Justin Singer, a Fullerton cross-country runner and fine arts major, displays some of his creative works.
By Bill Sheehan
FULLERTON, Calif – Justin Singer hopes to end his collegiate running career with a flourish. So far, so good.
The Cal State Fullerton senior has been the top men’s finisher at the team’s first two cross-country meets this season. In August, he placed second at the Mark Covert Classic in Fullerton with a personal-best 8-kilometer time of 24:07.0. At the UC Riverside Invitational, he finished 26th in 24:22.4 to lead the Titans.
Justin Singer powers his way to a second-place finish at the Mark Covert Classic in Fullerton.
“I’m putting my best foot forward for my final year. My training has improved, and I’m in a much better fitness state right now,” said Singer, who hails from La Palma. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Big West team title. And my personal goals are to being named all-conference and going for the win at the Big West Championships,” which will be held Oct. 31 in Honolulu.
Singer is equally passionate about his studies. He is a majoring in fine arts with a concentration in graphic and interactive design. “Graphic design is a broad area, which includes fields such as advertising, merchandise design and website design. There are a lot of different ways I can go,” he said.
On Saturday, Singer’s focus will be on cross country. Fullerton’s men’s and women’s teams will be competing at the Highlander Invitational at UC Riverside. The men’s 8k race begins at 8 a.m, with the women’s 6k starting at 8:40 a.m.
Jorge Jabaz, the Titans first-year cross-country assistant coach, cites Singer’s work ethic for his fast start. “Justin’s greatest attribute as a distance athlete is that he’s always willing to do more and want more. He expects more for himself, and that is an indicator he will achieve great things.”
As a fourth-year Titan, Singer has assumed an elder stateman role. “I’m excited to lead the newcomers by example. The older guys work to build their confidence and ensure they are welcomed to the team,” said Singer, who serves as a team captain.
“The freshmen were the top guys as seniors in high school. But at the D1 level, everyone is a top guy, and the competition is fierce. We want guys who come in hungry and want to learn what being a Division 1 athlete is all about. It’s important that they grow and be themselves while making sure we are all on the same page.”
Nathaniel Avila, another senior, has watched Singer develop on and off the course.
“He is a great runner, and he always tries his best,” said Avila, who is from Clovis. “Justin’s grown a lot as a person. He wasn’t very talkative when he first got here and liked doing his own thing. But now as the leader of our team, he shows the younger guys how things are done and helps direct team activities.”
Jabaz, the coach, praised Singer for stepping up. “He is my go-to guy to coordinate our recovery days,” referring to the cooldown exercises conducted after a competition or strenuous workout session. “He’s helping ensure the next generation of Titans learn the tradition of hard work.”
Singer, who is 5-foot-8, played several sports growing up in northwest Orange County, including basketball, baseball, soccer and flag football. In junior high, after winning several cross-country races, he joined the Santa Ana-based Lightning Youth Running Club and at age 13 competed in Florida at the Junior Olympics. He later joined the Long Beach Flyers. He was coached at both clubs by Jessie Parra.
At age 13, Justin Singer competes in Florida at the Junior Olympics as a member of the Lightning Youth Running Club.
At Cypress High School, Singer was a four-year competitor in cross country and track and field. He was a basketball point guard as a freshman but gave up that sport to focus on running. He was a two-time Empire League cross-country champion. In track, Singer earned All-Empire League honors twice as a distance runner.
At Cypress High School, Justin Singer was a two-time Empire League cross-country champion.
“As a junior, I reached out to many schools on the West Coast at every level – Juco, D3, D2, D1. I visited a lot of schools. Fullerton stood out and felt right,” said Singer. “It was a very good match with academics and athletics, and it was close to home.”
As a Fullerton sophomore, he clocked a personal-best 24:49.6 in the 8k at the Highlander Invitational. He placed 29th at the Big West Championships (25:07.5) and ran a personal-best 30:59.8 in the 10k at the NCAA West Regionals. Last year as a junior, he ran a personal-best 24:34.1 to finish 25th at the Big West Championships.
In outdoor track, he ran a personal best 30:51 in the 10,000 meters to place 10th at the 2024 Big West Championships. He has best times 3:57.54 in the 1500m, 8:52.70 in the 3000m, 14:33.18 in the 5000m and 9:20.39 in the 3000m steeplechase.
“I’ve gone back and forth, but I tend to favor cross country over track. Cross country is more of a team sport. Each course is different, so it’s hard to compare times. You just go as fast as you can as long as you can and try to out-gut your opponent. I tend to do better competing when I don’t overthink things.”
Singer is the only runner in his family. His father, Michael, and his brother, Casey, both played high school baseball. Casey also played football.
Michael works as a groundskeeper at Jordan High School in Long Beach and coaches baseball at Mayfair High School in Lakewood. His mother, Dawn, is an actuary for Liberty Dental. Casey is a freshman at San Diego State.
“The better Justin did in running, the more he liked it,” said Dawn. “He’s very athletic and naturally gifted, both as a runner and an artist. I’m not athletic, and I crunch numbers for a living, so he didn’t take after me,” she said. “His fraternal grandfather was a painter, though.”
Justin Singer’s family gathers after a high school baseball game. Justin, left, is joined by his mother Dawn, brother Casey and father Michael.
The 21-year-old Singer has always had an artistic bent. “I always liked to draw and be creative. I would paint different custom designs on shoes and denim jackets for my friends. Initially, I was in Fullerton’s animation program. But I switched to graphic design, and I’m happy with what I have been learning.”
“Artificial intelligence will be a big part of the job market and is discussed in all my classes. We’re encouraged to adapt and use AI as a tool and not be scared of it. Creative minds will be needed to have ideas to feed the AI machine,” he said. “I’d love to work in the sports or fashion industries, which are two areas of interest for me.”
Singer, who runs 80 to 85 miles a week during cross-country season, has enjoyed his college experience. “I love being here. I’ve had some ups and downs, but it’s been a great journey. Putting on the Fullerton uniform means everything.”
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