After several pushbacks, Adrian Diaz Lopez plans to run his way back into the fold.
The senior cross country runner said running has been a way to get through difficult times. His mother passed away at the beginning of his career and he’s dealt with injuries, along with other hardships.
“I remember when I won this race, the first race that I did,” Diaz Lopez said. “My mom, she passed away in 2016 and that was one of the last times that I saw her, when I won that race and she told me that she was so proud of me and that I was gonna be a great runner — I just got that stuck in my mind.”
Diaz Lopez also met more struggles in the middle of his time with Wichita State. Out for multiple seasons with injuries, he admitted how frustrating it was.
More familial road bumps were added to the mix. His father was diagnosed with cancer and has dealt with the hardships the past year. Even with the struggles off the track, Diaz Lopez has found solace on his two feet.
“Usually with running it’s kind of like what, like take me out of all of the problems that I have,” Diaz Lopez said. “Because that’s my way to let things go, you know, and have more mental freedom.”
Diaz Lopez said his main motivation is to make it to the Olympics for his mother.
On top of all his successes as a runner, the recent years have been confusing and frustrating for him. He said that running has become a huge part of his happiness.
“So these two years, you know, just seeing myself on the sideline. I wasn’t able to do anything,” Diaz Lopez said. “Doctors didn’t know what to do — here, back home, all over the place — nobody could figure it out. I have so many breaks, I have so many different insoles and stuff to heal my injury, and it was just like so much anxiety between. But (what) helped me was like before I got injured, my first year in Wichita, I was able to run really, really fast.
“So, like, having these times already, you know, you don’t have anything to prove, because you know already that you’re good enough.”
Originally from Spain, Diaz Lopez found himself at Cowley Community College to begin his career. Diaz Lopez began his time with Wichita State in 2022, and is now in his last semester while pursuing a degree in business administration and marketing.
He said that his love of running began while playing soccer. One of his physical education teachers introduced Diaz Lopez to cross country. He went on to win his first race, one his teacher got him to sign up for.
“I love soccer, but I like competing good,” Diaz Lopez said. “From there, all the way until now, it’s been seven years running. It’s what I love to do the most.”
“I always knew that I was good at running,” he added. “But like, I always wanted to play soccer. But then eventually I realized that I was really good (at running), and I didn’t like the soccer environment.”
Going into his final season in a Wichita State uniform, Diaz Lopez has found his confidence again. His training and mental fortitude are paying dividends. In his first race back in cross country, Diaz Lopez placed second on home soil at the JK Gold Classic.
“Some people, when they get injured, they question themselves a lot,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, am I gonna get back to my level that I was? Am I gonna be as good as I was?’ To me it was not. I know I’m gonna be better, I know how good I was, but the training that I was doing was not enough. So I got so much training to improve, and I got so much things to do that I’m 100% going to get much better at running — I knew that I was going to get better.”
Now that he’s able to race, Diaz Lopez said he feels like he owes a lot to his team.
“Especially to the coaches,” Diaz Lopez said. “I want to try to make to nationals, put the team as high as we can, because I think that’s the least I can do for this school after everything that they have done for me.”
Diaz Lopez set high goals for both his individual season and the team’s. He wants to race in nationals and earn national recognition for the team.
In his last season, he wants to leave his mark. With the makeup of this year’s squad, he thinks those goals are attainable.
“I’ve been here for four years, and I don’t think I have seen a team like this one,” Diaz Lopez said. “This is the first year that I’m in really good shape for cross country. …. And I think when we put all the team together, we can do an amazing thing this year.”
Grateful for the opportunity ahead this season, Diaz Lopez said he’s also grateful for the staff that helped bring him to Wichita State.
“The coaches are like family,” Diaz Lopez said. “I’m from Spain, international, we don’t have anything here. We come, we left our home, we left our family, our friends for a new life.” Diaz Lopez said.
He said that the staff’s support has created a home at Wichita State.
“It’s just like a family and that just makes you feel at home and that, I’m gonna miss that a lot. They’re always there for you, they support you a lot and I’m so glad I made the right decision to come here,” Diaz Lopez said.
