Cascade's Muscutt sisters reflect on 800 meter finish

Many high school athletes often on the same team as their sibling, but few ever get the opportunity to face them in competition.

At the 1B/2B/1A Track and Field State Championships, freshman Lauren Muscutt finished third in the girls 800 meter race with a personal record of 2 minutes and 18.65 seconds. Behind her was sister, Kascia Muscutt, who placed fourth in the race with a personal best of 2:19.17.

During the race, Lauren Muscutt said she focused on the person in front of her and mustered her strength to kick hard in the final meters. Kascia Muscutt added that she was trapped behind some competitors and was thinking of how she could advance forward despite being exhausted.

Although the siblings competed in the same event, there was not a sibling rivalry going into the race.

"It's not as fun as you think," Lauren Muscutt said of placing third and beating her older sister. "I want Kascia to succeed. I feel a lot of happiness, but also a little bit of guilt. Being the younger sister, I feel like she deserves it more."

While Lauren Muscutt had some guilt, Kascia Muscutt was proud of how her younger sibling performed in the race.

"It was a proud moment for me," Kascia Muscutt said. "I was a little bit disappointed in that I could have done better but most of the season we've been working toward that same goal together. To see her finish and for me to come from behind, kind of felt like we did it together."

The 800 meters was not the only time the Muscutt sisters made it to the medal podium at state. They, along with teammates Zoe McDevitt and Julia Armstrong, placed second in the girls 4x400 meter relay in 4:06.03.

Prior to state, Kascia Muscutt won both the Caribou Trail League and District 6 championships while Lauren Muscutt finished second.

The state championships capped Lauren Muscutt's freshman season in a Cascade jersey while Kascia Muscutt finished her third season.

The sisters moved to Leavenworth when Kascia Muscutt was in third grade and Lauren Muscutt was a first-grader. Lauren Muscutt ran track in seventh-grade, but not the next year. In the fall, she played girls soccer, along with her sister. 

She said her first year in track was a good experience and noted that competing at the high school level is different compared to middle school. She also enjoyed getting to compete alongside with, and getting to know the boys. 

"I said multiple times during the season to Kascia that I felt like I was in the best shape of my life," Lauren Muscutt said. "I would just go on runs and feel good. I'm a really happy person, I like school and like doing things that people don't like. It's fun to get to know people and compete."

Kascia Muscutt recalled the District 6 Championships 800 meter race where everyone spoke with each other and camaraderie.

"After the race we took a picture together," Kascia Muscutt said. "It's kind of nice having everyone support each other." 

Kascia Muscutt added that running in the state championships is validation for all of the weeks of hard work she and her sister put in during the spring season.

Kascia Muscutt, who has competed in track since seventh grade, said she did not expect her sister to step up and perform as well as she had during her freshman season.

"When we ran our first 4x400 (meter relay) she came in with a 61-second split," Kascia Muscutt said. "It was like 'holy cow, my 14-year-old sister is fast.' It blew me away, and I was like 'we can train together, she can push me, I can push her.'"

Lauren Muscutt noted that she and her sister were not close in middle school, but started to bond during soccer season. They became closer during track because they were practicing and hanging out more.

"It went more from 'she's my sister' to 'she's my friend and I want to spend time with her,'" Kascia Muscutt added. 

Both Muscutts enjoy the running aspect of track because they are successful at it and can mark their progress with personal records.

They were originally focused on competing in the 400 meter dash and used 400-500-300 meter interval training. One obstacle in training for the 400 was Lauren Muscutt's asthma. Toward the end of the season, the siblings realized their best shot at to compete at state was in the 800 meters and began working with CHS Assistant Coach Eric Wulfman, who works with distance runners. The sisters worked on speed progression and longer intervals where they would run their race pace.

With the 2019 season behind them, both sisters are looking forward to next spring. Lauren Muscutt said she developed a passion for track, which she did not expect prior to competing on the team. 

"I always felt soccer was my favorite sport, but at the moment I feel track is my favorite sport," Lauren Muscutt said. "In middle school, it wasn't my favorite sport and it just felt like running. It's a totally different thing in high school. The social aspect makes it fun.”

As for Kascia Muscutt, next year will be her senior season, which adds more pressure and motivation to succeed.

"I will put everything out there because it will be my last high school sport, ever," she added. "I'm hoping to do some training over the winter time to prepare for that."