Michael Rodriguez just won’t take no for an answer.
The redshirt senior, who has been running cross country since his freshman year in high school, is finally getting his shot to compete at the Division I level.
“I didn’t make the team originally,“ Rodriguez said of his past attempts to join the ASU cross country team. “I kind of got discouraged.“
Rodriguez walked on to the team his freshman year at ASU, but was cut at the end of the fall cross country season. The failure, which was in part due to a nagging calf injury, has had a resonating impact on Rodriguez’s desire to succeed.
“I’ve never been one to settle for less than the best,“ Rodriguez said. “Coming into [ASU], it was Division I or nothing.”
Following what looked like the end of his collegiate running dreams, Rodriguez took a hiatus from the sport for nearly two years.
“I ended up stopping completely,“ Rodriguez said.
However, Rodriguez couldn’t stay away from the trail for long. By his junior year, he was back in the sport, coaching at Aprende Middle School in Chandler.
“That was an amazing experience,” Rodriguez said. “Seeing how those kids developed, seeing how they improved, seeing smiles on their faces when they run personal bests — that kind of sparked that passion for running again.”
This coaching opportunity acted as a catalyst to revive Rodriguez’s competitive running career, but the path back to a spot on the ASU cross country roster filled with talent still posed an enormous challenge.
Rodriguez began training and competing once again, his sights set on finally becoming a Division I athlete as a senior.
“I think there’s something to be said about having a sense of urgency,” ASU coach Louie Quintana said. “It’s been really impressive to see. The guy is a really tough competitor.”
Rodriguez was determined not to squander his last shot at becoming a Sun Devil harrier. He joined the ASU Track & Field Club his senior year, and began competing in meets on his own.
“The first time I competed last year, since high school, was the Nike Cross Regionals,” Rodriguez said. “It didn’t go very well. I was out of shape.”
Rodriguez remained undeterred and continued to train throughout the spring.
Soon, his dedicated work ethic started paying off.
“I ended up running a personal best time every single track meet,” Rodriguez said. “Every week, I was improving by six seconds.”
After seeing Rodriguez compete at a consistently high level, Quintana was convinced that this was the kind of runner who was worthy of being a part of the prestige and legacy of the ASU running squads.
“It’s really rare,” Quintana said of walk-on athletes making an impact. “The guy’s just got a great work ethic, and it helped him get to this level.”
Rodriguez, technically a walk-on this year, is now in the thick of his first full season with ASU cross country.
His humbleness, paired with a tenacious desire to get better with each passing day, has not gone unnoticed by his coach and teammates.
“He keeps coming out with a good attitude and keeps working hard,” Quintana said.
Although he was actually never part of the team, Rodriguez also benefited from his experience last spring with the track and field team, as he utilized it as an opportunity to grow closer to the guys who are running beside him this fall.
“I was training with the [Division I track] team unofficially,” Rodriguez said. “I got to know everybody, and everybody got to know me.”
His teammates feel the love, and aren’t hesitant to send praise right back his way.
“When [Michael] first came out, we didn’t really know what to make of him,” redshirt junior Dylan Hatcher said. “But he proved himself through his racing and his hard work. He quietly goes about his business, which is something we really respected about him.”
Rodriguez isn’t done proving himself, as he has high expectations for both himself and the team this season.
“I want to be in the top five [ASU runners],” Rodriguez said. “I want to be a contributor, if nothing else.”
If Rodriguez continues to improve at the rate he has, he might not only have a shot to crack ASU’s top five but to also pursue his dream of running professionally.
Quintana doesn’t doubt his goals for a second.
“I told Michael, ‘You might only have one year to run at ASU but you might have four or five more years to run, and make it to the Olympic Trials or something like that.’”
Reach the reporter at kyle.j.newman@asu.edu
