All Eyes on the Prize🏆
Conference Meets, Sub-4, and the Fastest Middle Schooler in the Nation
We had a good run. Four straight weeks of on-time newsletters, sent every Friday at noon. All streaks eventually come to an end, and now I get the chance to start a new one. In all seriousness, I do apologize for getting this one out later than usual. I had to move some topics around last minute and wanted to make that this was 100% ready to go. Brace yourselves though, we’ve got three conference meet recaps, and an interview with a sub-four miler, and the fastest girl in the country. Let’s go.
KCAC Championship Meet Recap
We are in the middle of the always enjoyable championship season for indoor track & field, as we look forward to our second straight weekend of championship competition. Starting today, we get the Big 12, AAC and MIAA conference championships that are sure to bring plenty of action. This past weekend all of the state’s NAIA schools and junior college schools competed across three championship meets. Bethany, Bethel, Friends, Kansas Wesleyan, McPherson, Ottawa, Southwestern, Sterling, Tabor and Saint Mary took their squads to Wichita State. Fifteen teams battled it out (including the three out-of-state schools) inside the Heskett Center a Wichita State. When the dust finally settled on Saturday evening, the men of Saint Mary scored 216 points on route to a team victory over Friends (167) and Tabor (94), while the Friends’ women edged out Saint Mary 214-207.5, with Sterling (63) taking home the bronze. Here’s a little rundown of the conference champions from our in-state schools!
🥇Trey Palmer — Bethel (60m)
🥇Corey Lyons — Saint Mary (200m, 400m)
🥇Slavoski Wright — Southwestern (600m)
🥇 Luis Perez — Saint Mary (800m)
🥇 Luke Skinner — Saint Mary (1000m, Mile)
🥇Johnathan Bowen — Saint Mary (3000m, 5000m)
🥇Marcquiece Cade — Friends (60mH)
🥇Mvundura, Lane, Wright, Moffett — Southwestern (4x400m)
🥇Mack, Gebreselase, Topham, Wright — Southwestern (4x800m)
🥇Adams, Echeverria, Baker, Beine — Saint Mary (DMR)
🥇Tony Kinser — Southwestern (High Jump)
🥇Garrett Lewis — Friends (Pole Vault)
🥇Chiante Stewart — Friends (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
🥇Dylan Templeman — McPherson (Shot Put)
🥇Brayden Wells — Friends (Weight Throw)
🥇Corrssia Perry — Sterling (60m, 200m, 400m)
🥇Aubry Donley — Friends (600m)
🥇Tabetha Deines — Kansas Wesleyan (800m)
🥇Maddy Walter-Sherrett — Saint Mary (1000m)
🥇Alyssa Armendariz — Saint Mary (Mile, 3000m, 5000m)
🥇 Sydney Wilson — Sterling (60mH, High Jump, Long Jump)
🥇 Knight, Blaylock, Botella-Manich, Donley — Friends (4x400m)
🥇Campbell, Gregg, Aguilar, Walter-Sherrett — Saint Mary (4x800m)
🥇Allison, Cooper, Wiebe, Willison — Tabor (DMR)
🥇Gabrielle Moore — Saint Mary (Pole Vault)
🥇Elaina Henderson — Friends (Triple Jump)
🥇Kortney Schutt — Friends (Shot Put, Weight Throw)
The KCAC is one of the strongest conferences across the entirety of the NAIA, and will represent the state superbly in a few weeks when it sends a huge number of athletes up to Brookings, SD where they’ll spend three days going up against the best of the best, trying to bring home some hardware.
Heart of America Championship Meet Recap
The Heart of America is the second of the two NAIA conferences represented by Kansas schools. The trio of Baker, Benedictine and MidAmerica Nazarene consistently do a great job of holding their own against a tough conference full of teams from Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. This weekend, the three teams took their talents to Maryville, MO, home of Northwest Missouri State University and the beautiful Hughes Fieldhouse. On the men’s side, Benedictine, Baker, and MNU took 2nd-4th, scoring 106, 87, and 82.5 in the process. On the women’s side, MNU (126), Benedictine (118) and Baker (64) finished 3rd, 4th and 6th in a tough battle. Similar to the KCAC, the HOAC had its fair share of conference champions from Kansas schools.
