Alejandro Garcia: CSC runner excels with each step, mile, and season

Alejandro Garcia, senior of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, concluded an impressive final cross country season as CSC’s first to compete at the NCAA D-II Men’s Cross Country Championships Nov. 19 in St. Leo, Florida.

Garcia said he was happy with his results especially with the tough competition and race course, finishing 65th of 242 competitors with a 10k PR of 31 minutes, 44 seconds.

“Nationals is very unique in the fact that everyone starts out sprinting and tries to hold on to that pace rather than trying to run a more strategic race,” Garcia said. “But nonetheless, I still enjoyed every minute of it. The atmosphere was amazing because there were so many spectators cheering people on.”

In addition to his nationals race and several other accomplishments throughout his career, Garcia was awarded the NCAA Elite 90 Award during his trip to nationals. The Elite 90 Award is presented to one student athlete competing at each of the NCAA championships with the highest cumulative grade point average. Garcia is a physical education major with a 4.0 GPA.

“I still can’t believe that I got such a prestigious award at the national level,” Garcia said. “I’m extremely happy to have been able to represent Chadron State College and my team in this manner. And a special thanks to my parents and all my teachers for pushing me to be the best educator I can possibly be.”

Garcia said the Elite 90 Award along with qualifying for nationals “tops the charts” of his biggest accomplishments throughout his running career. He said he feels fortunate that all of his hard work, academically and athletically, is paying off.

With each success that Garcia and the team earned this season, it is easy to overlook the difficulties they may encounter.

“The most challenging thing about running is accepting the fact that you are going to have bad days every now and then,” Garcia said. “It is difficult to bounce back after a bad meet especially due to the fact that you have to wait a long time to race again for redemption.”

This year the cross country team’s schedule included races typically every other week, giving the athletes time to recover, train, and gear up to race again.

Garcia said he consistently reminds himself of the importance of the tough races and practices, and he works to stay positive and move forward with his journey. His inspiration and drive to succeed comes from all the support he has received throughout his career. He strives to represent his family, team, and everyone who has impacted his life through being the best he can be and setting goals that he works toward each day.

“Probably the most important thing I can say is that running requires your upmost dedication,” Garcia said. “To be at your best, an athlete must run every day from start to finish. Running is unique in the manner that you get out of it exactly what you put into it. A person can be only as good as they allow themselves to be. I am a firm believer that anyone can achieve anything they set their mind to. They just have to work hard every day and have passion for what they do. Ultimately, they have to wholeheartedly believe in themselves and the rest will follow.”

Garcia does not have athletic eligibility for the indoor track season but will train for the 1500m and 5k races for the outdoor season and he plans to run unattached at some indoor meets to use them for workouts and to check his progress.

CSC’s men’s cross country team excelled this season alongside Garcia. Garcia said the team had its ups and downs, like every team, but made remarkable improvements including placing fifth place at the RMAC Championships.

“Never before had we beat a nationally ranked team such as Black Hills. That was definitely a moment to cherish,” Garcia said. “We have a group of great athletes that will continue to accomplish great feats and I can’t wait to watch them do it.”

Garcia said the team is a unique group who have taught him a lot of “interesting” things but have also made his journey at CSC the best it could possibly be. He said his teammates have pushed him to be a better athlete and individual.

“I am extremely proud of them and wish them the best.”