It was during the final few laps of the 3,200-meter run of the Division 1 state finals that Nathan Karr - clustered in a pack of runners - had a few words with himself.

“I slapped myself in the face mentally,” said the Pioneer High School graduate. “I was like, ‘C’mon, dude. You gotta go.’”

And Karr went, pulling ahead of the group, gaining on the race’s leader. He had already bagged a silver medal in the 1,600 that day, but Karr wanted more. He wanted gold.

But in the end, as Karr admitted, “It was too little, too late.” Grand Blanc’s Omar Kaddurah won the race in an all-division finals meet record of 4 minutes, 7.71 seconds. Alas, another second-place finish.

Still, two runner-up finishes in two state championship events run just two hours apart from each other? Karr, the AnnArbor.com Boys Track Athlete of the Year, can’t complain.

“It was a great way to end the season with two silver medals at state,” said Karr, who ran the 1,600 in a personal- and school-record 4:10.14- more than five seconds faster than his previous record - and the 3,200 in 9:16.40.

“I really wanted to win one of those races,” he confessed, “but I did my best and that’s how things turned out. And I’m happy with it.”

Karr’s efforts also helped Pioneer finish in second place as a team with 44 points, well behind state champion East Kentwood, which finished with 92.

“Nobody was going to beat East Kentwood that day,” said Karr. “We came out and did really well. We had a good performance at state.”

Karr and Pioneer’s runner-up state finish came on the heels of a regional title. There, Karr left the competition in the dust, flying to wins in the 1,600 and 3,200. Additionally, he helped the Pioneers’ 3,200-meter relay claim a regional title in 7:52.2. It was business as usual.

“I went into the regionals expecting to win, looking to get a pretty good time and seed at states,” said Karr, who ran in three consecutive state meets.

Frankly, he wasn’t that great as a freshman, says Pioneer boys track coach Don Sleeman.

“It was just progress, progress, progress,” Sleeman said. “It did not come over night. He stuck with it and listened to what we were telling him and he showed what he could do.” Karr is well aware of the influence Coach Sleeman has had - and continues to have - on him.

“He’s really helped me grow and progress as an athlete and a person. He’s been a really great mentor,” said Karr. “He’s also really prepared me very well for the college athletic experience.”

Karr will run for the University of Michigan men’s cross country and track teams starting in the fall.

“It’s going to be a huge step up from high school,” said Karr. “I’ve been really prepared for that. I think I’ll be ready.”

Kaleb Roedel is a sports writer for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734)623-2562 and e-mailed at kalebroedel@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kaleb_R.