Chinle's Jumbo, Tuba City's Orman win state titles

(Courtesy photo - paynterpics.com)

Tuba City High's Billy Orman, a junior, wins the 3A state title at the Arizona cross country championship Nov. 7 in Phoenix. Orman was timed in 15:47.35.

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Sometimes it's OK to run for yourself.

Chinle's Rolonda Jumbo and Tuba City's Billy Orman know that all too well.

They are from two of the 3A conference's toughest cross country teams and are this year's individual state champions.

For Jumbo, a sophomore, it's her second consecutive state championship and for Orman, it's his first.

The two have come a long way in the last year, winning just about every meet.

"She started out last year very timid and shy in any social setting but when she was with the team she was very outgoing," Chinle head coach Shaun Martin said. "This year she started out the season just as good as last year - actually, a little faster than last year."

Jumbo won the state title with a time of 18:40.988. She also helped the Wildcats win the team championship.

Helping her team makes her individual success even better, Jumbo said.

"I had a lot of fun with my team this season. We treated each other like family," she said. "I guess we love running, just doing it together and having fun doing it."

Last year as a freshman, Jumbo was quiet, shy and somewhat unsure of her success. But not this year. The No. 1 female runner in 3A is more in tune with her running.

"I have more experience," she said. "When I do a lot of running I get tired. When I'm racing I try to prepare myself to be tired."

"As a person she's definitely grown," Martin said. "She grew a lot. Her academic role is a lot better, she's able to communicate with teachers, as she does with her teammates. She's definitely motivated, still young and reckless at times, she's definitely matured and comes out of her shell a little bit more."

For Billy Orman, he has been in the shadow of teammate and previous state champion Ryan Yazzie.

Orman was always the No. 2 man, but not this year. This year the Tuba City junior decided he wanted something more.

Orman finished the state meet with a time of 15:47:359.

"Billy, he was very motivated to become the best, so he put in a great summer," Tuba City head coach Carl Perry said. "I think part of that motivation is knowing you have a teammate like Ryan Yazzie next to you. They're not enemies by any means, both of them wanted individual titles."

But it wasn't easy for Orman who was injured just weeks before the state championship meet.

"He was injured, he missed three weeks of the season, and missed three of the biggest races of the season," Perry said.

Orman bruised his knee after tripping and falling a couple of weeks ago.

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"The first part of season he broke course records by minutes, it took some mental strength to get though and come back," Perry said.

Orman's right-hand man Ryan Yazzie suffered injuries dating back to the spring track season that limited his ability to run as dominating as he normally would.

Perry said Yazzie's injury wasn't exactly what sparked Orman's fire to put in the extra work, because Orman's work ethic has always been there.

"There was certainly a fire in his eyes but that had always been there, so it was more of a progression that had changed in Billy this year," Perry said. "Last year the only thing separating Ryan and Billy was Ryan's kick. All of Billy's training in the summer made that gap smaller."

Perry said the two have always been good friends and that, one way or another, no matter who comes out on top, their relationship will remain.

"The difference for me was seeing the disappointment in Ryan's eyes," Perry said. "He's good friends with Billy and he would never be disappointed in Billy's success, but he's certainly disappointed in his own success.

"Before the season began, I said to them don't ever feel guilty about beating your friend in a meet," he added. "I said that knowing both would be facing really tough competition, against other 3A North teams, and other teams including their teammates."

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