Dynamic duo going the distance
Twins Karlee and Kaybree Christensen have not only proven their skills by contributing to the USU Cross Country and Track & Field teams but have also taught the team how to be a family.
The two have been extremely successful their past two seasons competing. Both had multiple accolades during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, including Academic All-Mountain West, USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete and MW Scholar-Athletes.
Hailing from Malta, Idaho, Karlee and Kaybree come from a sports-driven family that fostered a competitive atmosphere, and both twins were taught from a young age to compete.
Mike Christensen, their father, said he and his wife are extremely competitive in everything they do and unintentionally passed off this trait to the girls.
“They come by competitiveness naturally, I guess,” Mike said. “All growing up — no matter what we were doing as a family, if it was a board game or sports — they were super competitive.”
With the competitive attitude instilled in them young, the twins participated in track, basketball and volleyball. They were reluctant to begin running for their high school cross country team, as they were invested in the other sports they were playing.
But while competing for their track team, they quickly figured out they had a natural gift for being able to run distance.
“It was in our sophomore year that our great-grandpa convinced us to join the cross country team because we did well in it when trying it out our freshman year,” Karlee said. “I’m really happy he convinced us because I wouldn’t be here without that.”
Karlee and Kaybree have had the unique experience of being able to compete against and with each other for the entirety of their careers.
“It was definitely very competitive,” Kaybree said. “Just because everyone tries to compare you, and you naturally do that yourselves, but it was worth it. I mean, if you want to lose to someone, it’s better to be your sister than anyone else.”
For a while, Karlee would never pass Kaybree in a race,” Mike said. “But one time during a race, Karlee was yelling at Kaybree that she needed to go faster if she wanted to win, and Kaybree yelled back that she should just run faster then. So she did. She won the race, and after that, the two were very equal.”
During the twins’ time at Raft River High School, they helped win three state titles for track & field and one for cross country, along with four letters in track & field and three in cross country.
Kaybree was the individual state cross country champion in both 2018 and 2020. She holds the school record for the 800 and 3,200 meters, and set the 3,200-meter state classification record.
Karlee is the high school’s record holder in both the 1,600 meters and high jump, and she set the 1,600-meter state classification record.
Their time running cross country in high school taught them how to work off of each other to get the best out of their running.
“We figured out the best ways to push each other,” Karlee said. “I need more love, and Kaybree needs more tough love. So once we figured that out, we knew how to motivate each other better.”
“There was really no one else, and it was always just us racing each other and pushing each other,” Kaybree said.
Artie Gulden, the head USU cross country coach, said because they came from such a small high school, it was an adjustment for Karlee and Kaybree to come in and have more than themselves to run with. But having each other through this adjustment period allowed them to acclimate quickly and make an immediate impact.
“Their competitiveness feeds off of each other,” Gulden said. “Overall, they are really good teammates. They help each other out, not only as teammates but also as a sister.”
During their freshman year at USU, Karlee and Kaybree helped the cross country team place second overall in the Mountain West Championships, the Aggie’s best-ever finish in a championship meet.
During her sophomore year, Kaybree placed 57th at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships and 32nd at the Mountain West Championships, where the team placed in third.
Karlee was out with a foot injury during her sophomore competition season. The loss was mourned by not only herself but also by Kaybree, as it was unfamiliar to run without her sister next to her.
“Racing was weird because I’m used to having her somewhat by me, and not having that was really sad. I’m pumped to have her back,” Kaybree said.
“It was horrible,” Karlee said. “Not only was I out of my sport, but I think it was the most time that me and Kaybree ever spent apart, and I really missed being out running with her but more just spending time with her.”
“They find comfort in each other, and Kaybree not having Karlee was more impactful in other ways rather than missing her during a race,” Gulden said.
The close relationship the twins have happened to bring them to the same school, but they couldn’t imagine their collegiate careers any differently.
“I just think about their freshman year when we were going on a travel trip for five days, and Karlee was freaking out because it was going to be the longest they had ever spent apart,” Gulden said.
Associate head cross country coach Sarah Nardoni said Karlee and Kaybree not only have a positive impact on each other but the entire team.
“They have really brought in the idea of being a part of a team,” Nardoni said. “They run for the team and are supportive of their teammates, and they both bring that to the table.”
Going into this next season, Gulden is optimistic about the positive impact both of the girls will have on the team. “The women’s team has an opportunity to be very good, and having both of them as significant contributors will be huge for us,” Gulden said.