CASCADE — As of Wednesday, Cascade's Trent Lane has set the pace across Class C in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, as the junior holds the top times in both races.
"You just have to be racing yourself all the time. And just, at the end of cross country coming in second place ... just gives you a little bit of fire to really drive it," Lane said at Cascade High School during Wednesday's practice. "You got to persevere. It's not always fun, but you just got to keep that in the back of your head and realize that you got to put in the work if you really want to do well."
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In cross country, Lane helped lead the Badgers to a second straight team state championship. He said seeing those runners then helps gear him up for what he'll see at the upcoming Class C state track and field meet.
"They are right there," Lane said. "It's kind of good, I get to know them a little bit during cross country and I know they're workers. And they're going to be ready, and I just got to be ready, too."
His best time in the 1,600 of 4 minutes, 37.74 seconds came this past Saturday. While the top mark in the 3,200 of 10:23.18 happened back on April 25, Lane said he's finding his stride right now.
"Gives me a lot of confidence," he said. "Kind of builds on what is going to happen at state."
At the same time, he's of course being chased by other athletes.
"It puts a lot of pressure on me in these upcoming meets," Lane said. "Districts and divisionals, I'm really going to have make sure I can drop my time because I know they're going to be doing the same."
Additionally, Lane holds Class C's fifth-best time in the 800 of 2:04.71 — just a little over two seconds behind the best mark.
"I have my eyes set on people, I know the times I have to run," Lane said. "If I don't run those times, I just got to be making sure I'm working as hard as I can. And sometimes you're going to lose some and you're going to win some, and you just hope you can win at the right time, which is at state."
With the season in the final stretch, Lane said the next three weeks will be about one key thing.
"Be ready to fight that third lap in the mile, the last mile in the two mile and then the 800, the whole race is a fight," Lane said.
Lane and Cascade next compete in the District 10C meet Friday in Great Falls.
