By Bill Sheehan
During his first two seasons running cross country for Cal State Fullerton, Alexis Garcia relied on his older teammates to push him at practice and during races.
"When he was a freshman, Jacob Smith and Sam Pimentel were the veterans who set the pace. Last year, Sam Ayala was the team leader and a great training partner for him," said Alex Tebbe, the Titans' seventh-year assistant coach.
"Up to this point, Alexis always had a high-level performer to train with at Fullerton. He doesn't have anyone like that now. We have a young team, so he's had to learn to push himself."
He also needed to fill a team leadership void. "We told Alexis, 'You need to step up and be the guy,' " said second-year head coach Marques Barosso.
Garcia has met those challenges. He's been the Titans men's No. 1 performer this season, finishing second at the Mark Covert Classic in Brea on Labor Day weekend and fifth at the Big West Conference Championships in Riverside two weeks ago. He was also named the Big West Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week in late September after his 18th place finish at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Oregon. Along the way, he's become a quiet leader, inspiring teammates with his work ethic and determination.
The redshirt junior will have another opportunity to shine Friday as the Fullerton men's and women's teams compete at the NCAA West Regionals at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, about 40 miles southwest of Seattle. The women's 6,00-meters championship will go off at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 10,000 meters at 11 a.m.
The top two teams at each of the nine regional championships qualify for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19 in Stillwater, Okla. Thirteen additional teams are chosen as at-large selections. For individual selections, the first four finishers who don't belong to an automatic qualifier or an at-large team automatically advance to the championships. Altogether, 36 individuals automatically qualify and two are chosen at-large, increasing the total to 38.
Many Titans runners were weakened by an upper respiratory virus at the conference championships. The illness was a factor in both team's fourth-place finishes, the Titans coaches said.
"Everyone got sick after the [Riverside] Highlander Invitational in mid-October, so we weren't at full strength. They had put in so much work and had done everything right. It was bad luck, but
they are learning how to deal with adversity and should return to form at the regionals," said Barosso.
Tebbe said the squads are looking for redemption. "Those were not the results we wanted. But we're looking to fulfill our early season promise," he said.
"I'm super-excited about what we can do. It's a good moment for us to take a deep breath and think about the things we've accomplished and what we can do this Friday," said Garcia, who missed an individual qualifying spot last year by just 10 seconds. "Alexis has a legitimate chance to qualify Friday," said Tebbe.
After playing a secondary role on the team during his first two years, Garcia said his mindset changed early this season. "I realized that I had to start working out on my own and push myself more. That helped me become more consistent." He also embraced the mantra "No gaps," going out with the top runners at start of each race and finishing with them.
Called a quiet leader by his coaches, Garcia said he's taken to his new role as an elder statesman. "Before I was the one asking questions. It feels good listening to the guys and giving them advice," said Garcia, who was born in Mexico City and lives in Newport Beach.
Vicente Huerta, a redshirt junior from Pomona, said Garcia always puts the team first. "Alexis really wants to be faster and has put in the time and effort to do so. It's paying off," he said. "He'll do anything he can to benefit the rest of the team."
Huerta, who also helps steer the team, said he and Garcia stress the importance of sleep, hydration, and diet. "In practice, we emphasize that the quality of a workout leads to improvement."
Garcia played soccer and ran distance races in middle school before concentrating on cross country and track and field at Newport Harbor High School. He won the Sunset League cross country individual title and was named league MVP as a sophomore, junior and senior. A team captain, he earned Division 2 First Team All-State accolades as a junior and senior.
Garcia won the Sunset League individual cross country title and was named league MVP as a sophomore, junior and senior at Newport Harbor High School.
"Alexis was one of the top guys in Orange County, but he was raw coming out of high school. He was well trained, but he was pretty low volume," said Tebbe. "Alexis was very tough, very fast and very humble. That's a rare combination."
As a freshman in 2019, the 5-foot-8 Garcia completed in four meets for the Titans. He finished 19th at the Highlander Invitational and placed 10th at the Big West Championships. The pandemic cancelled the 2020 cross country season as well as the 2020 and 2021 track and field campaigns.
"I found it hard to train with my teammates during the pandemic. At one point, I wasn't sure if I was going to come back as an athlete," he said.
When collegiate cross country resumed in fall 2021, Garcia took a big step forward despite the long layoff. He recorded top-five finishes at the Mark Covert and Highlander events. He ended the season with a fourth-place finish at the Big West Championships and a 31st-place showing at the NCAA West Regionals.
"Choosing Fullerton was the best decision for me," said Garcia. "Coach Tebbe was the first recruiter to reach out in person and the only one to attend some of my races. I really liked that a lot. Fullerton was a good fit for me and close to home."
"Our coaches are the best. Coach Tebbe was a college runner. He has a good understanding of what we go through and what we need to perform at our best. And Coach Barosso is always around for support. They make a good combo."
Garcia will make his debut on the Titans track and field team when the indoor season begins in January. His best times outdoor are 3:53 in the 1,500 meters, 14:03 in the 5K and 30:19 in the 10K.
Born in Mexico City to Felipe Garcia and Monica Jimenez, Garcia has two older brothers and an older sister: Angel, Carlos and Jocelyn.
"Mexico City has a lot of people. It's more crowded than New York City," he said. "And you would see tourists from all around the world."
Garcia and his mother moved to Southern California when he was 13. "It was a hard transition. It took me three years to become fluent in English," he said. Jimenez works as a housekeeper, and he lives with her in Newport. Garcia's father, Carlos and Jocelyn all live in Mexico.
Angel, a house painter, lives in Orange County with his wife and two children. He dabbles in art and has sketched Garcia and other soccer players. "Alexis is very kind to everyone," said Angel. "He always helps around when he is needed."
The 21-year-old Garcia likes to write fiction and enjoys following the Spanish football club Real Madrid. He also enjoys singing but only to his family and friends. "I think I'm pretty good at it," he said.
Garcia, center, wears a Real Madrid uniform in this sketch by his bother Angel. The Spanish football club is Garcia's favorite professional sports team.
Huerta calls his teammate a funny character. "Alexis knows when to have fun cracking jokes, but he also knows when to be serious," he said.
A journalism major who is minoring in cinema and television arts, Garcia expects to graduate in spring 2023. He envisions a career as a sports broadcaster with a focus on soccer and distance running.
While Tebbe hopes for a Fullerton breakthrough at the NCAA regionals, he said the return of Garcia and women's standout McKaylie Caesar next year, coupled with the further seasoning of the teams' younger runners, will make Fullerton a serious contender for Big West titles in 2023. "Our future is very bright," he said.
#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/9tLeXWknuk
— Titans Track & Field (@FullertonTFXC) November 10, 2022
WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.
FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), and Instagram (FullertonTitans). In addition, the women's soccer team has established its own Twitter (@FullertonTFXC) and Instagram accounts (@FullertonTFXC).