2018 Wings Team

Wings is proud to announce the 16 athletes that will travel to Tallahassee, FL in February to race in the “Junior” race at the 2018 USATF Cross Country Championships. 7 men, 7 women, and and alternate for each team:

The 2018 Wings National Team (ordered alphabetically)

(Name, High School, Grade, Hometown, Tribal Affiliation(s), Qualifying Mark(s), Qualifying Race(s))

*Denotes runner that has made a previous Wings National Team

Men Women
*Jericho Cleveland, Volcano Vista HS, 12th, Albuquerque, NM, Colville Confederated Tribes, 15:13/16:09, NXR SW (Championship Race)/FL West (Seeded Race) Alisia Honyumptewa, Chinle HS, 11th, Chinle, AZ, Diné, 19:17, NXR SW (Small School Race)
*Kashon Harrison, Kirtland Central HS, 11th, Red Valley, AZ, Diné, 15:07/15:38, NXR SW (Championship Race)/FL West (Seeded Race) Taylor Murphy, Window Rock HS, 12th, Window Rock, AZ, Diné/Hopi, 19:24, NXR SW (Small School Race)
*Nicholas Jameson (alternate), UNM Gallup Branch, College Freshman, Gallup, NM, Diné, 16:24, NXR SW (Citizen’s Race) Jessica Ramirez, Gallup HS, 12th, Gallup, NM, Diné, 18:44, NXR SW (Small School Race)
Bowen Martin, Page HS, 11th, Page, AZ, Diné, 16:09, NXR SW (Championship Race) Precious Robinson, Piñon HS, 11th, Piñon, AZ, Diné, 19:12, NXR SW (Small School Race)
Steven Nasewytewa, Desert Vista HS, Ahwatukee, AZ, 11th, Laveen, AZ, Gila River Pima, 16:00, NXR SW (Championship Race) Sydney Staples, Bacone College, College Freshman, Anacoco, LA, Choctaw, 19:55, NXR South (Citizen’s Race). (Called up after faster qualifier, Sierra Delaware, declined spot on team)
*Steven Nez, Ft. Lewis College, College Freshman, Gallup, NM, Diné/Oneida, 15:50, NXR SW (Citizen’s Race) Ashley Thomas, Miyamura HS, 12th, Gallup, NM, Diné, 19:22, NXR SW (Small School Race)
Jihad Nodman, Hopi HS, 11th, Polacca, AZ, Hopi, 16:08, NXR SW (Small School Race) Jasmine Turtle-Morales, Eldorado HS, 10th, Albuquerque, NM, Cochiti/Mescalero Apache/Hopi, 17:56, NXR SW (Championship Race)
Andrew “Joe” Rush, Custer HS, 12th, Custer, SD, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, 15:33, NXR Heartland (Championship Race) *Ali Upshaw, St. Michael Indian School, 10th, Ft. Defiance, AZ, Diné, 19:24/19:27, FL West (Seeded Race)/NXR SW (Championship Race)

Notes on the qualifying process and times:

The Wings selection process relies on the dedication of student-athletes, coaches and parents beyond the regular cross country season. We would like to send a sincere “thanks” to all the families that rallied together to support their athletes into the winter. Because USA Cross Country Championship are not until February, our organization must know that prospective National Team members have what it takes to continue training and competing after the excitement of their state meet has worn off and their teammates have stopped training. We are immensely grateful for all the miles, time and money National Team hopefuls have devoted in recent weeks. Please be proud of your commitment.

Since its inception, the Wings National Team has existed to encourage young Native runners to test their talents on a larger stage. We are happy to see that this goal is now being achieved perhaps more through the selection process than through the National Team itself. With nearly 75 runners posting qualifying times at Nike Cross Regionals, Footlocker Regionals and the NB3 National XC Race, we are confident that the future of Native distance running is bright. Each year the “cut-off” time to make the National Team seems to get a little bit faster. If you are eligible in years to come, we sincerely hope you will try again. It is no easy feat to make the team and all that try out deserve praise for testing their limits.

Transparency throughout the selection process is very important to Wings. By considering only qualifying race times as criteria for making the team, we believe we are setting the most fair and measurable standard for all National Team hopefuls. However, sometimes this can get a bit tricky when qualifiers run very similar times on different courses. In these cases, we rely on the input of experienced coaches, race directors, and the weather reports from race day to determine if one course is “faster” or “slower” than another. If you have any questions or concerns about why a time did not qualify you or your athlete for the National Team, please do not hesitate to contact Executive Director, Dustin Martin, with your inquiry (505) 977 5057.

Qualifying marks for all runners that registered to be considered for the team can be viewed below:

Boy’s Qualifying Times 2018 (Seeded)

Girl’s Qualifying Times 2018 (Seeded)

Special Congratulations:

Wings would like to extend special “congratulations” to Kashon Harrison for winning the “seeded” race at the Footlocker West regional while qualifying for his 3rd Wings National Team. While running with him at our Ojo Amarillo Elementary “Running & Fitness Camp” held in July, it was obvious that Harrison’s focus was already way beyond the pre-season. Coached by former Wings facilitator, Lenny Esson, Kashon joins a growing list of exceptional Wings runners that will have represented Indian Country at the Footlocker National XC Championships:

Becki Wells (1991,1992 Kinney)

Tim & Theo Martin (1992)

Brandon Leslie (1993, 1994)

Felicia Guliford (2001)

Julia Foster (2010)