New Program Director Mariah Gachupin Extends Her Family's Rich Running Heritage

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

When Mariah Gachupin applied to become the Wings of America Program Director, she didn’t tell anyone in her family. With a rich history and pipeline of Native American running, including her grandfather, Steve Gachupin, who is a six-time winner of the Pike’s Peak Marathon and participated in the 1968 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Running is a treasured part of her family’s identity. 

“Until I got hired, I didn't say anything, I didn’t want to be the disappointment,” Gachupin said with a laugh. “I intentionally got involved with Wings as my family has always been a part of Wings, my grandpa (Steve) was an honorary coach back in 1988 or 1989, the first or second Wings team. Running has always been a passion for me.”

Gachupin, of Jemez Pueblo, grew up competitively running and attended Adams State University where she competed briefly before an injury. She’s now been with Wings for a year and her role allows her to continue to create and provide opportunities for Native youth following the organization's vision of building healthy Native communities using youth running initiatives. One of those initiatives is the annual Wings National Team, which gives student-athletes a competitive opportunity to represent their native communities through running. 

Since 1988, Wings has sent a boys and girls team to the USATF Cross Country Championships to compete in the junior division where they’ve captured a combined 35 team titles.

On Saturday, the selected nine boys and nine girls (based off of postseason championship races and times) will represent Wings in the U20 races at the Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course in Lubbock, Texas (12:30 p.m. CST).

This year, 28 tribes were represented in the prospective qualifiers for the national team. 

“I’m pretty excited with how diverse the team is this year and I think just over the years what Wings has provided for the Native community is not something you see very often,” Gachupin said. 

The team, which encompasses runners from six states, also features familiarity. On the boys side, Lucas Williams (Tohono O’odham/Diné) a senior from Mica Mount AZ, and juniors Bearren Kee (Diné) of Window Rock AZ and Symond Martin (Diné) of Page AZ all have made a previous Wings team.

For the girls, seniors Janessa Segay (Diné) of Chinle AZ and Stella Hall (Hopi) Highland AZ, as well as Madeline Castillo (Pueblo of Acoma) a collegiate freshman at the University of North Florida, have all been on previous Wings teams.

All five of the prep runners finished in the top three this past fall at their respective state meets. Gachupin will look to those six individuals for guidance and leadership.   

“I’m really excited about the returners,” Gachupin said. “One person that really stands out to me as a returner is Lucas Williams. He’s always shown such great leadership, so I’m really excited to see what he can do for the boys side. And then Madeline, I’m excited to see what she has to offer to the team. We did ask her, can you share your voice working for Wings in the past, being on Wings national teams? Can you help create this idea for the new (runners) to continue this and not be afraid to speak up when it matters? I think those two, specifically, really show that passion and leadership and try to bring everyone together in the best way they know how.” 

Like Gachupin’s own family running history, this year’s national team also has its own unique storyline as three of the runners  – Castillo, Martin and Ephraim Staley – are children of runners that have made previous Wings National Teams. 

“I think having a second-generation of runners come in and represent Wings is really amazing and it shows the work we do as an organization and how we support our Native runners,” Gachupin said. “The fact that these parents, who were part of Wings in the past, are continuing to allow us and trust us with their children is just such a great feeling.”

Traditionally, Wings holds a small training camp over winter break to provide a chance for the athletes to get to know one another.

Due to a shortened span of time this year in between the selection process, holidays and then traveling to Texas, Gachupin said the athletes have instead done workouts on their own and they’ve conducted online meetings. But with this year’s site closer in proximity to the Wings headquarters in Albuquerque, NM, they’ll use that to their advantage.

With many of the athletes flying into Albuquerque, the team will gather together and then with the two honorary Wings coaches – Herbert Beyale II (Navajo Nation), who coaches at Shiprock NM, and Janice Tosa (Pueblo of Jemez) who coaches at Jemez Valley NM – they’ll  drive the nearly five hours to Lubbock on Thursday, using the time to bond. 

“It will be good to see them come together and work together as a team,” Gachupin said.