Kangas ready for state meet 

By Kevin Taylor 

Alma Schools 

There’s something to be said about kids with big hearts. 

Nevaeh Kangas isn’t like some of the prototypical long-distance runners who use their tall, lean bodies to take long strides. 

But that doesn’t mean she isn’t special. 

“She never takes a day off,” Alma cross country coach Keith Shultz said. “She comes prepared every day, no matter what we’re doing that day. She isn’t a big kid, but that doesn’t stop her from being able to compete with others.”

Kangas will hit the road this week as the Alma junior competes in her second straight 5A state cross-country event at Lake Hamilton. 

Last year, Kangas ran a PR (personal best) of 21:10 at the state meet. 

"I've learned it's a mental game,” she said. “If you're in the wrong space you're not going to go very far. I'd say I've come pretty far since I had experience in track and field.”

Kangas dabbled in other sports when she was younger, and she didn’t take up running until signing up to run track as a seventh grader. She didn’t compete in her first cross-country event until her freshman year. 

Now, she’s the face of the program. 

Kangas credits second-year coach Keith Shultz with helping her become even more motivated. 

“I guess that would be the coaching style,” Kangas said. “He’s good at motivating us. You need a pat on the back and someone to say, 'Hey, you can do this.' 

“Plus, he (Shultz) runs with us sometimes.”

Shultz told his kids he’d run with them (during practice) if they placed in a meet. Sure enough, the next week they placed in the meet, and the next thing he knew the former Alma football standout was running alongside his student-athletes.  

“Yes, that’s true,” he kidded. 

Kangas ran her PR at last week’s 5A-West meet with a time of  20:02.73 - smashing her previous best of 20:35.88 earlier in the fall at the Chaffee Strong XC Invitational. 

Ironically, the first time she ran the Alma course back in September, she finished with a time of 23:59.54. 

“Thirty-three seconds is a lot,” she said her improved time. “The difference between (last week and September) had to be the course. It was a little rough the first time; it wasn't all the way mowed down."

It helped last week, too, that the area (and the course) hadn’t had any rain for more than a month, too. 

Last week, Kangas hit the ground running at the conference meet, the first time Alma’s hosted a conference meet. 

“It was conference; it was a matter of making state,” she said. “ I ate pasta the night before and just tried to relax as much as possible. State will be tough, too, because they have a lot of hills. 

Kangas said it’s been fun rooting for her younger sister Zoey this year.

“I give as much advice as I can,” she said. “I don’t want her to surpass me, but I always want to guide her and help her.

“It's nice being around people who like the sport.”