Athlete of the Week: Jaden Trujillo finishes third or better in four events at Zebra Invitational

Lincoln High track and field junior Jaden Trujillo raced in four events at the second annual Zebra Invitational on Saturday and had a third-place finish or better in four different events. Trujillo also ended up with a personal record in the 800-meter race, finishing with a time of 2:09. Trujillo has performed well for the Zebras all season thus far in the first four meets and has finished in the Top 10 in nine out of 10 events. "Jaden is extremely determined and has really developed into a fantastic distance runner," said his coach, Dan Friese. "He's still very raw in a few areas but he works extremely hard every day to get better. When Jaden experiences success, he isn't satisfied as he knows he can get better and is extremely driven to do so. He wants so badly to win a Foothill Valley League team championship. I'm really excited for what the future holds for Jaden as I know he'll embrace it and do whatever it takes to be successful." The Lincoln News Messenger asked Trujillo about his sport. His answers follow. What is the best part about running track and field at Lincoln High School? Trujillo: "Running with my teammates because I've built such amazing friendships with them that go beyond running. I also love being with my coaches and building relationships with them." How long have you been running/racing competitively and who is your biggest motivation? Trujillo: "I've run competitively for three years now and my biggest motivation is to push my limits harder to see how good I can get and I refuse to fail at what I do." You also ran cross-country in the fall and made it to the state championship. Do you have any favorite cross-country courses in the area? Trujillo: "My favorite course would have to be Woodward Park just because of what it represents. It's such an amazing course to run on with the best runners in all of California." What are your plans/hopes for after high school? Trujillo: "I want to run in college where I will become an All-American and hopefully a National Collegiate Athletic Association champion either as part of a team or as an individual." Do you have any offers or schools in mind? Trujillo: "I'm talking with lots of schools right now. The main ones are Johns Hopkins University, Chico State University and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. No offers yet, but I'm hopeful they will come." Do sports run in your family? If so, who has played and at what level/s? Trujillo: "My father was a football player and did play in college for a little bit and my mother did all kinds of sports but just for fun." Have you ever been involved in other sports? Trujillo: "Before running, I was a big-time basketball player until I stopped growing." What are your biggest strengths as a runner? Trujillo: "My tenacity to succeed and my high pain tolerance." Do you have a favorite race you've been in track wise or a favorite memory from your high school track career up to this point? Trujillo: "Just hanging out with my friends to be honest as they make it even more fun for me. If I had to pick a race so far, it would be the time I ran 4:36 at the Chico Track and Field Invitational as a sophomore. It was an awesome race and day." What is your favorite class/subject in school and why? Trujillo: "Math because I'm getting a lot better at it." Who is your favorite musical artist/band? Trujillo: "My favorite artists are Juice WRLD, The Weeknd and KSI. Favorite restaurant and favorite food? Trujillo: "Kobe's because they have the best chicken and rice ever, which is my favorite food." Outside of school and sports, what do you like to do in your free time? Trujillo: "I like to play video games and hang out with my family and friends." Is there a particular job you'd like to have someday? Trujillo: "I would like to be either a civil engineer or a construction manager while also working as a part-time pro runner." If you had advice for other high school athletes, what would you tell them? Trujillo: "Trust the process and work hard to get a little better every day."