MANLIUS -- For most, winning a national championship is a once in a lifetime experience.
That's not the case for the Fayetteville-Manlius girls' cross country team. With a first place finish in the national meet in Portland, Oregon last month, the team won its fourth national championship in a row. It's an unprecedented feat, and the girls know it.
Senior Mackenzie Carder says, "It's awesome, when you think about it, no one else in the country has done anything like this before, so I feel really special. We all do."
Today was the unofficial unveiling of the national championship banner at F-M high school. Besides a wealth of talent, the Hornets attribute their run of remarkable success and consistency to having a short memory.
Senior Hannah Luber says,"If you sit on a championship and think, 'we're the best team in the country,' you'll get complacent, and you're not going to work as hard because you'll think you don't need to. It's important to remember that you're the best team in the nation that day, and the day after could be completely different."
The boy's team was also honored today after a successful year, winning the state title and placing ninth in the national competition.
Those attending the ceremony included Congressman Dan Maffei and State Senator Dave Valesky.