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June 12, 2006
Release: #0612

News Release
For Immediate Release

SACRAMENTO, CA . . . The California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics (COA), in partnership with the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) today named Cristina Hibbert (American River College, women's track and field) and Tom Zaferes (Cabrillo College, men's swim and dive) the COA/U.S. Bank Student Athletes of the Month for May.

Cristina Hibbert led her American River College women's track and field team to a fourth place finish at the California Community Colleges COA Track and Field Championships presented by U.S. Bank with an amazing effort. The freshman placed second in the seven-event heptathlon with 4314 points at the state championships at Bakersfield College and finished second in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, while also running the anchor leg of the team's 400-meter and 1600-meter relay races. The 1600-meter relay team won the state championship, the 400-meter relay team came in fifth place, and Hibbert also qualified for the state meet in the long jump.

At the Northern California Championships, Hibbert was named the Athlete of the Meet after accumulating 39.5 points on her own. While at the Big 7 Conference Championships, Hibbert scored 57 points for her team after winning four events and placed second in another to go along with a fifth and eighth place finish. In total this season, she set five new school records, while placing in the Top 10 of 13 other events.

Tom Zaferes, a sophomore swimmer from Cabrillo College, had an amazing month of May. Not only did he set a new national record in the 200-meter butterfly at the Coast Conference championships, he broke his own national record at the California Community Colleges COA Swim and Dive Championships presented by U.S. Bank at Pasadena City College with a time of 1:45.64 to win the state title. In addition, he won the state championship in the 200-meter individual medley in a time of 1:49.68 and the 100-meter butterfly in a time of 48.60. His times in both the 200-yard IM and 100-meter butterfly set new pool records and he amassed all 60 of his team's points. The wins in all three events earned him All-American status in each race.

For his efforts, Zaferes was named the Co-State Swimmer of the Year, while he also set five school records and three conference records at the conference championships. Zaferes is now setting his sights on the Olympics and has qualified for the Olympic Trials.

Women's Honorable Mention, May 2006:
-Jacqueline Taylor, Cerritos College - helped the Falcons to the state championship after winning the heptathlon with a school-record 4499 points and also came in fifth in the javelin and eighth in the triple jump
-Susan Souksavath, Santa Rosa College - won the state tennis singles championship and doubled with her sister to reach the state semi-finals
-Christina Silva, Cuesta College - tied for the state championship in the pole vault at
12' 1" with teammate Kate Almond after winning the Southern California Championship.

Men's Honorable Mention, May 2006:
-Lucas Delgado, Sierra College - won state individual golf championship by four strokes
-Brad Miller, San Diego Mesa College - won 3-meter diving and placed second in 1-meter diving at state championships and was named the state's Diver of the Year
-Jovanny Bramasco, Long Beach City College - helped Vikings to state baseball championship by hitting three home runs and drove in 10 runs and was named the MVP of the state tournament
-Jeff Larson, Chaffey College - placed second in three swimming events at the state championships to earn All-American status in all three
-Kasey Burlington, Cuesta College - won the state championship in the pole vault at 16' 9" after clearing 17' 1" at the Southern California Championships
-Daniel Hartman, Los Angeles Mission College - batted .583 during the month of May on the baseball team and continued to carry a 3.2 GPA in the classroom.

U.S. Bank is the "Official Financial Services Provider" of the COA and California community college athletics. U.S. Bank is also the official presenting sponsor of all California community college championship events, including the 2005-06 COA Championship Festival in Fresno, CA.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with assets of $210 billion, is the 6th largest financial holding company in the United States. The company operates 2,430 banking offices and 4,941 ATMs, and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. U.S. Bancorp is the parent company of U.S. Bank. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at www.usbank.com.

To view the latest news, information, and updates of all 23 COA-sanctioned sports, visit www.coasports.org.

Student athlete biographies provided by the CCCSIA.

COA