COSTA MESA -- Vanguard University Athletics, and especially the men's soccer program, leave this Good Friday, April 3, with heavy hearts.  In a tragic incident, former player Marc Trejo, along with his girlfriend and unborn child, were killed by an escaping criminal that police were pursuing.  The entire department grieves their deaths and extends its condolences and prayers to the families and friends who have been affected.  He will be remembered as a student, a friend to many, and a crafty midfielder who could sway between attacking facilitator and workhorse defender on the pitch.
 
"Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families involved," said Head Coach Jesus (Chuy) Miramontes, who was the assistant coach at the time of Trejo's arrival as a freshman.  "Marc was a big-time player who played with a chip on his shoulder.  He left it all on the field and wanted to get the most out of his teammates.  He will be missed by our VU family.  Rest in peace to our brother, Tiger."
 
Trejo was a member of the 2018 freshman class and came aboard with future VU standouts Harold Aguirre and Andrew Robles. That 2018 squad finished 12-4-1 while collecting its second-straight Golden State Athletic Conference regular season title.  While coming up short in the conference tournament, the Lions battled the Rocky Mountain Battlin' Bears at the NAIA Tournament on "home" (OC Great Park) soil, but the Bears held on for a 1-0 win to end VU's run.  Trejo carved out a solid role in his first season and had four assists to start his career.
 
Learning and developing with that successful squad, Trejo blossomed in 2019 with four assists and one goal, which was a game-winner over The Master's in the GSAC Tournament opening round.  The squad again made the NAIA Tournament, but lost at Indiana Tech, ending the campaign at 12-7.  While his point totals did not shine off the stat page, it was his physical play that caught the eye of many throughout the campaign.  He further developed his ability to worm through traffic and his defensive slides, and for his stellar season, Trejo was named an All-GSAC player and an  NAIA All-American Honorable Mention.
 
The 4-4 2020 season did not have a ton on offer, as California schools took longer than other places to return to play in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, in the six games he featured in, Trejo had two goals and one assist.  Yet, Trejo had more in store in 2021, as his final Vanguard season concluded with impressive totals.  The team had a record of 15-4-1, which was the best during his four-year stint.  Trejo scored five goals, the most he potted in a season, and added two assists, bringing his career assist mark to 13, which tied him in that year for 18th on the all-time assist leaderboard.  While five goals did not set the GSAC ablaze, three of those tallies made Trejo a legend on home soil.  On November 11, Trejo picked up his only VU hat trick in the opening GSAC Tournament game against Arizona Christian, propelling the team to a 3-0 win.  After the heroic effort, Trejo helped the Blue and Gold win again two days later at home over Menlo in the finale for the third GSAC Tournament crown in program history.  Hosting the NAIA Tournament Opening Round, the Lions then beat Cumberlands out of Tennessee before falling to Marymount California at home in overtime.
 
Marc Trejo ended his career at Vanguard with eight goals and 13 assists, good for 29 points.