🥇Justin Moore — Baker (200m)
🥇Jordan Weimer — Baker (600m)
🥇David Mannella — Benedictine (800m)
🥇Colin Donovan — Benedictine (Mile)
🥇Campbell, Merrifield, Cozzi, Mannella — Benedictine (DMR)
🥇Jacob Laures — Benedictine (Pole Vault)
🥇Kylar Brown — MidAmerica Nazarene (200m, 400m)
🥇Alison Ambuul — Benedictine (600m)
🥇Davis, Brown, Nicholson, Solir — MidAmerica Nazarene (4x400m)
🥇Wilhoit, Hawman, Sannan, Sterner — Baker (4x800m)
🥇Madison Sutton — Benedictine (Weight Throw)
🥇Carly Lindenmeyer — MidAmerica Nazarene (Pentathlon)
In a few weeks, a lot of these athletes will be joining the rest of the country and heading North for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships.
Region VI Championship Meet Recap
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Kansas has the BEST junior college track & field system in the country. How many other states are there that have TEN schools ranked in the top 21 on the men’s side, and TEN more women’s programs ranked in the top 25? The answer is zero (I mean it has to be, right?), but don’t fact check me on that. Down in Pittsburg, at the soon-to-be host of the Division II National Championships, the 13/14 schools went head-to-head in what I believe is the last chance to qualify for the national meet. If that’s simply false, please let me know because I am not 100% confident in that statement. Let’s take a look and see how our athletes did against some in-state competition.
🥇Jerod Elcock — Butler (60m)
🥇Antoine Evans — Coffeyville CC (200m)
🥇Elijah Mosley — Barton County (400m)
🥇Emmanuel Wanga — Cloud County (600m)
🥇Nathan Kipyego — NW Kansas Technical (800m)
🥇Luke Sundberg — Colby CC (1000m)
🥇Adrian Diaz-Lopez — Cowley College (Mile)
🥇Ricardo Barbosa — Colby CC (3000m)
🥇Vincent Nchogu — NW Kansas Technical (5000m)
🥇Devoy Pinnock — Butler CC (60mH)
🥇Wanga, Nyinguan, Igish, Tansi — Cloud County (4x400m)
🥇Jackson, Gonzalez, Jaje, Asmerom — Fort Scott CC (4x800m)
🥇Sundberg, Sol, Baghati, Barbosa — Colby CC (DMR)
🥇Mykell Beck — Fort Scott CC (High Jump)
🥇Ben Okraska — Cloud County (Pole Vault)
🥇Shakwon Coke — Barton County (Long Jump)
🥇Garrian Betts — Coffeyville CC (Triple Jump)
🥇Giovanni Gutierrez — Barton County (Shot Put)
🥇Mohamed Ahmed — Cloud County (Weight Throw)
🥇Andrew Betton — Cloud County (Heptathlon)
🥇Kiara Brown — Butler CC (60m, 200m)
🥇Vimbayi Maisvorewa — Cloud County (400m)
🥇Pamela Milano — Cloud County (600m, 800m)
🥇Kayan Green — Barton County (1000m)
🥇Melody Ochana — Cloud County (Mile)
🥇Louise Cocking — Hutchinson CC (3000m)
🥇Lucy Ndungu — Cloud County (5000m)
🥇Miracle Thompson — Cloud County (60mH)
🥇Harvey, Morgan, Dillon, Graham — Barton County (4x400m)
🥇Esfeld, Billings, Pantoja, Bycroft — Allen CC (4x800m)
🥇Mondesir, Crews, Fisher, Ochana — Cloud County (DMR)
🥇Nia Robinson — Barton County (High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump)
🥇Arantxa Cortez — Cowley College (Pole Vault)
🥇Kelsie Murrell-Ross — Barton County (Shot Put)
🥇Jada Sewell — Barton County (Weight Throw)
🥇Vanessa Mercera — Cloud County (Pentathlon)
On the men’s side, it was a 22 point victory for the Cloud County Thunderbirds, taking down Butler and Barton County who tied for 2nd, 119-97. In the women’s team race, Cloud County had 60 points of separation between them and runner-up Barton County, with the two teams finishing with a score of 203-143. Fort Scott took a comfortable 3rd, scoring 85 points in the process. Throughout the entire meet, from prelims to finals, there were 232 total automatic qualifying marks hit by the Region VI athletes. Does that not simply blow you out of the water? The majority of the NJCAA championship entries are going to be from athletes all representing schools in the state of Kansas. We’ll take a much deeper dive into all three conferences before nationals, so please hold in your anticipation as best you can.
