Running through grass, sand, and back onto concrete, with the crowd yelling from the sidelines, was nothing new for him. But all he could focus on was the person in front of him.
He breathes in and out furiously trying to pass his opponent. Using a last burst of energy he draws himself closer to the runner ahead of him, trying to take first place.
Over an extended 4 course, cross-country runner, David Rosales placed second, finishing in a time of 21 minutes and 50 seconds.
Coming in as a freshman this year, Rosales has led the cross-country team to many victories.
“We knew he was good coming right out of high school,” Sean Sheil, assistant coach, said.
In the beginning, Rosales was quiet, kept a smile on his face and stood behind the scenes. The coaches knew there was something about him because of his zeal to run.
“David is a little quiet, but he never complains when I ask him to do anything,” coach Dean Lofgren, said. “Matter of fact, he always has to go the extra mile and he does it with a smile.”
Rosales, 18, business marketing major, began running cross-country freshmen year at San Pedro High School. Coming from a family of runners, much of Rosales motivation came from his two older brothers.
Pablo Rosales, 19 and Alex Rosales, 23 also started their journey running cross-country at San Pedro High School.
Once Rosales started running his freshman year, he mimicked his 19-year-old brothers every move. He timed every race. When he saw he was closer to beating his older brothers’ time, he found ways to make himself better.
“The night before a race, I did a lot of ‘carb loading,’ eating pizza, pasta and breads. I also made sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated during the race,” Rosales said. “My brother does motivate me to run. He gives me tips on what to do better.”
Rosales said even if someone else motivates them, every athlete who is truly into what they do should set their own goals and achievements.
“As an athlete you have to push yourself to achieve your own goal,” Rosales said. “You have to reach your limit and see how far your body can handle the pain and the pressure. It feels good knowing that you achieved that goal.”
Not only does Rosales have his two older brothers to motivate him to run, he also looks up to last semesters’ cross-country runner, David Cardona.
“He has some similar characteristics of David Cardona,” Sheil said. “He never misses practices and like Cardona he has the drive to exceed,” he added.
Last semesters’ top cross-country runner David Cardona made an impact in EC’s sports history after breaking the 28-year-old EC record in the 5,000-meter race at the Ben Brown Invitational, March 3.
“My goal is to beat David Cardona’s score,” Rosales said. “Before I leave EC, I want to be as good as Cardona if not better. He motivated me to strive to be the best.”
Undecided on what college to transfer to, Rosales just wants to focus on running cross-country and finishing school.
“Hopefully I get a scholarship for cross-country, then I’ll see where we go from there,” Rosales said.
After working with Rosales, Lofgren has high expectations and is confident Rosales will do well in his career.
“People who have a mindset like Cardona usually turn out successful in that field,” Lofgren said. “And he has a clear view on why he is here.”
