Cuadra struggled as a collegiate freshman, but had a "breakthrough" last year. That led to her renewed commitment after she thought of transferring back home or to another university.

"I just made the commitment over the summer after my track season to stay there and do the full four years there, and that is going to lift a burden off my shoulders," the 2002 Maryknoll graduate said.

She is home for the summer and gearing up for her junior year. Saturday she defended her title in the 10-mile Rim Run at the Volcano Art Center's 22nd Kilauea Volcano Wilderness Run on the Big Island.

Cuadra's time was 1 hour, 13 minutes, 33 seconds — the third-best time ever and only one second slower than her winning time in 2003.

The Volcano Wilderness Run is one of only two or three races Cuadra enters when she is home during her offseason. Because she competes in cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter, and outdoor track in the spring, summer is the only time she has to rest and recuperate.

"It's very demanding to be competitive for three whole seasons. It is just race after race," she said. "You kind of have to pick and choose what races you want to peak and excel at."

Cuadra usually takes two weeks off from no training at all, to "come down from all that competition and basically be a normal kid."

She then begins light training, with easy runs, including trail runs, without any time constraints. Then she increases her training, because the cross country season begins later this month, a week after she returns to San Diego.

Those are just some of the lessons Cuadra said she learned the past two years at San Diego State.

She also had to adjust to being coached by someone other than her father, Greg, who had coached Christal her entire life, and to the caliber of college competition.

"Competition (in Hawai'i) is great and I think it is a real confidence booster, but it isn't quite as competitive as the Mainland," she said. "Everyone is fast and it is hard to run away from the pack like I was able to do here.

"I had trouble adjusting to the competition."

Her ideas on how to train, perform and compete also clashed with her coach for cross country and track, Jennifer Nanista.

"She and I have had it out a bit, but we've come to an understanding and we're coming to the same page," Nanista said. "She stopped fighting me and I started listening to what she was saying."

The compromise helped Cuadra set a personal best of 10 minutes, 19 seconds in the 3,000-meter run, nearly three seconds faster than her previous best time.

"That was really surprising to me," Cuadra said. "It was good because it said these coaches here did know what they were doing."

Her successful sophomore year was in deep contrast to a disappointing freshman year that began with high hopes.

After a standout prep career in which she won the state cross country title as a senior, Cuadra signed a National Letter of Intent with San Diego State.

"I think initially her freshman year was difficult for her, like most people who come from a small area," Nanista said. "I think it caught her off guard, but she rebounded well.

"Her freshman year she approached races as she would in Hawai'i," Nanista added. "She felt like she should be out there in the front, but she realized she couldn't do that at this level."

But Nanista said Cuadra has matured both physically and mentally, enough so that she has chosen Cuadra to be one of the team captains.

"I'm looking for Christal to come in and be a leader," Nanista said. "It is unprecedented for a junior, but I think she's ready for the responsibility."