A year later, the Keflezighis moved to San Diego, arriving on October 21, 1987, and eventually settling into a 3-bedroom apartment that now held 8 family members, including the 6 children. Eventually, the Keflezighis would have 10 children. Russom worked as many jobs as he could find, but insisted that his children focus their attention on schoolwork. Meb began running while a student at Memorial Academy in San Diego, where he ran a 5:10 mile before going on to win both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters at the CIF California State Championships in 1994 for San Diego High School. Keflezighi became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998 – the same year in which he graduated from UCLA. While at UCLA Keflezighi received numerous All-American awards and other accolades. He won four NCAA championships (the 5k and 10k outdoor and 5 k indoor) during the 1996–97 season, including the cross-country title, spanning from the track and field season in the spring to the cross country season in the fall.