Gustavs Kehris is an 800-meter runner for the Cats. The walk-on specializes in running two laps around the track as fast as his body will allow him to. 

"When I am racing I go black," said Kehris when asked what goes through his mind on the track. "The gun goes off and I just race. Instinct takes over. In my event, I am only thinking about running, there is nothing else I think about." 
 
Kehris has competed in 39 races across 10 states during his tenure at Arizona. He even competed in one cross country meet to total 40 contests wearing the Block A. Not a bad resume for someone who truly fell in love with the sport a year and a half before taking his first classes in Tucson. 


 
"Coming in as a walk on is a very difficult thing to do, especially coming in from Latvia not really knowing if you would have an opportunity." said head track and field coach Fred Harvey.  "His background was really more in basketball in his earlier stages in high school. Coming into a program like this was really a shot in the dark …  He knew we had a good physics program and wanted to be a part of that. To come in and try to make a division one team in the Pac-12, especially in that event area is very special." 
 
Want to add onto that? Kehris entered his senior year boasting a 4.00 GPA in Physics. 
 
"I always liked science, that was clear," Kehris said. "I didn't know it was physics but I knew I liked science. When I had my first physics class, I was like 'yeah, this is right up my alley.'"
 
The University of Arizona describes Kehris's goal when studying as being able "to discover the basic components of matter and the nature of the physical world, and to formulate a mathematical description of the laws that govern their behavior. Physics encompasses concepts applied to problems in geology, biology, chemistry, and other disciplines."


 
Track and Physics correlate, but don't. 
 
"Since high school I took more and more physics and I enjoyed it. It chose me. For me there has never been a question. It is fun for me," Kehris said. "In physics, there are a minimal amount of assumptions and presumptions in trying to make some quantitative sense of nature."
 
Just like in physics, there are a minimal amount of assumptions and presumptions in the sport. Ether you run the time, or you don't. 
 
"In track, it is so evident," said Kehris. "Some people have more of it (talent); some people have less of it. I have some of it, or I wouldn't be here. But you can just see there are going to be some people who are better than you no matter what you do. Some part of my brain tried to reconcile it and tried to understand why are they better than me and if they are better than me athletically are they just better than me in general. Then I realized I can't disrespect this huge academic side and this huge other part of my life."
 
"What is the most important thing about him is that he has one of the unique ability to understand and accept who he is and what is role is and how he progresses," added Harvey.
 
Kehris holds a PR of 1:51.96 in the 800-meter run, setting it this past season on April 7, 2018 in the Jim Click Shootout on his home track at Roy P. Drachman Stadium.  The senior had set a PR two weeks prior to the Jim Click Shootout in San Diego, but before to that, he had not beaten himself since the Pac-12 vs Big-10 Invitational on March 26th, 2016.
 
When asked if he applies academic discipline to his athletic discipline, Kehris simply stated, "No, those are very different parts of my life."
 
While Kehris does not associate his academic discipline with his athletic discipline, he does agree that he cannot have one without the other. 
 
"Physics and my athletic side don't directly complement each other, but I get something I need from both which enables me to be healthy and happy. That way, I cannot do one without the other at this point."
 
Kehris added, "Sometimes when there is all kinds of academic stress that I am subject to, even if I have so much to do that I feel I don't have time to do it, I go to practice and take my time. Getting that feeling of running fast definitely refreshes your mind and puts into context that I am just a physical person and I can do what I want. Then I realize that I want to do well and school and go do homework. (Track) refreshes me, resets me, it prevents me from overheating."
 
The senior will spend his final semester in Tucson competing for the Cats as well as applying to graduate schools to further his education. 


 
Kehris added, "Slowly, my life is going to change. This chapter is hopefully coming near a climax … When I came here I would say that track and preforming athletically and earning distinction athletically was more important than my career and my academic goals. … Being a part of an institution like this and training with the people I train with was huge to me that was the first step. Recently, I have become more sophisticated in physics, and am aspiring toward a career in the field. As I have progressed in physics, it has started giving me confidence in track and in life."