IRRIGON — An Irrigon High School senior has accepted an offer to join the track and field program at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario.

Multi-sport athlete Selene Roldan, who recently graduated with her senior class at Irrigon, was celebrated in a signing ceremony June 10 at her high school. She said Treasure Valley’s interest came as a surprise.

“I was kind of shocked when the coach reached out to me,” she said. “I hadn’t expected to compete in college.”

“One of the things that I do is I go through results of track meets and I like kids from small schools that we can develop by just working with them,” said Blas Guerra, the Treasure Valley head track and field coach. “When my wife and I were going on a little vacation, we were going to track meets on the way to Spokane, so we stopped by and watched Selene throw the discus. We just need to get a bit more muscle and some strength and I think she’ll do well. She’s very quick in the rotation and does it pretty smoothly.”

Roldan said during her junior high school year she had hoped to compete in college, but when her senior year rolled around, she was so busy she felt she had to abandon that hope.

Addie Cole, the high school’s assistant track coach and field coach, said Roldan wanted to pursue a teaching degree in college, and the track and field offer from Treasure Valley was a bonus. Cole also is Roldan’s academic advisor.

Heptathlon offered

Roldan visited the Treasure Valley campus a few months ago, and Guerra said he spoke to her about becoming a heptathlon athlete.

“She said she didn’t want to do it the first year but that’s OK,” Guerra said. “It gives us an opportunity to work on little things with her, and work on the javelin a little bit, work on the 100- and 800-meter hurdles and other little things to prepare for the heptathlon if she decides to do it the following year.”

Guerra said Roldan’s signing with Treasure Valley will include an unspecified amount of scholarship money.

He said he typically recruits 10-15 new track and field high school athletes per year. The team varies between 25-30 students and there are four on the coaching staff, including himself. He said Roldan will be working with throwing coach Brock Payne while at Treasure Valley.

“Track and field has helped me develop great leadership skills,” Roldan said, “being able to help my teammates and also younger track and field students.”

Cole said Irrigon High School’s track and field team had 25 members for the 2023-24 year.

“We’re continuing to build our track program, so that was a good turnout this year,” Cole said, noting it was impressive considering the school’s 300-350 member student body.

Discus record broken

Roldan broke the high school’s record in discus a year ago with a hurl of 91 feet, 10 inches and ran in the girls 4×100 meter relay, and also practiced javelin.

“I was super happy when I found out I broke the discus record at that meet,” Roldan said. “I had originally thought I was really close but had not broken it. It was a great feeling to know I had broken it after so many years of trying.”

“I didn’t know she broke the school record for discus, and that’s awesome,” Guerra said.

Roldan said she was reassured to find Treasure Valley will have the entry level courses she needs to transfer to a four-year teaching program at another school.

Cole said Roldan has been active in a mentoring program at Irrigon High School with area elementary school kids, “so she’s had an opportunity to see what that looks like as well.”

Roldan also played soccer in Irrigon and was on the cheer team.

She is the daughter of Juan Roldan and Alma Delia Cardenas of Irrigon.

Roldan also excelled academically as a member of National Honor Society and Key Club, Cole said.

Guerra said he was impressed by Roldan’s willingness to be helpful when she visited the Treasure Valley campus.

“She headed over here with her mom and dad,” Guerra said. “I’m explaining to them in English and she’s explaining to her parents in Spanish. I’m also bilingual. Listening to her talk, she does an amazing job explaining to her parents. That’s a distinct personality. No matter where she goes or what she’s doing, she is going to do well.”