The 5-foot-5 freshman won the Nike Cross Northwest Regional Championships with a time of 16:51.7 this past season. Kegel followed that by taking 11th at Nike Cross Nationals in 17:31.4 to earn Second Team All-American honors. Her 17:48.8 clocking to win the Class A state title was a meet record and led the Rams to a fifth-place finish as a team. She was undefeated against in-state competition last fall.
Kegel has maintained an A average in the classroom. She will begin her sophomore year of high school this fall.
A member of her school’s American Sign Language Club and a clarinetist in the Pep Band, Kegel has volunteered locally with Refresh the Rims, which cleans up public walking paths. She has also donated her time to multiple community service initiatives through her church.