NOTE: In our continuing series based on an idea by Padadena City College Sports Information Director Robert Lewis, we will be taking a look at a different Cerritos College student-athlete during this time when all sports have been cancelled.

Midway through the 2020 season, Cerritos College sophomore swimmer Colson Morrow (Long Beach Millikan HS) and the rest of his team saw the year abruptly come to an end, as well as all other CCCAA athletics sports early in March. The world health crisis over the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected every level of sports competition and Morrow is one of thousands of collegiate student-athletes coping with the shutdown.

Having one of the best seasons in recent memory, Morrow had already broken the school record in the 1000-yard freestyle and was poised to qualify for the CCCAA State Championships in both the 500-yard freestyle and 1650-yard freestyle. He was also the team's best 400-yard IM swimmer, while his time of 4:31.95 as a freshman ranks as the fifth best in school history. Morrow's name is also on the college's top list marks in the 500-yard freestyle (5:07.23), which is the ninth best, with that mark also coming in his freshman year.

Also a member of the Falcons water polo team, Morrow played in 2018 and spent 2019 as a red-shirt. His his freshman year, he appeared in 23 games and recorded 11 goals, with 17 assists and eight steals. He is preparing to play the 2020 year for Cerritos. While in high school, he was an All-Moore League selection in water polo and also received his team's Most Improved Player twice.

"Colson has made big improvements in both water polo and in swimming," said head coach Joe Abing. "In water polo, he made a difficult decision to red-shirt this fall (2019 season). He would have been a key contributor had he played, but he has gained tremendous experience from the the extra season. He also has moved his GPA up considerably, making him more attractive to transfer. In swimming, he was on pace to qualify for the State Championships in a few distance events. He had already broken the school record in the 1000-yard freestyle, and I think he had a legitimate shot at the 1650 record. He is a much more mature student-athlete now then where he was when he started here. His strengths as a polo player is that he is left-handed, and a smart player who is one of our best communicators in the water. He is self motivated and I expect him to have a great 2020 polo season. He could also swim at a four-year college, but I think his heart is playing polo somewhere."

The following is a Q&A with Morrow:

Q: The season was more than halfway done, and you had already broken a record. How did you initially handle the news of the shutdown and was it a shock to you and your teammates?
Colson: My news of the shutdown was taken fairly hard. In the days leading up to the official announcement, we already had some of our practices modified or cancelled. When we first saw the announcement from the CCCAA that our competition season was over, there was some frantic communication among my team, with Coach Abing trying to figure out what, if anything, would still be allowed under the shutdown. When we had the full shutdown of all practices, there was another round of texts among my team. Some sad goodbyes, mainly instructions to stay home and stay in shape however possible. At the time of breaking a school record, I was ecstatic, already looking forward to a shot at breaking a second record and going to state championship finals. I had no idea that my record breaking swim would be my last swim meet of the year, possibly of my career.

Q: What has been the biggest thing you've missed as a college student-athlete since the season was shut down?
Colson: I think I have missed evening water polo practices more than anything. After all of my classes and school work was done for the day, my current teammates and alumni would get together for some intense, but incredibly fun water polo that kept our team chemistry up while we were in swim season. I've tried to keep in touch with my teammates, but nothing beats playing with/against them every week.

Q: Are you pleased that the California Community Colleges and NCAA are handing back the year of eligibility to spring sports participants?
Colson: I think it was such an important thing for both the CCCAA and the NCAA to give athletes their eligibility year back. Athletes dedicate so much of their lives to their sports, and the heartbreak of this shutdown would be too much to bear for seniors or community college sophomores if they could not have played out their final season. The day the sports shutdown was announced, social media went crazy with thousands of athletes gathering support to make their requests to the governing bodies known. I know some athletes that quite literally needed their final season at the CCCAA level, as they were looking to use their athletic performance as a means to afford the costs of transferring to 4-year universities. This granted privilege was especially important for them.

Q: What have you done to stay in shape and pass the time to replace the lost practices/meets?
Colson: Being an aquatics athlete has made staying in shape for my sport especially difficult. Very few forms of exercise can remotely compare to the full body work required in competitive swimming and water polo. The closure of LA county beaches provided another obstacle. I have been swimming/running around the outside of Naples Island in Long Beach, as well as going to Huntington Beach for some running and swimming workouts, despite the incredibly cold temperatures. I don't have a home gym, but the amount of pushups I can manage is growing by the week. I've also taken up guitar playing and some major home improvement projects,

Q: What have you been able to do that you wouldn't have been able to do since the shut down, or what have you done to pass some of the down time?
Colson: I have spent more time with my family in the past couple of weeks than I have in this entire year. Working, going to school, and playing two sports has left me little time for my personal life, and getting to reconnect with my family is a gift that I haven't taken lightly. I've been able to connect with my long distance friends more via video games and one friend is giving me guitar lessons over FaceTime.

Q: What has been the best part of attending/playing at Cerritos? Do you feel you've grown as a swimmer and polo player from high school?
Colson: My personal transformation I've experienced at Cerritos is one I don't take lightly. Having some very bad school and social experiences in my home city of Long Beach, my decision to go to Cerritos has allowed me to make many new connections I wouldn't have gotten staying in my city. And I've been able to get more playing time and attention from coaches while still competing with and greatly surpassing my old rivals from Long Beach. Put simply, my favorite part of attending Cerritos is the opportunities for growth as a student, athlete, and person that my fantastic coaches, professors, and counselors have provided for me.