Lorenzo Anguiano makes the most of his time, excelling in music and athletics at Evergreen
They seem so different, yet they are similar in so many ways.
Lorenzo Anguiano is a musician and a runner, and he has the discipline it takes to excel in both.
An early morning run in the offseason? Every day? Check.
Hours a day on the cello? Absolutely.
“When you’re running, and you’re on the start, you have that silence, but you still have this hidden adrenaline right before the gun goes off,” Anguiano said. “That moment, that’s what it feels like when you’re playing in an orchestra. Especially when it gets to the more dramatic parts of the piece.
“You just feel like you’re there, you’re in the battle, and you’re just in control.”
Anguiano is in his final season as a high school track and field athlete, a long-distance runner for the Evergreen Plainsmen. He also is one of many athletes on the track team who are in orchestra, who perform at places such as the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland or in the orchestra pit at the school play.
In a matter of months, Anguiano will be studying cello performance at Central Washington University and running for the Wildcats.
“It seems like a lot to balance, but if you’re committed to all of it, you can do it,” Anguiano said. “You can do track. You can do orchestra. You can do all these things that you love. If you really want to do it, you can put in the time.”
His commitment to both of his endeavors has inspired teachers and classmates at Evergreen. So much so, they wanted to help him reach his goals.
Anguiano has been playing the cello for seven years, but he has never had his own. Until now. He is grateful to have had the opportunity to use the district’s instruments, but to pursue his dreams, he wanted his cello.
Anguiano started out on the viola.
“As we discovered music and got to learn more about it, I got more interested in the deeper sound,” Anguiano explained. “The cello was kind of the same thing as the viola. They are the same strings, but essentially a bigger version. I didn’t have to relearn everything. I could explore a deeper, richer sound. That’s what brought me to the cello.”
Earlier in his high school days, he figured he would study exercise science in college, because of his love for running. His passion for music, though, changed his mind.
“I wanted to spend more time (with the cello), as much time as I could when I was not running,” Anguiano said. “My end goal is to be in symphonies. I would like to teach master classes, private lessons.”
He wants to teach music in honor of those who taught him.
With his high school days nearing an end, he had to start planning ahead for his time in Ellensburg.
“We were looking at expenses for college,” Anguiano said.
Then it hit him: “I’m going to need to buy a cello.”
A coach suggested a GoFundMe account.
“If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t think she was being serious,” Anguiano said.
Team Anguiano raised more than $1,000 in the first five hours.
“I was blown away,” he said.
In all, a little more than $3,000 was raised. And the company selling the cello gave Anguiano a great deal in order to buy the instrument and the case.
“First thing I had to do was play it. I open the case, I see the cello. I see the beautiful dark red color,” Anguiano said. “I was just, ‘Wow. I’m just in love.’ This is what brought me to cello. It’s the same emotion I feel when I’m playing pieces, and I’m really getting into pieces, and I just feel a peace.”
He is still overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from all who donated.
“Without the help of them, this wouldn’t be possible. I’m extremely thankful,” Anguiano said. “I’m kind of beyond words. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”
The pandemic hit the Anguiano family hard. Lorenzo’s mom, Lisa, had just started a new business in cosmetology. She had just opened her salon just prior to the government shutting down so many small businesses.
Money was tight.
Lorenzo and his twin brother Luis worked long hours in the food industry — not for extra spending cash like many teenagers, but to help with household responsibilities. They also helped in taking care of their younger brother Giovanni.
Lorenzo and Luis will both be going to Central Washington. Lorenzo said he is proud to follow in the footsteps of their older sister, Gabriella. She went to Washington State University, the first member of the family to go to college.
Throughout everything, Lorenzo made time for workouts and rehearsal.
A music teacher once told Lorenzo about a “formula” for success. He has been trying to live it ever since.
C+R+A.
“Consistency plus repetition equals automosticity,” Anguiano said.
It is about getting out of bed and going on that run, even on days you might not want to, Anguiano explained. Get the weekly miles in as a runner. Get the hours in of practice as a musician.
“Once you do that, it will be engraved,” Anguiano said. “It’s muscle memory.”
All the preparation led to a trip to the state cross country championships this past November.
“Regionals was probably the fight of my life,”Anguiano said. “I knew it was going to be a hard race. This was my last chance to make state.”
He was in a huge pack, somewhere in the 50s, but only the top 49 would advance. It came down to the final 400 meters.
“This is what I love, the kick, being able to chase people down and really give myself that spot,” Anguiano said. “I was just positive in that moment.”
Now, he is hoping to excel in the spring for the Plainsmen. He expects to specialize in the 3,200 but will also run the 1,600.
He will train every day as an athlete, and work on his craft every day as a musician.
Anguiano made time for his passions, and the Evergreen community saluted him for his dedication.
“This has always been the place,” Anguiano said of Evergreen High School. “I’ve had so many hours here with my school work, with running, and with orchestra. This is the place to be.”
