"Stephanie is an extremely hard working individual who runs at the pace of her own rhythm. The characteristics that make Stephanie unique is her constant desire to get better, regardless of where she stands on the team. Stephanie comes into practice with a positive attitude, and always ready to take on the day’s challenge. Although, we may have a larger men’s team than women’s she does not get discouraged, and always an athlete we can count on to do her best. She embodies Runstrong’s mission and we’re excited to have her on the team, and are excited to see what she does in the near future! Congrats Stephanie, well deserved." -Coach Lucero
"Nathan Vega is a dedicated sixth grader that has lifted the bar of what it looks like to be a RunStrong athlete. From day one, back in October he has motivated the team in the way he acts, responds and cares for his teammates. I can recall from the beginning that Nathan was very excited for RunStrong and I'm glad to see him run at the high level that we run now as a team. What separates Nathan from his teammates is that he has the courage to face the long runs that we encountered. He's definitely a keeper of commitments and has proven that all year long by running most times individually during our runs. It's rare for sixth graders to maintain that kind of dedication. A great quality about Nathan is that he has always pushed himself as a runner, all I got to do is say, "Thanks for giving 100%". In other words he's very coachable and that's the type of athlete that I enjoy coaching! I'm pleased to say that Nathan has made the team for the better and that is a fact. Thank you Nathan!" -Coach Diaz
"They say that a person’s greatest testament of their character is displayed when no one’s looking. If that is the case, then Diego is the prime embodiment of hard work, talent, and fortitude, all envisioned in the core values of RunStrong. When Diego is not running, he can be seen excelling in academics, or busy preparing for his next band recital. Furthermore Diego represents the qualities that make him a deserving recipient of the athlete of the month. Diego is always eager to ask questions, make suggestions, and bring a positive attitude to every practice he attends. For that reason, Diego is the athlete of the month, and we look forward to seeing great things from Diego in the near future!" -Coach Lucero
"I’m proud to honor Isabella Molina as our RunStrong athlete of the month because she’s earned this recognition in every sense of the word. Let me tell you why. First off, Isabella has an unfathomable committed to the RunStrong program since the very beginning of the season. She comes every week to practice, finds her solid pace for the run, and consistently goes after her goal pace. Also Isabella has maintained a keen sense of what she expects out of herself as student-athlete and as a result infuses that personal excellence within the team. All in all she has demonstrated to the team and to us coaches that she is serious about leaving a legacy that is to be remembered beyond her years here at MacArthur. What I most admire from Isabella is that she’s always running with passion & perseverance and does not quit no matter how hard the run is! I'm happy Isabella is part of the MacArthur RunStrong team and can’t wait to see her continual improvement as the years go on." -Coach Diaz
"Ariane is a brilliant 6th grader who actively participates in Runstrong. The qualities that make Ariane stand out as a star individual is her commitment to her running club and her academics. Her essay on freedom was featured on the school’s quad, and shows how she has a brilliant future ahead of her. A great memory of Ariane, is seeing her practice at mile square park where she was able to surpass her whole JV/Frosh team and display her talent in running and consistently aim to better her best, regardless of the situation." -Coach Lucero
"Joshua Castaneda is an amazing student-athlete that's always striving to reach his maximum potential in both his athletic ability and character influence. As just a 7th grader, Joshua has gained much respect from the RunStrong team due to his prime example of leading with integrity. While being part of the J/V team, he has contributed to the culture of excellence that RunStrong stands for as he sets out everyday to train for continual improvement. For example Joshua has broken his own personal record (PR) twice, improving upon every race since the Dino Dash in November. That's a difficult task to accomplish for any runner, but even more so, what makes Joshua a standout athlete is that he is able to maintain a positive attitude no matter the challenge that comes his way." -Coach Diaz