The 1978 Lancers men's track and field team won PCC's first-ever state championship in the sport after also capturing the Metropolitan Conference and Southern Cal team titles.

Head coach and PCC Hall of Famer Skip Robinson became the first African-American to direct a state champion PCC team.

The only Lancer to win an individual state title at the '78 meet captured two first place awards in HOFer Kenny Hays, who broke Jackie Robinson's 40-year-old school national and school record in the long jump with a leap of 26-2 ¾ feet. Hays also won the triple jump state title with a school record 51-7 ½ .

Sydney Mitchell placed second in the LJ event and remarkably also broke Robinson's record at 25-7 ¼. Eddie Wright (800 meters), Rod Goosby (200 meters), Rod Smith (high jump), and Matt Fuchs (javelin) all set then PCC records in their events.