4/10/99 at Arcadia CA

32nd Arcadia Invitational

California preps vs. the nation's best

Preview

by Doug Speck

1999 Arcadia Invitational will continue tradition
of getting the best HS stars

Continuing its tradition of gathering top high-school stars across the nation to compete against the Golden State’s best, the Thirty-Second Annual Arcadia Invitational Track & Field Meet will be held Saturday, April 10th at the High School Track. With sixty 1984 through 1996 U.S. Olympic team members in the Arcadia Meet during their prep careers, and with nine National High School Records set in the last twenty years of the competition, the 1999 meet is full of stars with overall fields equal to any ever gathered locally for the sport at the prep level.

The Invitational portion of the competition will start at 4:00 p.m. with running events at 6:15 p.m. The meet is scheduled for full television coverage by Fox Sports West as a part of their spring high school sports schedule. 

Speed is the name of the game in the sport, with great individuals and relay squads dominating the short end of the action at Arcadia.  Kentucky’s Casey Combest (Owensboro) was a silver medalist in the 400m relay World Junior Championships last summer with a 10.44 100 meter best. He has run 6.19 indoors this winter for 55 meters, the #6 prep time in U.S. Prep history. The quick starter from the Southern U.S. will meet the duo of Darrell Rideaux (10.36) and Kareem Kelly (10.39) from Long Beach Poly, the nucleus of what will probably be California’s first ever prep 400 meter relay team under 40.0.

Arizona’s Reshon Ross (Maryvale, Phoenix) at 21.12 will challenge Kelly (20.76) over the 200 meter distance.

The quickest young ladies from around the country, Alexis Joyce (Washington, Denver, Co) and Erica Whipple (Suncoast, Riviera Beach, Fl), will travel in to compete in the sprint events.

Joyce, a soph was a finalist in the U.S. Senior National Championships in late February over 60 meters, competing against Gail Devers and other Olympians. Whipple, the heir apparent to Angela Williams at the prep level, was 11.51 (100m) and 23.29 (200m) last year as a ninth grader, with Joyce 11.52 and 23.63.  California’s best will have their hands full in all the dashes with these visitors.

The action does not fall off in quality past the short sprints. Nakiya Johnson (Ayala, Chino Hills) was a World Silver Medalist last summer over 400 meters, with her 52.09 best the #10 US High School time ever run! Defending Arcadia champ Monique Henderson (Morse, San Diego) 52.93 and Leshinda Demus (Wilson (Long Beach) 53.06 are the next best two in the entire nation, and will give Johnson a battle!

Defending Boys’ State 400m Champ Mike Ryan (Beverly Hills) 47.38 will battle Blaine Bussey (Taft, Woodland Hills) 47.20, and Daniel Mentuhotep (Antelope Valley, Lancaster) 47.29 in the Men’s 400, with Bussey racing U.S. Prep history’s #3 clocking ever over 500 yards indoors this winter at 57.3!

Over 800 Meters, Lindsey Hyatt (Placer, Auburn), the nation’s quickest at 2:06.30 will battle Canadian junior national champion Tanya Wright (2:07.53). Brett Tipton (Northrup, Ft. Wayne, In) has been one of the Boys’ indoor stars nationally this winter, with a 1:51.77 800m on a tight indoor track, with David Stott (Scottsbluff, Ne) 1:53.51 and Sean Ricketts (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego) 1:53.51 leading chase on the Men’s side!

Brian Turner (Millard North, Omaha, Ne), who had one of the best soph times run since the days of Jim Ryun with a 4:09.29 mile last June, will lead the 1600 meter race. Justin Willingham (Beyer, Modesto) 4:13.3 leads a half a dozen others under 4:16.0 who will battle with Turner. Josh Rohatinsky (Provo, Ut), the nation’s fastest soph 3200m runner last year off his 9:08.22 at Arcadia, and the Foot Locker Western Regional Champion, headlines the 3200 meter event, with Adam Tenforde (Hanford, Richland, Wa) 9:09.06 (third in Foot Locker
Nationals Cross-Country) hoping to run under 9:00 in the Arcadia competition.

