AUBURN — One good example deserves another.

And another.

And another.

Conventional wisdom tells us that winning begets more winning, and that programs that taste victory tend to breed even more championships because they become popular with some athletes who may not have otherwise joined.

But winning also bestows upon those who have experienced the thrill of a championship a sense of pride, in themselves and in the programs they represent. That pride fosters tradition, and a desire by those athletes to ensure the continued success of the program.

It’s a pattern in which this year’s five seniors on the St. Dominic Academy golf team are well versed. As freshmen, they saw the elders on the Saints’ squad capture the second of back-to-back state Class C championships.

In the two years since, the team has come tantalizingly close, losing last season by a single shot at Natanis Golf Club in Vassalboro.

Undaunted, this year’s group — along with a talented cast of underclassmen — has its sights set on a return to the top.

“We know we fell short the last two years,” Anthony Fagone said. “We know we should have been there. We know we didn’t give our top performances both years. As seniors, we want to go out on top. The whole team’s got to come together, we should be fine.”

But while most of the players’ efforts are focused on the immediate future, they are all well aware of the contributions of past classes, and the influence they had on this year’s edition of the squad.

“I was just amazed at how good they were,” Amanda Turcotte said. “Now, being around the other seniors on this team, they can hit it that far now, they can play that well. It’s great to see how much we’ve all progressed.”

Likewise, this year’s upperclassmen are also keenly aware that they, now, are the examples for those who are sophomores and freshmen this season.

“At points, it was hard for us as freshmen, the nerves and things like that,” Joe Bryant said. “We can kind of handle that with this group easier, because we know what it felt like.”

“It takes a lot to go from JV to varsity,” Fagone said. “It takes a lot of time and practice, and having done it, it’s easier to teach someone else that.”

That cycle, they said, is important for the program’s continued success.

“It’s important to send the right message to the younger players,” Turcotte said.

“Watching the older players, taking what they taught us and then teach it back to the freshmen this year is really important,” Bryant said. “The feelings we had as freshmen, knowing there were upperclassmen there to make us better, we want to give back by giving the younger players the same feeling we got.”

Cullen couldn’t be happier. And he’s added to the team’s reach toward younger potential team members, successfully lobbying for a middle school golf program at St. Dominic Academy, which began this season.

“We have six really good freshmen this year, great kids, and they’re going to play a lot of golf with these guys,” Cullen said. “(The upperclassmen) are excited about being able to teach that next generation of St. Dom’s golfers.”

But while the next generation of Saints hone their skills, they’ll watch the older players in their quest for another Class C state crown. They’ll learn the dedication to patience and practice that it takes to succeed at the highest level.

And if everything goes to plan, that next generation will be the championship-winning example for the next group of up-and-coming golfers, the next link in the Saints’ winning tradition.

“The most important thing from me to them is that they pass on what they learn, and that the freshmen come out of this year knowing how important it is to hold up that banner and that when they’re wearing the St. Dom’s golf shirt out there, they’re representing the school, the community, their families and themselves.”