I admit it. I’m not usually as impressed by athletic proficiency in individual sports as I am in team sports. There’s something about people working together to achieve a goal that I find really appealing. However, there are exceptions. One exception is an athlete that is excellent at more than one individual event, especially if those events happen to be grueling—grueling like distance running.

When it comes to middle and long distance running, one of the best in Siskiyou County is Yreka High School junior Kevin Jorgensen. Jorgensen won the 800m and 1600m races at the Northern Athletic League championship meet, last Friday. He also finished second in the 3200m.

Jorgensen’s top time this season for the 800m is 1:58.60, second best in the North Section. He has the fourth best 1600m time in the section (4:33.06).

In the fall, Jorgensen competed in cross country, finishing fourth at the NAL championships in the 5,000m.

Personally, I have a rule about running. If there’s no ball, I’m not running. But, that doesn’t diminish my appreciation for the difficulty involved in distance running. It might be one of the few sports where you can finish last and still have accomplished something. Finishing last obviously isn’t an issue for Jorgensen, which makes him that much more impressive.

So, with that appreciation in mind, Kevin Jorgensen is an Impact Player Award winner.

The Impact Player Award is given on a monthly basis and goes to Siskiyou County high school athletes, male or female, that have had a significant impact on the success of their team. I select the players based on my own observations, often in consultation with the player’s coaches.

A total of four awards may be given each month and are not school specific; they can go to a player at any school that Siskiyou Youth covers. Winners receive Impact T-shirts that were designed by Golden Grotto. The T-shirts and award are cosponsored by Siskiyou Youth and NorCal Classic Hits radio 102.3/101.7.