July 18, 2008

Long Beach, Calif. - Long Beach State Track and Field rounds out the 2008-09 recruiting class with the announcement of six distance runners for the upcoming year. The runners join 11 other athletes as part of the class for the new season.

"This class really consolidates the strengths if our distance programs, and added to our returning crew, it sets us up for a great future," said assistant coach Patrick Cunniff. "They are great athletes with a lot of potential to compete at a very high level."

The men's program adds three new members, beginning with Raul Arcos from Corona, Calif. A miler out of Corona High School, Arcos ran a time of 4:07.49 in the 1600m, and has solid times in the 800m and 5k as well as running a 15:31 at Mt. SAC on their cross country course. He finished fourth in the Nike Outdoor National Championships and finished second in the state last year in the mile.

Bret Hasvold comes to the 49ers from Fallbrook, Calif., where the middle-distance runner will transition to Division I. Finishing fourth at the state championship meed in cross country with a 15:24 at Woodward Park in Fresno, Hasvold continued his success in the track season, advancing to the state championships in the 800m.

Matt Maldonado rounds out the men's additions. A Modesto, Calif. product, Maldonado finished his senior season by posting a lifetime best of 4:12 in the 1600m at the state championship, and also holds a 1:55 best in the 800.

Alisia Barajas, Jessica Barnard, and Stacy Flores are three additional runners joining the cross country and track squads for the new year. Barnard hails from Temecula, Calif., where injuries hampered her cross country success somewhat but not entirely limiting her senior season. In track, she holds a 2:16 best in the 800m, an event where she was the Sunset league champion.

Barajas is another solid all-around runner who will contribute immediately. Whle she ran both the 1600 and 3200m races in high school, her greatest success came in cross country, where she finished in 16th place in the state meet as well as earning league and section honors at Vista HS.

With the top cross country time of the three, Flores comes from Ventura, Calif. boasting a time of 18:05 over the Mt. San Antonio College course. Qualifying for the finals in the Southern section, her experience against top competition will help her in both Big West cross country as well as in the longer distance events out on the track.

Long Beach State has now added 17 new athletes to the 2008-09 track and field squad. The 49er men will attempt to defend their 2008 Big West title in track and field, while the women's squad seeks to remain in the upper half of the field as well as continue their rise to the top of the league as well.