By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
ARCADIA, Calif. – It was supposed to be a yawner, a precursor, a stretch and warm-up if you will to arguably the nation’s top high school track and field extravaganza.
Instead, the first day of the Arcadia Invitational lived up to its “Rising Stars/Burning Batons” moniker as no less than six national-leading season marks and 10 California season top marks were set.
OK, so we’re talking events like “shuttle hurdles” and “medley relays” for the most part, but still, remarkably gifted athletes reigned on an unseasonably warm Friday late afternoon and evening at Arcadia High, about 25 miles south east of downtown Los Angeles.
A downright sizzling event, headed by no-stone-left-unturned meet director Rich Gonzalez, with all traditional events is scheduled for today and especially tonight (see below), but by first-day standards, this was pretty much a “10.”
That’s saying something considering this 41st annual meet – tabbed the “Home of National Records” – has featured 101 Olympic athletes over the years and garnered a remarkable 23 national records.
Friday’s national-leading marks were (note, all cities are from California unless noted):
* Not only did the Saugus (Calif.) girls record the nation’s best 4x1 mile tile of 20:10.76 but it recorded the country’s No. 3 time all-time. The squad of junior Anne Randall (5:05.6), freshman Kaylin Mahoney (5:03.8) and seniors Nina Moore (5:07.9) and Katie Dunn (4:53.5) also smashed the 2005 state mark of 20:20.38 set by Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach).
Dunn’s split was a lifetime best. Even her teammates had given her a huge cushion – Crescenta Valley was second at 20:57.01 – Dunn went out in 69 seconds on her first lap.
"I wanted to do it for the school and for the girls," Dunn told Erik Boal of the Los Angeles Daily News. "I never thought I'd be able to run that fast by myself."
* The team that traveled furthest nationally – Danbury, Conn. – was rewarded by recording the nation’s best 4x1 mile relay mark of 17:33.73, edging Loyola (Los Angeles) at 17:34.57, the No. 3 time this year. Matt Terry anchored the all-senior Danbury squad to victory with other strong legs from Willie Ahearn, Parker Boudreau and Justin Rau.
* The girls shuttles hurdles team of Caitlin Kortenbach, Jamila Gamble, Lyndsay Pearson and Kristin Hempy from San Marcos (Santa Barbara) won in 63.60, just edging Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) at 63.87, the nation’s No. 2 mark. Muir (Pasadena) recorded the season’s third best mark (64.04) by winning the Invitational race.
* The boy’s 1,600 sprint medley featured the top two times of the year as Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) edged Colonie (Albany, N.Y.) 3:26.60 to 3:26.79. A strong 800 anchor by sophomore Ruben Danielson keyed the victory though Colonie senior Nick Santos anchored in 1:51.7. Greg Hornsby, Paul Robertson and Bakari Fant were other Rancho Verde runners.
* The Long Beach Wilson girls 1,600 sprint medley squad of sophomores Olivia Hudson and Christina Smith, junior Nyjah Cousar and senior Angele Cooper breezed to an almost-eight second victory over James Logan (Union City), winning in 4:00.97. A strong 400 leg by Cooper (55.0) and anchor 800 leg by Smith (2:16.2) led Wilson to the easy win.
* Logan’s girls came back to go national in the 800 medley relay winning in 1:44.51 thanks to a strong 54.9 400 anchor leg by sophomore Thandi Stewart. With freshmen Tessa Runnels and Ciarra Brewer on this squad, watch out for years to come. Runner-up Ceasar Chavez (Stockton) recorded the country’s No. 3 time at 1:45.98.
Among individuals races, Mountain Crest (Utah) senior George Barlow used a remarkable kick over the last 200 meters to edge St. Mary’s (Berkeley) senior Matt Duffy in the 3,200 9:13.09 to 9:13.68. Placer senior Jordan Burke ran all by herself most of the way to win the girls 3,200 in 11:00.64.
Today’s girls 3,200 Invitational will be one of the meet’s most watched events as remarkable junior Jordan Hasay (Mission Prep, San Luis Obispo) tries to break the ever-elusive 10-minute mark. A national cross-country champion as a freshman and serious Olympic hopeful has gone 10:04. She recently finished second in the World Youth (under 18) World Championships over 1,500. Hasay is no shoe-in to win as 2007 national cross-county champion Ashley Brasovan (Holy Trinity, Melbourne, Fla.) is also entered as is Woodbridge senior Christine Babcock and Davis senior Laurynne Chetelat.
