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 | 31st Simplot Games
Holt Arena, Idaho State University, Pocatello ID
February 19-21, 2009
Saturday |
Familiar stars and new faces on Simplot Saturday
US#1's for Anna Jelmini, Ciarra Brewer and New Bern NC boys
by Dave Devine
 Expectations ran high as the final day of the 31st Simplot Games opened at the Idaho State University Holt Arena. California sprint star Ashton Purvis had looked crisp and smooth in Friday qualifying rounds, apparently poised to rip fast finals in the 60- and 200-meter dashes. The vaunted relay squad from Track Eastern Carolina (New Bern NC) had recovered from a sloppy Friday morning 4x200 performance to lay down a US#2 time in the afternoon 1600 Sprint Medley Relay prelim, setting up their anticipated record assault Saturday. If things went well, the hour between 12:20pm and 1:20pm—when the 60m, 1600 SMR, 60H and 200m were being contested— could witness multiple national-, class- or meet records tumble in the wake of those athletes.
But if Saturday’s Simplot was going to be a showcase for Purvis and Track E.C., someone forgot to tell Trinity Wilson, Kyle Macintosh, Anna Jelmini (right, photo by Robert Rosenberg) and Ciarra Brewer. The precocious Wilson brought her US#1 55m hurdle time into the 60m hurdle final and promptly claimed a freshman class record of 8.44. Macintosh scored three gold medals on the day, roaring to a 7.90 victory in the 60m hurdles, a 48.06 win in the 400, and a key third leg his ATS Elite 4x400 team’s 3:20.98 winning effort. Jelmini launched the girls shot put to a US#1 51-05.00 in her first indoor meet ever, becoming the only girl in the country to top 50 feet this season. And Brewer, toiling on the triple jump runway in the shadows of the grandstand, extended all the way out to a US#1 41-06.00 which also left her the sophomore class record holder in the event.
Purvis and the New Bern crew certainly delivered as well. The California junior from E.O.Y.D.C. and St. Elizabeth CA hit a 7.47 60 dash time that equaled the #3 time in the country and a 23.99 200 that was briefly a US#1 time (before Chalonda Goodman GA ran 23.79 at the University of Kentucky Invite). The Track E.C. relay squad tore through an electric 3:26.28 medley relay that took down the Simplot meet record, was #5 all-time and easily the number one mark in the nation, but fell short of the 3:24.69 national record they coveted. Later they returned in hooded speedsuits for a 1:27.60 4x200 meet record that was second only to their own 1:27.02 on the national list.
While in the end no national records fell, the day was still marked by stellar performances and breakout surprises.
Cal stars Purvis and Wilson own the straights, Macintosh grabs triple gold
After a morning of consolation finals and an elaborate opening ceremony featuring a parade of attending athletes and former Olympians, Purvis was the first star to take the track. Judging from Friday’s prelim contested in flats, it was within the realm of possibility that she'd approach Victoria Jordan’s junior class record of 7.24. Ashley Owens’ 7.19 US record would require a perfect race, but a perfect race was not in the offing for Purvis on Saturday. She sped to a very good 7.47 win, but it was obvious she was far from pleased with the time. When her 200 meter effort an hour later yielded “only” a 23.99, she screwed up her face in frustration when she saw the big screen clock.
Afterwards, a subdued Purvis took consolation in the wins, but was left wanting faster times.
 “I’m happy I won,” she said, “but I just wanted to win with a good time. I’ll have to shoot for next year. You think you should do better in your spikes, but it looks like spikes didn’t help me that much.”
If Purvis had a so-so day by her own high standards, her E.O.Y.D.C. teammate and St. Mary’s CA freshman Trinity Wilson came through in spades. Expected to be the top contender in the girls 60m hurdles based on her US#1 55H time, Wilson delivered a freshman class record of 8.44 which would have equaled Jasmin Stowers for US#1 time, had Stowers not ripped a 8.43 at the University of Kentucky Invitational almost simultaneously on Saturday. As it was, the ninth grader landed at the #2 slot on the national list and displayed poise beyond her years.
“I told my coach I wanted to run in the 8.40’s today,” she said, “and that’s what I did. My start was okay, I was pretty happy with that, I was getting over the hurdles good, and I got through to the finish line.”
Wilson’s male counterpart on the hurdle victory stand, Kyle Macintosh (above, photo by Robert Rosenberg) of ATS Elite and Littleton CO, did a pretty good job ‘getting through to the finish line,’ as well. In fact, he did it three times successfully for a gold medal hat trick, all while struggling with a hamstring injury that sent him for treatment between each race Saturday. Macintosh started the medal haul with a 7.90 victory in the 60m hurdles over Colorado rivals Tarique and Tashaun Hill, who crossed in 7.97 and 7.98, respectively. He followed that up with a powerful 48.06 win in a 400m dash which was never in doubt. And finally he stepped in for the third leg of his ATS Elite team’s triumphant 4x400 relay, reeling off a 49.04 split at a pivotal moment and blowing the race wide open for ATS Elite anchor Nate Guthals.
