The Vikings finished in second place with a total of one hundred points at the Viking Invitational due largely in part to sophomore Kai Lauderdale, who finished first in the men’s 100 meters in 11.11 seconds.
Freshman Lou Chukwu expressed his displeasure towards the way the judge was measuring his jumps.
“I jumped 21 feet for my first time. I was feeling pretty good about the following one, but I never leaped the 18 feet that they marked. That absolutely infuriated me,” Chukwu said.
Sophomore, Jeremiah Artis, also criticized what he thought was unfair treatment.
Artis pointed out the judges inconsistency with the jump measurements on his last two attempts, causing the attempts to be disqualified.
“Everybody saw it was not a scratch, even other coaches told me I got cheated.”, Artis said.
According to Artis the competitor that jumped after him should’ve been marked as an invalid attempt.
“The next person that went after me, scratched and the judge marked it as fair,”Artis said.
Besides all the controversy, the Vikings proved their strength at a number of competitions.
In the men’s 3000 steeplechase, sophomore Noah Macias dominated, taking first place in 10:37.78.
“My strategy was getting lane one right from the beginning. When I took that spot, I asked myself, am I going to slow down? I might as well start picking it up and finish strong.” Macias said.
Sophomore Kai Lauderdale of Long Beach City College, won the men’s 100 meter race in 11.11 seconds.
“As the season progresses, my goal is just to go out there, compete, and do the best I can. I aim to get my time down to 10.2 by the end of the season,” Lauderdale said.
Lauderdale finished in second place with a time of 22.05 seconds in the men’s 200 meter competition.
In the Men’s 800 Meters, where sophomore Franklyn Taylor finished third in a time of 2:00.15, the Vikings showed off their depth in a number of events.
The Vikings also performed well in relay competitions, their men’s 4 x 100 Relay team placed second with a time of 42.50 seconds.
Sprinter coach Harley Morrison emphasized that smooth handoffs are crucial in relay events, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and accuracy. He underlined that the ability of teammates to pass the baton flawlessly is crucial for success in relays.
“Being able to work on those handoffs, that is what the relay is about, being able to pass the baton around,” Morrison said. “If we don’t get the stick around the race doesn’t matter. That’s what it has to be worked on in practice consistently.”
The Vikings are looking to improve as their season goes on and are looking to perform better in the upcoming Mar. 15 RCC Open Riverside Community College, which is set for 11 a.m.