SCC athlete runs with unbeatable mentality

Running five miles in Arizona’s triple-digit temperatures isn’t everyone’s ideal way to spend time.

Then again, if you’re SCC up-and-coming track athlete Daniel Jaimes-Herrera, it’s the joy of a lifetime.

 “I love the competition, and trying to become better than the other runners,” said Jaimes-Herrera.

Jaimes-Herrera is a freshman runner at SCC, and at only 19 years old, he has a competitive mentality of even the most experienced runners.

“I’ve always wanted to be number one at everything, I don’t want anybody to beat me at anything,” Jaimes-Herrera said.

 Currently studying business, Jaimes-Herrera also has aspirations to be a chef or a police officer. Off the track, Jaimes-Herrera hits up the basketball court where his strong endurance conditioning makes him a formidable opponent.

Each competition is five miles in length, and includes a variety of obstacles including: hills, trenches and rough terrain. Jaimes-Herrera says it’s all about improving your conditioning to be successful though and not worrying about the physical path.

“It’s not a hard sport, it’s just a lot of training,” said Jaimes-Herrera. “It all depends on how much you want to challenge yourself and how far you’re willing to go to accomplish your goals.”

He says his favorite cross-country moment came when he got to experience the unique course at the Nike Pre-Nationals in Portland.

“It’s a real fun course, the best course I’ve ever ran on,” Jaimes-Herrera said.

The SCC cross-country team is coached by Josh Trask who holds many accolades and records in running that Jaimes-Herrera keeps his eyes on. One in particular that Jaimes-Herrera hopes to chase down is SCC’s record time for a 5-mile, a record currently held by Trask.

“The record for the school is 16 minutes and 49 seconds, and I'm going to try and break it this year,” said Jaime-Herrera.

In a sport where a competitive nature and a strong mentality are vital for success, Jaimes-Herrera continues to push himself outside of running, planning to transfer to Samford University in Alabama.