Balers Rigo Vasquez and Eddie Trujillo are pacing the league’s
cross-country talent
Since winning its first-ever Central Coast Section cross country
title four years ago, the San Benito High boys cross country team
has been recognized as one of the top powerhouse programs in the
entire Central Coast Section.
While much of that can be attributed to coaching, school size
and recruiting, a good part of it has to do with Rigo Vasquez and
Eddie Trujillo.
Balers Rigo Vasquez and Eddie Trujillo are pacing the league’s cross-country talent
Since winning its first-ever Central Coast Section cross country title four years ago, the San Benito High boys cross country team has been recognized as one of the top powerhouse programs in the entire Central Coast Section.
While much of that can be attributed to coaching, school size and recruiting, a good part of it has to do with Rigo Vasquez and Eddie Trujillo.
In the four years that dynamic duo of the Baler cross country team has been on the roster, San Benito High has won a league title every year, won a CCS title once, and took second at CCS in 2004 and finished fourth in the section championship last year.
This year the two senior runners, who have anchored the Baler cross country team since their freshman year, are working hard to help the Balers capture another coveted CCS title and advance to state meet before their high school careers comes to a close.
“Rigo makes a big impact for us. He’s dedicated and determined. He’s one of those guys that you can always depend on. He never gives me any problems and he always gives it 100 percent,” San Benito High cross country coach Jess Morales said. “Eddie is really energetic, a fun guy to be around. He comes out and steps it up when we need him to step it up. When we need points, he’s always there.”
A knee injury this week may keep Trujillo sidelined, and is being evaluated day-to-day.
Currently, the Balers are undefeated in league meets and looking for more.
“This year we have a shot at it (CCS) again,” Vasquez said. “I know me and Eddie will be up there (earning crucial team points). We also have an advantage because CCS is at Toro Park this year in Salinas. We run there a lot. It’s almost like our home course.”
Last season Trujillo won the league championship meet on the same course before finishing seventh at CCS. Vasquez finished third in the league meet and was eighth at CCS.
“I like cross country more than track,” said Trujillo, who also plays soccer during the winter months. “In track you just go in circles. In cross country the scenery is better.”
In recent weeks Trujillo has been hampered by a knee injury that has forced him to sit out a bit Morales expects Trujillo to be up and running come crunch time.
Even with Trujillo hampered by injury, both runners are expected to do well down the stretch.
“We push ourselves at practice all the time,” Vasquez said. “We work together all of the time.”
“We like to run in front, side by side, and we keep pushing each other,” Trujillo said. “We try and encourage each other. If one of us is slowing down. The other will go ahead and take off.”
While both runners put up nip-and-tuck times, Vasquez has had more success this season. Last month, he took eighth at the prestigious Stanford Invitational with a time of 15:52 on the 3.1 mile course, and ran a 15:55 at the Clovis Invitational two weeks ago, which was good for a third-place finish.
On Monday in a league meet against Alisal, Vasquez posted a time of 16:38 on the Balers’ Park Hill course, which broke the previous course record of 16:45. Unfortunately, an Alisal runner posted a time of 16:18 that afternoon.
In order to be at their best the two runners train together often, running upwards of 60 miles a week – something they’ve done since their freshman year.
“We run a lot and hang out at school too,” Vasquez said. “After we won CCS our freshman year, that motivated us to win it again the next year. We wanted to try and defend that title again and again.”
The Balers would probably be the No. 1 seed in the section right now over Carlmont High and a favorite to win it all this season had the third member of the group, Alfredo Lopez, who joined the Baler cross country team the same year as Vasquez and Trujillo not moved with his family to Illinois.
“It seems a little different this year without Alfredo, but it’s still special because it’s our last year,” Trujillo said. “But I still think we can win it all without him – I know we can. I think we can place at least in the top eight at state.”
But even without Lopez, the Balers, which are ranked No. 2 in the section, are still strong because of their work ethic and Morales’ ability to motivate his top runners.
“He’s a really good coach. He pushes me to my limits,” Vasquez said. “He pushes you beyond what you think you are capable of doing.”
Trujillo agreed.
“He gets me angry by saying, ‘We’re no good’ or ‘This is no good,’ and it pumps me up,” Trujillo said. “It makes me want to go out and prove the coach wrong.”
Although his enjoys playing goalie and forward on the Baler soccer team most, this year Trujillo has dedicated himself to running more, since running, according to his coach, could be an easier ticket to a four-year college scholarship.
“San Jose State has a good cross country team so I’m looking there. I’m also thinking about U.C. Davis,” Trujillo said.
While college is on both athletes minds, for now, the focus is on finishing up their final year of high school and leading San Benito High to its second CCS cross-country title.
