* Granados at the Team South Regional in November
Photo Credit: Ayden Granados Instagram
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By Cory Mull - MileSplit
Ayden Granados is mindful of the people who led him on this journey. His family, his coaches and his teammates have all shaped some part of his success.
But one among them, the late Tony Trejo, holds a special part of his heart.
'Señor Trejo,' as Granados had known his mentor before Trejo's passing in July to cancer, had been one of his first believers, one of the first men who knew Granados' talent could blossom into something special.
The high school senior from McAllen Memorial later dedicated his season to Coach Trejo, often throwing up a 'T' in a sign of honor and respect.
In fact, many of his finish line moments this fall have told a larger story about the weight he carries with each race.
"It's a feeling of, I'm a Valley kid who's out there and really much pushing for it," Granados said recently. "This whole cross season was dedicated to Señor Trejo.
"When he passed away, he was the person who never gave up on me. He always told me I got this, you can do it. He was always there. When he passed away, it hit us very hard. But I made sure this season was about him. I threw up the 'T' whenever I could after the race."
This Saturday, Granados will carry that message with him in the last high school cross country race of his career. The Oklahoma State signee will walk to the line of Champs Sports Nationals in San Diego, California as one of 40 national qualifiers from across the U.S.
It will follow his appearance at Team Nationals, where Granados finished 59th overall in a field of the country's very best runners in Portland. He qualified for both races across a regional system that saw him become the second athlete from the RGV since PSJA Memorial alum Cruz Gomez qualified for both races in 2018.
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To say this moment will be meaningful is an understatement.
Granados is still coming to terms with what this success will mean for his legacy, and for RGV athletes who see him as an inspiration.
"It's starting to hit me in waves," he said. "It's so fast. I want to say three weeks ago, two weeks ago I was over there at states. I was frustrated. I didn't do too well. Just to come out to these types of races, to get third when I was ranked 30th. And get seventh? It's like 'Woah, is this real?'
"Being able to fly out to Oregon, it opens up possibilities. It changed my way of thinking. I can't explain it. It's starting to really hit me. I can't think of the words. It's very crazy and very amazing."
Indeed, Granados has had a season for the ages. He won five straight races in the RGV before claiming District and Region 5A wins. While a difficult state championship race followed -- he finished seventh in the Texas UIL Class 5A race -- perhaps that result only granted him more motivation.
Granados entered both regional races with an eye on not just qualifying but on showing respect to those before him.
The road trip to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Champs South Regional took him 20 hours. He caravanned with a group of athletes the entire way and back, shuttled by a group named 'DMR.'
In both regionals, he found a resolve that took him to the finish line.
"To push til I'm done, really, just push until I can't move much longer," he said. "That's something my coaches always told me. He always told me, 'You don't give up until you cross the finish line.' Doesn't matter if you're on the floor. Doesn't matter what happens afterward. It only matters what happens in that race. That pain is only temporary. You just need to pass it and be done with it.
"In my mind, when I'm hurting, I'm just thinking 'I need to get past this line, I need to get past that line.' And I think that's my biggest characteristics. I don't give up and I don't give in. That's the Valley culture."
As Granados walks to the line on Saturday, he says he will continue to think of his coaches, his teammates, his family and to all those who have followed his path.
"I'm very much excited, more or less, to represent the Valley in a sense," he said. "I feel like that's the main thing I'm more excited for, to show what I can do out there."
"To push til I'm done, really, just push until I can't move much longer. That's something my coaches always told me. He always told me, 'You don't give up until you cross the finish line.' Doesn't matter if you're on the floor. Doesn't matter what happens afterward. It only matters what happens in that race. That pain is only temporary."
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