by Kashon Harrison (Navajo) of Kirtland Central High School has been named the 2018-19 Gatorade New Mexico Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Harrison as New Mexico’s best high school boys cross country runner.
He is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced later this month.
The state’s returning Gatorade Runner of the Year, the 5-foot-6, 115-pound senior won the Class 4A state meet this past season with a time of 15:27.35, breaking the tape 39.20 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and leading the Broncos to a fourth-place finish as a team.
Harrison won the Foot Locker West Regional championships for a second straight year, then earned All-American status by finishing 11th at the FLCCC. He also took fifth at the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional championships.
Harrison has volunteered locally as a youth running coach. “Kashon has put in the time and effort needed to be a great runner,” said Wilbert Nez, head coach of Gallup High. “I’ve seen him improve on his running throughout his year in high school.”
Harrison has maintained a weighted 3.05 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in cross country and track and field on scholarship at the University of Oregon this fall.
