11-Year-Old Runner Ranked First in the West
photo courtesy of Jessica Ortiz
Cayden Ortiz is an 11-year-old Castro Valley resident who runs for the CV-based track and field club Steele Gazelles. He has run for the Catholic Youth Organization for Our Lady of Grace for the past three years and decided to take up running for a competitive team. This is his first competitive season, and with the great coaching by Sean Steele and Tina Sachs, he has made tremendous strides in his sprinting skills. He runs in an 11-12-year-old age bracket for the long jump, 80-meter hurdles, and 100-meter dash. Within the past 4 months, Cayden has gone from placing 32nd to 2nd overall for his current age bracket. After competing on May 4, 2024, at the UC Berkeley Running Rebels invitational, Ortiz ran a 13.21 second time for the 100-meter dash. This current personal record for his age 11 updated his ranking for the USATF Club, making him currently ranked Number 1 for the state and all the West Coast. Cayden is also currently ranked Number 6 nationally for his 100-meter dash.
