Athlete of the Week: Mateo Delgadillo leads Wildcats cross-country to fourth-place finish at state championships

The Whitney High boys' cross-country team placed fourth out of 24 teams at the California Interscholastic Federation State Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. The Wildcats had a number of athletes run solid races but they were led by senior Mateo Delgadillo, who placed 15th out of 202 runners with a time of 15:33, his best 5k race time of the season. Delgadillo has been on the cross-country team all four years at Whitney High and he also competed at the state meet in 2021. Delgadillo improved on his time at Woodward Park by 69 seconds from last season. Gold Country Media asked Delgadillo some questions and his answers follow. What was the best part about running cross-country at Whitney High? Delgadillo: "The best part about running cross-country at Whitney High would have to be the team aspect. Every time I would show up to practice, it always felt like I was with my second family." How long have you been running competitively and who/what is your biggest motivation? Delgadillo: "I have been running cross-country since my freshman year but started running competitively just this year. My biggest motivation is my parents; they sacrifice so much for me to do the sport I love. Without them, I wouldn't be the person that I am today and I am so grateful for them." What would you say is your biggest strength during races and what is something you can still improve upon? Delgadillo: "I would say that my biggest strength during races is that I am able to start my finishing kick from further out than the other runners. Something I need to improve on in my opinion would be getting out a little bit quicker and establishing my position in the race." You finished 15th out of 202 runners, leading the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish in your best race of the season. Two-part question, first, what do you feel contributed to your great performance and second, how exciting was it to see the results come in and realize you finished fourth as a team? Delgadillo: "I feel like my training plan was a major part of my performance at the state meet. My coaches worked relentlessly to make sure that I was doing the correct workouts to where I would peak at the right time. When I crossed the line, the first thing that I thought about was, 'How did the other guys do?' I was super excited to see that we got fourth as a team, especially with how deep that field was with great runners." Did any of your other family members play sports and at what levels? Delgadillo: "My father played basketball at California State University, Sacramento; my aunt played basketball at California State University, Chico; my uncle did basketball and track at California State University, Chico; and my other uncle played soccer at William Jessup University." Do you have a favorite professional athlete? If so, who and why? Delgadillo: "My favorite professional athlete is Cooper Teare. He ran for the University of Oregon and was the NCAA champion in the 5k for track. He is my favorite athlete because he is such an accomplished runner but always manages to stay very humble, even with his success." Have you ever been involved in any other sports? Delgadillo: "I was a basketball player for most of my life leading all the way up until this year. I decided to focus solely on running my senior year and not play basketball during the winter to prepare myself for track season." What is/has been your favorite class in school and why? Delgadillo: "My favorite high school class would have to be the forensics class at my school. The teacher made it such a great class to be a part of and made it a subject that I might pursue for a degree." Who is your favorite musical artist/band? Delgadillo: "My favorite band right now is The Beatles just because they have a little bit of everything I like. Whether that's some rock or even some slower songs." Favorite restaurant and favorite food? Delgadillo: "My favorite restaurant is Chipotle, I will always get a chicken burrito bowl." Outside of school and running cross-country, what do you like to do in your free time? Delgadillo: "In my free time outside of running, I like to go thrifting and hang out with my friends." Is there a particular job you'd like to have someday? Delgadillo: "I would like to become a Crime Scene Investigator someday." If you had a piece of advice for other local athletes, what would you tell them? Delgadillo: "A piece of advice I have for other local athletes is to know that you will have some bad days. Everyone has 'off' days, so remember that you are human and the important part is how you bounce back from that bad day."