* Keeghan Edwards (left) competes in the 1,600m during the Colorado Outdoor State meet
Photo Credit: Colorado MileSplit
- - -
By Brett Haffner - MileSplit
When many successful freshmen in track and field make a big jump to an elite level, more often that not, it's the product of being on a high school team that can push them.
Then there's runners like Keeghan Edwards, the first-year athlete from Valor Christian out in Colorado -- whose team has been renowned as impressive.
Edwards has the unique situation of 2022 being her first year as a track and field athlete.
Related Links:
WATCH LIVE: THE RUNNINGLANE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS
"Soccer was my main sport until last year," Edwards said. "I wanted to run track in middle school but COVID made it not a possibility in seventh grade, and in eighth grade I wanted to just focus on soccer."
Edwards' newfound success on the track has certainly translated well, and this weekend she'll be aiming for even bigger sights at the RunningLane Track Championships in Huntsville, Alabama -- against some historically deep competition.
"Track is definitely a lot different, I miss the same scenery that you get while running cross country," said Edwards, who is entered in the mile and 3,200m. "I do like faster stuff like the mile and the different strategy and pacing that goes into mental toughness in track, because each race is going to be similar to the last race, unlike cross country."
Edwards isn't too shabby with the 'faster' pace that comes with track, as she boasts PRs of 2:15 in the 800m, 4:53 in the 1,600m, and 10:33 in the 3,200, all of which are impressive marks for a freshman. She ranks in the top 10 nationally in her class in the 1,600m, top 15 in the 3,200m and top 35 in the 800m.
"Depending on the day, my favorite event is still the mile," Edwards said. "It's probably what I'm best at and I like how fast it feels. I like the 3,200m a lot, and I still run the 800m, but to work on speed work for the closing stages of the 1,600 and 3,200."
In cross country, Valor Christian was spearheaded by a fiery 1-2 punch: Edwards and Brooke Wilson, who unfortunately has been sidelined with an achilles injury for the remainder of the outdoor season.
Nevertheless, Edwards recognizes that a lot of her own success has been a byproduct of being teammates and training partners with Wilson, who pushes her to be the best runner she can be.
"When we're together, Brooke is the perfect training partner to be with," Edwards said. "I couldn't imagine anyone better to do workouts and races with. We really help and push each other and hold each other accountable to do things the right way, and doing them at the right time."
That gratitude for camaraderie and having a great training partner helped Edwards grow immensely in the cross country season, leading her to finish eighth at the Colorado State Meet, second at the Team Southwest Regional and 19th at the RunningLane Cross Country Championships, where her current 5K PR of 16:58 comes from.
However, Edwards acknowledged that it's been a hard transition to race on her own, without having the upperclassman leadership that Wilson brought to the table.
"It's been hard without Brooke right beside me, but I'm slowly learning," Edwards said. "It's going to be helpful in the long run and learning how to race on [my] own, to learning strategies outside of just being with Brooke. I've been learning when to surge and find good position in the race."
When Edwards and Wilson return back as a duo for cross country in the fall, they are going to make Valor Christian a serious force to be reckoned with.
As Edwards heads forward into the postseason, she just finished up the Colorado State meet. Edwards completed a really tough quadruple, running the 4x800 relay, 800m, 1,600m, and 3,200m-- a very impressive weekend for the freshman.
She placed third in both the 1,600m and 3,200m, ninth in the 800m, and placed ninth with her Valor Christian teammates in the 4x800 relay.
If that set of performances said anything about her, the state of Colorado should seriously be watching out for Edwards over the next three years of competition.
With the RunningLane Track Championships coming up in just a few days, Edwards is currently slated to run both the mile and the 3,200m, events that should be filled with nationally-elite competition.
"Even though my primary focus has been on state, I'd like to give running sub-4:50 a shot," Edwards said. "I'd also like to try running in the 10:20s in the 3,200m, but my dream goal would be to try and break 10:20."
Considering she PR'd at the state meet, with all of those other events under her legs, her goals may not be too far-fetched with some fresh legs, less altitude and a great set of competition, too.
With three more years ahead of her at Valor Christian, Edwards is extremely grateful and thankful for her teammates, school, but most importantly, head coach coach Greg Coplen.
"Coach Coplen is truly amazing-- he pushes us and guides us in the sport, but also in academics, family life, and spiritual life," Edwards said. "He's someone we can lean on and talk to, he's a mentor, a guide, a best friend, and gives a sense of joy and hope that nothing is truly impossible."
With a teammate and training partner like Wilson, an inspirational mentor and coach like Coplen and an environment that balances her athletics, academics, and faith like Valor Christian facilitates, Edwards has found herself in a wonderful place for the remaining three years of her high school career.
Related Links:
