A great deal of optimism surrounds the 2014 De Anza College track and field team as it embarks on a journey to combine the success of the 2012 men’s team and 2013 women’s team into one season. The Dons won conference in both of those years, but not as a full team.

“Our goal this season is to try and have both men’s and women’s team win the conference (together),” De Anza head coach Nick Mattis said. “I’d never had both teams win in the same year. It’s been one team or the other winning.”

In 2013, the Dons’ women’s team sent six track members to the state meet.

Oddessy Tapia placed fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Terra Steadman placed third in discus. Both achieved All-American honors in their respective events.

Mattis’ watch list for the 2014 season includes freshmen multis athlete Katie Baxter, distance runner Marisa D’Orfani, thrower Catherine Oyarzun, jumper Mazie Edusada, distance runner Joseph Grovers and mid-distance runner David Aguilar.

Sophomores on the watchlist include sprinter Deeric Crockett, sprinter Anthony Greene and distance runners Alex Stanford and Andrew Kuo.

“We are a balanced team,” Mattis said. “We’ve got a little bit of everything.”

Mattis said Crockett and Baxter have been great leaders for the team so far.

Baxter said everyone on the team is trying to hit their state marks at the beginning of the season.

“We have a small women’s team but we are trying to grow and improve on our times (every meet),” Baxter said.

The men’s team finished first in all of its first three meets, while the women finished first in one of the three meets as of March 1.

Crockett, sprinter, said he is taking it upon himself to lead by example and further the team’s success along with his individual goals.

“The expectations are to get better (as a team), push each other and try to win Northern California,” said Crockett, who transferred from Foothill College to run track for the Dons. “For me, I want to push myself to get better times.”

Greene, sprinter and returning member from the 2013 team, was praised by Mattis.

“He has improved by working hard along with his teammates,” Mattis said. Greene has challenged Crockett in most of the events they run together.

De Anza has a top 10 all-time performance list for track and some members of the team this season have cracked that list including Crockett and Greene in the 200-meter dash, D’Orfani in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Oyarzun in the hammer throw.

Sophomore James Asselin, currently nursing a hamstring injury, made the list for decathlon in 2013.

“Every year, we try and get as many people on that list as possible and leave our legacy as a team on it,” Mattis said. “It’s nice to always have someone (crack the list) every year.”