SHARON SPRINGS, Kan. (KSNW) – Aria Pearce is one of the fastest high school track runners in Kansas, and she’s not even in high school yet. She’s a seventh grader and is blowing past her competition.
Due to not being a high school student yet, Pearce cannot run on the varsity track team at her high school, Wallace County. Instead, she runs in open track meets around the state and country.
“We’re not trying to push her to a certain level. We’re trying to figure out how good is she,” said Nathan Pearce, Aria’s father and coach. “I feel like we keep taking more and more steps.”
Aria decided not to compete in a junior high season, and now she’s in college meets, running against girls older than her, and she’s beating many of them.
“When I’m out there actually racing, I don’t really take into account that they’re so much older than me. We’re all just there racing,” Aria said.
Not only does Aria’s running stand out on the track, but so do her times. Her 11.79 seconds in the 100-meter dash ranks No. 1 nationally in middle school and Kansas high school competition. Her 200-meter time of 24.69 seconds is No. 1 nationally at the middle school level and No. 2 in Kansas.
This spring, Pearce gained attention on social media after her impressive 100-meter win at the Tabor Invitational. She took first place, beating all the college runners she was up against.
“Racing against those college girls, I get nervous, but it’s just running,” Aria said. “I think I am able to block out that they are older than me and just run.”
She’s a long jumper as well. With a jump of 18 feet 1.5 inches, she ranks the same in that category as her 200-meter dash time.
Pearce plans to compete in AAU track this summer. Eventually, she would like to run varsity track at her high school in the spring of 2024, when she will be in ninth grade.