Friday, March 29, 2024

Lewis, DuBoise pace Wings’ Junior Women to National title

Lewis, DuBoise pace Wings’ Junior Women to National title
Navajo Times | File photo Window Rock junior Chamique Duboise took up sixth place honors at the USATF Cross-Country National Championships with a time of 24:55 in Bend, Ore.

Navajo Times | File photo
Window Rock junior Chamique Duboise took up sixth place honors at the USATF Cross-Country National Championships with a time of 24:55 in Bend, Ore.

FORT DEFIANCE

Led by Courtney Lewis and Chamique DuBoise, Wings of America Junior Women’s squad nailed down the National title at the USATF Cross-Country National Championships last Saturday at Bend, Ore.

Wings of America Junior Women’s coach Lynnette Lookingback said the USATF Cross-Country National Championship race was a great experience. She said the all-Native American Junior Women team performed well, taking the National Championship.

“The Junior Women ran great,” Lookingback said. “Each came away feeling proud, as well as having another learning experience to take forward. I am very proud of them. Their hard work and talent has certainly took them to a national race and will continue to take them places. I can confidently say, we have amazing student-athletes in our community.”

The River’s Edge Golf Course, where the meet was held, was 6K. The course included three 2K loops. The terrain was mainly grass, with a majority of the course being downhill and flat. There was a challenging incline that measured up to about 400 meters.

Wings of America Program Director Dustin Martin said fortunately the weather was perfect 50-degrees, sunny with virtually no wind and the grass course was mostly firm. He said the course was hilly and technical.

“This required runners to pay special attention to their form and pace as they traversed up and down the hillside,” he said. “The need for constant variation is stride length and pace made the slightly longer distance for both Junior Women and Junior Men even more grueling. But they prepared mentally for the challenge and rose to the occasion.”

Lewis, Fort Mohave/Hopi from Flagstaff High School, was Wings’ top finisher, garnering national runner-up honors, finishing with a time of 23:55.

Martin said without a doubt Lewis put together the best race of anyone on the Wings team this year.

“Courtney ran for broke and got out-leaned at the finish line,” Martin said. “The only thing more a runner can ask for is to win. And even that outcome is less gratifying sometimes than a close race.”

DuBoise, a Navajo from Window Rock High School, complete the race in sixth place. She was clocked in 24:55.

“Chamique also stayed strong to the end and managed to take a top sixth spot,” Martin said.

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