Each year she has taken one step up higher on the podium.

Lacey Cochran is hoping that this year she will take the ultimate step.

With a strong late kick, Cochran finished second at the 2003 PIAA Track and Field Championships in both the 200-meter and 400-meter runs.

This year, the Freeport junior has her sights set a bit higher - one short step up the PIAA podium.

"This year I'm hoping will be my biggest," Cochran said. "This is the year college coaches start looking at you."

If they don't know of her by now, they must be sleeping.

Cochran had the fastest time in the 100-meter and the 200-meter runs in Butler County last year. She also was second in the 400 and fifth in the long jump.

Cochran also has set many school records. She holds the mark in the 100 (12.5 seconds), 400 (57.34) and the 200 (25.57).

Her times in those three events are also among the top-10 all-time marks in Butler County.

While Cochran has placed some pressure on herself, her coach hasn't placed any on her.

"First of all and most importantly, there are no expectations on Lacey," said Freeport boys and girls track coach Bill Dillen. "She gives you 100 percent in everything, and that's all you can ask."

As a freshman, Cochran won the 400 at the WPIAL Class AA meet and was second in the 200.

At the PIAA meet that year, she was a member of the 1,600-meter relay team that finished third and she also finished third in the 400.

But Cochran isn't dwelling on her past success. She isn't considering a third trip to the PIAA meet in three years a done deal. It's still early in a soggy track season and nothing is guaranteed.

"Every year is a new year," Cochran said. "I'm just trying to work hard to get back to states. That's all I'm trying to do right now."

Because nothing is guaranteed, Cochran did something different this off-season at the urging of Dillen: She hit the weight room and worked on her technique.

The workouts were designed to increase her upper-body strength. The tweaking of her technique was to better use her newfound strength.

The hope is to get Cochran off to faster starts so she doesn't have to rely on her tremendous late kick to win races and to put up dazzling times.

If all else fails, though, Cochran can still dip into her ability to turn it on late in a race.

"I don't really know where that comes from," Cochran said. "During a race, I just realize I have to kick it up a notch at the end. It's just a natural thing, I guess."

What hasn't been natural is the weather.

Freeport has run few meets this season because of the rainy and cold weather. Cochran, though, makes it a point to run outside no matter the elements.

She does not fear her times will ultimately suffer because of the late start she and her team has gotten off to this season.

"Nah," Cochran said. "Everyone is in the same boat."

So to speak, that is.

One boat Cochran is climbing into is an elite one.

She already has been mentioned in the same breath with some of Freeport's great female track athletes: Linsey Westerman, Beth Kendal and Sheri Quinn.

"We've had a number of great female track athletes here," Dillen said. "What they all have in common is they are all hard workers. Lacey certainly has that in common with them."

Cochran shrugs off such talk of her inclusion with the Freeport greats.

"All I really want to do is run the best times I can," Cochran said. "If they are good enough to break records or win at states, that's great."