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DyeStat Elite performances |
Super
Saturday at Simplot
Welcome to the Lion's Den! The gloves come in Simplot Indoor Games
finals are set! Kilmartin, Abney, Hastings, Felix, LB Wilson, LB Poly,
Logan, United Stars and more are ready in America's jewel meet. Some
Saturday morning semis, then a bevy of hot showdowns. Starting blocks
and spikes were not allowed in prelims, but athletes will be fully
prepared Saturday! All-around phenom Donovan Kilmartin (he starts
four finals within 45 minutes Saturday!), dash wiz Allyson Felix (60m,
200m) and pole vaulter Julene Bailey compete unattached.
Speed City TC (LB Poly) and Union City Logan, two California powers,
topped the 4x200 girls qualifying, in 1:40.95 and 1:41.49, respectively.
Logan had to beat relays juggernaut Long Beach Wilson (dropped baton,
(1:46.48) head-on in its heat! Yikes! United Stars TC (PA) blazes
to 1:42.92. The final will smoke!!!
On the boys' side, Transit Tech of New York squandered a blistering
pace with a botched anchor-leg exchange and was disqualified (DATAC
of Denver was best in 1:31.66). The Transit Tech crew (above) rebounded
to post the top 4x400 qualifying time in 3:26.51. Not many notes today,
but figure on many taking shape on Saturday!
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First day
action reported by Rich Gonzalez
Boys
1600 prelims
(Oh Canada!)
Five of 11 best qualifiers
are our northern neighbors. Alex McClary (Wash) tops
qualifying in 4:25.19! Utah's Steve Shepherd makes
tactical mistake, is eliminated from contention into the "A"
heat final.
Girls
1600 prelims ("I went with it in prelims.")
Faced with grueling upcoming schedule, Mtn. View's
(UT) Heidi Houle seizes prelims chance with 5:04.41!
Valley Christian's (CA) Amanda Thornberry looks super
in 5:09.04 to now assume favorite's role.
Boys
weight throw ("The record's coming!")
Nick Owens (WA) misses PR, but says
he feels the national record is only a matter of time! Leif
Arrhenius (UT) performs well to hurl the implement to a lifetime
competition PR.
Girls
weight throw ("Not quite what I wanted.")
Della Clark and Marie Stringer,
a pair of Georgians, claim top places but feel a bit dissatisfied.
Local frosh Sarah Cardinal (Blackfoot TC) places
fourth in front of hometown crowd. |
Heidi
Houle
 |
Della
Clark and Marie Stringer
photos by Rich Gonzalez
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| Allyson Felix, Natasha
Hastings, Donovan Kilmartin, Julene
Bailey, Melville Rogers, Shalonda
Solomon, Mackenzie Hill, Ashley
Freeman, Tiffany Abney, Adam Demming and
Nick Owens lead a huge cast for the 25th anniversary
Simplot. Entries include a big California delegation and top athletes
from Philadelphia, Kansas City, New York, the Northwest and the mountain
states. Felix is gunning for a 24.20 200m to qualify for the USATF
National Indoors in Boston next month. |
DyeStat US
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