Kalie Kirk owns a high school state championship. In roughly two weeks, the Lewis-Palmer graduate begins college at Saint Louis University, where she will combine a bio-medical engineering major with a Division I athletic career.

Her first instinct, seemingly reasonable, was to take it easy this summer.

So, of course, she will run in three events next week at the AAU Junior Olympics track and field meet in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I kind of wanted to take a break,” said Kirk, who runs for the Speed Track & Field Club. “But I felt this is the last summer to be with my teammates. I get some good training here. … I was supposed to do it.”

If that sounds like a higher calling, it is.

“The past years in club, my goal was nationals, but I didn’t make it,” Kirk said. “This year, my goal was to have fun and run for God.”

And the result is her first nationals berth.

Kirk, 18, who won the state 4A 300-meter hurdles title and scored in three other events this spring, will compete in the 100 and 400 hurdle races and long jump in Des Moines.

“I think she’s going to win,” coach Charmas Lee said.

On the pre-meet performance list, Kirk is second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 400 hurdles.

While Kirk competed at the state level in all four years of high school, she didn’t compete in any of her nationals events until the summer before her junior year.

“I saw an undersized athlete with a lot of potential,” said Lee, a coach for 22 years. “She has good foot speed, a tremendous work ethic, a positive attitude and good flexibility. I thought she’d be a good hurdler because of her in-between speed, long and short hurdles.”

Lee said she has the potential to shatter her personal bests in the hurdles — 14.26 seconds in the 100 hurdles, 1:02.45 in the 400 hurdles — next week. And with her sprint speed, she wouldn’t be surprised if her long jump best — 18 feet, 1½ inches — went as well.

“She’s still got a good 10 years of development,” Lee said. “She’s just a baby in the hurdles and the jumps.”

And a trailblazer at the same time. Her sister, Dana, 12, is scheduled to run in three events next week, too.

While the meet in Des Moines is next week, the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics runs through Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.

On the first day of competition there, Shane O’Donnell of the Peak Distance club of Colorado Springs placed third in the 2,000 steeplechase in the intermediate boys division (age 15-16), finishing in 6:26.48.

Locals on the RunThree area club track and field teams will be competing in national meets during the next two weeks. Here’s a look at where each club will be and the events for each athletes:SPEED TRACK & FIELDAt AAU Junior OlympicsDes Moines, IowaMonday-Aug. 8Young womenSara Benson — 100 meters, 100 hurdles, 400 hurldesKalie Kirk— 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, long jumpYoung menTrevor Brown — 100 hurdles, 400 hurdlesEric Roth — 200, 400Intermediate boySeth Brown — 100 hurdles and 400 hurdlesSam Krakuer — long jump, triple jumpYouth girlBrianna Brown — 100 hurdles, 200 hurdlesMidget girlMarlee Brown — 80 hurdles, 100 hurdles, long jumpDana Kirk — 80 hurdles, 800, long jump

CS STRIDERSAt U.S. Track & Field Junior OlympicsAt Greensboro, N.C.Through SundayYoung menDerek McAllister — 400, 400 relayMichael Petherick — 400 relayEvan Marshall — 400 relayDarren Acoba — 400 relayDavid Krumland — pole vaultYouth boysEli Kalmus    — high jumpPeak DistanceAt U.S. Track & Field Junior OlympicsAt Greensboro, N.C.Through SundayYoung menEric Williams — 3,200 relay, 800, 1,500Marc Hensley — 3,200 relayShawn Dubbs — 3,200 relay, 5,000, 1,500Caleb Mosley — 3,200 relayIntermediate boysShane O’Donnell — 2,000 steeplechase, 1,500, 3,000Youth girlsGina Hauptman — 800, 1,500

Kalie Kirk will compete in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles and the long jump at the AAU Junior Olympics national track meet in Des Moines, Iowa next week. Photo by Bryan Oller