Focused and Fast: Meet Yale Runner Saige Cole

Meran Miles
Oct 22
4 min read

Saige Cole wins the Marysville Invitational on Oct. 2.

Yale sophomore Saige Cole had a successful cross country debut last season, running her PR of 20:05 to place eighth at regionals and earn her first trip to the state meet as a freshman. One of the returning favorites in the league and region this year, she won the Brown City Invitational, the Marysville Invitational, and was BWAC runner-up, leading the Bulldogs to a league title. She was runner-up at the Dave Patterson Invite and also fourth at the Thumb Area Cross Country Championships. Her 2025 season-best is 20:17 and she's ahead of last year's improvement pace, so it won't be long before she's seeing 19-minute territory, which she has stated is one of her goals.

Saige saw PRs in every track event in the spring: BWAC champ in 60 flat in the 400 (a freshman record for Yale High School), 2:27 in the 800, and 5:26 in the mile, in which she took first at the Blue Water Meet of Champions. She was an important part of several Bulldog relays, particularly the state-qualifying/regional championship 4x400, and she qualified individually for the state finals in the open 400-meter dash by placing second at regionals. Saige was the highest-placing freshman in the 400 in 25th at the division two state meet. With All-State runner Eva Thompson of Cros-Lex graduated, Saige is returning as the BWAC's fastest girls' middle-distance talent for 2026...and she gave Thompson a run for her money several times throughout last season's league jamborees.

Saige gives us some insight into her introduction to the sport (spoiler alert: she didn't initially love running), her training, her personality, and most importantly, her positive, focused mindset.

What's your background in running: who and what led you to run cross country and track?

I started running cross country and track in 6th grade. Not because I loved running, but because it was the only sport my school offered for sixth-graders at the time. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy it at first. I had my sights set on volleyball and planned to switch as soon as I could. But as I stuck with running and saw myself succeed in it, I ended up changing my mind and I'm so glad I did!

Who are some of your running role models?

One of my biggest running role models is Lillian Deskins (Romeo). She's also from Michigan and was D1 All-State last year. I find her inspiring because she comes from the same area as I do and I think it is so cool to see someone from my area find so much success in running!

What’s the biggest difference between you as a runner last year and this year?

My mindset has changed for the better. I focus on taking things one step at a time and realizing some things are out of my control like the weather or the course, and there is no need to stress about them since nothing I do can change them.

Did you adjust your summer training leading into this season? What are the factors you feel are helping you be successful?

This summer, I increased my mileage slightly and focused on trying to negative split in most of my runs. I also incorporated lots of injury prevention in my daily training. I’ve found that I perform best when I stay focused on the present moment, rather than overthinking what’s ahead.

What are some of the main workouts you do in a normal weekly training cycle with your team?

When we are not racing, our week will typically include a long run on Saturdays, workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a rest day on Sunday, and the rest of the days we do easy runs. The day before a race we do a very easy short run and stride outs. My coaches really emphasize recovery, so our practices include lots of stretching and walking after our runs.

What’s one of your favorite workouts?

I enjoy speed workouts on the track the most, especially ladder workouts. I also really enjoy progression runs. Both types of workouts give me a sense of accomplishment and I just enjoy speedier work in general.

You won the Marysville Invitational this year: how did you feel during that race?

I felt pretty good. I really enjoyed the weather that day and the course wasn't too difficult, although there were some really sharp turns. My first mile was right on pace for a personal best, but I slowed down quite a bit in the last two miles. Luckily I was still able to stay ahead of the pack and take first place, which I am very grateful for, and it is a great memory!

What are your goals for the rest of this season?

I would really like to PR, and even better, go sub-twenties. I hope that as the weather cools down I will be able to achieve those goals.

Do you have any specific goals set yet for the track season?

I would like to qualify for states in a long distance event this season. Last year, I qualified in the 400, which was really fun and amazing, and hopefully I can do that again, but I would like to qualify for more this season.