Christopher Richardson, who brings a new coaching staff to the track and field team, also brings a higher expectation.

What he believes is a team capable of being state champions this season, one that placed second in the South Coast Conference Championship a year ago.

“My expectation for this team is fairly high, in terms of the way (the team members) conduct themselves. I think we’ve changed the culture in terms of creating an environment of champions. If they take care of their classes, stay healthy, and listen to what me or the other coaches have to say, we could be contenders for the state championship,” he said.

Richardson also talked about the Mt. San Antonio College track and field team who is hosting its season opener on Feb. 8.

“Mt. San Antonio College College usually hosts a good field of athletes. Most of the Cerritos (College) teams in the past that weren’t able to beat Mt. SAC because they didn’t cover a very good range in terms of multiple events. I think because we cover most of those we are going to be pretty hard to beat. The only people that can really take us out of contention is ourselves.”

Richardson stated who he expects things from, “I’m really looking for some big things from Angel Sifuentes who was the state champion in the javelin last year. She’s going to be really good in the Heptathlon.”

Sifuentes’s personal best in javelin is 138.8 ft. She feels the pressure of the upcoming season, “To be honest, kind of a lot, but I’m excited and I trust my coaches.”

Sifuentes said she hopes to reach a new personal best of 160 ft. this season.

Richardson, who comes from coaching at El Camino-Compton College, has brought along with him his coaching staff from his previous college.

Sifuentes admitted that the team was unsure of how they close they would be, “At first we didn’t know if we did like each other or not. But everybody was open. We’re a family already and the season hasn’t even started yet.”

Richardson concluded saying, “Even though there are a lot of different event groups in this program, I think they all respect each other as student athletes. They’re willing to fight and compete for one another to come out on top as champions.”

The track and field teams will have their event at home, the Cerritos College Invitational, on Feb. 15 and 16.