CASCADE — Thirty-one years after its last girls cross country state championship, Cascade is back on top.
The Badgers captured the Class C girls team title this fall, while senior Trent Lane added another championship to the program’s season by winning the individual boys title.
For coach Kendra Lane, the accomplishments carried some added significance. She was part of Cascade's previous girls championship team and won three state titles herself while running for the school in the 1990s.
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But watching her athletes win from the sideline felt even better.
"I think it's better, honestly," Kendra said. "Being a mom and a coach is better than winning yourself. It's pretty special to be a coach and watch these girls do what they do."
Cascade entered the season with high expectations, and the girls backed up those expectations with work throughout the summer and fall.
Junior Alexandria Park said that offseason preparation made a noticeable difference after Cascade finished third at state a year ago.
"Everybody sees a state title, but they don't see all of your summer workouts and all of the practices that you just didn't want to be there for," Park said.
The work paid off at state. Freshman Madison Jennings finished second individually, while Park took sixth. Several Cascade runners also posted significant personal records to help secure the team championship.
For Jennings, some of the best memories came away from competition.
"My favorite part was the hotel night before state," Jennings said. "All of our teammates were in the room together, and we were like, scarfing ourselves with pumpkin bread. ... I like the happy memories because running, it gets kind of painful sometimes."
While the girls made history as a team, Trent Lane made some of his own.
Lane battled Drummond's Dawson Park throughout the season and into the state championship race. The two stayed together until the closing stretch, when Lane finally pulled away to win in 15 minutes, 52 seconds.
For a runner who began the sport in sixth grade, becoming a state champion once seemed far away.
"This was a dream that I really didn't think I could ever achieve," Trent said. "I think younger me would probably be pretty proud."
The championship also adds another connection between Trent and his mother. Kendra's accomplishments are already displayed at Cascade, and now her son's name will join hers.
"Her name's on the wall, and now my name is right there alongside her," Trent said. "It's pretty special just to be part of the school's history, part of the sports legacy here."
And for Kendra, that history extends beyond her own family.
"I think it's more of the teams in general," she said. "We're all just doing it together as a team."
With Cascade set to move up to Class B next season, this year's runners will leave Class C with a championship season that put another generation of Badgers into the school's record books.
