The evolution of Maya Estrada-Garcia as a Hope International women's cross country competitor has instilled confidence in the junior from Baldwin Park.

Confidence in droves. And that has catapulted her into a great opportunity, the ability to represent the Royals at the 46th annual NAIA National Championships on Friday in Tallahassee, Fla.

It is a gigantic step for the once sixth grader, who was beating the boys in the mile during PE class. A natural athlete who also played basketball and soccer, Estrada-Garcia was inspired to try cross country, and she responded by finishing seventh in the district.

That led her to joining a running club, and her love for the sport blossomed from there. She had a 5:58 mile time as an eighth grader, and she kept going at West Covina High School.

She whet her appetite for more competition at Mt. SAC for two more years, winning the state title in 2023 and finishing third in 2024.

Estrada-Garcia was accustomed to competing on a rather large roster – 17 girls, to be exact – at the 2024 iteration of Mt. SAC cross country.

Quite a difference when she arrived for preseason training this August at HIU. The roster consisted of just three – Estrada-Garcia, Lupe Mata and Jazmin Zambrano. Still, Estrada-Garcia was enthralled with the atmosphere, the Christian-faith based school values, and that it catered to her major, sports psychology.

"I really liked the team environment," said Estrada-Garcia. "They feel like family. It's a small team, and I think that's what made them more like a family. The team is very much "one."

The result has been continuous improvement through the schedule. After running a 23:40.40 in the 6K at the season-opening TMU XC Invitational and a 23:42.20 at the Firestorm Classic, she chopped off nearly 48 seconds at the Highlander Invitational. She placed sixth for the second straight race after clocking 22:52.3 at the Highlander.

Estrada-Garcia then experienced the thrill of winning her first race as a Royal, posting a time of 23:12.11 at the Bushnell Invitational in Springfield, Ore.

The team experienced a coaching change prior to the beginning of the season, so the victory was validation for lots of hard work and determination. 

New head coach Charles Kelly acknowledged as much.

"I am extremely proud of how her season progressed," said Kelly. "Coming on as the head coach right as the season was going to start was difficult for everyone, but Maya did a good job with trusting the training and process and it all worked out well."

The culmination of sticking to the process put Estrada-Garcia in a position to really test her mettle at the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) Championships, running alongside competitors from nationally ranked squads like No. 1 The Master's and Embry-Riddle.

Estrada-Garcia finished an impressive 14th at the conference meet, a tough track at Sahuaro Ranch Park in Glendale, Ariz. She posted her second-fastest 6K time in 22 minutes, 57.5 seconds.

Running with the main pack was a testament to her resilience and proof that she belonged.

"It was very tough. A very tough course," recalled Estrada-Garcia. "I felt really good in the beginning and middle of the race, felt very strong. I was with a mix of girls, especially with The Master's, that really helped me to feel motivated to keep going. I saw where my fitness has been taking me.

"That last mile really whupped me. It was just all or nothing. How much do I want it? That last stretch I felt like I was going to pass out, but I just had to keep going. It was a wow factor for me."

Her performances warranted an at-large selection to NAIA Nationals. For Estrada-Garcia, she wasn't sure it was an attainable goal when the season started.

"It was definitely my goal, but it was something unexpected," she said. "I never thought I would be able to achieve."

But achieve she did. And now she's traveling to the state of Florida for the first time. She's only been to the east coast once, a trip to Virginia at one point.

She will be racing among not only the GSAC giants in TMU and ERAU, but all that the NAIA has to offer. Kelly knows that she is up to the challenge.

"My expectation for Maya is for her to compete like she always does and leave with a higher ranking than she entered with," Kelly remarked. "Maya has proved that she is a fighter and can compete with the best already, so I have full confidence that she will do that again. It would be amazing if we can leave with an All-American ranking."

Estrada-Garcia would love to get her time down to 22 minutes. A lofty goal, but achievable.

One thing is for sure. Do not doubt her.