Talented runner from Woodbridge High cross country Aiden Zavala has been running since the age of eight, and really enjoys being on the team and pushing himself to be the best he can be.

Originally starting with soccer, Zavala soon made the switch to cross country upon starting high school. He has watched himself grow with the sport and is happy with his progress. Zavala states that even though many days can be tough, his teammates and coaches encourage him to keep on going as they are the ones who inspire him and help him to work harder.

“Sometimes cross country can be hard because it’s very black and white [depending] if you had a good or bad race. Even with the bad races, you kind of just have to look at the good things in it, but I think resetting your mind after a race like that, can kind of just help you to do better than the next race,” Zavala said.

Zavala enjoys running with his teammates and hopes to continue his journey with cross country in college. Right now, he is excited to continue with the cross country team in high school and continue pushing himself to be the best he can be. His journey is about running and finding who he is through running, finding his joys and passions in life. He wants to continue to gain strength, winning and accomplishing many things.

Cross country is a challenging yet rewarding sport, and all the work does pay off. It is an intimidating and difficult sport, but watching yourself grow and get better is one of the best ways to watch your progress, and it encourages you to want to do better.

Also, winning titles and achievements helps to boost morale and know that you are getting better, but also hearing people cheer you on from the side is what encourages you to keep going.

The Woodbridge High cross country team has been to the national and state level many times, and they work hard so that they can every year. All the athletes on the cross country team look forward to every run and are encouraged by their supportive teammates, friends and coaches. The cross country team is a team that has a close bond.

From going to races together, and hosting the Woodbridge Invitational, they are always there to support and encourage each other. Their support for one another and positive encouragement helps them to foster a healthy environment, while pushing each other to be the best they can be.

Zavala looks forward to continuing on with this year and potentially going to the college level for cross country.

At first glance, cross country may appear to be a straightforward and individual sport. However, at Woodbridge High, runners build a strong sense of community, train with dedication and channel their athletic talent into causes that give back.

Ever since he was in fifth grade, junior Aiden Antonio has been working to run across the finish line with the crowd cheering and chanting his name, enjoying the sweet sounds of victory. Antonio is the fastest male runner at Woodbridge High.

Setting the school record in his sophomore year and earning a national title later in his cross country journey. Antonio started running back in fifth grade when he was encouraged to join the Irvine Junior Games.

The Irvine Junior Games are the annual track and field events held by the Irvine Unified School District and they help to raise money for the Irvine Children’s Fund.

Soon, this became a realization for him — running was his passion. He then joined another club to focus on running, challenging himself with running long distances. Since then, he has felt encouraged by his teammates with their support and positivity. He also really enjoys the spirit brought by the team.

Antonio enjoys being on the team and the coaches that help them to improve everyday. He finds joy in racing and practicing with the other guys on the team, as their team is the perfect size.

The coaches are supportive and they train everyday to gain more strength to be their best. Cross country is a big mental sport and being in the right mindset helps you to do well.

Some athletes get mental blocks, where they forget how to play their sport or they don’t know what to do.

“I visualize the start, and, like, the position I want to be in. and then just, like, the overall position I want to finish in, and usually, I try to be within 10 spots of that at the beginning,” Antonio said.

Antonio feels that his greatest accomplishment as a team is making it to the state level, and personally as coming in 12th place at the state level and holding the school record as only a sophomore, something that no other sophomore had ever completed before him.

Coach Brian Pacheco, the head coach of the Woodbridge High Cross Country team has been the coach of this team for a while, and he is proud of all the hard work they put in and all of their accomplishments.

“I’m proud of their commitment. They are working really hard, getting ready,” Pacheco said.

Coach Pacheco has been working with the Woodbridge High cross country team and he encourages the runners to push themselves to be the fastest they can be.

Athletes on the cross country team are grateful for coach Pacheco’s support and encouragement to help them be their best. They enjoy going to practice and working hard to get better.