Pari gbolohun ti o tẹle: A bi ni Phoenix, Arizona, o bẹrẹ si ṣiṣe bi elere idaraya ile-iwe giga ni Mountain Pointe High School o si ni awọn aṣeyọri akọkọ rẹ ni Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, nibi ti o ti jẹ oludije ni iṣẹlẹ ipele ipinle ni 1997 ati 1998 ṣaaju ki o to lọ lati gba akọle ni 1999. Wọ́n yàn án fún ẹgbẹ́ àwọn ọ̀dọ́ orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà ní
1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships ati ninu ikọja kariaye akọkọ rẹ o wa ni ipo 73rd lapapọ. Lẹ́yìn ọdún yẹn, ó sáré nínú eré ìje 3000 metres ní Pan American Junior Athletics Championships 1999 ó sì borí Madai Pérez láti gba oyè.