NAVY SEAL, an Arcadia alum, killed in action

May 4, 2016 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV, one of Arizona’s top middle distance high school runners in the early 2000s, was killed Tuesday while helping a United States-backed unit that was under attack in Iraq.

ISIS gunfire killed Keating, according to published reports. The 31 year old graduated from Arcadia in 2004 and attended Indiana University, leaving the school early to enlist in the NAVY and head directly to SEAL training.

Keating’s father, Charles H., was an Olympic breaststroker in 1976, his brother William also is a SEAL, and his cousin, Brophy grad Gary Hall Jr., is an Olympic swim champ. Keating was engaged and was planning to get married in November to Brook Clark of Coronado, Calif., according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

In 2003, Keating took second in the 1,600-meter Class 4A state championship race, helping Arcadia place fifth at state, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s archives. He followed that with a third place at state in the 800-meter race and 5th in the 1,600 in 2004.