If memory serves, most high school students roll out of bed and into class just moments before the morning bell sounds.

Obviously, they are not members of the Badgers cross country team.

Six days a week, head coach Trent Lancaster's runners arrive to campus, ready to work out at 6:30 a.m.

By the time the 8 a.m. tardy bell rings at Lampasas High School during the school week, the members of this team have run more miles than most people will in a week and, hopefully, showered.

That work ethic is what it takes to cut it with Lancaster, a staunch believer in the philosophy that with dedication, desire and hard work, no odds are insurmountable.

"There's an old saying in cross country," Lancaster said. "Hard work will beat talent, or push you to a higher level.

"It's not like lining up in a 100- meter dash [where] you're going to win it if you're the fastest and don't false start. In cross country, you can win it if you outwork them."

Today at 9 a.m. the coach gets his first opportunity to see if all the early-morning training sessions in the offseason paid dividends when Lampasas open its season at the Temple Invitational.

"I want to see everybody's times come down, and I'd like to see some hardware," Lancaster said.

Sounds easy enough, but with schools from all over the state converging on the Sammons Golf Course, the competition will be fierce.

The boys' lone senior David Bloomfield leads the Badgers along with Brandon Willie, Michael Fisher and Jonathan Lohmann. Vanessa Perkins, Tiffany Fagg, Jontell Ritz and Patricia Roberts anchor the girls' squad.

If LHS has a successful meet, the teams could put themselves in early contention to claim the District 25 crown abandoned by Vista Ridge after it jumped from Class 4A to 5A.

Even though Lancaster feels hard work trumps all, sometimes a little luck is just as good.

"I think getting Vista Ridge out of our district helped a lot," the coach said.

"We finished second last year behind Vista Ridge, and I don't see how with some hard work we can't be as good as or better than we were last year.

"It's not going to be a handover, but it's definitely possible."

Although Vista Ridge is gone, Lampasas still must contend with district foes Lake Travis, Hutto, Killeen, Marble Falls and Hendrickson. Furthermore, if they are going to make it to the regional meet, the Badgers and Lady Badgers must finish in the top 10 of Region 4, which consists of 60 schools.

"If I get both teams (boys and girls) to region and an individual or two to state, I would consider that a successful year," Lancaster said.

The coach has accomplished a lot on the race course since taking over the program in the fall of 1989, but it is when his runners achieve off the trails that he feels most rewarded.

"I want to make leaders out of them. I want them to improve against themselves and if we get region or state out of that, it would be gravy," Lancaster said. "But I just want them to be leaders in their sport and leaders in life."