SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior distance runner Haley Silva has made a verbal commitment to sign with the UC-Berkeley cross country and track and field programs and attend the Pac-12 school next fall.
"I am very excited," said Silva. "All the work I have put in has paid off. I am really happy I made the decision early so I can focus on the here and now."
Haley has been a four-year contributor on the cross country program. She has helped the team to two Delta League titles (2017, 2018) and three straight section titles (2016-18), while running in three CIF State Championships.
"Haley is a great leader athletically and academically," said Head Coach Aaron Rios. "As a freshman you saw her leadership and enthusiasm for what she does and it has only grown over her four years. The Bears are getting a great addition."
She has posted three top-20 finishes at the section champs, earned two All-Delta League selections and been part of three top-10 finishes at the CIF State meet.
"I love that the coaches were so positive, talked to me like a person and were individual in their conversations with me," said Silva. "They treated me like a top recruit and that showed they wanted me to be part of their program.'
Silva joins the Cal program coached by Head Coach Bobby Lockhart and distance coach Chas Davis under the direction of Robyne Johnson. The Cal rosters includes a pair of Troubadour alumnae including Ariane Arndt '16 and Sydney Vandegrift '18.
"The girls were really welcoming and I felt I could fit in there instantly," said Silva. "Sydney encouraged me to work hard and made me feel I could do it."
Silva follows some family history at the school, including her grandparents and father Brian, who played rugby for the Bears.
"He is super excited for me," said Silva. "I grew up going to the Cal football games and it has always been my dream to go to Cal and run for them."
On the track, Silva has qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters in both the 800 and 1600 meters two times. She posted personal bests in 2019 in the Masters 800 prelims (2:16.47) and finished fifth in the final and 1600 (5:04.95) to place fifth in the section final. She also was part of the winning 4x1600 meter relay at the Arcadia Invitational (20:20.82), setting a school record and ranking second in the nation. She was also on the school-record DMR at Arcadia, finishing eighth overall in the nation.
"My top memory right now is the Arcadia DMR and 4x1600 races," said Silva. "The whole weekend was awesome and we were at our peak. In that moment I was so excited and everything had come together in a perfect way for those races."
Silva plans to study nutrition with physiology and metabolism in the pre-health route.
"It is a hard school to get into," said Silva. "I wanted a well-rounded school with high academics and a top DI program. It was a perfect fit for me and what I was looking for in a school. Not a lot of schools have nutrition (as a major). It is going to make my experience so much better focusing my academics on a subject I am really interested in."
Silva hopes to add to the Cal program.
"My decision was I wanted to go to a good team," said Silva. "I know how it feels to be one a good team and I like being part of the depth. You don't have to be the fastest runner but you still feel you contribute to the team."
Silva is a major contributor on the nationally-ranked cross country team that seeks additional team titles in the upcoming postseason as well as next week's Mt. Sac Invitational.
"We have a good chance in the postseason," said Silva. "We have a good chance to be in the top three at state. Hopefully it will all come together and work out the way it is supposed to. I am excited to see how it turns out."
Silva will participate in the St. Francis Signing Day Celebration on November 13.
