Now in his 17^th year as the college’s director of track and field, Doug Wells has once again compiled one of the most talented and deepest squads in his tenure at Cerritos. This past season, the women’s team placed second in the State Championships after winning the Southern California Regionals. On the men’s side, they finished in seventh place in the State Championships after placing third in the Southern California Regionals. The women’s team also won the South Coast Conference championship last season with the men coming in second place. In addition to running the track and field program and serving as the men’s cross-country coach for the past six seasons, Wells also spent 10 years as an assistant football coach, until retiring from the gridiron seven years ago. Wells has had a great deal of success as a track and field coach, especially at Taft College. In 10 years at Taft, he guided his teams to a state championship and seven conference titles, while Wells was named the California Coach of the Year twice. At Cerritos, he was named the California Coaches Association Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, while he was awarded the Coach of the Year honor by the California Track and Running News five times.

          Wells attended Porterville Union High School, where he was a football and track star. He transferred to the University of Utah, where he competed in the NCAA Championships and was an All-American as a decathlete in 1970, while also playing fullback on the football team. Wells continued to compete in track events and won several shot put and discus National Championships in Master’s competition. Wells earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Physical Education from the University of Utah.

          Wells and his wife Darlene reside in Carson and have five children – Ron, Rene, Cherri, Gordon and Jason, along with six grandchildren. His youngest son, Jason, was an All-Big West selection in football in 1992 and his eldest grandson, Ian Crichton, competed on the Falcon track team for two seasons. In both years, he placed in the state championships in the javelin.

                John Goldman, who took over the Directorship of the Falcon cross country program three seasons ago, is in his second year as the men’s head track and field coach. In addition to being one of the most successful community college cross country coaches in the state, Goldman also handles the recruiting and coaching of distance runners for the men's and women's track and field teams. In his first year with the cross-country teams, he led both men’s and women’s teams to Top 10 finishes at the state championships.  In the past three cross country seasons, he has led Cerritos teams to a combined four Top 10 state championship finishes and two South Coast Conference championships, while being named the men’s conference Coach of the Year in 2003 and women’s conference Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2005.

                From 1996-2001, Goldman, 39, coached the Orange Coast men's and women's cross-country teams to five state championships (four for the women and one for the men), including being one of only two head coaches to win both state titles in the same year (1999). During his tenure at Orange Coast, Goldman also led his teams to a combined seven Orange Empire Conference championships, four Southern California Championships, while also coaching 12 individual state champions. He was recognized as the OEC Coach of the Year seven times, the California Community College State Coach of the Year in 1997, 1999 and 2001, as well as the California Coaches Association State Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.

                This past summer, Goldman was appointed the head track and field coach for the United States Track & Field team for the Maccabiah Games in Israel. The teams combined for 18 medals, which included six gold, seven silver and five bronze, more than any other country. The Maccabiah Games are the third largest sporting event in the world.

                Since taking charge of the distance events in track, Cerritos runners have won a total of five individual conference titles while garnishing nine All-State honors.

          In addition to his coaching, Goldman is one of the founders of International City Racing, where he served as the National Race Director in charge of all operations for the Long Beach International City Marathon and the Rivalry Run Series. These events attract thousands of runners from across the country and around the world. His talents as both coach and event director have been sought out by groups throughout California.

          Goldman currently resides in Long Beach with his wife Susan and their three children, Cole, Ty and Seth.

          Gary Gaudet has been involved in the Cerritos College track and field program since 1976, when he was named the head coach. He spent most of his time with the women’s program until 1994, when he left the college. He is now back for his sixth year as an assistant and the track program has picked up with his presence. Back in 1981, he helped lead the Falcons to their first Southern California championship, as well as their lone State Championship, while he was named the California Coach of the Year in 1982.

          Prior to coming to Cerritos, Gaudet was a coach at St. John Bosco High School from 1965-73 and was also a coach at Long Beach City from 1974-76. Gaudet recently retired after serving over 30 years as a teacher and administrator.

          A former football player and track athlete for the college, Gaudet transferred to Long Beach State, where he competed in track and field. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Long Beach State and Master’s Degree in School Management from the University of LaVerne.

          Gaudet is single and lives in Long Beach.

Debbie Jensen came to Cerritos College in 1995 as the head women’s soccer coach and assistant track and field coach. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she also teaches P.E. classes and is in her fifth year as Athletic Coordinator assisting Jeff Smith, the Athletic Director. 

Jensen will begin her seventh season as the men’s and women’s assistant track and field coach for the Falcons. For the 2006 season, Jensen will be coaching the jumps. In her tenure at Cerritos, Jensen has coached 12 state finalists which include one state champion in the men’s high jump, men’s and women’s long jump, women’s triple jump, women’s high jump and men’s and women’s javelin. 

Jensen also spent 1999-2002 as an assistant track coach at Vanguard University, where she coached two All-Americans, one in the women’s Indoor 400m and one in the men’s Indoor High Jump. Jensen also had five other national qualifiers in the men’s long jump, women’s Indoor 55m, men’s Indoor 60m hurdles, Outdoor women’s high jump and women’s 400m. In 1999 Jensen coached the conference champion in the women’s heptathlon. 

Prior to her arrival at Cerritos College, Jensen spent two years in Louisiana, attending attended Louisiana Tech University (1993-94), a Division I school, as a graduate assistant for the men’s and women’s track and field team. There, Jensen worked closely with the assistant coach in the sprints, hurdles, jumps and recruiting. The next year Jensen moved to Lafayette, Louisiana where she taught P.E. and was the head girl’s cross country and track coach at Acadiana H.S. Jensen coached two girls who qualified for state finals in the discus and javelin. 

From 1989-93 Jensen taught P.E. and coached at Corona High School as the head boy’s and girl’s track and field coach for three years and an assistant for one year. Her girl’s teams were league champions three years in a row and the boy’s were league champs one year. In her three years as head coach, Jensen coached two state finalists, two state prelim qualifiers, and 25 league champions. Jensen was named Mt. View League Coach of the Year four times. 

Jensen received her Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential in Physical Education from Cal State Fullerton. She then earned her Master’s degree in Health, Physical Education from Louisiana Tech University. Jensen ran cross country and track for the Southern California Cheetahs and Arcadia High School, then  ran cross country for Citrus College. Jensen is a certificated member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. 

Jensen is the granddaughter of Ernie Jensen, who was a P.E. teacher and coach at Excelsior and Bellflower high schools. Ernie was a very successful track coach who started the Bellflower National Relays and coached one of his two-mile relay teams to a national high school record.