California State 1600 & 3200m Champ last June, Sara Bei (Montgomery, Santa Rosa) 4:49.21 and 10:31.06, will lead the Girls’ distance events. Lauren Fleshman (Canyon, Canyon Country) was the Foot Locker National runner-up in December with 4:58.54 and 10:38.65 distance bests in track. Sarah Gorton (Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, Az) won the Arcadia 3200 last year at 10:33.11, with Jeanna Composti   (Sachem, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY) 4:51.33 (mile), Katie Hotchkiss (Mission San Jose, Fremont) 4:49.77, Spring Dawson (Vallejo) 4:52.84, Allyson Marquand (University, Irvine) 4:55.43-10:43.35, Trina Cox (Santa Rosa) 10:33.75, and Michelle de la Vina (Andrean, Merrillville, In)
10:34.27, making the Girls Distances absolute cookers!

Girls’ Hurdle action will be led by Nicole Denby (North, Riverside), who equalled the National Prep record indoors this winter for the 60 meter hurdles at 8.33, with a 13.86 from last outdoor season over the 100 Meter Hurdle distance. Ricardo Moody (Harrison, Colorado Springs, Co) was 13.64 last year for the Boys’ Highs event, with California State champ Marcell Allmond (St. Paul, Santa Fe Springs) 13.83, Dorsey of LA’s duo of Terry Ellis 13.92 and Greg Lee 14.03 challenging.

In the Girls 300 Lows, Leshinda Demus (Wilson, Long Beach) is the nation’s fastest at 41.90, with local rival Detra King (Poly, Long Beach) the nation’s #2 returnee at 41.96. James Smith (Camelback, Phoenix) 37.58 headlines the Boys’ 300 Intermediates.

Julie Stevenson (Diamond Bar) has gone over 5-10 in the Girls High Jump, with Schquay Brignac (Cleveland, Reseda) and Jodi Smith (St. John’s, Az) 5-9. Great all-arounder Marcell Allmond (St. Paul, Santa Fe Springs) has been over 6-10 on the Boys’ side.

In the Girls’ Pole Vault, Kathleen Donoghue (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego) is the nation’s #2 returnee outdoors at 12-04, with 11-06 stars Bridget Pearson (Hoover, Glendale), Leora Ward (Peninsula, Rolling Hills), and Caroline Robello) among the nation’s top ten. 16-footers Blake Powell (Highland, Gilbert, Az) and Rick Collins (West Valley, Spokane, Wa) and 15-10 star Brandon Braunstein (Newark) headline the Boys’ Vault field.

Tracee Thomas (North, Riverside), the nation’s top junior high Girls’ Long Jumper last year at 19-11 leads that event over fellow 19-footers Tiffany Jones (Eisenhower, Rialto) and Dee Scott (North, Riverside). Oliver Jackson (Royal, Simi Valley) and Jonathan Lott (King’s Christian, Lemoore), both 23-footers as sophs last year, headline the Boys’ Long Jump event. Blessing Ufodiama (Poly, Long Beach) 39-05.5 (Girls) and Gerado Carrasco (Shafter) 50-07 (Boys) lead good Triple Jump groups.

Rebekah Green (Girls, Columbus, Oh) is the nation’s top Girl Shot Putter at 48-05.75, with the fine trio of Danny Ames (El Capitan, Lakeside) 64-08, Doug Sells (Shelton, Wa) 62-09, and Lucas Mackay (Hughson) 61-01 headlining the Boys’ side. Mackay has thrown the Discus 197-09, with Ames 192-00, putting them among the nation’s top five returnees.

April Burton (Bakersfield) is the nation’s top returning Girls Discus thrower at 171-04, with Mary Etter (Snohomish, Wa) 157-11, Rebekah Green (152-11), and Jill Camarena (Woodland) 150-04 also among the country’s top ten.

Amazing depth is a feature at Arcadia, with tons of top athletes backing up the stars mentioned above. New high-quality entrants are being added daily.

For further information on the Arcadia competition, with sanctions sought for all 50 American States and neighboring countries, can be secured by calling
(626) 445-7507 (phone/message)
(626) 445-8564 (fax).

E-mail can be sent to: [email protected]

This Web site is maintained by 

John Dye [email protected]
301-293-2601 (fax or voicemail before 9 pm Eastern time), 
11117 Church Hill Rd., Myersville MD 21773
Material Copyright 1998-1999