Window Rock harrier misses podium with sixth place finish
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Window Rock junior Bearren Kee nears the finish line the 1600-meter run during the AIA Division IV Championships on Saturday at Deer Valley High School. Kee finished the four-lap race in 4:34.80.
GLENDALE, Ariz.
Window Rock junior Bearren Kee missed the podium by two spots on Friday during the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division IV Championships.
Kee, who qualified in three events, placed sixth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 9:45.02 at Deer Valley High School.
“I went in feeling confident, but the humidity played a big role with my breathing, but my fitness was there,” said Kee, who missed his PR by 11 seconds. “It’s just the environment that got to me.”
Page’s Symond Martin won the 3200 with a time of 9:24.05 as Kee finished five spots behind the Sand Devil junior. Incidentally, Page had two runners that earned a podium spot with sophomore Nyall Prather taking that final spot with a fourth-place finish of 9:35.95.
“I was just pacing with the guys in front,” Kee said of his race. “I was meeting my lap times, but I was trying to stay with pack no matter what.”
In Saturday’s races, Kee placed eighth in the 1600 (4:34.80) and 16th in the 800 (2:03.86). He missed his PR in both events by five seconds in the 1600 and two seconds in the 800.
Kee is hoping to have his named added to the roster list for the upcoming AIA State Championships, which is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Mesa Community College. The final list will be released later this week as the AIA will invite all the top athletes regardless of division to the state meet.
“It’ll be exciting if I go,” Kee said. “It’s a goal of mine to run there, so it would be a good accomplishment if I get invited.”
Regardless, Kee is looking forward to his senior season next year as he will be one of the area’s top runners to return.
“I’m just going to train hard and get faster,” he said. “I want to hit new PRs. I also like being a role model to the younger kids, who are coming up. Just having them see what I can do can lift their spirits and encourage them.”
Window Rock, which qualified four athletes, also received an 18th-place finish in the boys 110 hurdles from junior Aiden Calvert and a 24th-place showing Heather Conrad in the girls 100 hurdle.
Senior Xiander James placed 21st in the discus and 22nd in the shot put to round out the Window Rock’s division qualifiers.
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