Marcus Cunanan has been participating in Cross-Country since middle school and decided to continue in high school. He’s already fast enough to go to the Monticello Empire League (MEL) championships.

“Although it’s not much different, I also participate in this school’s track and field,” said Cunanan. While he enjoys being part of both teams, he said that he didn’t plan to continue after he graduates in 2023. Instead of focusing on running at UC Davis, he plans to focus on pursuing a degree that will let him into the medical field.

While he’s still making memories at Armijo and has one more season to complete, Cunanan said that his most memorable moment will always be when they faced Will C. Wood High School in Cross-Country and he won, even though they had much more students on the trail. “I did not even think I was going to win until I did, which made me feel all kinds of different feelings,” he said. “It felt surreal, but it made all my hard work in the past pay off.”

Running is something that Cunanan is comfortable with, but he couldn’t run away from the challenges of COVID. It messed his Cross-Country season for his sophomore year, but he was able to explore his other options, like reading and playing video games.

Cunanan is one of three siblings at Armijo. His older sister, Sophia, is a senior and his younger sister, Samantha, is a freshman. He acknowledged that his parents are his role models because of how hardworking they are, even during these hard times.