Mancos High School is sending another runner to the collegiate ranks.
MHS senior distance runner Kelsey Corbin has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in cross country, and track and field at Adams State College in Alamosa.
The Grizzlies womens track team just won its eighth-straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title.
They have a good program, Corbin said. I like the coach. I like the school, and they got what I want to major in.
Corbin plans to major in health sciences and eventually get into the schools nursing program, which was a key deciding factor in choosing Adams State over fellow RMAC schools Mesa State, Western State and Fort Lewis. Staying about 200 miles from home and having an older brother enrolled at Adams State made the decision that much easier.
Were real excited for Kelsey to get this opportunity, Jeff Corbin said about his daughter. I think shes really going to fit in to their program and do a nice job for them. They have a nursing program there. Her brother is also there. Its nice they can both be in the same neighborhood, I guess.
Corbin credits MHS for preparing her for the college ranks.
Our program is getting stronger. Even though were a small school, we still get some good athletes, she said.
Now the senior will become a freshman and shell be training for her sports year around with cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter, and the outdoor season in the spring.
That will be different for me, Corbin said about the all-year training. Ill be doing even a summer program. Its going to be tough.
Despite having an injury plagued senior track season, Adams State cross country, and track and field coach Damon Martin wanted to make Corbin a Grizzly. Since returning from a ankle injury, Corbin has won the 1,600-meter run in two of her last three meets.
This year has been a little difficult because shes been fighting injury the whole track season, Mancos track and field coach Alan Mathews said. The Adams State coaches brought her in. She ran with their girls. She really liked the coaches. They understood the fact that shes had kind of a rough track year because shes hurt. But they know shes capable, and they know what shes done in the past. For her, its just a great opportunity to go to a place and be with runners of her caliber. Shes that type of girl that will succeed in that type of environment.
Corbin will join other MHS alumni competing in college track and field. Former Mancos athletes include Andy Crook (Western State), Dylania Morelli (Western State), Darianna Morelli (Mesa State), Morgan Darden (Nebraska-Kearney), and Elisa Mullikin (track and cross country at Colorado School of Mines).
We are proud (of Corbin). It is another athlete we pass on to the collegiate level, Mathews said. It is just something that we as a program push towards. We push towards trying to get them to move on and compete at the next level. Adams State, as far as a distance running standpoint, its about as big as it gets. Theyre a (NCAA) Division II college, but they dominate a good chunk of the Division I level.
Corbin now looks to help carry on a strong distance running tradition at Adams State.
(I) just (want) to keep improving and try to be a part of the team as much as possible, Corbin said.
Corbin was a 2010 Colorado 2A All-State cross country selection in distance running and placed third at state. She took third as a junior and fourth as a sophomore at state. All-State 2011 selections for track and field will be announced later this month.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.