The Rio Hondo Women’s Soccer team hosted an Information and Sophomore Commitment farewell potluck on May 10 in which the coaching staff and players all gathered together to say goodbye to the sophomore athletes that will be going on to the next chapters of their lives, in both soccer and education.

The coaching staff includes Head Coach Jennifer Tanaka, Will Lopez who has been the Assistant Coach for four years now and Armando Guitierrez is an Assistant Coach as well and has been with the team for two years now. Amanda Krukow is another Assistant Coach and has been with Rio Hondo for eight seasons, but unfortunately could not make it to the event.

Coach Tanaka also welcomed two new Coaches, Carlos Lopez and Yahaira Hernandez. Lopez will be the Goalkeeper Coach and will focus on training the team’s goalies. Hernandez will be an Assistant Coach and will be a huge asset to the rest of the coaching staff this season.

It was an evening full of both joy and a little bit of sadness, as some teammates would be going their separate ways to attend different universities in the fall while some were already at universities since the start of the spring semester.

Coach Tanaka and the team also welcomed their new recruits for the upcoming 2016 season, as well as gave them advice on what to expect and how to be prepared for college soccer.

One thing that was obvious was that the Rio Hondo athletes all cherished the time that they spent together playing for the team. It was clear to see that the team created a bond within the players that would be remembered by all of them forever. Defender Courtney Gonzalez said, “The bonds you make with everyone are pretty awesome.” This speaks volumes about the soccer program at Rio Hondo.

The Lady Roadrunners went 17-2-4 overall last season and 5-1-2 in conference winning a second consecutive Regional Conference championship.

Rio Hondo had an impressive season yet again under Head Coach Tanaka as she and her fellow coaches lead the team to the State Championships for the first time in school history, taking second place at the CCCAA Soccer State Championships.

Rio Hondo ultimately lost the game 3-0 to the defending State Champions Cerritos College on Dec. 6 at De Anza College in Cupertino, who won their fourth consecutive state championship. Although the game did not end in Rio Hondo’s favor, the season was definitely a success story for Coach Tanaka, her fellow coaching staff and her players.

Coach Tanaka’s goal for her athletes is to get them transferred and ready for the next level of education, and that is something that she has not had a hard time doing. This season yet again a number of the Rio Hondo Women’s Soccer players received scholarships to play at four-year universities.

The evening started off with Dean of Kinesiology, Dance and Athletics / Athletic Director Steve Hebert introducing himself to the incoming athletes, and then proceeded to congratulate the women’s soccer team for their incredible success last season.

He also wished the sophomore class that is transferring to four-year universities the best of luck, along with some more inspirational advice for the younger athletes to follow in their footsteps.

It was then the transferring class’ time to talk, as they were asked to share what they most liked about their time here at Rio Hondo and to give any advice that they have for the new recruits.

Marissa Lara, who played Defense had a G.P.A. Of 3.94 and plans to start the RN program at Rio Hondo in Spring 2017.

Alexis Marinero is a Midfielder and will be transferring to Ottawa University in the fall of 2016 on a soccer scholarship. For her studies Marinero plans on becoming a Nurse.

Cassie Duran is a Midfielder and transferred to Cal State University Fullerton this spring and is already taking classes to become a math teacher. Duran tore her ACL right before the season started during her first year at Rio Hondo and unfortunately missed the first season, but recovered well and came back fit and played the following season.

Maritza Acuna had a 4.0 G.P.A. and received the CCCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year award. Acuna transferred to UC Irvine where she will play Division 1 soccer and plans on becoming a Doctor. Acuna was also named the Rio Hondo Athlete of the Year.

Her twin sister, Janeth Acuna who is an Attacking-Midfielder also transferred to UC Irvine and lead the state for top three in assists last season. Janeth received an award for receiving a 3.5 and above G.P.A.

These twin sisters came to Rio Hondo with the goal of transferring on a full scholarship to a Division 1 school, and they did just that. They came with a set goal, and did everything they had to do to accomplish it. The Acuna sisters were both great role models for the Rio Hondo soccer team.

Christina Holguin, who was the starting Goalkeeper is transferring to Cal State University San Francisco and will continue her academic and athletic soccer career out in the bay area. Holguin actually broke her finger during a game at one point, and still stayed on the field and finished the game strongly for Rio Hondo. It was a memory that stood out to Coach Tanaka, as it truly demonstrated Holguin’s strong character and commitment to the team.

Courtney Gonzalez was a Defender and a total asset to the team, as she fought hard in every game that she played. Gonzalez will be transferring to Ottawa University alongside her teammate Marinero and will continue her academic and athletic career in Kansas.

Overall, Coach Tanaka and the rest of the coaching staff stressed how proud they were of all of their athletes. They had an impressive season and made it all the way to the CCCAA State Championships for the first time in the school’s history and even took second place. They also won back-to-back Regional Conference titles under Head Coach Tanaka.

This season will definitely go down in the Rio Hondo history book, and the team is already preparing for the upcoming season too. Congratulations to all the sophomores that will be going on to the next chapters of their lives, you’ve all left your mark at Rio Hondo.