Behind Freshmen runners David Cardona and Jose “Tiot” Lezama’s great performances, the track and field team got third place in its meet at Long Beach City College
last Friday.
The two men got first and second place in the 3,000 meter race in which four of the six colleges participating had note worthy programs, coach Dean Lofgren said.
Cardona and Lezama hit the first mile mark in about 4:37. Cardona claimed first place with a time of 8:40.83 and Lezama got second place finish with 8:41.16.
“Running is really hard; it’s a sport people take as easy when actually we are doing every other sports’ a punishment,”
Lezama said.
Cardona and Lezama are confident in their standings, but take it day to day since track is a sport where no one gets a day off.
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish,” Cardona
said.
Other top performers at the meet from the women’s side were freshmen Sale Garland and Merry Tulikihihifo.
Garland is having one of the best seasons in the conference
as she leads the state and is undefeated in the 400m and is currently ranked No. 3 in the state for the 200m, Lofgren said.
Tulikihihifo won the shot put at the meet with an impressive
throw of 41.5 feet, putting her in tenth place on EC’s all-time list in the event, Lofgren said.
The scoring in track and field adds up all the athletes’ individual performances together to determine a winner at the end of the meet.
Cordona’s, Lezama’s, Garland’s and Tulikihihifo’s
performances were a big reason why the Warriors were able to come in third at Long Beach City.
These four athletes, along with other great players on the track and field team have Lofgren
looking forward to a great season.
Another reason Lofgren is excited about the rest of the track season is that Kayc Wharton was finally cleared to compete after an ankle fracture she suffered at the end of soccer season in late November.
Wharton is one of the state’s top 400 meter
hurdlers and is also a 400 meter runner. Her return to the track will only help the track and field team, Lofgren said.
Because each meet is heavily scheduled with 42 events, Lofgren had most of his athletes not run their traditional events at this early meet in the season.
But his training philosophy is obviously working at EC, since the track and field program
is one of the most successful in the state, despite having a dirt track that a lot of runners do not like to use.
“We provide young athletes with a positive environment where most transfer to a university.
Here they are given academic support, good coaching, and good teammates,” Lofgren said.