Learn the Name Aria Pearce Quick, or You’ll Miss Her🏃🏼♀️
Take a trip with me to Wallace, Kansas, a small town in the northern half of the Sunflower State. The tiny town is just under thirty miles from the Colorado border, and not too far from the highest point in Kansas, Mount Sunflower. Compared to a lot of cities, Wallace may not have the amenities and attractions that bigger cities have to offer. Yet, there is still something, no, someone that this small rural town is home to that no other town in the nation has, the fastest seventh grader in the United States, and perhaps a future star in the sport of track and field.
Aria Pearce is like any other 7th grade girl. She loves to read books focused around a strong female character, and she loves to draw, paint and even write short stories in her free time. One of her favorite hobbies in fact is training her dogs and increasing her love of animals day after day. However, there is one thing that Aria doesn’t share with many athletes her age, and that is the fact that she can run 7.63 in the 60m dash. Yes, you read that right, and no, that wasn’t a typo. By half of a second, Aria is the fastest 7th grade girl in the country, and the 7th fastest in the grade overall. This past weekend at the Let’s Get REAL Invitational in Colorado Springs, Aria competed against athletes five years older than her and won. Not by a lean, or a strand of hair, but by a tenth of a second, which is a relatively decent amount in the sprinting world. Let me put into perspective just how fast Aria is already at this stage of her life. Unlike NCAA Division I, NAIA, NJCAA and NCAA Division II all have a provisional mark or standard that an athlete has to hit in order to qualify for the national meet.
NCAA DII — 7.67 ✅
NAIA — 7.72 (A-Standard)/7.28 (B-Standard) ✅
NJCAA — 7.76 ✅
Before she has even finished her first year of middle school, Aria is competing at the same level as collegians, and on a higher level than way more than I am willing to count. When I say this, I mean every ounce of it. Aria is a generational talent in my opinion. The last time I heard of a middle schooler racing and beating high school seniors, some who are already committed to run at the highest collegiate level, was never. Sure, athletes like Matthew Boling, Emily Covert, and what seems like anyone who attends Newbury Park, all made huge names for themselves in high school, but from what I can tell, Aria is already doing that a few years earlier.
This week I had the chance to send over a few questions to Aria and her dad to learn more about the fastest girl in America. Luckily for us, they both seem like two of the most genuine people who love what they’re doing. Keep in mind, Aria is only a 7th grader, but from the way she answers some of these questions, you would think she’s a ten year veteran in the sport. Fine, I’ll stop my babbling and let you get to the good stuff. Here is what I learned about the father-daughter and coach/athlete duo, Nathan and Aria Pearce.
1. How did Aria get into track & field? Does she do any other sports on top of this?
ARIA: I’ve always liked running, especially running fast. When I was little, I would chase my dogs all around the farm. My first track meet was in third grade. I believe I tried the 100, 200, high jump, and long jump. Other sports I’ve competed in include flag football, volleyball, and basketball.
Nathan: Aria started playing flag football with the boys in 3rd grade. Right away everyone noticed how fast she was. I truly believe that the group of boys she played flag football with helped her become the runner that she is. She learned to work hard, to be tough, and to be humble. Those boys also gave her so much encouragement and they included her as part of the team from day one. Whenever they gave her the ball, they called the play "Lambo" (short for Lamborghini). She competed in a couple local track meets as a 3rd and 4th grader, but her first REAL track experience wasn't until her 6th grade year (last year). So, she still doesn't have a full year of track experience. She has also played middle school basketball for two years and volleyball for one year. She is competitive and a great athlete, but she REALLY seems to love track. She loves the training, not just the meets.
2. Who is she coached by and how did she find them?
Aria: I am coached by my dad, Nathan Pearce. When I started becoming increasingly interested in track & field, my dad did as well. He was the one that really introduced me to it. Without him, I might not have found my talent in the sport of track & field.
Nathan: I am Aria's coach and her dad. I have several years of experience coaching different sports, including basketball, football, and track. After I realized Aria's potential (last spring), I started researching and educating myself to be able to help her be the best sprinter and jumper she can be. I am now USATF Level 1 certified, and I plan on continuing to educate myself about sprinting specifically.
