A legacy continued, Kashon Harrison looks to claim state title

RIO RANCHO, N.M.

Kashon Harrison makes it all look too easy.

At just about every cross-country meet this season, the sophomore Kirtland Central High School runner finishes with a significant lead.

In his latest performance, at the Rio Rancho Jamboree meet last weekend, Harrison finished first in the boys’ division championship race (the race composed of the more competitive runners in state) in a time of 15:27.40, nearly half a minute ahead of the second runner.

It was a finish that Harrison has longed for since he came in seventh in the same race last season.

“I grew a little older, a little bit more confident in myself,” he said. “I did a lot this year. I believed in myself and that’s how I became who I am today.”

Harrison’s undefeated season is a known fact among those who race against him and many only see how he make running a race in no time is easy, when really, it is far from it.

Being one of the top runners last season, Harrison had to grow up quick. He filled some leadership shoes after some of the team’s other top runners graduated.

Kirtland Central head coach Lenny Esson said that forced-growth has been a significant factor in Harrison’s current success.

He said when it comes to running, the maturity level of an athlete is important to their performance and that Harrison has shown a great level of maturity in how he works with the rest of the team.

“He turns back around and really encourages his teammates to also find that sense of assurance or how to work through the mentality,” Esson said. “Being a runner at that level, people always say ‘you make it look easy, you weren’t even tired’, but honestly, the runner that’s great is also hurting just as bad as anybody else, it’s just that they’re able to endure more pain over a long period of time. That’s what makes him special.”

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