The Cerritos College track and field teams turned in another outstanding performance at the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival / Jim Bush Legends Invitational, hosted at UCLA on March 28, highlighted by a school record, state-leading marks, and numerous 3C2A State "A" qualifiers.
Leading the way was Juan Flores, who delivered a historic performance in the men's 3000m steeplechase. Flores surged to victory in 9:03.24, breaking the previous Cerritos College school record of 9:15.38 set in 2007. The mark not only secured the win but also met the state "A" standard, further cementing his status as one of the top distance runners in the state.
On the women's side, Mackenzie Monson continued her dominant season in the throws, tying her state-leading mark in the hammer with a throw of 55.45m to hit another "A" standard. She was joined by Aysia Mallory Feliciano (49.08m) and Miracle Siaosi (46.99m), as the trio once again swept state qualifying marks in the event. Siaosi added additional qualifiers in the shot put (12.10m) and discus (41.26m), while Monson (41.57m) and Fellica (39.62m) also reached the standard in the discus.
The Falcons' middle-distance crew made a strong statement as well. Nyla Nolan ran 2:15.03 in the 800m, moving to No. 2 in the 3C2A state rankings, while Monserrat Malo matched that time to hit the state standard. Malo also added a solid 5:14.19 effort in the 1500m, showing her range across events.
In the sprints, Angel Corral clocked a state-qualifying 57.76 in the 400m, while Naleyah Davis (12.69) and Taaliah Stephenson (12.77) turned in competitive performances in the 100m. The women's 4x400m relay team of Jewel Scott, Corral, Nolan, and Deona Standifer capped the meet with an impressive 3:54.90, earning another state "A" mark.
The men's distance squad also shined beyond Flores' record-breaking run. Axel Rebolledo-Ynostros posted a breakthrough performance in the 800m, running 1:52.96 to take over the No. 1 spot in the 3C2A state rankings. He was supported by Johan Perez (1:54.81), as the Falcons showed strong depth in the event. In the 5000m, Joshua Morales led the way with a state-qualifying 14:50.90, while Louis Santibanez and Jonathan Morales both dipped under 16 minutes.
In the field events, Damian Salas (51.81m) and Francisco Arechiga (49.13m) both reached the state standard in the hammer throw. Dang Tran continued his consistent season with qualifying marks in the shot put (14.75m) and discus (43.54m).
The Falcons also saw solid contributions from their sprint group, with Ethan Rosborough running 10.82 in the 100m and Xavier Williams clocking 22.05 in the 200m. The men's 4x100m relay team posted a time of 42.80, while the 4x400m squad of Jeremiah Atkins, Aidan Vigil, Justin Baines, and Williams closed out the meet in 3:27.22.
