Cerritos qualified for regionals in 50 freestyle & 100 freestyle, also helped 2 relay teams advance; plus 4 more named to all-area team
LIVE OAK — Coming off a regional appearance, Suwannee’s coaches were excited to see what was in store for William Cerritos’ senior season.
Seeing him every day in the pool during workouts didn’t damper those expectations either.
Still, Suwannee coach Doug Morgan said he really knew that Cerritos had taken that next step early in the season at Fernandina Beach, when not even the worst conditions he’s ever experienced as a coach could stop Cerritos.
“He had a great meet that meet,” Morgan said. “It was like, ‘OK, he is going to keep it up.’ He was starting to see that he could do this.”
That great meet — Cerritos finished third in the 50 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke while also swimming on a pair of relay teams that finished second — came in a torrential downpour. The rain was so bad that Fernandina officials kept asking if the other schools — Baker County, SHS and Yulee — wanted to continue. With no lightning present and already having driven the 2-2 1/2 hours to get there, Morgan and the Bulldogs were all in even as the pool was getting drained while the meet was going on to help get rid of the excess water.
“I’m the crazy guy that if it’s pouring down rain, I don’t care,” Morgan said.
His team didn’t either.
“It was pretty cool,” Cerritos said, adding as soon as the meet ended, the rain subsided and the sun came out, bringing a rainbow with it. “It was really nice.”
But before the sun came out, what shined brightest was the focus of Cerritos, the Lake City Reporter’s Boys Swimmer of the Year. Driving rain or sunshine, when he was in the pool, Cerritos was going to be locked in.
“Even in the pouring down rain, he just said, ‘This is nothing. I’ve got this,’” Morgan noted.
That mentality was the key, Morgan said, to him having an even better senior season than as a junior when he qualified for regionals in the 100 freestyle.
It’s the step that athletes have to take to get better.
“When you can see the potential the question is, ‘Are they going to take that next step?’” Morgan said. “Are they going to take this opportunity and seize the moment?”
For Cerritos, seizing his last opportunity at Suwannee began at the Billy Jernigan Pool Facility.
That’s where the ability to block out the outside noise became evident, according to Morgan. Whatever drama was happening at practice or at school was pushed to the side.
“He focused on what he needed to do,” Morgan said. “He was always there and you just saw it every day in practice. He worked hard. That was his main concern. He decided, ‘I’m just going to let everything else go. When I’m here in the pool. I’m focusing on what I need to do.’”
That focus was on getting back to regionals. That was the goal Cerritos set for himself prior to the season. That was the motivation every time he got in the water.
“It all comes down to mindset,” Cerritos said. “Just having a goal in mind to push further than the previous years. This being my last year and all, just leaving it (all out there).”
When the District 2-2A meet rolled around in late October, Cerritos did just that too.
After qualifying for regionals in the 100 freestyle a year ago, he topped that and made it in both of his individual events by placing third in the 100 freestyle at districts and fourth in the 50 freestyle, setting personal bests in both events (24.94 in the 50 freestyle and 55.26 in the 100 freestyle).
“It was really incredible,” he said. “It was really like a work of God. We hadn’t eaten anything all day and I had a rolled ankle and I PR’d.”
He didn’t just set personal bests, he shaved nearly a second off his best 100 freestyle time.
“It was pretty cool,” he said as the entire Suwannee team advanced to regionals in at least one event with Cerritos also being a part of the Bulldogs’ 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams that also advanced.
But giving his maximum effort is nothing new for Cerritos, who joined the swim team two years ago after his brother had done summer workouts with them.
That all-out attitude is also part of why Cerritos specializes in the sprint events where he can give everything he has in a short burst and not have to save up energy.
“He’s not made for distance,” Morgan said. “It was just pure, 100% just give it everything I’ve got, this is what it is.
“He’s like a closer in baseball. ‘Here’s my fastball, hit it if you can.’”
Cerritos added that struggles at distance swims in practice also helped guide him into the sprints. But so did his mindset.
“They’re short, you don’t have enough time to get psyched out,” he said.
ALL-AREA TEAM
William Cerritos
Suwannee, senior
The LCR’s Boys Swimmer of the Year placed third in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 50 freestyle at the District 2-2A meet to qualify for regionals in both events, where he finished 21st and 25th at the Region 1-2A meet. Also helped the Bulldogs’ 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams post a pair of fourth-place finishes at districts to qualify for regionals, where they finished ninth and 11th.
Cade Cannon
Suwannee, senior
Placed seventh in the 500 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle at the District 2-2A meet to qualify for regionals in both events, where he finished 16th and 18th at the Region 1-2A meet. Also helped the Bulldogs’ 4x400 relay team place sixth at districts to qualify for regionals, where the group finished 13th.
Jacob Kirkland
Suwannee, sophomore
Placed eighth in the 100 breaststroke and 10th in the 200 freestyle at the District 2-2A meet to qualify for regionals, where he finished 23rd and 22nd at the Region 1-2A meet. Also helped the Bulldogs’ 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams post a pair of fourth-place finishes to qualify for regionals, where they finished ninth and 11th.
John Abersold
Suwannee, junior
Was a regional alternate in both the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly after placing seventh and ninth at the District 2-2A meet. Also helped the Bulldogs’ 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams post a pair of fourth-place finishes to qualify for regionals, where they finished ninth and 11th.
Reed Hurst
Suwannee, freshman
Placed 11th in the 200 freestyle at the District 2-2A meet before finishing 23rd at the Region 1-2A meet and was a regional alternate in the 100 freestyle following a seventh-place finish at districts. Also helped the Bulldogs’ 4x400 relay team place sixth at districts to qualify for regionals, where the group finished 13th.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Doug Morgan, Suwannee
Led the boys to a third-place finish at the District 2-3A meet while the girls finished sixth, with a combined 16 swimmers from both teams qualifying for regionals across 17 events.