East LA College wins two titles at state

By Tadzio Garcia

For the second time in school history, the East Los Angeles College women's track and field team won two individual state titles in a CCCAA Track and Field Championships.

Three-time All-American freshman Laura Aceves won the 2014 10,000-meter run on May 16 at Mt. San Antonio College and added a 3,000-meter steeplechase win the next day. She won the 2013-14 CCCAA cross country state finals women's race to earn her first All-American certificate.

Sophomore Kemarley Brown of Merritt College from Oakland turned in the championship's best performance winning the men's 100-meter dash with a new world record time. of 9.93 seconds.

All-American sophomore Gonzalo Ceja of ELAC  took third place in the men's steeplechase, the best individual men's state finish for ELAC since 2008, when 2012 Olympian Kenneth Medwood won the 400-meter hurdles for the Huskies. Sophomore Daniel Rincon-Zaragoza also reached the state finals winner's podium after taking eighth place in the men's 5,000-meter run for ELAC.

Riverside City College won the men's team title for the third consecutive year. The ELAC men's team took the No. 24 spot.

The Huskies women's team scored 20 points of off Aceves's two wins, good enough for a 13th place with College of the Sequoias. Mt. SAC won its first women's state title in four years edging defending champion and 2014 runner-up, Cerritos College.

Aceves is in good company in winning two titles for ELAC. Sylvia Mosqueda won three state titles for the Huskies in 1986, the 800, 1500, and 5,000-meter runs. Mosqueda's record in the 5,000 run in that meet is still a community college national record.

"I have a lot of work ahead of me to keep improving. My goal next year is to break the state meet records in both events," Aceves said.

In the steeplechase, Aceves is 30.68 seconds off the five-year state record of 10:44.46 set by Cassie Mitchell, then of Orange Coast Coast College. Aceves will need to drop 1:40.95 minutes in the 10,000 run to break Michelle Icban's (Orange Coast) 2003 state meet record of 35:49.24.

2013 marked the first year Aceves worked with a team sport, cross country. She was introduced to T&F this semester. Her first place winning time in the steeplechase, 11:15.14, was 1.48 seconds off her personal record, which is the fourth fastest time in the nation among community college women.

She has the third fastest time in the nation in the 10,000 run and the fourth fastest in the steeplechase.

"Laura was the only long distance runner, women's or men's, that won two 2014 state titles, which goes to show you how difficult it is to win two (long distance races)," ELAC track and field Head Coach, Louis Ramirez said.

Aceves overcame adversity to win two state titles according to Ramirez. "Last Friday, she warmed up gingerly for the 10,000 having lost two toenails two weeks earlier while winning a Southern California championship in the same event," Ramirez said.

"She began her state title run taking the lead at the onset. She was followed closely by sophomore Daisy Esparza of Fullerton College, ranked No. 2 in the state, until the fifth mile."

Aceves took off at mile five and began to lap runners while running alone. She beat Esparza by more than a minute. "Laura was four seconds from lapping the third place winner (sophomore) Karina Sanchez of Cerritos," Ramirez said.

In the steeplechase, it looked as if the 10,000 run had taken its toll on Aceves according to Ramirez. "She had sore calves coupled with a two-inch blood blister on her big toe leaving her at a disadvantage," Ramirez said.

Eight of the top-10 ranked runners in the state competed fresh without having run the day before.

"Aceves lost concentration with 200-meters left, stopping at the water barrier and unsure how to get over. She took a step back and jumped over the water hurdle, but landed in the deepest part of the water pit," Ramirez said.

While Aceves waded in three feet of water while moving to get out, Becky Hobby of Modesto Junior College took advantage and passed her. Aceves responded with a sprint with 200-meters left passing Hobby and win by more than 15 seconds claiming the steeplechase victory and her second state title.

In the men's steeplechase, Ceja competed with sophomore Chris Kigar of American River College who has the fifth fastest time in the nation as well as sophomore Ryan Maize of Cuyamaca College who ran the eighth fastest. Maize won the steeplechase, Kigar was second while Ceja finished third.

"I was running to win and was disappointed with my third place finish. I gave it my all so I'm happy with winning All-American status," Ceja said. Ceja, who finished the season with the ninth fastest time in the nation, won the SoCal steeplechase title with Maize finishing second. Kigar was the NorCal winner.

Rincon-Zaragoza didn't know he was in position to get eighth place and make the winner's podium in the 5,000 run. "I felt sick and wanted to quit with a couple of laps left. I heard the ELAC fans cheering then so I pushed to finish," Rincon-Zaragoza said. He was shocked when he was told he won eighth place and jumped for joy.

http://elaccampusnews.com/2014/05/20/east-la-college-wins-two-titles-at-state/