3. How does she feel about running at such a high level at a younger age? Is it intimidating, or does she feel like she’s no different from them? (This is one of my favorite answers of hers)
Aria: Sometimes, it’s surprising to me how fast I can run! This would be my second year of competing nationally in track & field. Some of the girls I run against have been competing nationally for years! Sometimes, running against those girls can be intimidating. Lining up for a race knowing you are one of the youngest competing and probably have the least amount of experience can be unnerving. But when I get up to the starting line and in the blocks, we’re all just athletes competing for first place.
Nathan: Aria can give you her answer, but as her dad and her coach, I can tell you I've never seen another athlete in person that has the ability to rise to the level needed to win the way Aria does. She doesn't seem intimidated or even nervous, although she might say differently. Her mind and her body seem to know exactly what to do at the exact right time. She's a quiet person, but she has tons of inner strength. I'm pretty sure she has never entered a race where she was intimidated. She isn't cocky, but I believe she ALWAYS thinks she will win. She finished in the top 10 in the 100 and 200 at the AAU Junior Olympics last summer. So, she obviously suffered some losses at that level. It was a great experience for her, and she has had a goal ever since to come back even better in 2022. So far, she seems to definitely be better this year.
4. What does Aria do as a 7th grader in terms of training that allows her to compete with seniors in high school?
Aria: My training consists mainly of fast drills. The really important thing is to take these drills seriously. Just because they’re short and fast doesn’t mean you should put no effort into them. Being able to compete with seniors in high school isn’t just about training, though. It’s also about what you eat and how much you sleep. Getting good sleep and nutrients is very important to both the training and competing processes.
Nathan: Aria is obviously talented, but for the last year we have worked on developing acceleration and speed. We've stayed completely away from any endurance work. She is so young, that she needs to focus on proper running mechanics and pure speed. As she gets older, she will probably do more speed endurance work. She also has about 2 years of solid weightlifting experience. I believe her foundation of strength has helped her tremendously up to this point. During the fall and winter, Aria only worked on sprinting one day per week. Usually on Sunday, and always after a full day of rest. To become faster, you need to push the muscles as hard as you can, then allow time to recover. So, she has trained to increase her speed once a week ever since the Junior Olympics were done. She is also very aware of needing proper nutrition and sleep. She does a great job with both those things.
5. What does she like to do for fun when she isn’t training?
Aria: When I’m not training, you’ll find me outside with my dogs or tucked into a little nook with a book or two in my hands. Training my dogs is one of my favorite pass-times. I’ve always been an “animal person!” When I’m reading, though, you’ll find me skimming through books about nature or totally absorbed into a young adult fiction book with a strong female main character. I am also a fan of art. I enjoy drawing, painting, and occasionally writing short stories. At times, you may also find me listening to a good pump-up music playlist!
6. Has she set any long term goals for herself both personally or in the sport?
Aria: One of my main goals is to run faster, jump farther, and jump higher! By the end of this year, I hope to have moved my 100 time down to the 11 second area and my 200 time down to the 24 second area. I also hope to have long jumped into the 18 or 19 foot range. Moving my stationary vertical jump up into the 30 inch range would be a blessing as well! My overall goal for this year is to get better and gain experience. Competing nationally at such a young age, in my opinion, is good. I am able to gain experience, develop a good work ethic, and develop my skills as a track & field athlete.
When I say this, listen hard and listen good. Aria Pearce has the chance to become one of the greatest sprinters in the state, and one of the best in the country. I know that for some of you that may be a very bold statement to make this early on in her career, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t say this if I didn’t have 100% faith in both Aria and her dad. When you combine a young and hungry athlete, who is doing EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING right, with a coach who loves his daughter and only wants the absolute best for her, the sky truly is the limit.
In the coming weeks, Aria will be competing at the nation’s highest preparatory level at both New Balance Indoor Nationals and the Adidas Track Nationals in March. At NB Indoor, she’s made her way into the championship division for the 60m, where she’ll literally be on the starting line with mostly senior girls that have committed to run DI. She’ll also compete in the 200m and the long jump in the Rising Stars division. At the Adidas meet, she’ll be in the National Elite division for all three events. As we do with everybody, we wish nothing but the best of luck for Aria and her dad, and I personally cannot wait to see what she is capable of.
