Chinle track athletes earn hardware at Blue Ridge meet

PINETOP-LAKESIDE, Ariz. – The conditions were not ideal, but the Chinle track team left the Blue Ridge Invitational with some hard-earned hardware.

Like the rest of the field, the Wildcats battled the elements on Friday as the howling wind made the meet feel particularly cold in the Pinetop-Lakeside area.

“We turned in some good times today despite the wind,” first-year Chinle track coach Santiago Hardy said.

The Chinle team collected six medals, headed by the first-place finishes from thrower Brad Murray and distance runners Janessa Segay and Reshila Curley.

The two harriers finished 1-2 in the 1600 with Segay winning the meet in 5:46.30 and Curley clocking in at 5:57.20.

Curley added a first-place finish in the 3200-meter run as she completed the eight-lap race in 13:03.20.

Segay also had a third-place showing in the 800 with a time of 2:35.40, which is a new PR.

“I had a foot injury, so I didn’t run for a whole week,” Segay said. “I used this meet to see how I was feeling. I wanted to see where I was at with my running.”

Murray hit a new personal best in the shot put as he hurled the 16-pound spherical ball 44-feet, 2 inches. He knocked that new mark on his first throw.

“I always try to throw well on my first throw,” Murray said. “It was windy but being from the rez we’re used to it. I just had to push through it and keep going.”

His new PR is third best among throwers in Division IV, which qualifies Murray for the Divisional IV track meet at Red Mountain High School May 3-4 in Mesa, Arizona.

The state meet, which will draw the top 30 athletes in each event regardless of division, will be held May 10-11 at Mesa Community College.

“I want to qualify for state,” Murray said. “I just gotta keep pushing. I have another month to get better, so I have some time to throw farther.”

Murray also competes in the discus event. His best throw this season took place at the Lake Powell Invitational on Mar. 30 when he covered 118-feet, 8 inches at the Page High hosted meet. That mark is 10th best in Division IV.

“I’ll have some good throws, and I’ll have some bad throws,” Murray said. “But as long as you have the technique down, it’s all good.”

Murray, however, credits his strength training for his rapid progression in the sport.

“I’ve increased my throws in both events from last year,” he said. “It’s mostly through strength training. I do a lot of workouts.”

At the Blue Ridge meet, Murray placed seventh overall with a throw of 113-07.

His twin brother, Adam, threw a 103-06 in the discus and 86-10 in the javelin.

“It was really windy earlier today, so I just threw an 86,” Adam said of javelin throw, while noting that his season best is 96-08.

“When I threw my javelin the wind came back at me, so I didn’t throw that far,” Adam said.

The Chinle coach admires the dedication the two Murray boys have for the sport.

“They’re really passionate about throwing,” Hardy said. “Every so often they’ll tell me what they’re throwing and what their new goals are.

“I come from a running background and they’re really helping me learn more about the throwing events,” he added. “To hear them talk about it makes me feel good about them taking their training to heart.”

Segay has the fastest time recorded in the 3200 at the Division IV level. In mid-March she posted an 11:13.38 effort during the Chandler Rotary Invitational while Curley turned in a 11:56.58, which is sixth-best.

At that same meet, Segay turned in the second-fastest time in the 1600 with a 5:22.80 effort.

“The conditions were a lot better there than here,” Segay said of the Chandler Rotary meet.

“Overall, Janessa is a great athlete,” Hardy said. “She’s still learning the ropes of my training. She’s only a junior, so I’m looking forward to seeing her progression.”

The girls 4×800 is another event that the Chinle coach is excited about. At the Blue Ridge meet, the Wildcats competed the eight-lap race in 10:56.50 which placed them second behind event winner Snowflake (10:31.90). The team consists of Cheyenne Littleman, Kaitlyn Bia, Curley and Segay as the anchor.

At the Chandler meet, the team set a season best of 10:49.42, which is eighth-best at the Division IV level.

“They’re doing really great,” Hardy said. “They’re improving, and they’ve learned some new things with my training. Every meet and every effort they put forth is progress.

“It’s a proud moment for me as a coach to see them improve,” he added.

The Chinle coach has also seen some improvements from his male distance runners. Freshman Maverick Martin turned in a time of 2:13.90 in the 800 that placed him ninth overall while sophomore Micah Hunter took 14th at 2:19.90.

In the 1600, Martin took 11th with a time of 5:03.40 and Hunter 24th at 5:23.35.

“They did great today despite the wind,” Hardy said. “Micah did great in the 800 and ran like there was no wind at all.”

Hardy was also keen on freshman Hayden Terrell, who placed 10th in the 800 with a time of 2:17.60.

“Hayden is our middle distance runner, and he’s an underdog,” the Chinle coach said of his pupil. “He’s performing very well and I’m happy about that.”

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