Keith Orona was a high jumper at Enochs High School in Modesto. He added the javelin and long jump in his first year at Modesto Junior College before becoming a decathlete as a sophomore.
 
Two and a half years later, Orona has ascended to the national stage. The Cal State Fullerton graduate will battle 23 others in the decathlon this week at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
 
Orona will be joined in Eugene by Titans teammates Ian Dossman, Abel Jordan, Isaiah Emerson, Dominic Gates and Maleik Pabon. The four-day meet at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field begins Wednesday and will be televised and streamed on ESPN outlets.
 
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship Info
 
Dossman will compete individually in the 100 meters and 200 meters, while Jordan will race in the 100 meters. The pair will join Emerson and Gates in the 4x100m relay. Pabon, a rising senior from Las Vegas, is the relay alternate.
 
"This is a really special group of guys. I can't wait to see what they do," said Fullerton head coach Marques Barosso.
 
Punching a ticket to Eugene, which is known as TrackTown USA, is still sinking in for Orona. "It's honestly surreal to think I'm going up there. I've heard stories about Hayward Field, and now I'm going to compete there," said Orona.
 
"It's awesome being on the national stage. It's something I didn't expect. I trust my training, and I'm ready to go," said the 6-foot-5 Orona, who played quarterback on his high school and junior college football teams and power forward on his JUCO basketball team.
 
Orona qualified for the NCAA decathlon finals by scoring 7675 points in a second-place finish at the Big West Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May at Long Beach State. Orona finished first in the discus (46.71m) and javelin (60.39m) and placed second in five other events in setting a Fullerton record for decathlon points.
 
He ranks 21st in the 24-man finals field based on his cumulative points. "I have come to love competing in all 10 events, even the mile," he said, laughing.

Keith Orona set a Fullerton decathlon record last month by racking up 7675 points at the Big West Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Long Beach State. 
 
The 22-year-old raised his personal-best points tally by nearly 1500 points during his two years at Fullerton, Barosso said. "We are excited to have Keith. He is 'Mr. Personality.' He is a cheerleader who motivates his teammate to try their hardest."
 
Orona, who graduated in May with a communications degree, credited Barosso and assistant coaches Nicola Ader, Robyn Brown and Michael Pertusati for helping him step up his game.
 
"My training last summer provided a good foundation for the fall workouts," Orona said. "My strength training and conditions flipped my mindset. I developed a strong sense of purpose. I wanted to be great and get to the NCAA championships."
 
Ian Dossman will also be competing in multiple disciplines. The rising senior from Elk Grove is entered in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
 
"Realistically, I will only have 20 to 30 minutes to rest between some races. But I don't feel any pressure. I've learned no moment is too big for me. My coach and teammates trust me. I will just go out there, have fun and compete to best of my ability, whatever the outcome," said Dossman, a business major with a concentration in finance.
 
He ran 10.20 in the 100m and 20.15 in the 200m last month at the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The 200m time was a school record. Earlier in May, he was a double gold medal winner at the Big West Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Long Beach, taking the 100m in 10.02 (3.3 wind aided) and 200m in 20.20.

Ian Dossman notched a rare double last month by winning the 100m and 200m at the Big West Championships. He ran the 200m in 20.15 last month to set a Fullerton record. 
 
"Ian flies in the 100. And he has the speed endurance needed in the 200. As our relay anchorman, he has great closing speed in neck-in-neck situations," said Barosso.
 
Abel Jordan is known more as a hurdler than a sprinter. He is the school record holder in the 110m hurdles (13.51). A right hamstring injury prompted him to skip the hurdles at the NCAA West First Round and focus instead on the 100m and 4x100 relay.
 
"It was a little sad coming to Arkansas and not doing the hurdles. But practicing was as painful as running in races. I wanted to leave Fullerton with good performances. The 100 is much easier. You don't have to do anything other than get out and execute."
 
The move paid off for Jordan. He blazed to a 10.12 clocking in the 100m, which set a Fullerton record. "Abel believes in his team. Skipping the hurdles to focus on the 100 and the 4x100 relay was a selfless act by a great leader. He does a great job as our second leg in the relay," Barosso said.

Abel Jordan holds the school record in the 100m with a tine of 10.12, which he clocked last month at the NCAA West First Round track and field meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
 
Jordan, a Madrid native whose parents emigrated from Cuba before his birth, said he initially planned to stay just one year before returning to Spain. But he liked Cal State Fullerton so much that he stayed and earned a kinesiology degree.
 
"I was from a different culture. My teammates in my school class -- both the men and women -- and the coaches were so welcoming. I will always be grateful for them."
 
This 4x100m relay team of Isaiah Emerson, Jordan, Dominic Gates and Dossman qualified for the NCAA championships with a school-record 39:08 clocking at the Texas Relays in Austin in April. A baton exchange violation disqualified the Titans at the Big West meet. But they rebounded by shattering their Fullerton record with a time of 38.93 at the NCAA West First Round.
 
Emerson, the Titans' leadoff runner, was a 4x100m relay alternate at the 2025 nationals. He has personal bests of 10.56 (2.1 wind aided), 20.76 in the 200m and 46.65 in the 400m.

Isaiah Emerson runs the opening leg for the 4x100m relay team. He has a persona best of 10.56 (2.1 wind-aided) in the 100m. 
 
"It's been an enjoyable year. The team has been amazing. We've set a school record in the 4x100m relay multiple times, and we tied the conference record. I have had an awesome experience at Fullerton," said Emerson, who hails from Torrance. He graduated last month with a kinesiology degree.
 
"Isaiah is one of the guys we relied on for points every year," said Barosso. "He is the lead leg you want because you can count on him. He is reliable and does his job."
 
Gates, a four-year relay team member, is called "Dominic Skates" by his teammates. His best times are 10.23 (2.2 wind aided) in the 100m and 20.68 in the 200m.

Dominic Gates handles the third leg on the 4x100m relay team. Called "Dominic Skates" by his teammates, he has a personal best of 10.23 (2.2 wind-aided) in the 100m. 
 
"He has been rolling all year and been consistent on the third leg," said Barosso. "Dominic is someone to hold or get a position. He's been that guy for us. And he's a heck of a turn runner."
 
A Rancho Santa Margarita resident, Gates received a business degree with a concentration in finance last month. He said the relay team's performance at the NCAA West First Round was a huge confidence booster ahead of Eugene.
 
"There is an energy that comes with being on the national stage. We are all seasoned veterans and know we belong here – no ifs and buts. We're here to makes waves and put Fullerton on the map."

 Dossman's Record-Breaking 2025 Texas Relays Performance

Feature story on Jordan's 2024 Hot Start

SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitansTickets.com. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan Baseball ticketing office and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.

FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), X (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (@FullertonTitans), YouTube (FullertonTitansAthletics) and TikTok (@FullertonTitans). In addition, the track and field team has established its own Instagram (@Fullertontfxc and X accounts (@Fullertontfxc).

WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch home contests exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for Titans Athletics. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.