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Tatiana Cornejo has been running for as long as she can remember. In fact, she started competing as a runner when she was just six years old. 

And in all those years, Cornejo has never once stopped loving it.

“I wasn’t told to run or anything like that,” Cornejo said. “I just loved racing. I always have. It’s such a privilege to race as a D1 athlete and represent Cal Poly with my teammates.”

The Cal Poly cross country and track & field athlete has accomplished a great deal thus far as a collegian. 

It all started during as a first-year student-athlete at Cal Poly, when Cornejo was named the 2022 Big West Cross Country Freshman of the Year. And in the years that followed, she’s continued to break records and leave an imprint in the Mustangs' history books.

In 2022, Cornejo broke the Cal Poly 5,000-meter record that had stood for more than a decade and now owns the record both indoors and outdoors. In 2023, she ran the fastest 1,500-meter time by a Mustang in 36 years and last season, Cornejo's 800-meter time was the best number put together in 20 years.

In cross country, Cornejo has helped the Mustangs to three consecutive Big West titles, while also taking home the 2022 Freshman of the Year award and two all-conference honors after finishing seventh in the 2023 and fifth in the 2024 iterations of The Big West Championships. 

Last season, Cornejo was Cal Poly’s top finisher at NCAA Regionals, capturing 25th overall and secured USTFCCCA All-West Region honors for the second straight year. 

Cornejo is one of the top runners on Cal Poly’s team, and she’s always pushing herself to be the best. In 2025-26, the senior from Elk Grove, Calif., is ready to keep etching her name in the annals.

However, it’s not just about her individual accomplishments and getting her name in the record books. 

It’s about the team. It’s about the coaches. It’s about the collective success and the culture they’ve built together. A culture that Cornejo hopes to leave behind and inspire future athletes to continue.
 

Cornejo admits that there were some difficulties transitioning to college. It was a big adjustment in all aspects, not just athletically. But what helped to get through the transition and become the runner she is today was the support of teammates and coaches.

“I think that’s what I love most about Cal Poly,” Cornejo said. “Whenever one of us is struggling, whether it be athletically, socially, or academically, we’re always there to pick each other up.”

Cornejo credits much of the success the Mustangs have had to the culture that head coach Ryan Vanhoy and assistant coach Michelle Chewens have helped create.

Chewens is the women’s cross country head coach, and she and Vanhoy both started at Cal Poly during Cornejo’s freshman year. Since arrivine in San Luis Obispo, both have been named Big West Cross Country Coach of the Year three straight seasons.

“The girls on the team have this saying, ‘In Michelle we trust,’” Cornejo said. “We know that she knows what we’re capable of in all aspects, so we very much lean on her to help guide us through any struggles. The coaching staff as a whole has made it a point to make sure everyone on the team is doing alright in their everyday lives, and that’s been super neat because I think a lot of people forget we’re students too and just people aside from the athletics.”

Cornejo has always been passionate about running, and the culture at Cal Poly has only intensified that passion. 

In addition to Chewens and Vanhoy, Cornejo had a team of fellow Cal Poly student-athletes that have been supportive from the beginning.

“I think one of my favorite memories thus far was the conference championships last track season,” Cornejo said. “I didn’t even race the 5K or 10K, but being able to see the girls finish their 5Ks and 10Ks and all collectively have smiles ear to ear, I think that encapsulates how much our team culture is prominent in our everyday lives, and I’m very lucky to have such an amazing team of girls.”
 

Cornejo has accomplished a lot during her first three years at Cal Poly, but she’s far from finished with plenty of goals and aspirations for herself and the team. 

If she could accomplish one thing before graduation, it would be to leave a legacy of inspiration for the future athletes at Cal Poly.

“I definitely want to make an impact where people feel motivated to continue the Cal Poly legacy,” Cornejo said. “Whether that’s constant conference championships or pushing themselves to be the best version of themselves on the track, I want to leave here knowing that the team will be great and strive wherever they go.”

While Cornejo is focused on the team and helping them achieve their goals, she also enjoys the individual aspect of running. It’s one of the many reasons Cornejo loves the sport. 

There are always new goals to accomplish, and even if you break a personal record, you can still strive to do better. And that’s a mindset that Cornejo has always had and hopes to instill in the future runners at Cal Poly.

“I always say a runner is never fully satisfied,” Cornejo said. “You can beat your own PRs and personal records. You can constantly get faster and always strive to be better because there’s always one person in front of you or there’s always a time that you want to achieve. I think that’s definitely one of my favorite parts of running is that you can constantly improve.”
 

Running is a mental sport, and Cornejo can attest to that. As a runner for the majority of her life, Cornejo knows that there are going to be days where there are mental struggles.

But what keeps her going on those days is the team.

On the difficult days, she reminds herself that it’s not about the individual, but rather about the team and what can be done to help them progress and be the best versions of themselves. And on the days where that’s not enough, she thinks about all the hard work she’s put in since she was six years old.

“You can’t let the mental battles of it all ruin everything you’ve worked for,” Cornejo said. “I think for me, I just have to remember the struggles and the people who have helped me get to where I am.”

There’s no question that Cornejo has overcome a lot of struggles and obstacles to get to where she is today, but its come with a lot of support along the way. And it’s that support that has propelled her to break records and make history at Cal Poly.

“Every time we step on that line, whether it’s cross or track, we are putting our best foot forward, and we leave everything out there,” Cornejo said. “Being able to step away from something that has been such a crucial point in my life is going to be hard, but I hope that I leave here inspiring not only my teammates, but other people who may just be watching.”