Freshman Sarah Baxter (left) in the early stages of her remarkable 3,200-meter victory over a talented field.
Photo by Louis Lopez
Reporters tried their best to get Sarah Baxter to crack, but much like her performance on the Arcadia High School track moments earlier, the
Simi Valley (Calif.) freshman wouldn't budge.
One by one, skilled scribes attempted to pull the bashful, soft-spoken and certainly overwhelmed 14-year-old out, to get her to reveal how she felt about her national season best 10 minute, 14.11-second performance in the 3,200 meters, and a 5.68-second victory over an impressive field at the 44th annual Arcadia Invitational on Saturday.
"Great," she said.
What was her race strategy?
"Try my hardest."
Can she break 10 minutes this year?
"Maybe."
Has she heard comparison between herself and former national national cross-country and six-time state track and field champion Jordan Hasay?
"Yes."
Can you live up to them?
"I hope so."
Finally, a local reporter, who had learned that Baxter's interest in distance runner stemmed from watching the 2008 battle between Hasay and Christine Babcock at the Arcadia Invitational, asked her how this compared.
"This doesn't compare at all," Baxter said with a long distinctive pause. "This is way better."
Once again, the Arcadia Invitational topped its own lofty reputation by tying or breaking 12 national season-best marks on Saturday night alone.
The weather – chilly and breezy – didn't help the athletes, who weren't deterred as they put on another dazzling display for the estimated 5,000 fans packed tightly around the historic and intimate facility.
Though no national records were set – the event has boasted 24 over the years – the meet no doubt featured multiple future Olympians, adding to the count of 125 already who have participated over the past five decades.
No one broached that topic with Baxter, who shattered the previous national best heading into the week by almost 10 seconds. Three others beat the previous mark of 10:24 – Albuquerque Academy (N.M.) senior Julia Foster (10:19.70), Glacier Peak (Wash.) sophomore Amy-Eloise Neale (10:20.84) and
Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.) senior Molly Grabill (10:22.71).
Foster is one of the most decorated runners in New Mexico history. Neale earlier in the meet won the mile in a nation's best time of 4:48.01. Grabill is the defending California 3,200 state champion.
Sarah Baxter ran the fifth fastest
3,200 time in Arcadia history.
Photo by Louis Lopez
Baxter broke loose from the All-Star distance squad at about lap six and no one could catch her. Not even close.
Her time was fifth all-time on the Arcadia list – two at the top held by Hasay (10:03.07 and 10:03.56) and No. 3 by Babcock (10:04.03). The duo were multiple national prep record-holders now starring in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Baxter, who indeed resembles Hasay in terms of compact size and deflective demeanor, said she was indeed surprised by the pace.
"I didn't think we'd all be going that fast," she said. "I was pushed by the pace so that was good. I was hurting for sure but just didn't try to think of the pain. I tried to get out of the big pack with a big surge and it all worked out."
Here are nine others who it worked out for. (Note all schools California unless noted)
