For Immediate Release – December 18, 2024
Lake Land College Hires Cross Country Coach
Lake Land College announced the hiring of Kate Bushue as the head coach for the men and women’s cross country and half marathon teams. The board of trustees is expected to approve the appointment at the regular January meeting, making Bushue the first Lake Land College cross country head coach since the new teams were announced in October 2024.
A native of Mount Vernon, Illinois, Bushue attended Eastern Illinois University, where she competed in both cross country and track & field. For cross country, she earned Ohio-Valley Conference (OVC) first-team selections each year from 2020-2022. She also earned first-team All-OVC honors for the 10,000 meters track event in 2021 as well as for the distance medley relay in 2020. She was named second-team All-OVC twice in 2022 for her performances in the mile and 1,500 meters events. Bushue previously served as the cross country head coach at Mattoon High School from 2023-2024.
“I’m excited to be here and build a family-like culture,” Bushue said. “I want to build an environment that allows students to succeed and prepares them for opportunities to continue to grow and peak even after they graduate from Lake Land.”
Among the first sports offered at the College, the Lake Land cross country teams last competed in 2005. In October 2024, the Lake Land College Board of Trustees voted for the cross country teams to return after nearly twenty years.
“It’s exciting to be joining now, with the program going from 0 to 100,” Bushue explained. “It can be challenging to fill someone else’s shoes, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to build something from scratch.”
Bushue will make her Lake Land College coaching debut when both the men and women’s teams begin competition in Fall 2025.
“We’re looking forward to seeing cross country return after so many years, and we’re one step closer to that now by having Kate here as head coach,” Director of Athletics Bill Jackson said. “We’re excited to welcome her to Lake Land College and see what she is able to build for the cross country program.”
