OCC’s Valdez runs to forefront

Christen D’Alessandro

Ludi Valdez of Orange Coast College took home two state championships

and a second-place finish Friday and Saturday to help the Pirates’

women’s track and field team finish sixth at the state championships

in Sacramento.

“She came out of high school an OK athlete,” OCC distance coach

Dave Fier said. “She’s really motivated, hard working and has

succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.”

Valdez, 19, wasn’t even one of the best runners on her Estancia

High track team, said Fier, but her determination has set her apart.

She wasn’t even going to run in college but Fier changed her mind.

In the fall, Valdez competed on the Coast cross country team and

went the whole season without losing one race to another community

college athlete. As a result, she was the state champion, which was a

huge improvement from last year’s 14th-place finish.

“It’s really exciting to see how much I’ve improved since high

school,” Valdez said.

Valdez then continued to surprise herself and her coaches in the

spring track season.

She was undefeated in Orange Empire Conference races and ended up

winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 10,000, 5,000 and 1,500, while

also helping the Pirates’ 1,600 relay team take first in the

conference championships April 23.

She continued on to Southern California regionals May 7 where,

once again, she swept all her individual races including the 1,500,

5,000 and 10,000.

Although she qualified to run in the steeplechase, Valdez decided

not to so she could put all her focus into her other races. She was

the state champion in the steeplechase last year.

“It’d be cool to win state back-to-back in the steeplechase but

I’d like to have other titles under my name,” Valdez said.

Valdez competed in the 10,000 on Friday, then the 5,000 and 1,500

on Saturday.

She won the 10,000 with a time of 39 minutes, 24.74 seconds, and

the 5,000 in 18:22.46. She was second in the 1,500 in 4:45.13.

Valdez was disappointed she didn’t win the 1,500, said OCC Coach

John Knox. Of all her races, that’s the one she wanted to win the

most.

She only lost one race against community college competition as a

sophomore -- in cross country as well as track.

“She’s an incredible competitor,” Knox said.

Not only is she a great athlete, she also excels in the classroom.

With a 3.2 GPA, Valdez will be attending Long Beach State in the

fall. She will study to be a chiropractor and continue to run as she

has received a full athletic scholarship.

Valdez got offers from many universities all over the nation but

wanted to stay local, Knox said.

When Valdez gets some free time, she likes to relax and she also

enjoys going to the movies.

“I try to go out with my friends as much as I can but I’m trying

to focus on school right now,” Valdez said. “I also have a race

almost every weekend, so I can’t be out late because I’m a strict

athlete and I have to take care of myself.”

Now that the season is over, Valdez will take a few days off to

physically and mentally freshen up and then begin training again in

the summer, she said.

“I believe there’s a time for everyone and I think this is my

time,” Valdez said.