Cross country head coach Victor Quiros was called to the stage by the Orange County Athletic Directors Association at the Anaheim Convention Center on Oct. 9 for always embodying excellency.

At the “Honoring Coaches of Character Dinner,” the OCADA awarded OC high school coaches for their demonstration of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, care and citizenship.

“I was just surprised when [athletics director Katie Levensailor] told me that I had been nominated by my peers, and I got the award. That was a very humbling honor,” Quiros said. “It made me feel good to see that character was being recognized, because that is the cornerstone: the foundation of our cross country team.”

Cross country athletes reflected on his admirable values and elaborated on which pillars of character Quiros could have been nominated for.

“[Quiros] takes care of us, always carrying around his first aid kit,” freshman Sandra Lu said. “He always pushes us in practice with really hard workouts, but also praises us and cheers for us at meets.”

For the athletes, Quiros is not only a coach, but a teacher, role model and friend as well.

“He demonstrates responsibility the most because he always makes sure we are ready for our races and is always prepared with a good workout for each of us individually,” freshman Faith Kim said.

In two-hour practices six days a week, he ensures that all of his athletes are uninjured. From hour-long endurance runs to 20-minute sprints, Quiros guarantees his students build core strength, speed and endurance.

“You can be the smartest teacher, but no one is going to listen to you unless they know you care about them,” Quiros said. “I bring up the past to show [the team] where they’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re headed.”

Throughout the season, Quiros has shown his students empathy, expressing to them that compassion transcends cross country. On the track, cross country athletes are running machines; in the classroom, they are dedicated students. Despite the tough practices, cross country athletes embody determination and motivation in their school work, running with P.R.I.D.E. in all aspects of their lives.

“Not everyone is going to become a professional athlete,” Levensailor said. “The real goal of athletics is learning how to be a team player, how to collaborate and how to have character. Character is more important than athleticism in the long run.”