Track team heads to SoCal prelims

Even with a less than normal performance from members of the men’s and women’s track and field teams, five athletes will be advancing to the Southern California Preliminaries Meet on Saturday.Leading up to the prelims, men’s track and field placed seventh overall and women’s placed sixth at the South Coast Conference Championships on April 25.

With higher expectations from some of the athletes, Co-Head Coach Armand Crespo and the coaching staff hoped for better performances.

“No one performed at their best,” said Crespo, as he pointed out that it was a “tough day for everyone,” including other colleges.

As the only female competing on the women’s team, sophomore An’nisa Faquir landed second place in the long jump at 17-7 1/2 feet and sixth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.60 seconds.

Larry Oliphant attempts to clear the bar at 6 feet 8 inches in the high jump event at the Mt. SAC Invitational on April 12. Crespo expected Faquir to place first as she reached a longer distance of 18-2 4/5 feet at the SCC Long Beach Meet on April 4.

Sophomores Lamar Oliphant and Fatah Labdiedo will be performing in the respective events they competed in at the SCC Championships.

Oliphant qualified by placing fifth in the triple jump at 46 feet and sixth in the high jump at 6-4 feet, while Labdiedo finished fourth in the triple jump with 46-7.5 feet.

For freshmen Chris Hicks and Isaiah Sims, both finished third place for each of their events.

Hicks tied with sophomore Adam Hutter from Mt. San Antonio College in the high jump at 6-6 feet.

Sims ran the 100-meter dash at 10.87 seconds and sat out for the 200-meter dash due to a leg injury.

Larry Oliphant competes in the long jump event at the Mt. SAC Invitational on April 12. Although Faquir did not compete in the 200-meter so that he could heal for the prelims, Crespo is still unsure whether he will be ready in time.

“It’s hard to say until he gets there to perform,” Crespo added.

In preparation for the state prelims, the coaching staff has spent time reassessing its athletes after the conference to improve.

“We’re working on what happened at conference. We’re going to go over our mistakes and see how everyone is feeling,” he said.