By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
It’s one thing to run the 400 meters event in track and field.
The race where you must sprint once around the track causes the average person, even some athletes, to collapse or slow down before the finish line.
It’s quite another thing to win the 400 meters on the grandest stage of them all, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at the state tournament.
Union Grove High School 2014 graduate Cassy Goodrich has been at both ends of the spectrum.
She went from nearly collapsing in her first-ever 400 as a freshman to winning the Division 1 state championship as a senior, back in June 2014 in La Crosse.
For her amazing 2014, Goodrich has been named the Female Athlete of the Year.
Cassy, 19, a native of Raymond, is now back to the drawing board as a freshman on the Marquette University track squad. Her sister, Alex, is a junior with the Broncos and will participate in track this spring.
Cassy is a once-in-a-generation type of talent. A state qualifier all four years for the Broncos, she shattered the competition in the 400 at state, winning first place in Division 1 by 1.61 seconds and registering a personal best with a time of 55.35 seconds.
Goodrich also took third in the 100- and 200-meter races. She ran personal bests in all three races.
Her finish in the 100 marked Cassy’s first time on the podium in the event.
A star on the track and in the classroom, as she is in the doctoral program for physical therapy at Marquette, Goodrich is working hard trying to figure out what she wants to do in life.
She took some time to talk with Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk about track, the future and her memories of Union Grove.
MR: How is college life at Marquette? How much different is the big city from little Union Grove? What has been challenging?
CG: So far my college experience at Marquette has been phenomenal. The academic side is all that I could have expected, challenging, but possible with enough work put into it. Athletically, it was incredibly helpful to walk into the university and already have a built-in family, my team.
The city is of course very different from little Raymond or even Union Grove, but its contrast makes me appreciate where I come from that much more. The biggest challenge has been simply learning to be independent. My parents are supportive as ever and will always help when I need it, but remembering to do simple things such as going shopping when I am low on milk has been a change for me.
MR: Just to refresh our memories, how and when did the Marquette scholarship come about? Why did you choose MU?
CG: The process of deciding a college was a long one. I visited Marquette three times, with each time it becoming clearer that it was the place for me. The acceptance of the scholarship occurred last winter. What Marquette was able to offer me athletically was a component in my decision-making process, but what got my attention above all else was the physical therapy program. The program is ranked nationally and the chance that I could be pre-admitted was very attractive.
MR: How is your freshman season going on the track team?
CG: My freshman season at Marquette has officially begun. I had one meet so far at Notre Dame on Dec. 5. I was pleased with the outcome, as it was my first collegiate track meet, but there is a lot of work to be done yet.
Since school started we have been lifting three times a week along with team practices. It is very exciting to be working with a new level of athletes, and I believe it has made all the difference in my training.
MR: Looking back at your success, what did it take to win your state title in the 400? What kind of work and preparation did it take in your senior season to accomplish such a rare feat?
CG: Winning the 400 my senior year is something I will never forget; my heart still races when I think back to it. The preparation that went in to accomplish the goal I had since freshman year, took both physical and mental improvements. Physically I had to get stronger. Weight lifting was so critical to my running in order to become more powerful and more explosive, making each step I took during a race more functional. As for my mentality, I needed to keep in mind my goal every single day so I would not slack off. Especially mid-season when your body is tired, it is very tempting to just push a little less. Approaching each practice knowing that I needed to push 110 percent to reach my goal put me in the right condition to compete.
The biggest mental struggle was thinking forward to the state meet. I had to know that it was possible. It is simple to say out loud your goals, but to actually believe that you can get there and act like you will get there is another whole thing.
MR: Not only did you win state, but your sister was there to witness it all. How special was that?
CG: Competing with my sister alongside me, at any level, was the greatest opportunity. To both compete at state together was even better. The feeling of finishing a race well and being congratulated by teammates cannot compare to being congratulated by a sister who has seen absolutely all of the struggle that it has taken to get there. Our family is a very close one; my three sisters and I grew up playing sports together. My older sisters taught me all things sports from how to hit a ball to the excitement of racing each other. I hope that I have influenced Alex in a similar way.
Alex was the best teammate to have. Not only did she share a similar passion, but she also was a motivation to push hard. How could I not give my all if I was encouraging her to? I would often even find myself more nervous for her races than I would be for my own, because I wanted her to do well. Alex is an incredible athlete and I am very thankful she has found success in something we both enjoy.
MR: What will you remember the most about your 2014 with Union Grove?
CG: Without a doubt, the most memorable part of my 2014 season was seeing my sprints coach, Coach Orlando, after my finish in the 400 at state. She took me from the freshman that nearly collapsed on my first ever 400, to a senior finishing as a state champion in that very race. There were times I doubted myself and many times of struggle. She would not let me away from the 400 no matter how much I begged her to and I am very glad she didn’t. The most memorable part of my 2014 season was hugging her as I was still out of breath and hearing “you did it.”
MR: Who has been your biggest inspiration in your track career? Who was your biggest inspiration at Union Grove?
CG: Union Grove was such an amazing place for me to be for my career. There was an unbelievably large amount of people that I continuously received support and encouragement from, even those that were not my coaches. I never felt a lack of a support at Union Grove and could find inspiration around any corner. I would have to say Jennifer Orlando made the biggest impact in my career. She knew how to get us to where we needed to be and would often do the workouts with us to show “If I can do it, then you can do it.” There was nothing that you could ask of Orlando (besides not to run the 400) that she would not do.
MR: What is your dream job in 10 years?
CG: I am in the doctoral program for physical therapy at Marquette and for that I am incredibly grateful. The dream job in 10 years would be something that is utilizing that degree, but the specifics I do not yet know. I plan to use these next couple of years to find what I find the most passion in, whether it is in rehabilitation of a patient that had a stroke or research on improving the athletic body.
MR: Many say the 400 is the toughest race in track. Do you agree? How were you able to master it at state?
CG: I have heard that the 400 is the hardest race in track. However, I have not run every race so I would not know. I do believe that the 400 is the hardest of the sprints, because I have run them all and can talk from experience.
Though I wouldn’t consider myself a master yet, the change in my mentality for the 400 gave me great improvements. 400 meters is a far way to run as fast as possible, and there is an inevitable burn that accompanies the race. Being able to get to the line, and acknowledge that it will hurt but that is okay, was a feat for me. Knowing that my body would hold up in a performance such as at state was essential to winning. I had to trust my training, trust my coaches, and trust myself.
Meet Cassy Goodrich
Track is… my passion.
I am running track in college because… I have been blessed with the opportunity to continue something I love for another four years.
Favorite movie: “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”
Favorite song or music: My range of music is very large and dependent on mood.
Pre-meet food ritual, or post-game? Any superstitions?
I used to be very superstitious in my running, believing I would only find success if I did certain things. However, this was a change that accompanied my shift in mentality, because I need to trust that the preparation I have done is all I need. I had always made sure to bring snacks we deemed “Scooby snacks” to each meet, but now I bring animal crackers instead.
I will always eat as healthy as possible before I run, and reward myself afterwards with not-so-healthy options. To prepare right before running I plug in my head phones and put everything besides running out of my mind.
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