LINGLE – With girls and boys team titles at the 1A East Regional Invitational last weekend, the Lingle-Fort Laramie track team continued its solid run of competition since the turn of the century, including 24 regional championships between the girls and boys.
“Let me begin by saying that I do not believe that our Dogger track program has some type of secret formula for the success we have had,” L-FL coach Mike Lashley said. “I am also not insinuating that our program is better than any of the other track programs in our district. Both Torrington and Southeast have super athletes and coaches. Everyone works hard for their athletes.”
Starting in 2000, the Dogger boys finished as the regional runners-up, before rattling off regional wins in three-straight seasons. L-FL’s boys had an off year in 2004, before rebounding to finish second in the east in 2005, followed by an additional two championships (2006-2007).
After a two-year hiatus from the top of the podium, L-FL snagged the top trophy again in 2010. From 2012-2018, the Doggers have been undefeated in regional meets.
The L-FL boys have won seven-straight and eight of the last nine regional meets. In 19 years, the Doggers have 13 titles and two runner-up finishes.
“First and foremost, we have been blessed with phenomenal athletes in our track program,” Lashley said. “You have to have kids that are athletic, obviously, but they must also have a great work ethic and believe in their coaches I realize that track and field is considered to be an individual sport, but to have success as a team, athletes must be willing to put the goals of the team above their own individual achievement.”
Like the boys, the Lady Doggers have had a similar run of success. In 2001, the L-FL girls finished second in the east, before missing the podium in three-straight years. They rebounded in a big way, winning the title three seasons in a row (2005-2007), followed by a silver as a team in 2008.
From 2009-2014, the Lady Doggers went undefeated, winning six regional titles in as many years. In 2015, L-FL’s girls took second, followed by a third-place finish in 2016. In 2017 and 2018, the Lady Doggers returned to the top, winning another two regional titles. Since 2005, the L-FL girls have not finished lower than third, winning 11 of the last 14 championships.
“Each championship is unique in its own way and is just as special as any of the others,” Lashley said. “Each season presents a unique set of difficulties and obstacles, so it is always special to add another championship to the trophy case.”
This past season was like many in the past several years, with the L-FL girls and boys standing atop the 1A East podium. The Lady Doggers won the regional title with 170 points, while the Dogger boys notched 138 points to snag the win.
“To help build a championship culture, I believe that consistency on the coaching staff is critical,” Lashley said. “It is very difficult to gain momentum as a program, when coaches are rotating through, bringing with them diverse philosophies and expectations. Everyone on the coaching staff must be pulling in the same direction.”
Lashley has been a staple of the L-FL track program for decades. He has been at the helm of the track program for 27 years, but he certainly does not take the longevity of the Dogger track program for granted.
“I am not sure why God chose to put me in this place at this time, to be able to experience the success we have had over the last 30 years with L-FL track and field,” Lashley said. “It very well could have been someone else and not me. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with so many talented athletes and knowledgeable coaches.”
The Doggers are not done for the season, with the 1A State Invitational this weekend in Casper. In school history, the L-FL girls have 11 state championships, with the L-FL boys notching eight championships. Since 2000, the Lady Doggers have seven state titles and the Doggers have three state titles, including each of the past two seasons. Both programs will be searching for another state title this weekend.
“Establishing a winning culture is key to any championship program. We have been very fortunate to have established that type of environment over the years here at L-FL,” Lashley said.”It seems like the expectations of our track program from parents, athletes, coaches and the community in general are very high each year.
“The athletes have seemed to embrace the challenge of being a competitive track team on a consistent basis,” he added. “They know that it will require a great deal of hard work to be successful, but also understand that they will be working shoulder-to-shoulder with teammates that have the same goals and aspirations.”
