Junior Sebastian Bautista has developed into one of the top runners on the UC Irvine men's cross country team. As a sophomore, Bautista was the Anteaters' top finisher in five of six meets and recorded an 8K personal-record 25:39:43 at the Highlander Invitational. He notched a team-leading 33rd place finish at the Big West Championships and went on to represent the 'Eaters at the NCAA West Regional.
We caught up with the Whittier native to talk about his passion for running, race day superstitions, and career aspirations.
Q: Born and raised in Southern California, what are the benefits of being able to stay relatively close to home during your career as a student-athlete at UCI?
A: The benefits of staying relatively close to home are that I am able to visit my family whenever I am free and they are able to come see my races as they have for my whole running career. To have my biggest supporters at my races means the world to me. I am also able to run at my old high school track or training routes which bring back good memories.
Q: When did you develop your passion for running? At what point did you determine that you wanted to continue running at the collegiate level?
A: I developed my passion for running around the age of seven. I had participated in many sports through the YMCA such as soccer and tee-ball, but I never fell in love with them or did very well. I could tell that they were not for me and after taking some time off from sports my parents tried to push me to try something else so I wouldn't be so bored. They suggested cross country. I did not know what it was at the time but agreed to try it. I ran with a youth running club in the city of Whittier and it was strange at first because it was a new sport, but I would say that I fell in love with it almost immediately. I continued to run the following spring and trained for track and field. My love for the sport grew each year. I continued to run in middle school, both for my school and for a club, in high school and now in college. I would say that I decided that I wanted to run at the collegiate level right before middle school. My parents had mentioned once that it was a possibility and the idea intrigued me. It was a goal from then on, but it did not seem entirely realistic until high school when my times improved dramatically, and I began to compete at a much higher level.
Q: Who are your role models both in and out of the sport?
A: My role models outside of sports are my parents. They show me what it means to work hard and how to be successful in whatever I wish to pursue. Unlike most runners, I can't say I know many professional runners or even have a role model in the sport. I push myself to my limits and form my own path.
Q: Which team or individual performance are you most proud of from your first two seasons at UCI?
A: I would have to say that I am most proud of my performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational during the 2019 track season. This was my first attempt at running the 10k on the track. During cross country I ran the 10k in 33:29.9. I did not know what to expect as the strategy for track was quite different. I was determined to run a big PR, but I did not know what a reasonable time was. I felt confident going into the race knowing that I had trained hard, and I was given the chance to attempt this race, so I was going to make it count. I started off the race and it felt fast but I was not scared off. After a few laps my coach told me I was on pace to break 32 minutes which compared to my cross-country time was a very big jump, but it only fueled me. I put myself in a good spot towards the front half of the race and tucked in and focused on the blue Triton jersey in front of me as I had over 20 laps remaining. Each lap I heard my coaches, my parents, high school teammates, and my high school coach cheering for me. I stayed relaxed and focused and when four laps remained, I pushed even harder even though I was in a lot of pain up to that point. I finished the race strong and finished with a time of 31:50.99. I was shocked at my time and so was everyone else. My time was only 30 seconds off from a senior who previously competed in this event. I still replay this race in my head whenever training gets hard as a reminder that hard work pays off.
Q: Do you have any race day superstitions or routines?
A: I start my race routines a week in advance. Usually about a week from my race I stop eating all sweets and junk food and I try to increase my consumption of fruit and water. The day of a race I always eat something with peanut butter. Usually I will have a PB&J or a bagel with peanut butter and I'll pair that with a banana. The last thing that I do for every race is when I am on the line I will get in a few jumps, and after I'll do the sign of the cross. My grandpa used to always do this on me as he said goodbye and I have done this before every race ever since he passed away as a tribute to him.
Q: What interested you in Mechanical Engineering as a major?
A: I became interested in mechanical engineering as a major because of my love for math and interest in physics. Since a young age I have excelled in math and have always been drawn towards the STEM field. I considered a few majors such as biomedical engineering, computer science, and chemical engineering but ultimately, I decided mechanical engineering aligned more with my interests and strengths.
Q: What are your career aspirations after completing your degree?
A: After I complete my bachelor's degree, I hope to go possibly pursue a master's degree and then obtain a job in the car industry. I love sports cars and to be a part in the process of creating some of the new sports cars of the future would be amazing.
Q: Have you had an opportunity to start any new jobs or internships during the break from competition?
A: During the break from competition, I was able to start my first job working at the Target at University Town Center. I work in guest services and have enjoyed the experience so far. I have learned skills that can help in my future career and have made new friends and connections.
Q: What do you miss the most about attending classes in-person?
A: The thing I miss most about in-person classes is the hands-on labs and demonstrations. Online labs are so much harder to follow and to collect data. Also, when class was in person some of the professors would demonstrate what we were learning with some fun to watch demonstrations.
Q: How do you balance your time between being a dual-sport athlete and full-time student?
A: I cannot say I do anything special. I practice six days out of the week with the team and when I'm not lifting or doing recovery work, I'm studying and completing assignments. Now with my new job I have even less time in my schedule, so I do not have a lot of free time. Any free time I have is used to excel in school.
Q: What are some other things you enjoy doing when you do have free time?
A: In my free time when I'm not studying, I enjoy playing guitar, solving Rubik's cubes or puzzles, hanging out with friends or family and listening to music. During basketball season you can also catch me watching the Lakers games.
Q: If you could go on a run with anyone who would it be and why?
A: I would probably decide to go on a run with Eliud Kipchoge. Watching him break 2 hours in the marathon was amazing. His work ethic is remarkable, and I would love to get advice to apply towards my own running career.
