“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

That’s how fifth year senior Ari De La Cerda described her time as a student-athlete at UW-Whitewater.

Over her collegiate career De La Cerda has competed in cross country as well as track and field. As a student athlete she’s had to deal with a multitude of things, from COVID-19 to dealing with an injury just as she found the recipe to success. Now she’s the best she has ever been. She’s seen the highs and lows of the program and has been instrumental in growing it.

“Ari’s always been really hard working and just wants to improve,” distance coach Jeff Miller said. “She’s elevated our expectations that we can compete with some of the better runners.”

Miller went on to say that De La Cerda holds an elite spot in the history of the program due to the records that she set.

While De La Cerda is proud of her accomplishments and program records, she hopes that they don’t last too long.

“I would love to see my name up there, but I don’t want to see it up there for too long,” De La Cerda said. “I want to set the mark for girls to keep breaking it. I want to be the benchmark of success that this program can highlight.”

Out of all of her competitions and meets, the UW-La Crosse meet from 2024 is the one that stands out to De La Cerda the most. Both the women’s and men’s teams set the school record for the distance medley relay. What stands out to De La Cerda from that day is the teamwork and camaraderie Whitewater showed.

“The vibes were so high and everyone was so happy,” De La Cerda said with a smile. “I’ll never forget something like that.”

Miller highlighted another event, the conference meet that took place in Whitewater two years ago. In distance running, athletes usually compete in one or two races. De La Cerda competed in three races over the course of that meet. Not only did she compete in three races, she placed in all three races.

“That was pretty eye-opening,” Miller said. “Like this person’s really good and can obviously run really well under pressure and fatigue.”

De La Cerda wasn’t originally planning on competing in all three races, but when she heard that the team had an opportunity to place top three in the conference, a switch went off.

“This isn’t just for a medal or podium spot. This is for the team,” De La Cerda said. “That drove me. I’m going to get it done. I’ll run 12 and a half laps around the track so that my team, at the end of the day, can be super proud of everything they’ve accomplished.”

This moment showed De La Cerda what she was capable of. It was a defining moment, in more ways than one. That summer and off-season, she drove herself harder than she ever had. She knew exactly what she had to do to be successful and was more confident than ever heading into the season. Then, in the very first practice, she got injured.

“It was super frustrating,” De La Cerda said. “I thought I did everything right, and it didn’t go the way I thought it would.”

De La Cerda would make a comeback later in the season and nearly qualify for the cross-country nationals.

“After that, no matter what’s in my way or what’s thrown at me, I’m never going to let it slow me down in my pursuit of what I want to achieve,” De La Cerda said.

De La Cerda’s teammates and coaches have been a key factor in her success, motivating her every step of the way.

“My team and coaches drive me to do better. They’re always encouraging me and uplifting me in every way,” De La Cerda said. “I’ve always felt supported in my time here, and that has propelled me to achieve what I have done.”

However, arguably the biggest factor in De La Cerda’s success is her family. Her parents and younger brother have been with her every step of the way.

“My mom is like the cheerleader. She’s screaming her head off because she’s so excited to see me coming around every lap. Loses her voice every race, I swear,” De La Cerda said with a laugh. “My younger brother is always at my side, cheering me on and making sure I’m getting after it. He pushes me to be the best version of myself.”

Ari De La Cerda’s path was influenced long before she was born. Her dad was a runner growing up. His high school didn’t have much funding, so he and his friends decided to partake in cross-country. At first, they were just having fun with it, not really knowing what they were doing, but then they started doing really well. That changed his entire perspective on the sport. He’s passed on the morals he learned from his own experiences onto Ari and her brother.

“He started coaching [me and my brother] from a very young age, and instilling those morals of working hard, being dedicated and going after what you want no matter what’s thrown your way,” De La Cerda said. “That had such a big impact on me, and I loved that he always had faith in me no matter where I was and where I went.”

As her collegiate career winds down, De La Cerda has put an emphasis on making sure her teammates are set up for success. At the beginning of the cross-country season in the fall of 2024, she and fellow senior Paige Fassbender had a team meeting to share some knowledge. The two put an emphasis on taking care of their body, proper nutrition, and making sure that there was good communication.

“We really wanted to hit on those major points that we’re not going to be here next year, so we want to set you up to be the best possible leaders,” De La Cerda said. “I’m already seeing great leadership in the girls that are on this team.”

Over the course of this year, De La Cerda has had a lot of success in both cross-country and track. In track, she has set multiple personal records, program records, and even qualified for the indoor nationals. The key to this success has been her hard work and her confidence.

“I go into a race and I’m like ‘I worked really hard for this and I’m going to go to the start line and race really hard because that’s what I deserve to do,’” De La Cerda said. “I’m surrounded by some of the most hardworking and talented women in the country. We’re always surrounded by high-caliber athletes, and that propels me to do better as well.”

De La Cerda’s coaches have noticed the shift in her mentality and confidence as well.

“She used to get really anxious right before a competition,” Miller said. “Her ability to handle that pressure and her confidence in herself is a big thing. She sees that she can be as good as a lot of other people.”

Over her last few competitions, De La Cerda aims to set even more records, both personal and for the program, as well as find a way to qualify for nationals. That confidence will be key in achieving those goals.

The legacy that Ari De La Cerda will leave behind is a strong one. She’s set many program records, vastly improved as a student-athlete over her collegiate career, and uplifted not only her teammates but potential recruits.

“It’ll be a long time before anybody else will do what she’s done,” Miller said.

While De La Cerda wants to finish on a strong note, she is just thankful for the opportunities she’s gotten.

“Being in this program has been the greatest gift to me. Knowing I’m on a team of people that are so dedicated and hard working makes it all the more rewarding for me,” De La Cerda said. “I’m really going to miss it a lot.”