Photo by: Bill Evans
Fall Sport Senior Spotlight: Aric Kedge
10/22/2020 10:00:00 AM | Cross Country
ARIC KEDGE | ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
CADET SQUADRON 31
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
CADET SQUADRON 31
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
I took a summer class, Astro 310, which was online and quite challenging for me. Other than that, I did a couple different things here and there at USAFA. Will Kitzhaber and I delivered about 1000 meals one morning to Cadets who returned from home to USAFA and had to quarantine for 14 days. It was a lot of work considering how many trips we had to make up and down Vandenberg Hall. I also helped coordinate and organize workouts and runs for the XC team.
(Following graduation), I would love to be an Intelligence Officer in the Air Force. I am fascinated by our rapidly changing world and the role our military plays in that change. I would love to be able to work with new intelligence and be a part of making critical decisions for our county's safety. After that, I would like to get back into sports. My ultimate goal is to work in Air Force's athletic department. I believe that this is the greatest school in the world, and that Intercollegiate Athletics play a massive role in shaping future officers. I'd love to be someone who can help facilitate that.
(During the pandemic, I learned) to appreciate every opportunity that's given to you. I had never truly realized how much I loved Air Force Track and Field/XC until this spring. There would be days at home when all I would think about is coming down the homestretch at the Drake Relays or winning a conference championship with my team. It goes by fast, and I have learned to take advantage of every opportunity that's left for me.
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JUNIOR YEAR | 2019: Participated in three meets...registered a career-best 8K time of 25:39.6 to finish 36th out of 127 runners at the UCCS Open...added a time of 26:24.1 to finish within the top 70 of the 237-runner Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational (65th)...opened the season with a four-mile time of 21:44.0 to finish 21st at the Air Force Open.
SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2018: Competed in three meets...finished 26th out of 175 runners at the Fort Hays State Tiger Open after clocking a personal-best 8K time of 26:44.1...added an 8K mark of 27:01.7 at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational (65th)...opened the season with a 5K time of 17:01.1 at the Wyoming Invitational (62nd).
FRESHMAN YEAR | 2017: Clocked a 5K time of 17:24.5 at the Colorado State Invitational (111th).
MAJOR TRACK AND FIELD HIGHLIGHTS: Earned all-conference honors as a member of the distance medley relay team that finished second at the 2020 Mountain West Indoor Championships...named Mountain West Athlete of the Week after finishing as the top collegiate finisher in the 800-meter run at the Air Force Collegiate Open (second overall).
HIGH SCHOOL: Albuquerque Academy...won the 800-meter at the 2017 New Mexico 4A-6A State Championships...earned runner-up honors in that event at the state meet as a junior...member of five state championship teams (three in track, two in cross country)...earned all-state honors in cross country after finishing seventh at the 2016 championship meet...seven-time all-state selection in track and field...finished first in the 800-meter run at the Richard Harper Memorial Track Meet...finished second in the Elite 800 at the Chandler Rotary Track Invitational...six-time academic all-district selection for cross country and track...started a program that donates running shoes to high school athletes in need...served as Senior Class Officer.
PERSONAL: Full name is Aric Adam Kedge...nickname is "Big Ric" ...son of Adam and Lisa Kedge...father competed in cross country and track at the University of New Mexico...has one younger brother, AJ, who is a junior on the Air Force cross country team...also has one older sister...majoring in geospatial sciences...future plans include becoming an intelligence officer in the Space Force, before becoming the governor of New Mexico and, eventually, a leader in the track and field community...currently serving as the Assistant Athletics Officer for squadron...previously served as Group 4 Honor NCO...member of the 500 Club for recording a perfect score on the Academy's aerobic fitness test...named to the Athletic Director's List...hobbies include running, collecting Nike Zoom Victory 1 spikes, making dorm room pancakes and coffee, being an "aerobic-based 800-meter runner", listening to U2, doing mechanical engineering problems, impersonating Jeb's southern accent, spending quality time with AJ Kedge, enjoying various kinds of sparkling water, and believing that "everyone is a cross country runner in the fall"...took Astro310 over the summer, while mentoring roommate Ryan Johnson...also led Air Force to two Rose Bowl appearances in NCAA Football 14 on Xbox 360 and learned how to golf...favorite food is his mom's homemade burritos (second favorite food is pizza)...would like to "thank Christ for this amazing opportunity to compete for the Falcons" and his parents for "helping me get to where I am today"...would also like to give a shout out to his dogs, Maverick and Tucker...member of Cadet Squadron 31.
