Richard Quinton, Chief Photographer

Leading three other track and field athletes, freshman Chris Hicks came out on top winning the Southern California High Jump title on Friday, while advancing to the State Championships.

Sporting a haircut with stars on the side of his head, Hicks made the winning jump of 6’11” after hitting the bar twice at the same height previously.

Trying to raise the final mark, Hicks battled with Long Beach’s Vannie Prudhomme trying to make 7’ 1,” but the pair came up short with three attempts each.

Sophomores Fatah Labdiedo and Lamar Oliphant competed and advanced to State Championships in triple jump and high jump, respectively. Freshman Isaiah Sims ran sprinting events, but failed to qualify.

Oliphant began the Lancers competition with a hop, step and jump in the triple jump, which he managed an eighth place finish at 46’ 4” and did not qualify for state.

Labdiedo needed just two more inches to make the state cut at sixth place as he skipped to a 46’ 6” leap. Early on, his attempts came up short as he misstepped and hit the takeoff board making a foul, which disallows recording the distance.

Rushing back and forward between the triple jump pit and the high jump area, Oliphant managed to jump back up into qualifying for state competition in the high jump. Topping out at 6’ 7,” the sophomore placed fifth. Oliphant said he is confident he can hit the 7’ 1” mark focusing only on high jump and said, “I’ll beat Chris [Hicks at State].”

Sims ran at the same time as the jumpers were competing. Running with the stress of an injured leg, Sims just missed the state cut tying for fifth at 10.68 seconds in the 100-meter as he was hidden amongst the speedy pack of nine runners.

The 200-meter also didn’t go so well for Sims as he trailed behind the pack, finishing seventh at 21.72 seconds.

The trio of jumpers will head to Cerritos College on Saturday, for the State Championships. Labdiedo will compete in the triple jump at 2 p.m. Hicks will be the top ranked high jumper competing at 3:30 p.m. with teammate Oliphant.