Hayden Hartigan is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge for AZPreps365.com

Desert Edge freshman sprinter Kennedy Brown made program history Friday evening at the Red Mountain Rampage, breaking the girls 100-meter dash record with a time of 12.68 seconds, surpassing the previous mark set in 2012.

The performance highlighted the Scorpions’ scorching hot start to the 2026 track and field season and quickly established Brown as one of Arizona’s emerging talents in her first season competing in the sport.

Brown also ran the 200-meter dash in 26.31 seconds – the third-fastest time in program history. 

“I was, like, 'Push through, push through, you got this,'” Brown said. “My coaches remind me that just because I am young, doesn’t mean that I am less than any other competitor.” 

Head coach Sharod Selph said he feels a special connection with his freshman class that has transformed the trajectory of DEHS girl’s athletics. 

“I might cry when they graduate because this is a very special group for me,” Selph said.

The Desert Edge girls 4x100-meter relay team – composed entirely of freshmen – finished fifth overall and first in its heat with a time of 50.74 seconds. The quartet of Brown, Audrina Beal-Goines, Maleyah-Rose Garrett, and Dejollyne Demaih continues to lower its time as the season progresses. 

“It’s just been magical to see where they were in September, to where they are now,” Selph said. “Eighty percent of our girl’s team are freshmen, so just to watch them grow this year has been great.”

Demaih set a personal record in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.90 seconds, placing her 10th in all-time program history. Beal-Goines also set a personal record of 26.69 seconds in the 200-meter dash, which ranks eighth in program history. 

The Desert Edge boys 4x400-meter relay team finished first with a time of 3:21.96. Led off by Anthony Gonzales and followed by Andrique Holley, Hajj Brown, and Asad Ali, the team posted its best performance of the season and won the race by nearly two seconds. 

“We’ve been putting in the work and staying consistent,” Holley said. “With everything we do, we don’t let off the gas pedal at all.”

Sprinter Asad Ali crosses the finish line to win the boys 4x400 relay at the Red Mountain Rampage on March 13 in Mesa. (Hayden Hartigan photo/AZPreps365)

Ali also finished second in the boys 110m-hurdles, continuing his strong start to the 2026 season after winning the event at the Thunder Invitational on February 27. 

Ali is following in the footsteps of 2025 AIA State champion Bellemy Amina-Harris, who won the 100-m and 300-meter hurdles and now competes collegiately at Indiana Tech. Selph said the two have a long history together. 

“Asad and him were best friends for the longest time, they’ve been running club track since they were little,” Selph said. “Asad does look up to Bellemy I believe … they both want to be the best. Asad has a long way to get there, but I’m happy that’s his goal.” 

Desert Edge looks to continue its impressive early season finishes in the 86th Annual Chandler Rotary Invitational on March 20 at Chandler High School. 

Despite the first-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay, Ali said the team still has bigger goals ahead. 

“We didn’t reach our goal, but we’re going to hit it next week at Chandler Rotary,” Ali said.