After a breakout season and representing the Tritons at the NCAA Championship last year, junior Tareq Alwafai has emerged as the frontrunner for the 21st-ranked UC San Diego men's cross country team. Alwafai recently finished 17th overall with a time of 24:42.5 at the UC Riverside Invitational, leading his team to a top-five finish and first among NCAA Division II competition, including No. 24 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 25 California Baptist. "Tareq has been a very important member of our team over the past two years," says head coach Nate Garcia. "He works tremendously hard and it's been really rewarding to see his hard work pay off." With the Stanford Invitational coming up this weekend, Alwafai shared his thoughts on some topics ranging from the team's performance thus far and what he likes to eat before racing.
Q: Your team had a strong showing at the UC Riverside Invitational, finishing ahead of No. 24 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 25 California Baptist. Both teams qualified for the NCAA Championships last year, and with that being one of your team's goals, how would you grade the performance of your team so far after two races?
ALWAFAI: Great. We're in a much stronger position now then we were at the same time in the season last year. Its pretty clear to see that everyone is stronger than last year.
Q: The team lost three of the top seven runners last year in Mario Flores, Kellen Levy and Matt Lenehan. What are some of the challenges replacing them? Have you taken on more of a leadership role?
ALWAFAI: All of the seniors who graduated were not only strong runners that were consistently up in the mix in the front, but also carried a strong presence on the team, so filling their void hasn't been easy, but everyone has stepped it up. Daniel Hauptman in particular has improved tremendously running in the front often for UCSD and our captains Tanner Collins and Daniel Franz have been strong leaders.
Q: You were recently named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Runner of the Week on the men's side. How would you assess your season so far from an individual standpoint?
ALWAFAI: I feel great right now and hope to continue this momentum all the way to nationals.
Q: Last year, you individually qualified for the NCAA Championships. How have you carried that experience to this year?
ALWAFAI: I now know how much it takes to get there, and know more about how that race is run so I hope to use that knowledge to take me back and improve upon last year by a significant margin.
Q: On your bio, it says you are a hockey fan, list your favorite movie as Frozen, and your favorite meal as ice cream and other frozen foods. Does this mean you enjoy racing in cold weather? Billings, Montana (site of NCAA West Regionals) and Louisville, Kentucky (site of NCAA Nationals) are definitely not known for the nice weather in late November and early December.
ALWAFAI: Oh yeah, the colder the better.
Q: I can't imagine you eating ice cream before a race. What is your favorite pre-race meal the night before the race? What about the morning of a race?
ALWAFAI: Pasta the night before and a light breakfast the morning of like some toast with jam, yogurt, and a banana. Nothing big.
Q: After having three races in September to start the season, you'll have a full month off before hosting the Triton Classic. How do you feel about not racing for four straight weeks in the middle of the season?
ALWAFAI: Good. It means Nate won't have to hold back at all with the workouts which will make us that much more prepared for Triton and the upcoming championship portion of the season.
Q: I imagine you'll be doing a lot of race simulation and speed work during the month off. Personally, what is your favorite workout? What are some things you and Coach Garcia are working on?
ALWAFAI: The eight-mile tempos we do, they're incredibly challenging, but being done with one is one of the best feelings.
Previous Triton Q&A Features
David Higginson (Men's Water Polo) September 18, 2014
Matthew McClure (Men's Soccer) September 10, 2014
Caitlin Brenton (Women's Volleyball) September 3, 2014
Michelle Yasutake (Women's Soccer) August 25, 2014
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