MORAGA, Calif. — This weekend, members of the Saint Mary's men's soccer and women's basketball team participated in a virtual 5K to raise funds for Team Impact, an organization that pairs children battling serious or chronic illnesses with college sports teams. Men's soccer supported the cause in honor of Quentin "Squishy" Rios, who has been paired with the Gaels for several seasons, while women's basketball participated for Ayla Zawadzki who joined their program in February. 

The men's soccer team traveled out to Squishy's hometown of Oakley, approximately 45 minutes from campus, to complete the event. The team split up into small groups and then ran different routes to finish the race. Afterwards, the team met up with Squishy at a park near his house for a socially-distant hangout and presented him with his 2019 WCC Championship ring. 

"It was super cool for our freshmen to meet Squishy and his family for the first time and see what he, his family, and Team Impact are all about," said men's soccer head coach Adam Cooper. 

A small group of members from the women's basketball team also met up with Ayla and her father for a walk around Moraga while others participated from their respective hometowns. Brianna Simonich and Taycee Wedin, who were recently selected for the Team Impact Fellowship program, led the effort by setting up the route, helping others get signed up, and spreading the word via social media to raise awareness about the cause. 

"Ayla became a member of our team during the 2019-2020 season and it's been tough for our team not being able to spend time with her over these past few months," said women's basketball associate head coach Allyson Fasnacht. "This 5K was the perfect opportunity to catch up, support her as she begins the new school year, and support Team Impact as an organization. Even though our team can't be all together right now, all of us participating in our own space was a great way to feel connected." 

In addition to men's soccer and women's basketball, other Saint Mary's teams and athletics department staff members also joined the 5K and showed their support by posting photos of themselves participating to social media. 

Fans can read more about Quentin's story by clicking here and Ayla's story by clicking here. Follow this link for more information about Team Impact and their mission.