The hot sun beat down on De Anza’s cross country team. Their skin glistened with sweat, but cheers of encouragement for one another rang out across the field with vigor and enthusiasm, despite the heat.
De Anza’s cross country team placed first in the men’s section and eighth in the women’s section at the Butte College Invitational on Oct. 14. With the win, the men’s cross country team now ranks second in the NorCal community college division and in the top 10 of all California community colleges.
As in many team sports, cross country teams require selfless and positive energy from each member to succeed individually and as a team. De Anza’s cross-country team meets these requirements with more to spare.
The cross country team understands that it takes more than being a fast runner to win a race. Winning requires a good and consistent pace. While practicing, the team will encourage each other to finish and yell to finish the lap as best they can.
Angel Arciniega, 19, a math major and runner, placed fifth in the four-mile run men’s section at the Butte Invitational Race with a time of 22 minutes and 18 seconds. Arciniega said he couldn’t have done his best without his coach, Nick Mattis, and without help from the other runners.
“I’m very thankful for having teammates that can push me and for having coach Mattis always pushing me; it’s a pleasure working with everybody,” Arciniega said. “I’m hoping for the best, especially when it comes to the future of this team.”
Jacklyn Velasquez, 20, criminology major, said she believed that regardless of the state of the women’s cross-country team, she still hopes their team can make it to the state competition.
“The girl’s team was struggling in the beginning just to recruit more runners, and some of us are injured,” Velasquez said. “But we’re really looking forward to the season, just kind of finishing strong and hopefully making NorCal’s and possibly making state together as a team.”
The Mountain Lions are very close and inspire each other to become better runners.
Joselin Joya Camacho, 19, liberal arts major, placed fourth in the women’s 5000m section with a time of 20 minutes and 40 seconds. Camacho said she looks up to Velasquez as a runner.
“I always do my workouts with her and try to engage with her,” Camacho said.
Antoine Moret, 19, aerospace engineering major, was the fastest runner on the team, leading and inspiring his team by example.
“I’m honored to lead this team. I wasn’t sure if De Anza was the right place for me, and then coming here and having these teammates, knowing that they look up to me, I try to put in as much work as I can,” Moret said. “I don’t like being that one kid who tells everyone else what to do. I’d rather lead by example; if I am doing something and you want to join, come join me and do it with me. If not, that’s completely fine.”
Moret does more than just lead; he respects his team and they all respect him. Moret said he and his team see each other not just as teammates but as friends.
“When you’re running, there’s a bond that forms between you and the other guys running—a sort of respect and camaraderie… When we see each other on campus, we’ll say, ‘Hi’, and we’ll sign up for classes together,” Moret said. “Running 10 miles or six miles sucks, but knowing that you’re doing it with other people creates a bond. That bond goes everywhere with you.”
