Fargas to Tour Top Colleges

Don’t expect to see state 100-meter champion Justin Fargas of Notre Dame High competing in any more track and field meets this season.

The highly touted running back was invited Monday to compete in Saturday’s Golden West Invitational at American River College in Sacramento, but he declined because he and his father Antonio had already made plans to visit the campuses of Notre Dame, Michigan, Northwestern and Ohio State, starting later this week.

“All of those schools have [sent letters to] him so he wants to take a look at them,” Notre Dame track coach and football assistant Joe McNab said.

Pressure too much: A technical flaw combined with the pressure of having to take three jumps in a short time did in junior Heather Sickler of Camarillo in the qualifying round of the girls’ pole vault in the state track and field championships in Sacramento last Friday.

Sickler set region records of 12 feet 1 1/2 inches and 12-3 1/2 to win Southern Section Division I and Masters Meet titles on May 24 and 30, but she was 14th at 10-4 on Friday. The top nine vaulters, all of whom cleared 11 feet or 11-4, advanced to Saturday’s final, which was won by Hoover sophomore Bridget Pearson at 12 feet.

“She was collapsing her left arm onto the pole,” Camarillo assistant John Stringer said. “That and being under some pressure caused the problem.”

Due to the way qualifying works in the vault, Sickler had to take three consecutive jumps at the height of 10-8. After missing her first attempt, she had two minutes to take her second attempt, which she missed, and then two minutes to take her third, which she also failed to clear.

“We have no excuses, but because of the time, we didn’t have time to correct the problem,” Stringer said. “But we’ve got it corrected now and I don’t expect it to happen again.”

Sickler will compete Saturday in the Golden West Invitational.