The First Sub-Four Gorilla🦍
This past weekend, Mason Strader, a Pittsburg State junior, became the first athlete in program history to break the four minute barrier, and the fourth man to break four in DII this season, and only the ninth in Division II history. I can’t say I was surprised to see him add his name to the list, since he’d been knocking on the door for the past month, running 4:04.72 and 4:02.61 in the last three weeks. He finally broke the door open when he ran 3:58.47, winning the event and taking down a plethora of tremendous athletes, while taking three other competitors under the barrier with him.
Over the past year, Mason has continued to prove himself as one of the best milers in the country, headlined with his All-American finish last year at the national meet. We knew that he had the talent to do so, but it seems that he simply needed the right race with the right competition, and that’s exactly what he got last Friday at the Arkansas Qualifier.
This week, Mason took some time out of his education and busy schedule to answer a few questions about his historic race, taking us through his mindset both leading up to and during the race.
Did you have a certain strategy for the race? Were you wanting to lead or were you hoping someone else would?
“Going into the race, we knew the competition would be there, so it was mainly about competing. There wasn’t a strategy to lead the race, we treated the heat like all the other ones before, tuck in and make moves to advance and win later in the race.”
At what point during the race did you realize that you had the chance to go sub-four?
“I knew about 800 meters in that today would be the day we broke the 4 minute barrier, however at that point I didn’t realize I would challenge for the win.”
3:58 is insane, but do you think you can somehow go even faster this season?
“3:58 was a surprise, yes. I guess ‘breaking 4’ would happen by running like 3:59.9 and barely making it under, but I was pleased to see the result. As far as going faster, it might take that to win a DII National Title. If the national race is honest from the gun, staying true to form, and sticking in good position throughout the race, and kicking like a National Title is on the line might lead to a faster time.”
What is your plan for nationals? Just the DMR and Mile?
“While being ranked 2nd in both, the plan will be to double in the Mile and DMR. We are excited with our DMR squad, we are fit and ready to defend the title on our home track. We know the competition will be tough and several teams have the potential to win the relay.”
Mason has a big couple weeks coming up, but based off of his performance as of late, I think he’ll be just fine. This weekend him and the Gorillas have the MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Maryville, MO, and then their next slate of competition on their home turf in Pittsburg, KS. As always, we wish Mason and his teammates nothing but the best of luck, and hopefully both them and Kansas’ schools can do great things on the sport’s biggest stage.
What’s Happening in Sedona?
In all honesty, this isn’t that important, but I feel like I would have let you all down had I not talked about one of the biggest stories in track & field right now, Poop Gate. I only found out about this after I saw this Sam Parsons tweet on my timeline
Here’s what I know so far based off of some research on the LetsRun message boards and other professional runner’s tweets. @McKirdyTrained responded to Parsons saying, “Oh no. It is 100% real. A certain professional team that came to town, showed no respect... The athletes that live here are furious. This is our local community and they've essentially ruined our relationship with the high school.” He followed that up with “After speaking with a school official and getting the full word directly... I hope they ban everyone from using the track until they see fit. Professional athletes do not take priority over kids. Professional athletes do not have the "right" to use the track during school.” From what I could find, there was only one professional team not based in Flagstaff that was training in the city. If you want a hint on the alleged team, they are based out of Portland and had a few Olympic medalists this past Summer. As of now, there hasn’t been any confirmation from the alleged poop bandits, but we all sit on the edge of our seat waiting in anticipation to find out the truth. Stay safe out there local high schools, and make sure you keep your track facilities locked.
To all of you amazing readers out there, thank you, each and every one of you. I know I’ve said it before, but I still can’t believe that you all actually take the time to read this. It’s just crazy to me. So again, thank you for tuning in week after week and making me feel like this is actually doing some good.
As always, if you want me to cover anything specifically or have any suggestions, please just let me know because I can almost guarantee you that I’d love to write about it. I hope you all enjoyed this week’s edition, and I highly encourage you to tune in again next week, because there may or may not be an Olympian interview coming next. 👀
Have a great weekend, and please enjoy some track & field for us! Also please send this to anyone who would like it and tell them to subscribe!!