KC junior wins 2 golds in 5A long-distance races

Posted by Quentin Jodie | May 17, 2018 | Track & Field |

Navajo Times | Ravonelle Yazzie
Kirtland Central junior Kashon Harrison bolts from the starting line to begin the 3,200-meter race at the New Mexico Class 5A state track meet in Albuquerque. Harrison won two gold medals in both the 3,200- and 1,600-meter races.

ALBUQUERQUE

There is no denying the running talent of Kirtland Central junior Kashon Harrison.

Last November, Harrison was the New Mexico Class 5A state cross-country champion.

In track, the KC long distance runner claimed four silver medals, two each during his freshman and sophomore years at the state meet.

The only thing missing from his impressive resume was a gold medal in track’s biggest stage.

At this past weekend’s 5A state meet, Harrison won two golds in two days.

Harrison won the 3,200-meter run on Saturday at the University of New Mexico Track-Soccer Complex to complete the sweep in the long distance races.

He led from start to finish and completed the eight-lap race in 9 minutes, 48.79 seconds, which was 35 seconds off his PR that he set at the 78th Annual Nike Chandler Rotary Elite meet last month.

“I kind of died down after the first mile,” Harrison said. “The wind started to get to me so my throat was a little dry. I also had a little injury going on before the race.”

Harrison said he had to stay mentally and physically strong to finish out the race as he beat second-placer finisher Steven Strevell of Los Alamos by nearly 10 seconds.

And while this wasn’t his best race, Harrison said this is what he’s been working for the past two years.

“Coming into the state meet, I wanted to run it like any other meet,” he said.

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