From Puerto Rico to UCI: Angel Cordero Chases NCAA and Olympic Dreams

From the beaches of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the track at UC Irvine, Angel Cordero's journey reads like a modern-day hero's tale - one where Star Wars marathons became English lessons, a global pandemic couldn't derail dreams, and a teenager who barely spoke the language five years ago now races toward NCAA glory. 

If you ask Angel where he is from, he will proudly tell you Puerto Rico. It’s where he grew up with fond memories of going to the beach, playing with his friends in the street, and celebrating the holiday season that would last through January with Christmas, Three Kings Day, and the Party of San Sebastián Street.

When his father joined the Navy, Angel, an only child, and his parents were uprooted to Chula Vista, California. The 13-year-old faced a tough transition, having to learn the English language as he was starting high school in a new country, and having to do it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The language in Puerto Rico is Spanish and I had taken maybe like three English courses in my life before moving here so it was a struggle,” Angel said. “I had to adapt to it really quick, but it was tough because the first year there were no classes in person. It was hard meeting people and making connections with teachers through a screen.”

Without the opportunity to interact with his classmates and teachers, Angel turned to music and movies to help him learn the language. He would watch a lot of shows on Netflix or Disney+, but for him, Star Wars is where it really started.

“I like Star Wars so I remember watching the Mandalorian with English subtitles, then I would watch it in English with Spanish subtitles,” Angel recalled. “I was watching all these shows and listening to all this music, and just trying to practice my English on my own.” 

Angel started to pick up the language without any outside help, but he really became comfortable during his sophomore year when he was back on campus at Olympian High School where he quickly made friends, while also making an impression on the track.

Angel competed in his first meet when he was seven years old. His mother, who was a track, volleyball, and softball coach in Puerto Rico, was the one who got Angel started running competitively. She coached him when he was little and signed him up for his first track club. He also swam and played volleyball (coached by his mother as well), but running became engrained in Angel’s life from a young age.

“We had a big park in our school that was flat, and we would use that to run around,” Angel said. “I loved it. All the games we played in Puerto Rico involved running and I thought it was super fun when I was little, then I just stuck with it.”

Growing up, Angel was inspired by the Puerto Rican athletes he would see racing on the big stage and winning meets like the Latin American Championships. He wanted to do the same, so when he moved to the United States, he knew competing in college was the next step.

Angel excelled at Olympian High School where he was a four-time league champion, two-time CIF-San Diego Section champion, and two-time CIF State qualifier in the 800m. He broke the school record multiple times, finishing with a best of 1:52.02. 

Angel received interest from a few colleges, but none of them seemed like the right fit. He is a competitive person, but Angel didn’t want to let that take over his personality. He was looking for a place where he could enjoy being on a team and enjoy running, just like he had growing up in Puerto Rico, and he didn’t find that in the offers he received. Although Angel hadn’t heard back from distance coach Casey Kear yet, UC Irvine had made its way to the top of his list of colleges.

“I loved UCI because of the campus and academics, especially because I’m trying to get into exercise science,” said Angel, who eventually wants to become a physical therapist. “I also liked the location since it wasn’t too far from home. I was going to come here and thought if I get a chance to tryout I will, but if not then I’ll just go to school here.”

A tryout wasn’t necessary as Angel got the call he had been waiting for.

“I reached out to Angel after the California State Championship meet, which is very late in our recruiting cycle, but I still had one spot open and he ran 1:52 there,” Coach Kear said. “Come to find out, he was already planning to come to UC Irvine for academics with hopes of trying out for track. With the roster size being a bit more limited on the men’s side, we haven’t had room for many 800m runners, but after talking with him on the phone, I could tell he was very motivated and would make the most of the opportunity.” 

Angel wasted no time proving to Coach Kear that he deserved that last spot, winning his first three 800m races of his freshman campaign. He also saw a significant drop in his time in just his second meet, clocking a personal-record 1:48.88 at the Challenge Cup. Angel continued to excel throughout the season as he earned All-Big West honors with a runner-up showing in a conference that consistently cultivates elite middle-distance runners, including Olympian, national champion, and UC Irvine school record holder Charles Jock. Angel also qualified for the NCAA West First Round where he bettered his PR with a time of 1:48.10. He was named the Big West Men’s Track & Field Freshman of the Year for his efforts.

In the moment, Angel was not expecting to have that much success so early in his career, but now looking back, he’s not surprised because he recognizes the hard work put in and the sacrifices made by both him and his coaches. 

“I thought I would progressively get better over the years, but just doing that one big jump in the second race from 1:52 to 1:48 was a really mind-blowing moment because I didn’t know I had that in me,” Angel said. “After that, I just kept trying to work for it. Now that I finished this incredible season and I look back at it, I think it was the collaboration of Coach Kear, Dalton (White) in the weight room, and my own work ethic that led to the success.”

“Based on early conversations and fall training, I could see he had a ton of potential, but was undertrained in certain areas,” Coach Kear added. “We spent the fall building a strong aerobic foundation and it was clear he was going to be a force. I think his success this past year was primarily due to the fact that he is incredibly coachable and believes in what we are doing. In turn, he has become so confident in his ability and trusts himself in a way he didn’t previously. Now, he’s not afraid of anyone.”

Angel carried that mentality over to this summer in Puerto Rico. He traveled back home to compete in a couple 800m races, including at the national championships where he finished third overall. With his top-three finish, Angel earned an automatic qualifier into the U20 Pan American Track & Field Championships. The upcoming meet will be held during the start of fall quarter, so he is still contemplating if it’s worth it to make the trip and miss the first two weeks of classes, but either way, Angel is ready to continue to raise the bar at UC Irvine.

“I want to get to 1:45 in the 800m this year, which would be a really big milestone toward getting to the school record, and I want to try my best to help the 4x4 by getting my 400 split lower,” Angel said. “I would also like to go to NCAA nationals; to get to Eugene is one of the biggest goals.” 

With each step he takes, Angel inches his way closer to the ultimate goal – representing Puerto Rico at the 2028 Olympics. 

“It’s what I’ve been trying to work at,” Angel said. “I don’t think that it’s going to be a big problem getting to the Puerto Rico trials, but it will definitely be hard ranking up in the World Athletics. That’s the main goal for the next four years – getting to senior year and being able to say I went to the Olympics.”