Understandably, junior Karlee Kleiber had a single word in her mind (immediately after running a 5:18 mile) when she realized that she would, again, be going to state: ouch.
“At the moment, I couldn’t breathe,” Kleiber said. “I was still excited, though.”
For the last three years, Kleiber has participated in volleyball, cross country, and track at Randall. She has qualified for state in these sports a total of four times, despite only being a junior in high school. Kleiber said she started running when she was a child.
“Everyone at Westover ran,” Kleiber said. “I started running competitively in the 7th grade.”
Her freshman year, Kleiber qualified for state running the 800 meter in track. However, at last year’s Regional Meet things took a different turn when she did not advance in any of the events that she ran in.
“The competition last year was tougher and I wasn’t healthy,” Kleiber said. “This year I’ve just stayed healthy and gotten in shape.”
As far as competition goes this season, Kleiber said Hereford’s Alyssa Diaz poses as her main challenge.
“She is a senior so she has nothing to lose,” Kleiber said. “She’s incredibly talented.”
Although Kleiber said she is best at her 2-mile race, the 1600m (one mile) is her favorite. Most high school kids complain about having to walk a mile for a fitness gram, but Kleiber said she enjoys running long distances.
“I like the strategy behind it and the challenge it presents,” Kleiber said.
Kleiber said she always keeps in mind that she has to go out and race the whole distance while she is running, which she says is the most difficult aspect of the sport.
“Pushing through the pain (is the hardest thing),“ Kleiber said. “I just think, ‘You are almost done,’ (to make it more bearable).”
Being both humble and proud at once is a combination that Kleiber said her participation in sports has helped her to achieve, and she’s had a lot of opportunities to perfect this stance, what with this being her third time to travel to state this year. Still, Kleiber accepts no room for self-gratification.
“My motivation is the people that support me,” Kleiber said. “I owe it all to my teammates and coaches.”
Kleiber said former Raider runner Tara Tarrant is her role model in track.
“She went to state the same year I went as a freshman,” Kleiber said. “Now she is running in college.”
As for her own future, Kleiber said she is still unsure of which college she wants to run at, but she knows what wise words will get her there.
“Aim high and persevere through the tough times,” Kleiber said.
