Former Lady Tiger cross country standout Natalie Bach-Prather is the new women's cross country coach at ETBU, taking over the program for which she herself ran as a student-athlete for four years.
Bach-Prather was a standout runner for ETBU for four years, including the 2006 season in which she was named All-American Southwest Conference. She graduated from ETBU in the spring of 2008 with a double major in History and English, and a minor in Piano Performance.
Coach Bach-Prather is currently working on a master's degree at Stephen F. Austin State University, in Public History and Creative Writing.
She ran cross country at ETBU four years, including the '06 season in which she was recognized as one of the top runners in the American Southwest Conference. Having "run most of her life," Coach Bach-Prather is still involved with the sport as a triathlon racer as well as having run in various marathons.
She was the graduate assistant for cross country in 2008.
Coach Bach-Prather became a certified personal trainer in 2007 at the Cooper Institution in Dallas, where she continues to study and maintain certification.
Coach Bach-Prather is a Marshall native and is the oldest of 10 children in her family. She and her husband, ETBU men's basketball assistant coach Michael Prather, were married this past summer.
Bert West
HEAD COACH, Men's Cross Country
Phone: 903-923-2231
E-Mail: bwest@etbu.edu
Bert West is in his 10th year as ETBU's men's cross country coach in 2009.
West also serves as the university's men's basketball coach, where he ranks No. 2 on the program's all-time coaching wins list. West is a graduate of East Texas Baptist College and returned to his alma mater as men's basketball coach in 1990.
He coached at ETBU for six years before leaving for Southern Arkansas University after the 1996-97 season, but he returned to the men's basketball head coaching position in June of 2000, when he also assumed head coaching responsibilities for men's cross country.
Bert and his wife, Diana, have two children and four grandchildren.
Natalie Bach-Prather
