By Bill Sheehan
As a college senior at UC Irvine, Sam Ayala feared his running career had come to a premature end. A stress fracture in his left foot kept him out of cross-country in fall 2019, and the emergence of Covid-19 wiped out the collegiate spring 2020 track
season. But Ayala wasn't quite ready to hang up his spikes.
"I wanted to use my last year of eligibility somewhere. I didn't want have regrets or what-ifs, or wonder how fast I really could have gone," said Ayala, who was born and raised in Norwalk.
Ayala entered the NCAA Transport Portal and began communicating with different athletic programs. He talked with then-Titan head coach John Elders and assistant Alex Tebbe. After being accepted into the Cal State Fullerton School of Business and Economics' MBA program, he accepted a full scholarship offer from the school.
"Fullerton was close to home, in a nice area and had a great business school," said Ayala, 23. "I had a few friends on the team, and I thought I could come in and contribute."
He thought right.
The cancellation of the fall 2020 cross-country season because of the pandemic delayed Ayala's debut at Fullerton. But he burst upon the scene last March in a tri-meet with UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, unleashing a furious kick in the final lap to win the 1,500-meter race in 3:49.66.
"Right off the bat, Sam's first race was insane," said Jake Smith, a redshirt senior and Titan teammate. "And he has continued to progress."
At the Fullerton Spring Invite in April, Ayala broke Steve Frisone's 27-year school record in the 1,500-meter race by posting a winning time of 3:44:85. That feat earned Ayala the Big West Conference's Men's Track Athlete of the Week award. A month later, Ayala helped the Titans win the Big West Outdoor Track and Field Championship, scoring points with a second-place finish in the 1500 meters.
This fall, the 5-foot-11 Ayala has been the team's top cross-country finisher. He set a school record in the 8,000 meters with a time of 23:43.7 last month at the prestigious
Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Oregon. He's also bagged two more Athlete of The Week awards.
UC Davis hosting Big West Cross Country Championships
On Friday, Ayala will lead the men's team at the Big West Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships at the Wildhorse Golf Club in Davis. The event, which is being hosted by UC Davis, begins at 9 a.m.
"We're getting ready and are gunning for a conference championship. If everyone performs well, I think we can do it," said Ayala, 23. "The Davis course has grass loops, similar to the one in Oregon, where our team performed well."
"I like the team aspect of cross country. Unlike track, we're running as a pack and bringing along the people who are a little behind to keep the group together," said Ayala.
The Titan men have had a successful season so far, winning the Mark Covert Classic at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea. They finished 10th in a strong field of nationally ranked teams in Oregon and placed second at the UC Riverside Highlander Invitational.
Individually, Ayala finished second at Brea, 28th at Oregon and fourth at Riverside.
Tebbe, who works with Fullerton's distance runners, said the Titan men have great depth and have as good a shot as anyone to win the title if they perform well. He praised Ayala for leading the team by example and said he has a legitimate shot at an individual title.
"Sam has brought very elite-level performances and has shown the guys on the team what Cal State Fullerton student-athletes can do," said Tebbe, who is in his sixth year on the Titans' staff. "He's inspired younger guys and showed everyone that if you do things the right way, you will have a lot of success."
'A grinder who does everything right'
Tebbe compared Ayala to former Titan women's running star Samantha Huerta, saying he is "a grinder who does everything right."
"It's the little things that add up to big performances," said Tebbe. "Sam does well with his sleep and diet, knows how to recover from races and handles stressors in his life."
Marques Barosso, who was promoted to head coach of the men's and women's cross country and track programs in September after Elders' retirement, said Ayala has been a key asset from Day One.
"I'm excited to have Sam on the team. He is an elite athlete who brings a professional approach and a focus on training. We appreciate how he comes ready to compete."
Smith calls Ayala the team's "de facto leader."
"Sam never misses practice and is one of the hardest workers I've ever met. He is extremely competitive and has a look on his face that says, 'I'm not going to lose,'" said Smith, a mathematics major from Garden Grove.
"He has adapted extremely well to our program. The will and drive were always there. He just needed the right place and the coaches."
Ayala who earned an economics degree at UC Irvine, had a solid career on the Anteater cross-country and track teams. He finished fifth in the 1,500 at the Big West track finals as a junior.
Stress fracture in foot halted running career
But early in his senior year, a stress fracture in his left foot sidelined Ayala. He stopped running for two months, then began cross-training using low-impact exercises such as swimming, bicycling and working on elliptical machines while completing his rehab program.
"Sam has been very successful lately in his running. But back when he was injured, he was plateauing, not progressing," said Ayala's older sister, Beatriz. "But he didn't give up."
She credits Ayala's self-discipline for his development and return to competition. "I admire him a lot. Whenever he commits to something, he gives it 100 percent. He's not a procrastinator, and he balances school and athletics well," she said.
Beatriz said her brother showed a penchant for running at an early age. "As soon as he could walk, he would sneak out of the house and run outside. You couldn't keep him inside. Our dad had to put a second lock on the doors," she said.
In middle school, Ayala won several mile races. A physical education teacher suggested that he try cross country in high school.
At Gahr High School in Cerritos, Ayala was a four-year letter winner in cross country and track. A team captain, he earned All-CIF honors in cross country and won San Gabriel Valley League and Artesia-Bellflower-Cerritos District championships in the 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter races.
'He can still get much better yet'
Brian Leighliter, who is in his 29th year as Gahr's cross-country coach, said Ayala was a standout performer. "Sam is very focused, unwavering, and just drives and drives. He makes me proud every time I see him run. Sam is still improving, and I think he can get much better yet," he said.
Ayala, who is back home living with his parents Maria and Jose in Norwalk. Jose is a carpenter and Maria is a homemaker.
"My parents raised me to have a strong religious faith, and that carries into my running," said Ayala. "I learned to be faithful and strong both mentally and spiritually."
He works at Road Runner Sports in Costa Mesa. He completed an internship with Rostrd, an internet startup that connects coaches with pre-college athletes for training in different sports. Ayala envisions a career in sports marketing, either with a business or professional franchise.
He will wrap up his collegiate athletic career this winter as a member of the inaugural Titan men's indoor track team. But first there is a cross-country conference championship to win.
"Everyone is ready to go. I think we will peak at the right time," Ayala said. "Coach Tebbe has added a few new things to our warmups, stretching and training. He is doing an amazing job.
"I don't think I could ask for a better coach. He has really brought out the best in me."
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— Titans Track & Field (@FullertonTFXC) October 27, 2021