William Jessup University recently announced the signing of Aaron Cardinio for the cross country and track programs.

Cardinio, a 2009 Lodi High School graduate, will begin competing on the Warriors track and field team this season. In high school, Cardinio ran his way to a successful career, winning multiple San Joaquin Athletic Association cross country titles and 800- and 1,600-meter crowns in track in field. A frequent visitor to Master's meets, Cardinio established himself as one of the top distance runners in the area.

He never imagined he would be at William Jessup, but now Cardinio, who is very active as a leader in youth ministries, says it's a perfect fit. Cardinio stated "My dream was to run for (University of) Hawaii or (University of California) Berkeley or something like that, but at the time I wasn't thinking about a Christian university," Cardinio said. "But now it is really important to me."

While Cardinio's major is still undecided, he is debating between youth ministry or intercultural studies, which would prepare him to be an international missionary. Daniells said that Cardinio's dedication to the church was very inspiring and one of the main factors he wanted him to be a Warrior.

"Aaron's aspirations to compete at the collegiate level and the heart he has for the Lord only made it easier for me to see Aaron as another piece to the puzzle on our team," coach Parker Daniells said.

Cardinio will be competing in the 800 and 1,500-meter events for the Warriors this spring and will also be a member of the 4X400 relay team. He will also compete on next year's cross country team.