Identical twins play major role for cross country team
When they run cross-country races, they typically finish just
seconds apart from each other. The day they were born, they were
just minutes apart.
This year, identical twins Adrian and Erik Rodriguez are
expected to play a major role in the success of the San Benito High
varsity cross country team.
Identical twins play major role for cross country team
When they run cross-country races, they typically finish just seconds apart from each other. The day they were born, they were just minutes apart.
This year, identical twins Adrian and Erik Rodriguez are expected to play a major role in the success of the San Benito High varsity cross country team.
As it stands now, the 16-year-old runners are expected to fill the No. 2 and No. 3 spots on the Balers’ roster.
“They both started running in the seventh and eighth grade,” said Baler cross-country coach Jess Morales, who has run the program now for nearly a decade. “They showed a lot of interest in running and have been working hard since their freshman year. They are two of the many juniors that we have on this team that are my team leaders.”
According to Morales, both runners have a strong work ethic and run very similar. As it stands now, Morales anticipates Erik – who is seven minutes younger than his brother – as being the team’s No. 2 runner and Adrian running third. The brothers, however, have a much different take on things.
“Adrian is usually slightly ahead of me,” Erik said. “I’ve never won a race. Adrian was the one who always won the races, or it was someone else. I never got down about it, though.”
Maybe Morales was confused as to which runner he was talking about. After all, it happens all the time.
“It happens to us a lot,” said Erik, who, like his brother, stands 5-foot-11. “A lot of times people will say our name and we will both look (because they are wrong so often).”
During a race it often happens to coaches that are trying to keep track of numerous finish times, as quickly as possible. What makes it even more difficult is that the two brothers tend to run neck-and-neck for the entire 3.1-mile races.
“Sometimes, if I’m in front and Adrian starts falling back, I might yell at him to try and get him going,” said Erik, who said he is the more talkative brother. “It happens with other runners on the team, too. We try to help each other to keep going.”
During a race both brothers point out that they try to keep their head and thoughts clear, and that sibling rivalry never enters into the equation.
“Some runners on other teams get mad if someone on their team beats them. On this team, we try to keep everyone together,” Adrian said. “The important thing is to not have any negative thinking during a race.”
In addition to running cross country the two brothers also enjoy competing on the volleyball court – both for the high school team and for a club team.
“Volleyball is more fun but cross country is more competitive, individually,” Adrian said.
Erik enjoys distance running because it’s “competitive, keeps you in shape the whole year and it makes you feel good.”
In addition to the Rodriguez brothers, the other two junior runners that are expected to be a major force behind the team’s success this year are No. 1 runner Frankie Rivera and Lance Villasignor, who is expected to be the team’s No. 4 runner.
All of the runners are very close in their times. In fact, Rivera, the team’s top runner, is, on average, just 15 to 20 seconds ahead of his teammates. In past years, the Balers top runners would often finish minutes ahead of their teammates.
“We’re all pretty much the team leaders,” said Erik, who also played basketball his freshman year. “We don’t have one designated captain. It’s a lot different this year. There are team leaders but there isn’t a real big gap in our times. We are all bunched together.”
The Balers first cross-country meet of the season takes place on Sept. 5 at Toro Park in Salinas, site of the Tri County Athletic League Jamboree.
