The Warriors track and field team will be heading back to Saddleback College for the Southern California finals Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.

“It is time for everyone to rise and compete at their very highest level, they,” Dean Lofgren, coach, said.

Some of EC’s athletes are freshmen, such as Roy Alugbue and Jason Hanakeawe

“This is what they’ve being working for this whole season,” Lofgren said.

Besides competing in the men’s 100-meters and 200-meters finals on Saturday, Alugbue will also compete in the high jump, the 400- and- 1,600-meter relays.

“This is what I’ve been working for all season long, so I have to be at my peak,” Alugbue said. “I am kind of scared because this is the last meet of season and everyone is going to be at their peak.”

To advance, EC had athletes compete in the So Cal Preliminaries. Alugbue won second place in the 100-meters with a time of 10.65 and fifth in the 200-meters at 21.45.

Alugbue qualified for the finals in the 100 and 200-meters. In addition, Alugbue qualified for the high jump while Amir Fisher qualified in the high jump finishing first with a leap of 6-4.

“It is great to know that all my hard work has paid off,” Alugbue said. “I am pleased with myself with all I have accomplished.”

In the distance events, Hanakeawe finished seventh in the 1,500-meters with a time of 4:03.81, qualifying him for the finals. In the javelin throw, Antonio Davila finished fourth (160-3) and qualified to the finals. Davila’s throw was also enough to finish seventh best in EC’s record books.

For the women, Star Thurman won first place in the triple jump with a leap of 37-11, qualifying her to finals.

“It feels great to know that all the work I’ve done throughout the season has paid off,” Thurman said.

Thurman took fourth in the long jump scoring 17-6,which qualified her to finals.

“Star had a great day. By qualifying in both the women’s high jump and triple jump, Star is the leading qualifier in the triple jump,” Lofgren said.

Thurman, along with Shammer Dawson, Gabrielle Meniefield and Danyelle Meniefield qualified to finals by finishing fourth in the 400-meter relay. Dawson finished fifth in the 100- and 200-meter events, qualifying for finals. Her 100-meters time of 12.03 is the eighth best in EC’s history.

“I am glad that all the hard work has paid off, and I am so happy for myself,” Dawson said.

In the 800-meters, Lindsey Brown won second with a time of 2:18.19, qualifying to finals.

In the distance events, Valerie Tucker ran 40.10.20 in the women’s 10,000-meters, which is the fourth best time in EC’s record books.