TUCSON, Ariz. – The phrase "social butterfly" is defined as someone who is very outgoing and easy to get along with, and everyone can agree that is what defines Arizona's track and field athlete Carlos Villarreal.
That was the nickname given to Carlos by his high school coach.
"I just like to have fun with whatever we do. I love to interact, socialize, and meet new people so that's just how I have been my entire life.I would always be found talking and cracking jokes with people at the meets. So yeah I just like to have fun."
Today the "social butterfly" took the time to talk about the meet of his life, that coincidentally occurred on his 17th birthday.
"The meet of my life had to be the Arizona State meet my junior year," Villarreal said. "The meet took place at Mesa Community College with the temperature exceeding into the high 90's."
Carlos competed in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, 4x400 and 4x800 relays that day, and came home as the state champion in three of those events, with a runner-up medal in one (4x400-meter relay).
"What made that meet so special was that it was there that I won my first state title," Villarreal said. "There was a lot of pressure for me to perform well in all my individual events if we wanted to have a chance of winning the team state title."
Villarreal's performance was surely elite enough to garner the points needed for his team to win the state title.
Villarreal likes to keep the same, easy-going mindset that relaxes him going into each one of his races, but this time there was a little twist to it.
"I knew what was at stake and what I needed to do in this meet so that was in the back of my mind," Villarreal said. "It ended up being a pretty good 17th birthday for me."
After coming to Arizona, Villarreal has had to deal with lingering injuries over the last season, but this season he is finally healthy and ready to compete again for the Track Cats.
He has big goals ahead of him as well.
"Before I graduate Arizona I want to win an NCAA title, and also just be the best student-athlete that I can be."
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