Imagine growing up with not one, but two twin brothers and competing against them every day.

Such is life for 22-year-old Sacramento State Seniors Jeff, Nick and Chris Santana.

“They are the best of friends and worst of enemies,” their mother Carlene Santana said.

The Santana triplets compete in the same events for the Hornets, the 400 and 110-meter hurdles, but by now they’re used to the brotherly competition.”Every one wants to be first,” Chris Santana said. “It just pushes us to want to get better and that’s how we improve.

“It’s usually me who wins though.”

Although both Nick and Jeff said that has been true recently, it hasn’t always been the case.

Carlene said that Jeff brought home the most first-place finishes in high school, and Nick says he got off to the fastest start when they began their collegiate careers at Sac State.

When they were 7 years old, Carlene said the boys took karate lessons and they were always active with sports.

But they weren’t always so crazy about running.

The only running they did before high school, Carlene said, was to get to the car first when she came to pick them up.

It was after seeing them run in their physical education class at Benicia High School that the track and field coach asked the triplets to go out for the team.As freshmen the Santanas competed in the pole vault. They also tried the long jump and triple jump, but it wasn’t until they started jumping over hurdles that they found a real passion for the sport.

“We tried different events,” Jeff said. “We saw that we had some talent in the hurdles, so we stuck with that.”

Competing against one another has always been a way of life for the Santana brothers, and it’s through that sibling rivalry that they have grown so close.”We usually share everything,” Nick said.

The three live together, train together and share a car, not to mention the same physical appearance.

Kathleen Raske, who took over the track and field program at Sac State 18 months ago, said it took her almost six months to be able to tell the three brothers apart, but she didn’t mind the challenge.

“It’s just a blast for me to coach them and I think it’s been very unique to our program,” Raske said. “I don’t think ever again in my coaching career will I have triplets.”

After getting to know and coach them, she now says it’s easy to tell them apart because they’re actually very different.

According to Carlene, Chris is very outgoing and laid back, Nick is the more serious one, and Jeff is somewhere in between.

For those who don’t know them personally, the brothers offer this advice.”Nick has braces, Jeff has a thicker neck and I’m faster,” Chris said jokingly.

A trait they share, though, is the desire to improve on the track.

The Santanas have improved in each of their four seasons with the Hornets, an achievement Raske attributes to their willingness to put in the extra effort.

“They’re three of the hardest working guys out there,” Raske said.

Now three of the top hurdlers in the Big Sky Conference, they hope to complete the “Santana Sweep” in the 400-hurdles at the conference championships later this month.

“I think it will be my favorite moment probably ever as a coach when they sweep the 400-hurdles because it’s so unique to have triplets on the same team,” Raske said.

Chris is the defending Big Sky Champion in the event, but Nick and Jeff will be looking to take his title.

It’s no different from the days when they were kids trying to get to the car first. This time, though, it means a little more.

All three brothers want to extend their final season as long as possible by qualifying for NCAA Regionals. Even when the season does come to an end, though, Nick said they will continue to train and try to run as professionals. “Working with (the Santanas) has been a joy,” Raske said. “It’s been a pleasure to coach them, and we’ll really miss them next year.”