“It’s the last time I’ll be here,” the Simplot veteran said after his 400 win, “so I wanted to go out with some good races.”
 Track E.C. claims a pair of meet records
The Track E.C. squad made sure to go out with some good races too, even if they didn’t achieve the hoped-for national records in their riveting relay finals. The 1600 Sprint Medley Relay came first: the event in which they seemed most primed to pursue an historic mark. Although they were never challenged after a 48.72 opening leg by Andrew Hendrix, a badly muffed third exchange between Miles Sparks and anchor Anthony Hendrix (right, photo by John Dye) not only echoed their Friday morning troubles, but cut into the slim margin of error they had in pursuing the 3:24.69 mark by Muir CA. Hendrix summoned a 1:53.7 closer which brought them home in 3:26.28—well under the 3:27.80 meet record (also held by Muir), but frustratingly removed from the all-time Muir clocking.
“I’m glad we got the meet record,” Anthony Hendrix said after the medley relay, “but we’ve still got to try to get the national record…we’re just trying to break the Muir records so that maybe twenty years from now, when we have kids, they can look at our records that will maybe still be standing.”
The Track E.C. crew produced another big win and meet record of 1:27.60 in the 4x200, but again, a national mark eluded them.
“It’s always great to come out with another US#1 and a couple of meet records,” club coach Nicholas Sparks noted, “but their goals are a little bit higher than that. It just gives us something to shoot for in a month at [Nike] Indoor.”
While Purvis, Wilson, Macintosh and the New Bern relay squad unfurled their winning efforts under the bright lights and clear sightlines of the Holt Arena track, field event standouts Anna Jelmini, Ciarra Brewer and Kasen Covington made their marks in less high-profile environs.
Field event stars make their mark
With all the action whirling around the track, it was easy to overlook the shot put competition inside the net-draped infield cage, but something special was taking place every time Shafter CA senior Anna Jelmini stepped in the ring. Jelmini, primarily known as a nation-leading discus thrower last spring, has never participated in an indoor meet. She’s always played basketball in the winter. This year, in an effort to pursue big marks in the discus and shot put come spring, she made the difficult decision to leave basketball behind and focus on throwing. That focus was on full and frightening display Saturday.
Jelmini entered the arena with an outdoor PR of 50-04 in the shot, and no indoor experience. She left with a new PR of 51-05.00, the #1 put in the country, and the distinction of being the first girl over 50 feet this winter, much less 51 feet. In fact, her US#1 is three-and-a-half feet further than any other girl has thrown in 2009.
 While she found the indoor shot to be an interesting change from the outdoor implement, she struggled to feel at home in the unfamiliar ring. “The rubberized ball moves in your hand…it kind of forms in your hand and you can get better grips without using chalk. The ring is what was different for me, because I like throwing off a rougher surface. This was really slick and I had a hard time finding a spot that was rough enough.”
Two field eventers who clearly found their comfort zone, even while competing on the cramped runway of the jumps approach, were triple jumpers Ciarra Brewer (left, photo by Robert Rosenberg) and Kasen Covington. Brewer, a sophomore at James Logan High in CA, is already the age 14 record holder in the outdoor triple jump. Saturday, she added the indoor sophomore class record to her resume with a US#1 41-06.00 which topped the 2005 soph record of fellow Californian Ke’Nyia Richardson. Meanwhile, Covington (YMCA Team Idaho/Capital ID) seized the win in the boys triple on his final jump after trailing Texas leaper Omar Craddock for much of the competition. Craddock was injured before his penultimate attempt, and had to hope that his 48-05.75 held up through the final round. It almost did, but Covington extended out to a PR 49-03.00 closing leap that left him ranked #2 in the nation and walking away with the gold medal.
“It was unfortunate for [Craddock] that he actually pulled his hamstring on his fourth jump,” a modest Covington said afterwards, “but it was fortunate for me that I was able to pass him on my last jump.”
Long jumper Karynn Dunn CA reached a US#3 19-09.75 for the win in that event, and Texas pole vaulter Shade Weygandt became a three-time Simplot titlist in her discipline, clearing 12-03.00 to win by a foot.
In a pair of impressive 3200 races, Ogden Utah’s Sarah Callister soloed a US#4 10:49.12 which left her almost 20 seconds clear of her pursuers, while Falcon CO teammates Kevin Johnson and Wes Rickman went 1-2 on a deep and talented distance field, hitting 9:16.22 and 9:16.50, the former a 22-second PR (indoors or out) for the victorious Johnson.
Other distance titles went to Karl Wilcock UT in the boys 1600 (4:22.47), Chelsea Graham CAN in the girls 1600 (5:02.36), Alex Weinheimer CO in the boys 800 (1:53.11 - US#3) and Charlene Lipsey NY in the girls 800 (2:13.47).
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