Senior Won’t Jump at Every Opportunity

There was a time when Phouphet Singbandith jumped, Magnolia High School track and field Coach Bob Mangan gulped.

Singbandith finished seventh in the triple jump at the state championship meet last season, but knee and ankle injuries prevented him from jumping to his potential.

“We just held our breath with every jump,” Mangan said. “It hurt him to run and it hurt him to jump.”

But this year, Magnolia coaches have held Singbandith back. No longer does he high jump, and only rarely does he compete in the long or triple jumps in dual meets. Singbandith, a senior, runs with the school’s sprint relay team in dual meets and saves his jumping for the invitationals.

In his first jump Saturday at the Arcadia Invitational, Singbandith, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, surpassed the Orange County record with a long jump of 50 feet 3 3/4. Next he jumped 50-10 3/4, the longest in the nation this season. His last jump (51- 3/4) broke the meet record.

Part of the plan to keep him injury-free called for Singbandith to pass on the three remaining jumps to which he was entitled, waiting to see if anyone could jump farther. His closest competitor’s leap was 2 1/2 feet short.

“I was hoping the guy didn’t get a better jump because then I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Singbandith said. “That third jump really hurt my ankle.

“If my ankle wouldn’t have been bothering me, I don’t know, I might have been able to go farther.”

Mangan is confident that if Singbandith remains healthy, he can jump farther this season because he has studied jumping technique more carefully. Last season, Singbandith’s average jump was about 46 feet. Now, even on bad jumps, he’s going 48 feet, Mangan said.

Singbandith, whose family came to Orange County from Laos when he was 7, has attracted the attention of recruiters from Nebraska and UCLA.

“Once he gets to college, he’s going to become a 55-foot jumper real quick,” Mangan said.

TOP PERFORMERS

Dain Blanton had 28 kills to lead Laguna Beach to a 12-15, 15-5, 15-9, 15-10 volleyball victory over Woodbridge Wednesday. Blanton had 10 kills in the second game as the Artists rallied from a 3-0 deficit.

Chad Phillips struck out 13 and allowed four hits--all in the first two innings--as Magnolia defeated Western, 8-2, Friday. Phillips also went two for three with two RBIs.

Ryan Relph of Tustin hit two home runs as the Tillers defeated University, 13-3, Tuesday, and another homer in an 11-5 victory over University Thursday. For the week, Relph went four for six with eight RBIs.

Damon Richardson helped Esperanza win three relay races and also won the 300-meter hurdles in a personal best 39.71 seconds Saturday at the Poway Invitational.

Phouphet Singbandith

Magnolia High School

Position: Triple jumper

Height, Weight, Class: 5-8, 150, Senior

Last Week: Singbandith made three triple jumps at the Arcadia Invitational and each jump bettered the Orange County record of 50 feet 3 1/2 inches. His final jump of 51- 3/4 broke the meet record.

Season: At the Orange County Championships, Singbandith won the long jump (23-3 1/2, wind-aided) and the triple jump (49-3 1/4, wind-aided).