For Cathedral Catholic High School student Joaquin Martinez de Pinillos ’18, running is just second nature.

Though Martinez de Pinillos is seen as a running star in the eyes of his peers and coaches, especially given the fact that he is ranked as the top high school junior runner in California, he does not let his talents overwhelm him.

“I am honestly just like any other student at the school,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “I still stress over school, attend Mass on Sundays, and love to hang out with my friends.”

Classmates, friends, and teachers admire Martinez de Pinillos’ kind, humble, and playful personality.

“Joaquin is one of the best and funniest people I know,” CCHS student Cami Doheny ’18 said. “He always makes running on the cross country team seem so easy and helps us get through the long runs.”

His great spirit and lovable attitude flows into the classroom, where all his teachers notice his presence.

“Joaquin is a super student and he’s extremely intelligent,” Martinez de Pinillos’s AP English Language Teacher Ms. Catharine Kirby said. “He always participates in class and brings such a positive attitude.”

Outside of the classroom, Martinez de Pinillos achieves high marks with cross country.

“Our team recently won state and went to the Nike Cross Country Nationals,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “We’re actually the second team in the history of San Diego to attend.”

The last time a San Diego team attended the Nike cross country event was 24 years ago. Martinez de Pinillos claims that this notable achievement could have never happened if it were not for his team.

“We are like a family on this team,” he said. “I would never be as a good of a runner without all my friends on the team cheering me on along the way, and of course without the help of Coach Geiger.”

Even when Martinez de Pinillos feels overwhelmed with praise and recognition from fellow classmates, he always tries to stay humble.

“I’m honestly not that amazing,” he said. “I’m just like anyone else at the school. I just love cross country and running.”