Taking the long way
CSUSM runner Gonzalez has overcome adversity
By KYLE TREMBLEY - For the North County Times | ∞
On a cold November morning in Wisconsin, Sergio Gonzalez cemented his place among the greatest cross country runners in Cal State San Marcos history.
Overcoming the frigid conditions and a field of more than 250, the senior finished 15th at the 2007 NAIA championships, leading the Cougars to a ninth-place finish in the men's competition and earning All-America status.
This spring, Gonzalez hopes to build on his success.
While other teams have run two or three meets by now, Gonzalez is nearly three weeks from his spring debut. Cal State San Marcos coach Steve Scott prefers to hold his distance runners out of competition until mid-March to assure they're fully recovered from the cross country season.
As a result, Gonzalez's first competition will be the Occidental Distance Classic on March 14.
Scott expects Gonzalez to qualify for the 5,000 meters at the NAIA national championships. He also believes Gonzalez is capable of earning All-America honors and breaking the school record in the event.
Success hasn't always been so preordained for Gonzalez.
Born in Mexico, Gonzalez came to the United States with his family when he was in eighth grade. As a freshman at Upland High, he ran cross country and was the slowest runner on the team.
But coach Mike Wilson saw something and told Gonzalez he would commit to him as long as Gonzalez committed to running.
The following semester, Gonzalez ran his first sub-5-minute mile. As a sophomore, he became the No. 4 runner on Upland's cross-country team; a year later, he became a team captain.
Gonzalez entered his senior year as Upland's No. 1 runner and guided the cross country team to its first appearance at the CIF state meet. Gonzalez placed 25th, leading Upland to a fourth-place team finish in its division.
Although Gonzalez received offers to join NCAA Division I schools Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine, his high school coaches thought he would fit in better at a small school.
As it turned out, there were a couple of factors working in favor of Cal State San Marcos.
Two of Gonzalez's former high school teammates, Richie Gray and Wes Bryant, were competing for the Cougars. What's more, they were being coached by Scott, a three-time U.S. Olympian and an Upland alumnus.
Money, however, was a major obstacle.
Cal State San Marcos doesn't have a fully funded athletics program, and the school's 10 sports share the same pool of scholarship money.
Still, Scott decided to offer Gonzalez a relatively large scholarship. It was the final piece of the puzzle for Gonzalez.
However, Gonzalez's college career got off to a rocky start.
After he finished second on the squad in his first cross country meet for Cal State San Marcos, Gonzalez saw his performance gradually decline over his freshman season. He went to the doctor for blood tests and was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus, which makes the carrier susceptible to mononucleosis.
While Gonzalez was able to recover in time for track, he tore a hip flexor in his first practice. Eventually, he returned and set the school record in the 800 , then competed for the Cougars' 3,200 relay team at the NAIA national meet.
As a sophomore, Gonzalez became the No. 1 runner for the Cougars' cross country team, only to struggle to a 123rd place finish at the NAIA nationals.
"I just didn't have it," Gonzalez said. "It was my only bad race."
After a good start to the spring track season, Gonzalez suffered a slight tear of his Achilles' tendon and couldn't make it back in time for the NAIA meet. That summer, he gained weight.
When the cross country season started, Gonzalez was no longer the squad's top runner. Instead, he was struggling to maintain a spot in the top five. He argued with Scott over his training regimen and considered quitting.
In the spring, Gonzalez swore off unhealthy food and, within two weeks, had lost 12 pounds. Encouraged, he started training seriously again. He accepted Scott's recommendation to monitor his heart rate while training to prevent overexertion, and the results began to show.
Gonzalez just missed qualifying for the NAIA meet in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, but broke his school record in the 800 with a time of 1 minute, 52.8 seconds.
During the summer between his junior and senior years, Gonzalez came back to school to train, running 80 to 90 miles a week. When his final cross country season began, Gonzalez was ready.
This spring, Gonzalez will graduate with a degree in criminal justice.
"I want to be a high school track and cross country coach," he said. "Instead of putting kids in jail, I want to give them the same opportunity I had. I want to give them the opportunity I had. I want to give them the opportunity to go to college and earn a scholarship."
Kyle Trembley is the sports information director at Cal State San Marcos. The Local Colleges column appears every other Monday through the college season. Readers are urged to submit information or story ideas to John Maffei. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547, by fax at (760) 740-5045 or at jmaffei@nctimes.com. Comment at sports.nctimes.com.
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