Page runners hit new PRs at Chandler meet Symond Martin wins gold in 3200, sets new school record

CROWNPOINT – The Page boys track team posted new personal records during the 85th Annual Chandler Rotary Invitational held at Austin Field in Chandler, Arizona over the weekend.

The Sand Devils had 12 runners that set new marks during the two-day meet headed by junior Symond Martin, who captured gold in the 3200-meter Elite race.

“It was a great meet,” Page coach Tim Martin said. “The atmosphere was fast, and the kids were very motivated to rock and roll.”

Symond, the coach’s son, won the 3200 on Friday night with a time of 9:00.03, which is a new school record. The Page track star used his running peers to fuel his drive to go after that record.

“At the beginning of the race, I just had a plan to run a nine-flat pace or faster,” Symond said. “We came through the first mile smooth at 4:30. Going into the last mile, I was feeling confident because I was still in the front pack.

“Going into the last two laps, I started to position myself so that I can get that lead in the last lap,” he added. “I started my surge and I outkicked the guys that were behind me. I ended up coming through in 9-flat.”

Incidentally, Symond won that race by a few lengths with second-place finisher Daniel Judd of Mountain View High School clocking in at 9:05.56.

“I’m kind of surprised that I won by that much,” said Symond, who beat the qualification mark to compete in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California next month. “During the race, I didn’t look back, so I didn’t know how much space I created between me and the second place guy. So yeah, I was surprised to see that his time was five seconds back from mine.”

Jeffrey Miller was the previous school record holder in the 3200. He set that record in 2015 during the Arcadia Invitational in California when he ran a 9:00.87.

“His progress has been amazing,” Tim said of his son. “At the beginning of the year, we set up some goals and last year he went 9:12, so I was like, ‘What do you want to do this year?’ And he said, I’m going sub-9 and I want to break the school record.”

The Page coach said being in that sub-9 club is very exclusive.

“I don’t think anybody in Arizona has broken 9-minute in like six, seven years,” he said.

Symond nearly set another school record at the Chandler meet, as he came up a tad short in the 1600-meter race on Saturday night. He placed fifth with a time of 4:12.91, which was won by Las Cruces Organ Mountain senior Corbin Coombs, who clocked in at 4:06.84.

“I went into the race wanting to PR and get my time down,” Symond said of the 1600 race. “I went out there and I put myself in front and then the New Mexico guy (Coombs) started to separate away, but I just kept going even though my legs were a little flat from the night before running the 3200. I just pushed myself all out at the line, and I got the 4:12.”

As for the current record holder in the 1600s, the younger Martin needs to surpass the 4:12.41 mark that his dad, Tim, set during his senior season in 1993.

“I’m the record holder for the 1600 and it’s been around for 32 years,” Tim said. “I’m trying to get rid of that one. Someone should have broken it by now. We’re going to take care of that in the next two weeks. We’re going to go for a sub-4:10.”

Needless to say, it’s probably fitting that Symond will be the one to break his dad’s record as the elder Martin said the training techniques in distance running has changed over the decades.

“They do a lot more speed workouts than they did back in the day,” Tim said. “And it’s really showing. Not just for Symond, but all the kids. You know, every kid has a plan on our team.

“We’re looking at their pace and they just feed off each other,” he added. “They all want to be state champs and that’s the mentality that these kids have. They want to run fast and show what Page is all about. They are highly motivated and they want to do great things.”

The Sand Devil coach also had high praises for senior Maximus Reid and sophomores Nyall Prather and Jaiden Jordan as the trio set new PRs.

Prather clocked in at 9:32.24 in the 3200 and placed 20th overall in the Elite race. In the 1600, Prather won his seeded heat with a 4:21.75 effort.

“He PRd by eight seconds, so we’re pretty excited for him,” the Page coach said of his pupil.

As for Reed, he ran a 10:04.05 in the 3200, which meets the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III state qualification mark.

In the 800, Jordan won his heat in 1:57.77.

“He won his race pretty easily,” Tim said. “He didn’t have anyone to run with.”

The Sand Devils will be hosting the Lake Powell Track and Field Invitational on Saturday. The Page coach is looking to get Prather and Jordan qualified for the Arcadia meet, which is scheduled for April 11-12 in Arcadia, California.

“They got a shot to qualify,” Tim said of their upcoming meet. “We’re going to set it up to where we are going to give them the right pacing to try to hit that mark.”

Area top finishers

The Chandler meet produced some fast times for some of the area runners.

In the Elite races, Chinle senior Janessa Segay posted times of 11:02.36 in the 3200 and 5:13.80 in the 1600, which are new personal bests. In those two races, Segay took ninth in the 3200 and 15th in the 1600.

Flagstaff junior Taylor Biggambler also competed in the two Elite races as she took 13th in the 3200 with a time of 11:11.56 and 20th in the 1600 at 5:16.05.

In the 1600 Elite boys race, Flagstaff junior Elijah Talkalai placed 31st with a time of 4:26.63.

Window Rock junior Bearren Kee, meanwhile, won his 800 race in 2:01.44. Hopi senior Mylia Secakuku placed fifth in her 3200 race, clocking in at 13:11.50.

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