After winning the last past two state championships and three in the last four years, the Cerritos College women’s track team looks strong halfway through this season.

“So far so good,” Women’s head coach Michael Allen said. “The team has lost a few key freshman from last season that would have been sophomores this year, that hurt the depth a little, but we have performed well this season.”

This season is different from past years where the Falcons dominated the rest of the competition.

“This year there are three or four teams that can win it,” he said. “It will all depend on how well we perform in these final meets.”

There are many hurdles the Falcons must overcome to win a third straight championship.

“The other teams in the state are recruiting to just beat us, while we recruit to fill the holes that we have once people leave,” Allen said.

Director of track and field Doug Wells had another reason.

“Some of the athletes we have had in the past are the type of athletes that only come around once every 10 years,” he said.  “Its like if you lose the Super Bowl MVP do you replace him with another Super Bowl MVP, that’s doesn’t happen very often.

Another reason can be nagging injuries every athlete faces through a long season.

“Track is different than other sports because we can’t just tape up an arm and through someone back in there to throw a block,” Wells said. “Track athelets a thoroughbreds not work horses.”

This year’s team has one of the top 4×400 and 4×400 relays in the state along with many top athletes at their individual events.

Sade Williams is one of those athletes, after missing most of last season while she was pregnant.

She said, “I expect both Tanisha Hawkins and I will compete for the state title in the 400 meters along with 4×400.”

She has ran since, she was 5 years old but feels like there is still a lot of pressure on her because she missed last season.

Another of the top contenders for this season’s team is Danielle Thomas, who runner 4×100 and 4×400 relays, as well as the 100 and 200 meters.

The freshman picked Cerritos College because ” it is like a little university.”

“Most other JC’s aren’t as helpful, they don’t help to get enrolled and get into classes as Cerritos does,” she said.

She believes that the 200 meters is her best event and expects to make it to the state championship in that event as well as the relays.