straight season and at the NCAA Championships was 23rd overall to earn All-America honors. Twenty new school records were set during the indoor track season, with eight by the men and twelve by the women. At the Southern Conference championship, Megan Dunn won the pentathlon, Destiny Shippy won the 60 meter hurdles and Hannah Steelman took first in the 3,000 meters, with the team finishing a program-best fourth. Georgia McDevitt was named the SoCon women’s indoor Freshman of the Year. Steelman added All-America honors in the 3,000 meters. The outdoor season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2018-19 season was among the best in program history. The women’s cross country team posted a fourth place finish in the league, the highest in school history. The team was led by Hannah Steelman, who won the individual title and was named SoCon Runner of the Year. Steelman earned NCAA All-Region honors and competed in the NCAA Championship. During the indoor season, the men and women set eight new school records each. At the Southern Conference Championship, Conrad Heinrich won the heptathlon, McLeod Dean won the 60 meters and 200 meters to earn Most Outstanding Track Performer honors, while Amber Lust won the 60 meter hurdles. Hannah Steelman earned All-America honors in the 3,000 meters. In the outdoor season, the men set ten new school records and the women set 13 new records. At the Southern Conference Championship, the women were second overall and the men were fourth, both the best in school history. Bomar was named SoCon Coach of the Year, Elijah Bull was Freshman of the Year and Hannah Steelman was Track Athlete of the Year. Six individual championships were won. Isaiah Ellis, McLeod Dean and Hannah Steelman competed at the NCAA East Regional. Steelman went on to earn first team All-America honors in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships.
During the 2018-19 season the program reached new heights, beginning with cross country in the fall. The men posted the best point totals in school history. Hannah Steelman was named SoCon Freshman of the Year and also earned NCAA All-Region honors. During the indoor season, the men set seven new school records and the women broke 15 school marks. Joe Harbacevich won the Southern Conference Championship in the 800 meters, while Austin Lufkin, Conrad Heinrich, William Stout, Omar Mingo, Hannah Steelman and Amber Lust earned All-SoCon honors. The women were fifth at the SoCon Championship and the men were sixth. In the outdoor season, nine records were set by the men and twelve were broken by the women. At the SoCon Championship, Conrad Heinrich won the decathlon, Hannah Steelman won the 3,000 meter steeplechase and McLeod Dean won both the 100 and 200 meters. A total of nine All-SoCon honors and ten All-Freshman Team honors were collected, with Hannah Steelman earning Freshman of the Year. Steelman competed at the NCAA Championship in the 5,000 meters and 3,000 meter steeplechase, becoming the first Terrier to be named an All-American in track.
In 2016-17, the program started the year with strong performances at the Southern Conference Cross Country Championship. The women tied for fifth place and the men finished in sixth place. Cisco Ferre set a school record in the 8k event. The men added seven school records during the indoor season, while the women added six school records. At the SoCon Championship, the men and women both finished sixth overall. Amber Lust, William Stout and the men’s 4x400 relay earned All-Conference honors, while the team earned nine All-Freshman Team accolades. During the outdoor season, the women added five school records and the men had three. Both the men and women were sixth at the SoCon Championship. Amber Lust, McLeod Dean, Joe Harbacevich, Conrad Heinrich and the men’s 4x100 team earned named All-Southern Conference. The Terriers also earned eight All-Freshman Team honors.
In the 2015 cross country season, Cisco Ferre, Rebeka Fadgyas and Alexandra Forster earned All-Freshman Team honors. During the indoor track season, seven school records were set by the men and ten were set by the women. The team earned ten All-Freshman Team honors and Joe Harbacevich was named All-SoCon in the 800 meters. Outdoors, the men added eight school records and the women had nine. At the Southern Conference Championships, the women were led by Alexandra Burgess with a SoCon title in the triple jump. The Terriers had 14 All-Freshman Team honors and four All-Southern Conference honors.
During the 2014-15 season, the men’s cross country team recorded the lowest point total in school history at the time. During the indoor season, the men’s team set five new records, while the women set six records. In the outdoor meets, the men had three record performances and the women had six records broken.
In 2013-14, Bomar’s cross country and track teams set a combined 15 school records. Alyssa Burkert was the first female track and field athlete to earn All-Conference honors since 2006.
The team’s highlight of the 2012-13 season was the 2013 All-Academic Women’s Track & Field team honors. As noted by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), Wofford ‘s women’s team had the highest cumulative GPA of 3.61 in all of Division I. On the track, the men’s indoor team broke five school records, and eight records were broken for the women. In outdoor, the men broke two school records, while the women broke 10 school records, with Burkert qualifying for the NCAA Division I East Regionals in the 800 meters.
During his first season at Wofford in 2011-12, Bomar had two new school records in cross country both for the men’s and women’s teams, four school records for indoor track and field for the men, and seven more for the women. Also in 2011-12, the outdoor teams set two records on the men’s side, and 10 for the women.
Before Wofford, Bomar served as an assistant at Western Carolina where he worked with the hurdlers and sprinters. WCU finished second in the indoor and outdoor SoCon Track and Field Championships on both the men’s and women’s side.
Prior to his time with the Catamounts, he spent five years at King College--two years as head coach and three years as assistant coach. While at King, he coached seven NAIA National Champions, 27 NAIA All-Americans, 20 conference champions and 58 NAIA national qualifiers. He was also named the AAC Coach of the Year in 2009. Bomar spent his first three season as assistant track and field and assistant cross country coach before overseeing all programs as the head coach track and field coach in 2008.
Bomar is 2002 graduate of Western Carolina and served as a graduate assistant from 2003 until 2005. In his first stint at WCU he coached 20 Southern Conference Champions, 36 All-Conference Athletes, 20 NCAA Regional Qualifiers and one Junior National All-American. He was also the assistant cross country coach for the Catamounts during that time.
He was a part of the 1999 WCU squad which captured both the Southern Conference Indoor and Outdoor championships. He was an eight-time Division I letterman and a three-time All-Southern Conference student-athlete.
A native of Spartanburg, Bomar was a multi-sport athlete at Chapman High School. He and his wife, Amy, have daughters Jaxen, Alivia and Avery and a son, Jaylen.
