Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight - Part 1
9/24/2026 10:13:00 AM | Cross Country
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Jax State Athletics celebrates the rich cultures and traditions of the Hispanic and Latino communities. We are proud to recognize the diversity within our Gamecock family and highlight backgrounds and experiences that make our student-athletes special. At Jax State, we celebrate the individuality of student-athletes and the stories that make each person unique.
This week, we are shining the spotlight on Augusto Caceres, a proud member of the men's cross country team.
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What does Hispanic heritage mean to you?
For me, being Hispanic means carrying two identities that complement each other. I grew up moving between Argentina and the United States, so heritage isn't a fixed thing I 'have,' it's something I carry with me: the language, the food, the family, wherever I am.Â
What country or countries does your family have roots in?
My family is from Argentina and my parents were born and raised there. I split my time between the U.S. and Cordoba, Argentina.Â
What is one cultural tradition that is especially meaningful to you?
No matter where I am, studying at home, traveling with the team, or just hanging out with friends, I always have my thermos and yerba mate with me. Yerba mate is a tea we drink in Argentina, sipped from a special cup through a metal straw that filters out the leaves. What makes it meaningful isn't really the drink, it's that you don't drink it alone. Passing the mate around is how we show hospitality, build community, and carrying that habit with me at Jax State is one of the simplest ways I stay connected to home.
How did you get started in your sport?
I got into cross country because of my love for endurance sports. Before competing in cross country and track and field, I competed in triathlons internationally, training and racing in both the U.S. and Argentina. In high school, I joined the cross-country team just for fun while I was still doing triathlons. I stuck with it because I fell in love with the chaos. There's nothing like standing on a start line with 200+ guys, knowing in five minutes I'm going to be asking my body for more than it wants to give.Â
Who was your biggest inspiration when you were growing up?Â
My biggest inspiration growing up was my father. At 17, he left Argentina to play golf at Jax State, leaving everything behind for a shot at a better future. Now, I'm running cross country at the same institution where he played golf. His work ethic and discipline shaped how I approach my own sport.Â
What does representing your family and culture mean when you compete?
Cross country is not a well-known sport in Argentina and there's not much infrastructure for runners who want to pursue it. I got into it because I was born in the U.S., where it's a normal school sport, so my path into this was a lot easier than it would've been for someone doing this from Argentina. That's not lost on me. Every time I compete, I feel like I'm representing a country where this dream is a lot harder to chase than it was for me.
What are you studying, and what are your career goals?Â
I am currently studying business management. This is my first year of business courses and I don't have a specific career locked in yet. I'm using these next few years to figure out what fits.
Complete this sentence: "Being a student-athlete has taught me….
Being a student-athlete has taught me to show up on the days I don't feel like it. Managing 6 a.m. practices and classes. I've learned how important it is to show up, even if I am not motivated to do so.Â
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This week, we are shining the spotlight on Augusto Caceres, a proud member of the men's cross country team.
Â
What does Hispanic heritage mean to you?
For me, being Hispanic means carrying two identities that complement each other. I grew up moving between Argentina and the United States, so heritage isn't a fixed thing I 'have,' it's something I carry with me: the language, the food, the family, wherever I am.Â
What country or countries does your family have roots in?
My family is from Argentina and my parents were born and raised there. I split my time between the U.S. and Cordoba, Argentina.Â
What is one cultural tradition that is especially meaningful to you?
No matter where I am, studying at home, traveling with the team, or just hanging out with friends, I always have my thermos and yerba mate with me. Yerba mate is a tea we drink in Argentina, sipped from a special cup through a metal straw that filters out the leaves. What makes it meaningful isn't really the drink, it's that you don't drink it alone. Passing the mate around is how we show hospitality, build community, and carrying that habit with me at Jax State is one of the simplest ways I stay connected to home.
How did you get started in your sport?
I got into cross country because of my love for endurance sports. Before competing in cross country and track and field, I competed in triathlons internationally, training and racing in both the U.S. and Argentina. In high school, I joined the cross-country team just for fun while I was still doing triathlons. I stuck with it because I fell in love with the chaos. There's nothing like standing on a start line with 200+ guys, knowing in five minutes I'm going to be asking my body for more than it wants to give.Â
Who was your biggest inspiration when you were growing up?Â
My biggest inspiration growing up was my father. At 17, he left Argentina to play golf at Jax State, leaving everything behind for a shot at a better future. Now, I'm running cross country at the same institution where he played golf. His work ethic and discipline shaped how I approach my own sport.Â
What does representing your family and culture mean when you compete?
Cross country is not a well-known sport in Argentina and there's not much infrastructure for runners who want to pursue it. I got into it because I was born in the U.S., where it's a normal school sport, so my path into this was a lot easier than it would've been for someone doing this from Argentina. That's not lost on me. Every time I compete, I feel like I'm representing a country where this dream is a lot harder to chase than it was for me.
What are you studying, and what are your career goals?Â
I am currently studying business management. This is my first year of business courses and I don't have a specific career locked in yet. I'm using these next few years to figure out what fits.
Complete this sentence: "Being a student-athlete has taught me….
Being a student-athlete has taught me to show up on the days I don't feel like it. Managing 6 a.m. practices and classes. I've learned how important it is to show up, even if I am not motivated to do so.Â
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Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
Tuesday, September 22
Sunday, September 20
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 08