Among the many other national standouts and superb showdowns expected today:
* Though eight lap events don’t normally hold everyone’s interest, the boys 3,200 should be stellar as the trio of New Zealand’s Dominic Channon (Bowden Nelson), German Fernandez (Riverbank) and Luke Puskedra (Judge, Salt Lake City, Utah). Channon, who recently went 8:09.61 in a 3K, but Puskedra and Fernandez have much to prove. Puskedra is the defending champion in the race and recently went 8:49.58 in the Nike Indoor National Two Mile victory.
* Blake Shaw (Cypress Creek, Houston, Texas) has already gone 1:49.41 in the 800 and could be pushed to the 1:48s with Arizona’s James Eichelberger (Catalina, Tucson) and John Kline (Desert Vista, Phoenix) in the field.
* German-born and foreign exchange student Nico Weiler (Los Gatos) looks to break his personal pole vault best of 17-6¼, which is No. 15 in U.S. high school history. He won with a California state-meet record 17-2 last season.
* Super sophomore sprinter Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth, Oakland) could double in the 100 and 200, with an emphasis on the latter event. She went a national indoor record of 23.43 in February. Her senior sister Julian Purvis has a national-leading 13.81 mark in the 100 hurdles and career best of 13.32. She hopes to rebound from a loss at Stanford last week when she hit the eighth hurdle. Not sure if defending California champion and national leader Vashti Thomas (Mt. Pleasant) will compete after enduring a hamstring injury.
* If Thomas is healthy, a great battle should ensue in the girls long jump as Karynn Dunn (Diamond Ranch) went a wind-aided 20-6½ last year.
* The girls triple jump should be explosive as Logan’s Briana Stewart (41-8½ best), Moreau Catholic (Hayward) junior Alitta Boyd (41-2¾), Marlborough’s Amanda Hunter (41-2¼) and Logan freshman Ciarra Brewer (40-0) go head-to-head.
* Shafter (Calif.) thrower Anna Jelmini has the top national discus mark this season (172-8) and could easily double in the shot put with a best of 45-6½.
* The girls 400 should be a blur with 53-second stars Jasmine Joseph and Long Beach Poly freshman teammate Akawkaw Ndipagbor going head-to-head. Joseph (53.15 PR) is the defending state champion and Ndipagbor ran 53.73 as an eighth-grader.
* Dayshun Ragans (Foothill, Bakersfield) is No. 2 in the country in the discus at 197-5 and should bust over 200 feet and is the nation’s top returner in the shot put with a best of 64-1.
* Always a fan favorite, this year’s boys 100 may be won out of state. Allante Battle (Desert Vista, Phoenix) is the defending Arizona state 5A champion (10.64 best) and Nevada’s Demarrion Horton (10.4) is also a defending state champ. Stanford-bound wide receiver Chris Owusu (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) already beat Horton in Las Vegas this season and fellow Californians Charles Saseum (Rancho Cucamonga), Adam Long (St. Bernard) and Jamal Alston (Rancho Buena Vista) all should threaten or beat the 10.5 mark under warm and fast conditions.
* Expect Colorado to get in the winners’ circle in the boys 400 as Dominick Roberts (East Denver) is the defending state champion with a personal best of 46.80. He’s also a co-favorite in the 200 where he’s gone 21.14. Battle is another 200-400 man and has gone 47.17 in the quarter.
* Among other out-of-staters who could easily prevail are: Cedrique Smith (Agua Fria, Ariz., 110 hurdles), Michael Woodham (Mountain Point, Phoenix, Ariz., 110 hurdles), Will Claye (Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, Ariz., long jump, triple jump), Roman Holmes (Cherry Creek, Colo., long jump) and Andrea Geubelle (Curtis, Wash., long jump).
Complete first day results, CLICK HERE.
Saturday Invitational schedule, CLICK HERE.
Live Saturday results, CLICK HERE.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com. Look for complete Saturday coverage later tonight and Sunday.
