Aric Kedge

Photo by: Bill Evans

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Albuquerque, N.M.
Squadron:
31 Grim Reapers
High School:
Albuquerque Academy

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...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.