Track and field season starts on Saturday.

With women winning the state title last year and new additions to the men’s team, there are high expectations for the team overall this season.

Director of track and field Doug Wells is expecting this year’s season to be one of the best yet for Cerritos College.

Wells says with new additions like incoming freshmen Jeremy Cutler and Stephanie Alimatafitafi, both who hope to help their team out in throwing events can only make the team stronger.

“My No. 1 goal is to help win state this year. Women won last year, but this year both men and women have got to win,” Cutler said. “We have too much talent to not win.”

With returning athletes such as returning state champion long jumper, Kristen Joseph, and Cerritos top high jumper, Bruce McCall, Wells believes athletes like these will be key role players this year.

Joseph, who won the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Track and Field State Championship in the long jump, delivering the second longest jump in school history at 24′ 9.75″, hopes to only get better this year.

While the men’s team will be chasing the state title, the women’s team will be responsible for defending its.

Coach Michael Allen and assistant coach Lloyd Higgins will be given the task of leading the women’s team back to the promise land.

“We have about 60 percent of our women’s team returning this year. With athlete’s like Whitney Ashley, one of our top throwers and Jessica Barfield being one of our top jumpers,” Allen said, “Our No. 1 goal will be to repeat as regional champions and No. 2 would be to go on to win state.”