73rd Chandler Rotary Invitational track meet set for greatness

This one is earmarked for greatness.

The 73rd Chandler Rotary Invitational has all the makings of a special event. Arizona is in the midst of a terrific era of track athletes and they'll all converge upon one spot along with outside talent from eight states.

"In select events Arizona is very strong," Desert Vista (Phoenix) pole vault coach Jeff Guy said. "Arizona is on the map. There are some top athletes and there is some great coaching in Arizona as well. This might be the best year ever for the Rotary."

It gets started Friday with the Open Division and ends Saturday night with the Elite finals.

The top area athletes include:

- Arizona State commit and Cibola (Yuma) senior Bernie Montoya, who won the mile race at the Nike Elite Camp in 4 minutes, 8.01 seconds in June;

- Ky Westbrook of Chandler, who can do just about anything in the track arena, as she won the Division I titles in the 100 and 200 sprints each of her first two years and works toward becoming a heptathlete.

- Brophy College Prep (Phoenix) senior speedster Devon Allen looks to get back to his standard now that he is healthy. The Oregon football commit set Arizona state records in both the 110-meter high hurdles (13.52 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (36.36), winning state titles in both events. He also ran the 11th fastest 200 time in the nation last year in 20.75 seconds.

- Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) senior long jumper Travonn White, who set the state indoor record in February with an effort of 25 feet, 3.25 inches and is expected to make his outdoor debut at the Rotary.

Included in the field, which will have 99 teams represented, are top programs like Long Beach Poly from California plus athletes from New Mexico, Oregon, Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, Idaho and Illinois. It doesn't end there, as several other athletes have already set either state or school records heading into the Rotary.

Mountain Pointe sophomore Paul Lucas, who already owns the school record in the 400, set the school record in the 200 with a time of 21.47 seconds in the Aztec Invitational.

And he's not done yet.

"I told Ben Trotter last year that I was coming for him," said Lucas about getting Trotter's record in the 100 (10.60) that was set in his senior year in 2012. "I'll get it."

He already posted a 10.68 this season and others are thinking even bigger for Lucas.

"Devon Allen is going to have his work cut out for him cause that Lucas kid is for real," Desert Vista senior Chris Hanson said. "Allen is coming off (an ankle) injury and Lucas is already posting times."

Two other impressive showings at the Aztec Invite the first weekend of March came from Desert Vista pole vaulters, as they took the top four places in both boys and girls. Senior Scott Marshall set the school record with an effort of 16 feet and 9 inches, while Vanessa Davis set the state record for sophomores by clearing 12-6.25.

Marshall recently committed to Wake Forest after taking an official visits there and Arkansas. So it has been a couple of good weeks for him, but he knows the big number to start the year changes his approach to the season.

"I was kind of shocked and didn't know what to do," he said. "That was (the height) I was shooting for this season and I already hit it. Now, I can relax and just go compete. I'll just keep on doing what I am now and I can look at the state record (17-4, which was set by Nick Hyson of Tolleson in 1990) as the goal."

Guy said Marshall has grown into a top vaulter.

"There has been a big change in physical maturity and physiological as well," he said. "His best last year was 15-6 and 15-2 in the one (state meet) that counts. It was good to get 16 (feet) out of the way early and he can really go after it now."

Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothills News staff writer, is an 18-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.