Wings of America Junior Men’s team garners national championship

FORT DEFIANCE

Coach Clay Mayes said Wings of America’s Junior Men’s winter training was the key to the team’s success at the 2016 USATF Cross-Country National Championships.

Competing with the nation’s top 14 to 19-year-old distance runners at River’s Edge Golf Course in Bend, Ore., Wings of America’s all-Native American squad of seven harriers garnered the National Championship last Saturday.

Mayes said workouts for the past eight weeks, prior to competing at the national meet, went well. He said they all seem to be in top shape, putting in the workouts. He said all seven runners worked hard, despite training in the snow and wind chill.

“I thought they did extremely well,” Mayes said. “This team was definitely on top of their training this winter. We had two young men, Michael Tenorio and Santiago Hardy that were less than a handful of places away from being top six.”

Mayes said the top six is selected for Team USA to compete at North American, Central American, Caribbean Athletic Association International cross-country competition. The meet has teams from the US, Canada, Mexico and a handful of Caribbean-area countries competing.

Mayes said the weather was perfect cross-country weather. He said there was little to no wind.

He said the course was what most would say ‘real cross-country weather’.

“The course had a gnarly half-mile of climbing for each 2K loop of the four loops the runners ran,” he said.

Michael Tenorio, a Laguna Pueblo of Santa Fe Indian School, was Wings of America’s top finisher. He crossed the finish line in 27:23.

Santiago Hardy, a Navajo from Chinle High School, garnered 12th place, touring the course in 27:35.

Following up for Wings’ third man was Kashon Harrison, a Navajo from Kirtland Central High School. He completed the race in 16th place, turning in a 28:11. Mayes said Harrison’s finish and time is remarkable for the freshman.

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