The regular track season has ended for community colleges throughout California, leaving the men’s team for Cerritos College in second place and the women’s team in first for Southern California.
The Falcons have geared up for the post-season in which women’s head coach Michael Allen compares it to the “Triple Crown” of track and field.
There are three main track meets that Cerritos will face on its way to becoming state champs; South Coast Conference Finals, Southern California Finals and the California State Meet itself, with preliminaries for each round.
The South Coast Conference Preliminaries were held on Tuesday, and those that qualified are to appear at the South Coast Conference Finals on Friday.
Allen said, “Our goal is to get through this week and go from there.”
There are many individual athletes that might strike out and do well in their individual events but unless the team does well overall, there won’t be a chance for the team to win state.
Allen explained, “We are on a points system and unless we go out there as a team and put up the points we need we won’t meet our goals, not just for state but for SCC prelims.
“If we can string together a few good finishes then we will be able to make a nice little run at the title.”
This is where Allen expects all-star athletes such as Kelsey Caesar, Kristen Joseph and Nick Armstrong for the men’s team and Erin Straughter, Jessica Barfield and Marleen Elizalde for the women’s team to step up and help lead the Falcons.
Straughter, who is .01 second away from breaking the school record in the 100-meter hurdles and leading the state in the same event, has been preparing for the SCC preliminaries.
“I’ve been keeping up with practice, making sure to get enough sleep, drinking lots and lots of water since it starting getting so hot, and I keep envisioning myself winning each race up until each event,” Straughter said.
This is a team sport and athletes such as China Fleming who runs the 1500-meter and the 800-meter will be giving it their all to help support the team.
“I’m looking to get my personal best in hopes to qualify for the Southern California Conference Finals,” Fleming added. “Because if I do that, not only have I done my best; I will have helped out my team.”
