Daily Pilot Athlete of the Month: Zoila Gomez: ONE OF A KIND

Tony Altobelli

So what is left to do after you’ve won six Orange Empire

Conference, five Southern California, four State individual track and

field titles, a large handful of cross country championships and hold one

school record, all in two years?

If you’re Orange Coast College standout runner Zoila Gomez, apparently

the only place to go is up, about 5,000 feet up.

Following her graduation from Pirateville in the winter of next year,

Gomez will be heading to the Rocky Mountains and run track for Adams

State College in Alamosa, Colorado.

“I’m so excited to go, I can’t wait,” the always-chipper Gomez said. “As

far as the altitude change goes, mentally I’m ready for it. Physically,

we’ll just have to wait and see.”

If her community college resume has any bearing on her athletic

capabilities, Gomez has nothing to worry about.

Gomez capped off her stellar career at OCC with three state titles in the

3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs earlier this month in Bakersfield.

“I think it really hit me in my final event, the 3,000 that this was my

last race for OCC,” Gomez said. “I really made sure to enjoy every last

second of that race. I was relieved that it was coming to an end, but sad

at the same time.”

Gomez started her running career in 1997 as a senior for Costa Mesa High

and had no idea just how far this activity would take her.

“I was just surprised to go to OCC,” Gomez said. “I kept getting called

by Coach Dave Fier and he kept asking me if I was going to go to OCC. I

kept telling him, ‘Yes, I going there, yes I’m going there.’ ”

From there, Gomez helped the Pirates to the state title in women’s cross

country, winning numerous individual titles, as well as her 15 OEC, SoCal

and state titles in track and field.

“We’ve had a lot of great runners come though here, especially

long-distance runners and I would have to put Zoila right up there among

the all-time elite,” Coach Fred Hokanson said.

Included in all the honors and accolades, Gomez also holds the school

record in the 10,000 with a 36:27, edging out Araceli Martinez’ time of

36:28 set in 1998.

“She runs a great race in her brain. She finds her pace and stays in it

for the entire race.”

Gomez was recognized earlier this month as OCC’s Female Athlete of the

Year. She has won that award, along with the conference’s Female Athlete

of the Year, two years in a row.

“She’s going to be missed around here,” Hokanson said. “She’s very easy

to get along with and to coach. It’s been a pleasure having her here.”

For Gomez, moving on to Colorado will be a far cry from Southern

California or Mexico, where she grew up, but it’s a challenge she’s

looking forward to.

“Adams has won seven NCAA Division II titles in the past eight years,”

Gomez said. “It’s a whole new world, much different than anything I’ve

ever done, but it’s going to be a blast. I’m going in the summer to check

it out.”

Despite moving onward, Gomez will not forget where she started. “I’m

definitely going to keep in touch with the coaches here as well as my

teammates,” Gomez said. “They’re like a second family to me. You spend

3-5 hours a day with the same people, you become very close to all of

them. I’m really going to miss everyone.”