KAMBREE ELLIS
WARNER HIGH SCHOOL
Having a mom that was runner and a basketball player in high school was how Warner High School junior Kambree Ellis got into athletics around fifth grade.
“I like the adrenalin rush you get in running when you’re trying to catch some girls or when your team is leading and the crowd is cheering you on, but I probably like the team aspect of track a little more,” said Kambree who is in Leadership and National Honor Society.
In addition to Kambree and her mom, running is pretty much a family affair in the Ellis household.
“My older sister Madi was a role model for me in track and cross country and I have a younger sister Kiersten who is in the seventh grade and is already below six minutes in the mile. My dad and grandpa are big motivators too, especially grandpa who is always looking for ways to help me and even got me a book of tips in running,” said Kambree.
Ellis qualified for state in cross country as a freshman and finished 14th and in track she runs the 400- and 800-meter sprints and 4X200 and 4X400 relays. She qualified for state in the 400, 800 and 4X400 her freshman year and finished sixth in the 800 and 4X200 relay last year. Her goal this year in track is to get below 2:20 in the 800 and in cross country get her time under 13 minutes and she’s off to a good start according to her coach Tyson Hume.
‘At our first meet in Henryetta she finished fifth with a time of 14:25 and team finished first. At Sequoyah Tahlequah she was fifth and got her time down to 13:57 and she finished third at Muldrow. She’s always asking questions and looking for ways to get her time down and that’s really good to see in an athlete. I’ve seen a lot of growth in her this year, and I hope that continues the rest of the season.”
Having had success early in her career adds pressure as you get older, but Kambree says that’s all right.
“You’re expected to do better as you get older so that kind of pressure is good,” she said.
