For the second time in three seasons, the Cerritos College men's track team finished second overall at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships, which were held at American River College over the weekend. The Falcons, who finished with 76 team points, trailed only the host Beavers, who posted 86 1/2 points. American River clinched the team championship in the 5000 meters, just prior to the final event of the night, the 4x400-meter relay race. The Falcons trailed by half a point, but did not have an entry in the relay race, while the Beavers wound up winning the 4x400-meter relay race for their 11 1/2-point team win.

 

    Although they didn't win the state title, the Falcons did win two individual state championships and set a pair of new school records. Sophomore sprinter Ameer Webb (Tustin HS), who just missed out on winning both the 100 meters and 200 meters as a freshman, did not let that feat escape him this season. Webb, who fought through head winds during the race, became the 17th person in the last 35 years to win both events. Looking to break the state championship record in both events, Webb had to settle for a 10.44 (his personal best is a 10.16) in winning the 100 meters and 20.77 in the 200 meters. He posted a record time of 20.13 in the Southern California Championships and holds the school record in both events.

 

    Freshman Daniel Herrera (El Rancho HS) set a pair of school records and turned in two second place finishes. He finished behind El Camino's David Cardona (14:29.46) in the 5000 meters with a school-record time of 14:52.16, and eclipsed his own record time of 14:54.31. In the 10,000 meters, Herrera eclipsed the school record time of 31:20.84 set by Daniel Clifford-Sorenson in 2007 by posting a time of 31:11.80. It was just shy of winning the state title, which was won in a time of 31:03.42 by Ansu Sowe of Southwestern College.

 

    The Falcons entered the state championships thinking they had enough fire power to win the title, but had a couple of unexpected situations cross their paths. Sophomore Gabriel Hilbert (Kennedy HS), who won the 1500 meters as a freshman and competed in the Outdoor Track and Field Junior Championships in the 800 meters last summer, turned in a pair of seventh place finishes. He registered a time of 1:55.45 in the 800 meters - he ran a 1:50.84 at the Junior Championships - which would have won the state title, while his time of 4:00.20 was eight seconds off his personal best time of 3:52.36, which would have put him fourth.

 

    The team also had two more second place finishes to boast of, with the 4x100-meter relay team of sophomore William English (Cantwell HS), Carl Houston (Cerritos HS), Karlin Stewart (Mount Miguel HS/Cuyamaca College) and Webb finished in 40.75 and were edged by American River's time of 39.78. Stewart also finished second in the long jump with a leap of 24' 11 1/4", which was shy of his school record distance of 25' 4 3/4". That leap was the second best distance in the nation among community college athletes this season. The best? It was Bracin Walker of American River, who won the state championship with a jump of 25' 9 1/4".

 

    In other field events, Stewart came in fifth place in the triple jump with a leap of 47' 10", which was two feet shy off his personal best, while sophomore Aaron Burke (Downey HS) came in seventh place at 46' 6 1/4". Freshman Miguel Lopez (Esperanza HS) posted a fifth place finish in the discus at 158' 3", while his toss of 171' 6" on his first attempt earned him a sixth place. The distance was shy of his personal best this season of 178' 2".

 

    Sophomore Sony Theodate (Fort Lauderdale, FL HS) picked up a fifth place finish in the shot out at 51' 7 3/4, despite fouling on four of his six throws, while freshman hurdler Seth George (Long Beach Wilson HS) posted a time of 55.26 to come in sixth place in the 400-meter IH.