Senior Junior Lopez dedicated his junior year summer to running, allowing his potential to unfold. Known for the discipline to balance multiple sports and activities, Lopez finished his senior season by breaking records and carving his name into South’s record books.
Lopez climbs to top-ten State spot
Lopez, Varsity Boys’ Cross Country Co-Captain, was the first Titan since 1991 to win first place at the Central Suburban League (CSL) Conference and Regionals, on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, respectively.
Eleven schools ran at the 3-mile CSL Conference cross country meet at South. Lopez was at the front of the pack for most of the race, Nick Morley, Boys’ Cross Country Head Coach and Boys’ Distance Track Coach, said. About a half-mile before the finish, runners are not visible because of a dip in the course, Morley said. As Lopez became visible to the crowd, all eyes were on him as he led the race, Morley said.
“I saw him come out first and by a wide margin, I knew at that point he was going to win,” Morley said. “When a kid does the right thing all of the time and is the nicest kid in the world, you just want to see success for them. To see Lopez get that success was phenomenal.”
The race course at the CSL Conference was mostly wet, muddy grass due to the previous nights rainfall, making the terrain more difficult than previous years, Lopez said. Regardless, Lopez kept his footing and maintained a good pace for the duration of the race, he said.
“At the end of the race, I heard people cheering me on, telling me to go, because I am almost there,” Lopez said. “I heard my mom and other people around me saying ‘Go, go, go’ and all I could think was, ‘I am almost there, just run.’”
After winning the CSL Conference title, Lopez ran against and beat 13 other schools at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Regional meet held at Loyola Academy at the end of October. Lopez’s final time was 15:08.42—13 seconds quicker than his time of 15:21.6 at conference—winning him the Regional Championship.
After winning at Regionals, Lopez showed more emotion than ever before at the end of a race, Morley said.
“As he crosses the finish line, he does this little fist bump,” Morley said. “It is nothing big, it is nothing showy, but for Lopez, that is an incredible level of excitement.”
Lopez was off to IHSA Sectionals on Nov. 1 at Busse Woods, according to titandistance.com. Running 27 seconds faster than his time at the Regionals meet, Lopez qualified for the IHSA 2025 State Finals after placing third at Sectionals, Lopez said.
“Getting third at Sectionals was a surprise because those guys were so fast,” Lopez said. “I somehow managed to get in the front, but near the end, two guys were trying to speed up. I just tried sticking with them, and the race was between us three. ”
The State tournament on Nov. 8 was especially memorable because Lopez ran the 3-mile race in 14:20.95, taking off another 20 seconds from his previous personal record at Sectionals. Athletes ran at Detweiller Park in Peoria, and South competed against 27 other schools, according to titandistance.com. Not only did Lopez finish 10th at State, but he also set the record for the fastest 3 mile time in South history, according to titandistance.com.
“My first mile was the fastest mile I ever ran, and then my second mile was the fastest second mile I ever ran,” Lopez said. “Even though I was tired and my body was telling me to stop, I kept telling myself that this is my last race, so I might as well go all out.”
The previous record at South, set in 1975 by Steve Chaplin, was 14:25, which Lopez beat by just over four seconds, Morley said. Lopez did not think he could take another 20 seconds off his time
to beat the record in only one week. He proved himself wrong. Lopez not only accomplished that for State, but consistently ran approximately 15 to 30 seconds quicker than his previous time each race since conference, Morley said.
“The amount of time Lopez had taken off in the last month is unbelievable at his level of competition,” Morley said. “He needed to take off another 17 seconds and he took off 20, and to improve that much in a week is phenomenal.”
Motivation from family, teammates
It was Lopez’s older sister, Alinne Merida, a 2019 South graduate, who convinced Lopez to start running. Lopez’s sister was a running fanatic and became his biggest motivation for joining cross country, he said.
“Junior started watching me run when I did cross country in middle school, so he must have been about four years old, and I remember he came to every meet,” Merida said. “Junior basically grew up on the sidelines of my practices and meets, which makes his own journey in running feel even more special.”
Senior Ryan Taylor, Varsity Boys’ Cross Country Co-Captain, motivated Lopez to focus more on the talent he had running, Lopez said. Taylor’s constant encouragement made running more enjoyable for Lopez. Taylor convinced Lopez to join not only track in the spring, but also summer running, Taylor said.
“Taylor is the one who kept telling me that I wou
ld be so good if I just tried more,” Lopez said. “He said if I trained, I’d be one of the greatest people on the team.”
Merida was able to watch Lopez run at the Conference, Regional, Sectional, and State races, she said. Each moment became more emotional for her, as she always saw potential in Lopez but was so proud of how far he came.
“Junior’s journey is the kind that inspires me, coaches, runners, and entire teams,” Merida said. “It is the story every athlete dreams about, but almost no one actually experiences. Junior’s performance shows his hard work, discipline, extraordinary grit, and competitive heart. It is a rare story and a huge reason to be so proud of him.”
More than a runner: swimmer, dancer
Lopez is more than just a cross-country runner, in balancing cross country with swimming, track and field, and Latino Heat, demonstrating discipline and versatility on and off the track, Morley
said.
“I’m a big believer in ‘you have time for what you make time for,’ and I am sure that probably means Lopez has to spend less time watching TV, or less time on his phone, because he’s got to fit in all these other activities,” Morley said. “When other athletes see his dedication, it creates a rising tide that lifts all boats. The better he does, the better it is for everyone.”
Strength found through encouragement
There is no secret to improving other than simply trying your best, Lopez said. Finding a person who will always encourage you is important, as they are who will motivate you to stay consistent and do your best, Lopez said.
“I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without my family and current teammates,” Lopez said. “They are the ones who believed in my potential even when other people overlooked me.”