Kinion hoping to win 3 state titles this weekend

It would be quite the end to her Gore Lady Pirates athletic career if senior track athlete Hallie Kinion can have a hat trick of sorts at this weekend’s Class 2A State Meet, which will take place today and Saturday at Oklahoma City Western Heights High School. Kinion has a chance to win the state title in any or all three of these events — the 400-meter dash and the 800- and 1,600-meter runs.

“It definitely feels surreal. It’s not my first year going to the state track meet,” Kinion said. “I’ve gone each of the last two years, but this is my first year going with me being a favorite to win in the 800 (meter run). I’m favored to place in every event I’m running, but a favorite to win. So, it’s amazing. It’s been so cool because so many people have been supporting me. This is definitely an awesome way to end my senior season.”

Just winning one state title this weekend would be thrilling enough for the Gore senior, but winning state in all three events may give her an indescribable feeling.

“Hopefully, I can bring home some gold,” Kinion said. “It would be super cool if I can bring home more than one, but just one would be amazing.”

However, winning one or more state titles wouldn’t be just for Kinion, but the two important coaches who have helped her get to where she is today.

“Not only would that make me proud because I have been working really hard for this, I think I would make other people proud of me who have put a lot of effort in training me,” she said. “It would be amazing, awesome and the coolest thing to be a state champion. My coaches, (Sallisaw cross country and assist track coach Zac) Black and (Gore track and cross country coach T.W.) Estes, have been working really hard with me. (Coach Black) has been so awesome. He’s literally changed my running from when I was a junior until now. I think it would mean a lot to them because of how much work they’ve put into me to make me better, so I want to do it (win one or more state titles) for them.”

No matter what happens this weekend, it will be her last time to perform in an athletic event as a Lady Pirate.

“It’s definitely mixed emotions because I remember when I was a freshman in running track and cross country,” Kinion said. “I remember running my first high school cross country meet and my first high school track meet. I was thinking I have four years of this. How am I going to make it through? Now, that it’s actually here, it’s crazy. This weekend literally will be the last time I’ll be wearing Gore green as an athlete. It’s defintely mixed emotions. I’m happy because I’ve completed a big chapter in my life, but it’s also sad because I’ve loved running track.”

Back in the fall, Kinion was going to focus on her next venture, representing the United States in the armed services. However, she is not only going into the U.S. Navy, but she also is looking to possibly continue competitive running.

“I’m going to go to the Naval Academy (in Annapolis, Md.) this summer, but I’m thinking about walking on,” Kinion said. “That obviously would be a totally different thing than high school running. I would go from being the top dog to the back.”

If the Gore senior isn’t able to end her high school career with anywhere from one to three gold medals, she feels like she’s accomplished her main goal — proving to herself she can compete in track and cross country.

“If I don’t bring home gold, which I really hope I do, but if I don’t, it won’t be the end of the world,” Kinion said. “I feel like I’ve already done what I really wanted to do, and that is to prove to myself. Other than my freshman year, I’ve been an OK runner, and going through my sophomore and junior years, I got better and better, but this is my first year that I’ve actually really been good. I feel like I’ve proven to myself that I can run with the girls that as a freshman I was looking at and saying, ‘They’re fast!’ I’ve proven to myself that, even with just a year of work, you can completely change how you run. I know I’ve already made my parents (Troy and Julie) proud. Even if I don’t bring home gold, they’ll still be proud of me — and I’ll still be proud of myself. I think I’ve already proven to myself what I’ve wanted to prove to myself.”