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Bethan Knights and Trent Brendel, senior leaders for Cal's men's and women's cross country teams, are setting big goals for the legacies they will leave behind. After overcoming individual struggles, these student-athletes' stories highlight what it truly means to be a student, an athlete and most importantly, a leader.
 
Knights, who hails from Southern California, originally did not see herself staying in the state for college — in fact, she said she only looked at California schools to please her parents. But when she came to Cal for her official visit, she immediately saw potential and passion that she did not notice anywhere else.
 
 "I was excited to see the program on its way up," Knights said. "I saw that people wanted to make this program great, and while it wasn't there yet, it was a school that wanted to work hard to get there."
 
Brendel, a recruited walk-on, was looking for the perfect combination of athletics and academics. Brendel earned his right to come to Cal – he spent hours talking with coach Shayla Houlihan, pursuing her attention to accomplish his dream of running in college while also getting a world-class education.
 
"Trent and I really connected immediately," Houlihan said. "He always had good, productive questions for me. If he had doubts about something, he just asked. Trent was very open and honest through the recruiting process, communicated really well, and that's how I knew he would be a great fit at Cal."
 
While Houlihan and Brendel connected immediately, something sparked a fire in Houlihan when she met Knights during the recruiting process.
 
"Bethan had a fire about her when I started recruiting her," Houlihan said. "She came from a strong soccer background and as a rising senior was just breaking into the running scene. We really connected in the recruiting process and I think we both had a mutual respect for the work we could accomplish together."
 
Knights and Brendel's freshman year shaped them as leaders and defined their ability to become the runners they are now. Knights made it to nationals in both cross country and track during her freshman year, and she credits her early success to her immediate comfort within the program.
 
Brendel, on the other hand, wasn't able to compete during his first season because of a knee injury. He spent that time learning to manage the stress of school and athletics.
 
"Men have more of a transition period because they are moving from a 5k cross country race in high school to a 10k in college," Houlihan said. "[I] knew he was always thinking about his longevity as a runner and not necessarily the immediate impact he was going to make as a freshman."
 
Brendel's growth mindset and ability to see his whole career, instead of just the immediate impact for the team, was the first step in learning how to be a leader for the squad. Staying in Berkeley the summer between his freshman and sophomore years to work out with the team, Brendel learned to train correctly for a collegiate cross country career and immediately saw an impact in his ability to be competitive for the squad.
 
It wasn't until later in both runners' careers that they saw record-breaking success. As a junior, Knights placed consistently in the top 10, including at the Pac-12 Championships and NCAA West Regionals, leading her to become Cal's only female runner to reach the NCAA Championships in 2016. As a senior for this fall, Brendel was not only named captain but had back-to-back top-20 finishes at both Pac-12s and the NCAA West Regionals. That helped the Bears claim their first consecutive NCAA Championships bids in over 20 years. Both runners added many PRs and school records to their resumes, and could feel their careers are successful with these alone. But this is not enough for either one.
 
While Knights has enjoyed individual success, she knows there is something missing — a team bid to the NCAA Championships.
 
"Last year seemed like the year for the women's squad," Knights said. "It really felt like girls were going to make it as a team, and I saw that more than any of the other years that kids on the team were working so hard."
 
The disappointment should fuel the women's team to push for a nationals bid this year, and Knights knows that "everyone is going to work harder than ever."
 
Brendel has had the glory of a team bid to nationals, but has watched his and his teammates' health affect their ability to gain a top place at the competition. He placed second at Pac-12 meet last season and sees momentum from this result carrying over into the fall. While his success of last season could be his motivation for this one, Brendel's desire for team achievement pushes him even more.
 
Houlihan sees limitless potential in both runners in their final campaign.
 
"These two will continue to do what they've done the previous years and lead their teams to the NCAA," she said. "It would be the first time in Cal history if both teams made it. They learned a lot last year at the NCAA cross country championships and from there we will continue to build and stay positive."
 
The women's squad has added depth with its impressive recruiting class.
 
"Making it [to nationals] and continuing to evolve through the end of the season is very realistic and doable," Houlihan said. "A lot of these women are veterans to the national scene. They will be ready when the time comes."
 
On the men's side, Houlihan notes the "development that has happened in the past year with each individual that is currently here will help us continue our streak at the NCAA meet. Trent definitely has unfinished business at the NCAA Championships."
 
Knights and Brendel are ready to define the legacy they leave as Cal cross country athletes.
 
"It's our last hurrah, and I'm excited to see what we can do," Knights said.