(Following graduation), I would love to be an Intelligence Officer in the Air Force. I am fascinated by our rapidly changing world and the role our military plays in that change. I would love to be able to work with new intelligence and be a part of making critical decisions for our county's safety. After that, I would like to get back into sports. My ultimate goal is to work in Air Force's athletic department. I believe that this is the greatest school in the world, and that Intercollegiate Athletics play a massive role in shaping future officers. I'd love to be someone who can help facilitate that.
(During the pandemic, I learned) to appreciate every opportunity that's given to you. I had never truly realized how much I loved Air Force Track and Field/XC until this spring. There would be days at home when all I would think about is coming down the homestretch at the Drake Relays or winning a conference championship with my team. It goes by fast, and I have learned to take advantage of every opportunity that's left for me.
--
JUNIOR YEAR | 2019: Participated in three meets...registered a career-best 8K time of 25:39.6 to finish 36th out of 127 runners at the UCCS Open...added a time of 26:24.1 to finish within the top 70 of the 237-runner Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational (65th)...opened the season with a four-mile time of 21:44.0 to finish 21st at the Air Force Open.
SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2018: Competed in three meets...finished 26th out of 175 runners at the Fort Hays State Tiger Open after clocking a personal-best 8K time of 26:44.1...added an 8K mark of 27:01.7 at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational (65th)...opened the season with a 5K time of 17:01.1 at the Wyoming Invitational (62nd).
FRESHMAN YEAR | 2017: Clocked a 5K time of 17:24.5 at the Colorado State Invitational (111th).
MAJOR TRACK AND FIELD HIGHLIGHTS: Earned all-conference honors as a member of the distance medley relay team that finished second at the 2020 Mountain West Indoor Championships...named Mountain West Athlete of the Week after finishing as the top collegiate finisher in the 800-meter run at the Air Force Collegiate Open (second overall).
HIGH SCHOOL: Albuquerque Academy...won the 800-meter at the 2017 New Mexico 4A-6A State Championships...earned runner-up honors in that event at the state meet as a junior...member of five state championship teams (three in track, two in cross country)...earned all-state honors in cross country after finishing seventh at the 2016 championship meet...seven-time all-state selection in track and field...finished first in the 800-meter run at the Richard Harper Memorial Track Meet...finished second in the Elite 800 at the Chandler Rotary Track Invitational...six-time academic all-district selection for cross country and track...started a program that donates running shoes to high school athletes in need...served as Senior Class Officer.
PERSONAL: Full name is Aric Adam Kedge...nickname is "Big Ric" ...son of Adam and Lisa Kedge...father competed in cross country and track at the University of New Mexico...has one younger brother, AJ, who is a junior on the Air Force cross country team...also has one older sister...majoring in geospatial sciences...future plans include becoming an intelligence officer in the Space Force, before becoming the governor of New Mexico and, eventually, a leader in the track and field community...currently serving as the Assistant Athletics Officer for squadron...previously served as Group 4 Honor NCO...member of the 500 Club for recording a perfect score on the Academy's aerobic fitness test...named to the Athletic Director's List...hobbies include running, collecting Nike Zoom Victory 1 spikes, making dorm room pancakes and coffee, being an "aerobic-based 800-meter runner", listening to U2, doing mechanical engineering problems, impersonating Jeb's southern accent, spending quality time with AJ Kedge, enjoying various kinds of sparkling water, and believing that "everyone is a cross country runner in the fall"...took Astro310 over the summer, while mentoring roommate Ryan Johnson...also led Air Force to two Rose Bowl appearances in NCAA Football 14 on Xbox 360 and learned how to golf...favorite food is his mom's homemade burritos (second favorite food is pizza)...would like to "thank Christ for this amazing opportunity to compete for the Falcons" and his parents for "helping me get to where I am today"...would also like to give a shout out to his dogs, Maverick and Tucker...member of Cadet Squadron 31.
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