Samantha "Sam" Huerta is one of the most accomplished distance runners in the annals of Titan Women's Track & Field and Cross Country. A 2019 Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Year, her path to Cal State Fullerton was not always easy.
Huerta's parents divorced when Sam was a small child. Along with her mother, Tammi, and older brothers, Anthony and Matthew, the family moved from Oregon to Southern California. They eventually settled in nearby La Mirada, moving in with Sam's Uncle, Johnny Huerta.
Johnny, unfortunately, was afflicted with mental issues, including severe anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia, which limited his travel to only very short distances.
Huerta was quick to praise her Uncle Johnny for doing his best to put aside his struggles to help care for his niece and nephews.
Sam realized at a young age that athletics could provide her with the best opportunity to further her education. Said Huerta: "My main focus was using sports as a chance to get into a university. In middle school, I tried out for every sport, but I was only coordinated enough for running. By high school, I surprised myself by beginning to run fast and developing my competitiveness."
At La Mirada High School, Sam was part of three consecutive Suburban League cross country championships. Her speedy times in track and cross country began to draw the attention of college coaches from Arizona State, Cal Poly, and Texas A&M, among others. Titan Head Coach, John Elders, who retired after the 2020-21 academic year, was the first college coach to watch her run competitively.
"I chose CSUF because coach Elders was the only coach that had made an effort to watch me race, and had a scholarship to offer. Coach Elders was very informative throughout the recruitment process.
"Receiving a scholarship was life-changing for me because I came from a very low-income family. But that wasn't the only reason that I chose Fullerton. Coach Elders explained his coaching philosophy, and that really showed me that he was invested in the person, and not just the athlete. From then on, I knew that CSUF was the perfect fit for me."
The seven-mile drive from La Mirada to Fullerton was an important consideration as well, as Sam wanted her family members to have an opportunity to watch her run. Even though experiencing some difficulties, Uncle Johnny was able to watch Sam compete while on the Fullerton campus.
Huerta participated on the Women's Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor Track teams from 2016 to 2021, improving each year until her finest season in 2019. Poised to go even further in her career, she was stymied in 2020 and 2021 by the COVID pandemic, which saw the limitation and cancelation of athletic events across the country.
When asked about her greatest athletic accomplishment, Samantha answered without hesitation: "When I qualified for my first NCAA national championship race. This was the first time that an 800-meter runner from Cal State Fullerton had qualified. I was so proud to represent not only the university, but my family, coaches, and teammates who believed in me."
After receiving her B.S. in Kinesiology, with a minor in Food Studies in 2021, Jim Donovan, Director of Athletics, recognized Huerta's loyalty and perseverance, and selected her to fill the position of Athletics Administrative Coordinator at the Titan House. Sam recently served on the selection committee that recommended new Men's & Women's Water Polo Head Coach, Kyle Witt.
When asked to sum up her experience as a Titan student-athlete, Huerta said: "I am a Titan through and through. I am so proud to be part of the CSUF program regardless of the accolades. I feel that CSUF Academic Services went above and beyond by emphasizing our life after sports, thereby preparing us for our futures.
"The university was a melting pot of cultures, and Titan Athletics continually worked to improve how they addressed diversity, equity, and inclusion."
CSUF Athletic Accomplishments
- 2021 All-American, Honorable Mention – 800 Meters
- 2019 All-American, Second Team – 800 Meters
- 2019 Big West Track Athlete of the Year
- 2019 Big West Champion – 1,500 Meters
- 2019 Big West Champion – 800 Meters
- CSUF Women's Record Holder – 800 Meters – 2:03.96 - 2019
- CSUF Women's Record Holder – Mile – 4:46.77 -2019
- CSUF Women's Record Holder – 5,000 Meters (XC) – 17:03.4 - 2018