Athletics: Rio Hondo names 2015-16 Athletes of the Year

Rio Hondo College women's soccer standout Maritza Acuna and wrestler Daniel Romero have been named 2015-16 Athletes of the Year while Venus Fields has been named the Dancer of the Year for the Roadrunners.

Acuna racked up the postseason honors for the record-setting 2015 women's soccer team. She excelled both in the field and in the class room as Acuna was named the Junior College National Scholar Player of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Acuna, a biology/pre-med major, helped lead the Roadrunners to the California State Championship final and a No. 8 final national ranking. She was a second-team NSCAA All-American selection for her play on the field as well as a two-time All-Foothill Conference honoree while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She is already attending classes as UC Irvine this spring with plans to compete on the Anteaters' women's soccer team in the fall.

Romero earned All-American honors while helping lead the Roadrunners to an 11th-place team finish at the 2015 CCCAA State Championships.  Romero reached the individual championship final in the 141-pound weight class as he pushed Josh Bennett of Sierra College into sudden death but ultimately lost by a score of 5-4.

Fields was honored by the Rio Hondo Department of Kinesiology, Dance, and Athletics as its Dancer of the Year.