CASCADE — Winning a state title, regardless of the sport, is quite a feat, and repeating as champion is even more difficult. But the Cascade High School boys cross country team just accomplished that, winning Class C's team title for the second straight year at this past Saturday's state meet in Missoula.
Three top-15 finishers, including juniors Trent Lane and Peyton Johnson finishing second and third, respectively, propelled the Badgers to consecutive state championships.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
"I was so excited," Lane said at Cascade High School on Wednesday. "Peyton and I, we came across second and third, and then once I saw Lane (McKamey) come across at 13th, I was like 'Oh, man, that was great.'
"It was a relief and I was just like, 'Yes.' It was great."
"It was pretty big," Johnson said. "Last year, (Lane and myself) finished third and fourth, and we both wanted to finish in the top three this time. And we made that a goal, and so to do it was pretty special."
"It was amazing. It's the first state title I've won with a team," freshman Lane McKamey said. "When I got in and we had the award ceremony and we found out we won state, it was probably the most relieving feeling ever."
Lane and Johnson said it means a lot to be back-to-back state champions.
"Usually we're sleeping on the (bus ride) back, but that time there was no sleep and it was all smiles," Lane said. "It was good, and then we came back home to some firetrucks waiting for us to escort us back up to the school, so that was pretty special."
"We've built up a pretty good program here," Johnson said. "Ever since our freshman year we started off taking fifth and we've just developed that into the two back-to-back titles we've had. And now we have even more runners coming out and it's looking like the program is going to grow rather than regress."
This is the first time Cascade has won consecutive cross country championships, head coach Kendra Lane said.
"It's really exciting," Kendra Lane said. "These boys worked hard. They encouraged each other, they were determined, they believed in each other and they came out at state and did what they needed to do to win the state championship."
Trent Lane and Johnson said they hope this momentum carries over into next fall to try to go for a three-peat.
"We have a lot to live up to now, and seeing as none of (the five runners on the team) are leaving ... we have some expectations that we have to meet," Lane said.
"There's not many teams in Montana at all that can do that in any of their sports," Johnson said. "So that's definitely something we'll be going for."
