Area athletes prove worth with gold medals

Posted by Quentin Jodie | May 14, 2015 | Track & Field |

Lady Scout Chamique Duboise, right, races against Jessica Roskelley of Page in the 800-meter race on Saturday in Mesa, Ariz. On May 8, Duboise won the 3200-meter race with a time of 11:16.92.(Times photo – Donovan Quintero)

MESA, Ariz.

The plan worked to perfection for the Ganado Lady Hornets.

After toying around with their lineup in the 4×800 relay team, the Hornets found the right combination to put them over the top at the Arizona Division III state track meet.

The Hornets were not the only ones to garner gold medals this year as Window Rock’s Chamique Duboise and Page’s Jeffrey Miller won their respective 3200 races at Mesa Community College over the weekend.

The Hornets, who entered the state meet with the third fastest time, recently added freshman Nizhoni Wortham to the lineup that consisted of freshman Janaya McIntosh and junior standouts Nikesha Eagleman and Daangoiina Haven.

“Nizhoni really surprised us,” Ganado coach Lynette Lookingback said. “She is usually our 100 and 200 runner but we kept pushing her into running the middle distance and the next thing you know she is running great in the 800s.”

With her in the lineup the Hornets set a new personal record with a time of 9:52.96 and beat out second place finisher Rio Rico by six seconds to win the title. Window Rock finished a close fourth with a time of 10:00.93.

Eagleman, who ran the third leg of the race, credited McIntosh and Wortham for keeping the Hornets within striking distant of winning the title.

“After I took the baton from Nizhoni we were sitting in second place,” Eagleman said. “I took over the lead after the first 300 meters and I just tried to get as far ahead as I could.”