Cross country: Danny Martinez shows how to run in the face of adversity

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For two years, Danny Martinez of Bellflower St. John Bosco had been trying to win a state championship in cross country. On Saturday morning, when the state championships were set to be held in Fresno, he woke up feeling weak and sick. He had been struggling with a cold, coughing and taking medication.

His coach, Tim McIntosh, told him to go back to sleep because luckily, his Division III race was the last of the day.

‘I felt real weak,’ Martinez said. ‘The thought of running really turned me off. I slept a little more.’

By the early afternoon, Martinez decided he’d run for his team and try to get into the top five. But when the race was over, Martinez had rallied for a stunning victory in 15:11.

‘I surely wasn’t expecting that,’ Martinez said. ‘It means a lot to me, my family, my teammates. This is something I thought of for two years.’

-- Eric Sondheimer