Holbrook harrier sets two new PRs

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Apr 11, 2024 | Track & Field |

PINETOP-LAKESIDE, Ariz. – The nasty weather at the Blue Ridge Invitational did not slow down Holbrook sophomore Ian Masayesva.

Masayesva set two season bests at the 16-team meet on Friday despite the event contending with outbursts of gusty wind topping at 45 mph and the temperature reaching the mid-50s.

Masayesva posted times of 4:46.20 in the 1600- and 10:27.50 in the 3200-meter races, which placed him third and second overall in the respective events.

“I think I did pretty good with all the wind we had,” Masayesva said.

“We kind of got out slow but we started to pick it up after the third lap,” the Holbrook harrier said of the 1600.

Holbrook distance coach Lelia DeMuth was more impressed with Masayesva’s two-mile race as the Holbrook sophomore posted the 21st fastest time among his peers at the Division IV level.

“His mile was good, but I feel like he ran a better placement for state in the two-mile,” DeMuth said. “I like that he’s becoming more strategic in his racing. He’s running smarter and he’s still getting stronger.

“He’s full of energy and his energy is contagious,” she added.

The Roadrunners also earned a fifth-place finish from Window Rock transfer Bearren Kee in the 3200 with a time of 10:43.50. Kee also added a seventh-place finish in the 1600 in 4:56.68.

This was Kee’s second meet of the season as he was saddled with an IT (iliotibial) band injury he sustained while playing basketball.

“I’m still recovering,” Kee said. “I’m not where I want to be at, but my knee is getting better. I’m starting to get back into shape.”

Bearren’s older brother, Ryan, also fared well in the 800 as he took seventh with a time of 2:13.70.

“The Kee boys transferred from Window Rock,” DeMuth said. “This is their second meet of the year and hopefully they can keep improving.”

In the 800, Ryan Kee trailed teammate Kenneth Nez, who placed fourth at 2:06.10.

Nez, who usually runs on the 4×800 team, did not run the relay race on Friday. Nonetheless, the Roadrunners placed third with a time of 8:50.20 with Ryan Kee taking Nez’s spot in the lineup.

“Our 4×800 is typically our strength,” DeMuth said. “We’ve had a lot of success with our boys 4×800 team.”

In the field events, sophomore Dominick Gombos hit a new PR of 6-feet, 2 inches in the high jump event. Previously, Gombos cleared 6-0 at two different meets.

“When he was a freshman last year, he was jumping 5-10,” Holbrook head coach Zane Morgan said. “I think he has the potential to go 6-4, 6-5 this year. He’s just got to work on some timing and things like that.”

With his new PR, Gombos sits fourth overall in Division IV.

“He’s already qualified for the divisional meet, and if he can hit 6-5, he might make the state meet,” Morgan said.

The Division IV state meet is scheduled for May 4-5 at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona. The state meet will take place the following week at Mesa Community College with the top 30 performers statewide invited.

Morgan is also keen on getting his 4×100 boys relay team qualified for the divisional meet. The team completed the one-lap race at the Blue Ridge meet in 45.71 seconds, which is 18th-best in Division IV. (The top 16 teams will earn bids for the divisional meet.)

“Our 4×100 boys are right there,” he said. “We just need a nice day and good handoffs for it to happen.”

The team consists of sophomores William Kinds, Darren Justman, Simeon Shaw and Gombos.

“We have some pretty good sophomore speed,” Morgan said. “They’re running in the high 11s and low 12s so that’s a potential for a really good team in two years when they’re seniors.”

The Holbrook team was missing sprinter Audrey Craig on Friday. In mid-March the freshman speedster ran a 13.16 at the Red Rock Small Invite in Sedona.

“She’s pretty highly ranked in Division IV,” Morgan said of Craig, who has the fifth-best time recorded among her peers.

On Friday, senior Karli Winter led the Roadrunners with an eighth-place finish in the 100 as she crossed the finish line in 13.91 seconds.

“Karli is running in the mid-13s, but our last two meets do not reflect what our kids are capable of because we’ve run into a lot of headwind,” Morgan said. “Hopefully, our last two meets at Winslow and Snowflake will give us better weather.”