From 1995 to the present, Cerritos College athletics has continued to field winning sports teams and athletes. Though there are many noteworthy accomplishments worth listing, there are a few that stand out in the minds of those who have been there.

Wrestling

Jeff Smith, former wrestling coach, recalls his one of his fondest memories during this decade, “The men’s wrestling team winning the state title in ’95 is one of my fondest memories. It blew everybody out by like 50 points. There was no doubt who the champions were.”

The men’s wrestling team has had other successes in the last 10 years. The team won both the South Coast Conference title and state title in 1995. It also went undefeated during the season. In 1997, nine players represented the college and the team at the state championships. Four out of those nine players placed and the team itself placed fourth in the state.

Heath Sims, who would later compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, won the state title in his division in 1998. In 2000, Hassin Oshani, won another state title for the school in the heavyweight division. Two years later, Smith was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Being acknowledged by my wrestling peers was a great feeling. I got to join my mentor Harold Simonek.”

In 2004, Eugene Yasutomi added another state title for the school. That same year the team had five members make the All-American Team, and they ended up fifth in the state with a score of 75.5. This year, their winning ways have continued as the wrestling team has captured another conference title, its 22nd overall.

Basketball

The men’s basketball team has also done well in the last 10 years. In 1996, the team won the conference title and Coordinator of student activities Dean Ackland, then assistant coach, received Coach of the Year honors. Three years later, his first and only season as head coach, he guided the team to its fifth state title. That year the team also tied the record for most wins in a season with 33 wins and 5 losses.

“We had a very good group of guys that year and it was great coaching with Ackland,” Gary Cain, who was an assistant at the time and is the current head coach.

SOCCER

In 1999, the men’s soccer team was ranked third in Southern California and shared the SCC Western Division title. The team was ranked second in the state from the Commission on Athletics Poll and third on a national poll (NCSSA/Adidas Community College Div. II National Poll) in 2004. That year, the team made it’s first appearance in the state title for the first time in school history.

CROSS COUNTRY

Both the men and women’s cross-country teams have had successful seasons since 1995. In 1999 five members of the men’s team competed in the state championships and then coach Jeff Clignan was named SCC Co-Coach of the Year. Janessa Botello was named SCC Championship Women’s “Athlete of the Meet” and SCC Women’s “Athlete of the Year” and earned All-State honors in 2004. The team finished fourth in the state that year. In 2005 the women’s team clinched their second straight SCC conference title.

SWIMMING

In 2001, three swimmers made the All-America team, Laura Luevano, 6th place; Katrina Kimble, 13th place and Dan Garcia, 13th place.

Robbie Garcia won the state championship in the 200-meter freestyle race in 2004. Last spring the men’s swimming team won it’s first conference championship in over 20 years and Garcia added another state title to his name, this time in the 500-meter freestyle.