Caden Kirksey was the only California runner to qualify for the state cross country meet Nov. 3. Kirksey, a junior, finished in 30th place with a time of 17:39.05.
Kirksey said it felt great making it to state, but it was rough without his teammates there to run with him.
"I always feel like I have a God-given ability to run," Kirksey said. "But it was rough going by myself."
Kirksey said he felt he ran well during the state race.
"I ran well and gave it all I had I just have to make sure to work harder for next year," Kirksey said.
When it comes to running, Kirksey said he enjoys running and being around his friends on the team and winning races.
Kirksey was one of the top runners for the team this year and he said he put pressure on himself
"My parents told me to relax a little bit, but I put a lot of pressure on my shoulders and it was rough," Kirksey said.
God is a big motivator for Kirksey, when he runs.
"I am a firm believer in God and I feel like he put me on this Earth to run and that's what I try to think about," Kirksey said.
Kirskey started running his freshman year, after his friend, Trevor Porter, convinced him to start running.
Heading into the season next year, Kirksey said he wants to be an all-state runner and he wants to bring the team to state with him.
Having people to look out for him during a race is a big difference for Kirksey, when he is running with teammates or he is running by himself.
"In practice, my teammates are always right behind me; pushing me. The coaches would be like 'it is okay, your teammates are right behind you, you have someone to look after you,'" Kirskey said. "But, by myself, it is just me looking out for me."
One of Kirksey's favorite moments from this season was the team winning conference for the third straight year.