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The 2012 All-County boys cross country athlete of the year is El Toro's Juan Gonzalez.
The 2012 All-County boys cross country athlete of the year is El Toro’s Juan Gonzalez.
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Emerging from the shadows cast by one of the county’s most memorable runners in recent seasons, El Toro senior Juan Gonzalez embarked on a season-long journey that would see him end his distance-running career with the distinction of being the state’s best runner.

For his unmatched displays of excellence throughout the year, Gonzalez has earned recognition as the Register’s 2012 Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

“It brings me great joy to be recognized and a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to know that all the hard work and sacrifices were not in vain,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t do this alone, and the success I had was because of my coach’s (Rick Hagin’s) help and the support of my teammates.”

Gonzalez came into the season looking to build on a resume that saw him earn All-County honors as a junior. He also was looking to step into the role of being the Chargers’ No. 1 runner, vacated by the graduation of Kevin Durham, a two-time All-County selection who was the Register’s 2010 Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

“My role did change because I didn’t have that person like Kevin to look up to,” Gonzalez said. “I knew that I would be No. 1 after he left, and I knew that I had to push my workouts.”

The first race of the season provided a quiet season-long motivation for Gonzalez. At the Laguna Hills Invitational, Gonzalez had a lead late before Arcadia senior Mitchell Pratt caught and edged Gonzalez at the finish line.

The disappointment of losing a lead and not completing his quest to win the meet three years in a row was something that didn’t sit well Gonzalez.

“I had won that meet twice, and I was looking forward to winning it again,” he said. “The feeling of being defeated is something that I did not want to have again.”

The next week, Gonzalez began an impressive streak of race victories. He claimed the rated-race individual title at the Woodbridge/Estancia/Costa Mesa Cross Country Classic, and then he went on to place first at the South Coast League Preview and in the Division 1 race the Clovis Invitational.

At the Orange County Championships, Gonzalez continued his streak, winning the sweepstakes title and recording the seventh-fastest time on the modern championship course.

“I had learned about the course from our league cluster meet and my hopes for the Orange County Championships turned out well,” he said.

Gonzalez would take home victories at the Mt. SAC Invitational and the South Coast League Finals, setting himself up for an opportunity to win the Division 1 title at the CIF-SS Divisional Finals.

Executing his pre-race plan to near perfection, Gonzalez was among the early race leaders before taking a lead in the final mile and holding off a late charge from Arcadia junior Estevan De La Rosa down the final straightaway to win the title by one second.

“I knew that race was going to be the most difficult and nerve-wracking race to win,” Gonzalez recalls. “Knowing the competition, winning CIF-SS Division 1 was a great accomplishment and a great joy.”

The next week at the CIF State Cross Country Championships in Fresno, Gonzalez, Pratt, and De La Rosa were involved in an even closer battle. After Gonzalez held a late lead and appeared to be heading for a comfortable victory, De La Rosa and Pratt each found a late surge and passed Gonzalez.

“I had the lead, and it was a surprise when they both came racing past me,” Gonzalez remembered. “I had the title almost in my hands, and they were stealing it from me. That was something that I wasn’t going to let happen and all I told myself was that I have to go now.”

With one final surge Gonzalez caught Pratt, and just before the finish line, inched ahead of De La Rosa.

The photo finish had to be reviewed for nearly 20 minutes by CIF officials, but when it was confirmed, Gonzalez (15:04.8) had defeated De La Rosa (15:04.9) to win the Division 1 state title and finish with the fastest individual time of the meet among all divisions.

“Waiting for the decision brought a lot of emotion, and then finding out that I was a state champion, was a great feeling of gratitude to God,” Gonzalez said. “It was a very exciting moment.”