Lake Land College hired Kate Bushue as the new cross-country coach after the Fall 2024 semester ended. According to Athletics Dept. secretary, Meredith Perez, “Lake Land did have a cross-country team about 20 years ago, our last cross-country team competed in 2005, and Jess Daughtry was the coach.” Perez mentioned, “Cross Country stopped at Lake Land in 2005, there just did not seem to be a high interest in the sport at that time.”
Perez explained the reason Lake Land decided to bring back cross-country as a sport, “The sport of cross country has made a huge come back. Today, many athletes compete in the sport, and Lake Land College wants to give local athletes a chance of having the college athlete experience and creating opportunities with cross-country for them. We feel that with the increase in participation and the number of talented runners in our area and surrounding areas we will be a successful and competitive team.”
In addition to being the cross-country coach here on campus, Bushue currently works at Mattoon High School as a Physical Education teacher. She was also the Cross-Country Coach for Mattoon High School.
She was born and raised in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. She stated, “I played all different sports growing up and was fortunate to have some fantastic coaches along the way that motivated me to want to compete at the collegiate level. I looked up to my coaches and felt inspired by them.”
She clarified that cross country is “a sport where athletes run long distances on outdoor courses, usually covering fields, trails, and sometimes hills. It is different from track races because it takes place in natural environments rather than on a flat, controlled track.”
She elucidated that the sport is important for a few reasons:
“Physical Fitness: It helps improve endurance, strength, and overall fitness by challenging the body to run long distances.
Mental Toughness: It requires focus, determination, and resilience, especially when running in tough weather or difficult terrain.
Teamwork: In cross country races, teams often compete together, with runners supporting each other to achieve the best team score.
Regarding her coaching philosophy, she specified that it is grounded in these core principles: “Commitment to Individual Development; Building a Team-Oriented Culture; Focus on the Process, Not Just the Outcome; Mental Toughness and Resilience; Balanced Training and Injury Prevention; Fun and Enjoyment; and Leading by Example.”
Let us hope Coach Bushue has a successful tenure here on campus and join other coaches on campus in their achievement on the field, in the classroom and off the field.
