For the sixth year in a row, the Cerritos College women's track and field team captured the South Coast Conference championship. The Falcons, who compiled 357 team points, held off second place Mt. San Antonio College, who finished with 319 points. The team will now competed in the Southern California Prelims, which will take place at San Diego Mesa College next Saturday. The top six automatically advance to the SoCal Prelims if they have the SoCal minimum marks.

In winning the championship, Cerritos won nine individual championships, including freshman Keirra King (Long Beach Wilson HS), who earned three first place finishes, while running a leg of both relay races that finished in second place. Joining her as a multiple champion was sophomore thrower Amber Hart (Narbonne HS), who moved her name into second place on the college's all-time record book in both the shot put and discus. In fact, four of the Falcons marks in the conference championships placed athletes in the college's top five list.

King, who won both the 100 meters (11.69) and 200 meters (24.54), as her 100 meters time put her fourth on the college's all-time list. Her third championship came in the long jump, as Cerritos took the top three spots. As for Hart, she easily won the shot put (14.18 meters) and discus (51.72 meters), with the Falcons dominating the field events, which is their speciality. They represented the top five finishers in the shot put and four of the top five placers in the discus.

Also putting her name higher in the record book was Tanya Reyes (Warren HS), whose hammer distance of 49.34 meters moved her into fourth place on the college's top five list. Also posting wins were Jelani Minix (Carson HS) in the high jump, as Cerritos took the top three spots, as well as heptathlete Michaela Banyi (Valencia HS), who led a contingent of six Falcons who accounted for the top seven finishers. Record holder in the javelin, Mystasia Alexander (Lynwood HS) won the title for the second season in a row, as her best throw traveled 43.45 meters, which was off her record distance of 45.61 meters.

Below are the awards that were announced at the coach's meeting:

• Men's Coach of the Year: Ron Kamaka (Mt. SAC)
• Women's Coach of the Year: Christopher Richardson (Cerritos)
• Assistant Coach of the Year (Field): Chucky Hampton and Lloyd Higgins (Cerritos)
• Assistant Coach of the Year (Track): Jenna Bird (Mt. SAC)
• Male Track Athlete of the Year: Manuel Fernandez (Mt. SAC) & Jasher Foster (El Camino)
• Male Track Athlete of the Meet: Carson Bix (El Camino) & Manuel Fernandez (Mt. SAC)
• Male Field Athlete of the Year: Tate Curran (El Camino)
• Male Field Athlete of the Meet: Joshua Taylor (East LA)
• Female Track Athlete of the Year: Brittany Mitchell (Mt. SAC)
• Female Track Athlete of the Meet: Kierra King (Cerritos)
• Female Field Athlete of the Year: Amber Hart (Cerritos)
• Female Field Athlete of the Meet: Amber Hart (Cerritos)

Photos by Daryl Peterson