Taysen Begay runs second in 3200, nears state qualification at High Desert Classic

Taysen Begay gave Tsé Yi’ Gai a reason to look ahead, not just at one race, when he placed second in the 3200-meter run at the High Desert Classic on Saturday, April 10, in 11:07.12. The junior finished in a field of 22 entries and beat the New Mexico Class 1A boys’ qualifying standard of 11:32.00 by 24.88 seconds, putting himself squarely on track for state.

Only Zuni’s Jeremiah Eisenga finished ahead of him, winning in 10:42.59. Begay said it was “a decent time,” but he also believed he could have gone out faster and broken 11 minutes. He called the race a good opener for his 2026 season, a clear sign that the 3200 remains the kind of event where he can build something bigger as the spring goes on.

That distance strength showed up across the meet. Begay also ran a leg in Tsé Yi’ Gai’s 4x400 relay, which placed fourth in 4:32.11, and helped the Sprint Medley to seventh in 4:27.10. In the open 400, he cut 3.73 seconds from his season best and ran 56.69 for ninth place. East Mountain’s Aiden Ericksen won that race in 53.80. Begay said he raced in one of the faster heats and liked the chance to test himself against 2A, 3A and 4A competition.

For Tsé Yi’ Gai, Begay’s weekend was more than a single result. Last season he made state in both the 1600 and 3200, then earned his first state medal with a sixth-place finish in the mile in 5:05.90. The school had already seen his value at district, where he earned Highest Point Male Athlete honors, before he later brought home a podium finish in the mile at state.

The New Mexico Activities Association has the 2026 Class A-3A state championships set for May 8-9 at the UNM Track-Soccer Complex in Albuquerque, with first practice for the season allowed as of February 9. Begay’s early-season 3200 mark now gives Tsé Yi’ Gai a real benchmark, and a familiar distance runner, to follow as the road to state takes shape.