Most people’s idea of relaxation includes taking a nap, watching TV, or listening to music. Dariani Salvador, on the other hand, feels at her best when she runs. That’s why she decided to join cross country and has been excelling in the sport since her freshman year. Now a junior, Salvador has been doing so well that she qualified to go to state championships this year, and is the first girl from Alisal to do so in 5 years.
            Salvador was 6th in the TCAL girls’ 3-mile run with a time of 20:20. From there, the top 15 made it to CCS. On November 29th, she ran 5k (about 3.1 miles) at the State Cross Country Championships with a total time of 19.47.
            This was no easy task, though. Salvador says she had to run every day, and started training pretty hard after TCAL. As far as she was concerned, that was her main priority. Having had experience with cross country in high school, her coach Steven Munoz helped her with her training. “We talked a lot about what it would take,” said Munoz, “and just talked about key points in the course. She knew what she needed to do and she did it,” he said.
            Naturally, Salvador was nervous, but it wasn’t enough to make her lose focus. She says the excitement and confidence overshadowed the nerves. “I was very excited and very, very nervous that week before CCS,” she says. “I just knew that I wanted to go. It was at the top of my mind, and I could just relax later. So I was also feeling confident about it.”
            But she wasn’t always this confident. She admits that her times weren’t very good once the season started and wasn’t very sure about how far she’d make it. Munoz wasn’t sure what to expect, either. “I knew she was capable, but she wasn’t running her fastest at first. I had my doubts but I knew that she had it in her heart and that she could pull through,” he said.
Ignacio Flores, who had been her coach for the past two years, never had a doubt that she had the potential to qualify for state, and feels very fortunate to have been her coach. “It’s something to be very proud of. It just goes to show what a great runner and athlete she is,” said Flores.
            With so much going on for her, you’d think her grades would slip. Fortunately, though, running hasn’t taken much of a toll on her school work. The only problem, she says, would be when she got home too tired to finish her homework but school was still a top priority and she managed.
            Now you’d think would be a perfect time for Dari to relax, right? Wrong. “Actually, I’m doing basketball next,” she laughs. Evidently she likes playing all kinds of sports, but she remains passionate about running and hopes to pick up where she left off next year. But what’s the big deal about running? “I just love it. I feel peaceful, relaxed. It just makes me feel better, and makes me feel good about myself.”