Johnathan Villegas: Rising Star
A prime example of age and grade being merely numbers is Johnathan Villegas. Not only has he placed himself among the top 10 all-time fastest freshmen in Arcadia High School’s history with a 16:47 3-mile time at the 2023 Woodbridge Invite, he has also established himself as a serious cross country contender in the CIF(California Interscholastic Federation) league. He has raced numerous times on the varsity team and has already become an alternate for CIF cross country preliminaries. Here, Johnathan has much to share about his passion, visions for the future, and advice for prospects.
1. How did you acquire your speed, talents, and strengths?
According to Johnathan, he has been swimming competitively since he was six and believes it is the main reason for his impressive aerobic capacity. As for what motivated him to run, he states,“when I entered 7th grade, the coach saw my mile time for the health test and thought it was fast. So, he asked me to join the XC(cross country) team.”As a result, he began running cross-country in middle school as cross-training for his main sport, swimming. He already had success in middle school, winning 3 cross country medals and ribbons. After his shocking 16:47 3-mile run which was faster than some of the varsity members, he transitioned from running for fun to training daily and taking it seriously.
2. What are your goals for the next three years?
Already a very disciplined athlete who is determined to win, Johnathan has a clear vision for his future and that of the XC team. He wants to see Arcadia make it to CIFs and participate in it for the rest of his high school running career. Additionally, he refuses to let numbers and expectations hamper his potential. He states, “I don’t usually like giving myself time goals but if I had to give myself one, a sub 15 minute 3 mile would be something I’d want to work to.” He also hopes for better team chemistry, everyone coming together, and being “a group of guys that always have each other’s back.” To Johnathan, making new memories and friends from training are just as important as winning races.
3. Any advice you would give to future runners or talents?
“Always listen to your body. No matter how fast you are, you are not invincible, but if you think that way you will get injured. He also warns against underestimating injuries and advises resting for a few days if you experience any muscle pain, tears, joint problems, sprains, and any other kind of discomfort. Johnathan’s last tip is to have fun, enjoy the process, and don’t get too caught up in it. “It’s awesome to be passionate but not to go overboard. The time on the boards or your placement should never define you. When your eyes are fixed on your destination, you forget to look at all the good stuff happening right in front of you.” While encouraging athletes to be passionate, he warns against letting statistics define the journey. Rather than focusing on winning, getting fast times, and reflecting on how he does not like setting time goals for himself, Johnathan emphasizes that the experiences gained, new friends, and other positive aspects are just as good as a prize.
Currently, Johnathan is still debating whether to be a dual-athlete and carry his talent to the swim team or commit to running, but he feels like he will choose the latter. No matter which path he ultimately decides upon, we cannot wait to see what barriers he will break in the upcoming season.
The left image is credited to Ringo Suen and the right is credited to Lucas Xue