Meeting the challenge

When Billy Orman was in junior high he was a couch potato.

"Both my wife and I worked pretty late," said his father, Bill Orman. "In seventh grade he was addicted to SpongeBob."

Because his father suffered a knee injury in high school due to football, the young Orman chose to take up running.

"I had absolutely no knowledge whatsoever," Billy said. "I didn't like it because I was really out of shape... but I got in shape and when the first meet came around I placed second."

As a freshman Billy placed 6th at the 3A state cross-country meet, then second last year as a sophomore and finally first last fall with a time of 15:47.36.

A junior this year, Billy placed first in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:20.03 and first in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:18.91, breaking the 23-year meet record of 9:21.90 that was set by Many Farms runner Ricky Bedonie in 1987.

Orman also helped the 4x800-meter relay team to a first place finish, their fourth in the last five years, and placed second in the 800-meter run.

"He certainly is one of the best in our region," said his coach, Carlton Perry.

"I can't imagine not running," Billy said. "I like it so much because of the challenge. It's kind of cliché but really that's what I like about it."

For him, running doesn't define him instead it expands his personality and abilities.

"He's an outstanding student, ranked third in his class academically," said Perry.

Orman is a member of the school's National Honor Society.

"There's so much more than just the runner," Perry said. "He's not obsessed with his sport. He is, on the other hand, very dedicated to the sport and has really become a force on the national scene in virtually every event that he runs."

His father Bill said Billy studies the Latin language and enjoys reading.

"For me it shows that he's a really proud kid and has a lot of respect for himself, and he has a lot of determination. We're very proud of him yet I don't think that winning has a whole lot to do with it," Bill Orman said.

Billy and his family moved to Tuba City when his father was offered a job at the hospital and his mother, who is Puerto Rican, was a Spanish teacher.

He said there are times when he steps back and thinks about all he's accomplished and he can't see how it was possible.

"Running...it gives me an escape from school work and stuff," Billy said, "just a break from real life... I guess I was just lucky I made the choice to stay with it."

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