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Terrific field for
9th Flying Tiger Invitational
WHERE: SAN JACINTO HIGH SCHOOL, TIGER STADIUM
WHEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 26
GIRLS PREVIEW
There is no questioning the depth of this girls meet in 2003. Seven girls
will be back to defend their 2002 championships but the meet has taken
on a
decidely different tone with the arrival of defending state champions
Riverside North.
While the talented Huskies add a star quality to the meet, there is
unprecedented depth in nearly every area of the meet in 2003. Based on
entr y
marks, 15 of 16 stadium and meet records will be broken by the end of
the
day.
The girls field includes six nationally ranked individuals and relay
teams.
Leading the way is defending state 300-meter hurdles champion Ashlee Brown,
currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in that event. Brown, a senior, who
ha s
racked up honors at the Mobile Challenge of Champions and at the prestigiou
s
Arcadia Invitational, will compete in the 100 meters and 300 hurdles.
In the 100 meters, Brown will be challenged by promising Vista del Lago
freshman (Moreno Valley) DeAna Carson, who set stadium records in the
100
(11.98) and 200 (24.94) during a spectacular outing at the De Anza League
meet on April 9. The 100 meter fiels also includes two-time Flying Tiger
champion Jessica Branker-Sanchez and her Temescal Canyon teammate Unique
Anderson, who has run 11.99 this season. Also keep an eye on Paloma Valley
senior Jenna Tomlin (12.20).
Carson, who is nation's fifth ranked long jumper, will also compete
in the
long jump, 200 meters and 100 hurdles, where she is also on the cusp of
earning a national ranking.
North's Gayle Hunter is already well acquainted with Tiger Stadium.
During
her first two season, while at Riverside King, Hunter set five stadium
records. She currently holds stadium records in the 100 hurdles, long
jump
and triple jump. Hunter, ranked No. 2 in the nation in the long jump,
will
compete in those three events today and the high jump.
The 100 hurdles figures to be a terrific battle with Carson, Hunter and
2002
Masters champion and state finalist Domenique Manning of North competing.
Manning, who is currently ranked No. 8 in the nation in this event, has
a
personal best of 13.99. Norco sophomore Kari Snow is also one to watch.
The
defending champ in the 300 hurdles, Snow has run 14.80 over the 100 hurdles
.
In the girls 400, there is a terrific battle shaping up between defending
meet champion and state finalist Shelese Ruffin, a sophomore from Beaumont,
Valley View sophomore Marissa Smith and North's Lili Calhoun and Lorraine
King. All four have run 57 seconds or faster. There are four other girls
capable of cracking 60 seconds today.
In the distances, Murrieta Valley junior Liza Pasciuto appears to be
ready
to run despite battling injuries this season. This is the first time
Pasciuto has run at the meet and she's entered in the 800 and 1,600
meter
events.
In the 800, Pasciuto will be challenged by El Capitan senior Cassie
Atkinson, a 2:16 performer, and by Murrieta Valley senior Bonghabih Shey,
who is looking to become the first athlete in meet history to win four
consecutive championship in an event.
In the 1,600, Rialto senior Jayme Ambos is off to a good start to her
seaso n
witha 5:10 clocking and she will challenge Pasciuto. Shey is the defending
champion in this event.
North's Lena Bettis, the defending state champion in the long jump,
will
compete in the triple jump and long jump today. With Carson, Hunter and
Bettis, the long jump figures to be one of the most competitive events
of
the day considering all three are among the best in the state and nation.
Ruffin is the defending champion and has the No. 3 performance at the
stadium all-time (17-0 1/2).
Temescal Canyon's Kim Avila is looking for a third consecutive Flying
Tiger
championship in the discus. Shannon Hobson, a Masters qualifier last season
,
has a personal best of 140-feet in this event and will look to end Avila's
supremacy here. Twentynine Palms' Danielle Lampkin has also had a series
of
good performances at Tiger Stadium, including a 120-foot performance April
9
at the De Anza League meet. Norco junior Tynisha Utz is also in the field
and has a throw this season at 120-feet.
The same quartet will battle in the shot put. Avila and Utz both medaled
in
this meet last season.
BOYS PREVIEW
While the boys side of the 2003 Flying Tiger Invitational may not have
the
depth of the girls division, there is still plenty of star power competing
at Tiger Stadium today.
Leading the way is Indio senior discus thrower Greg Garza, who is currently
ranked No. 5 in the nation in that event. Garza won this event last season
with a 169-foot effort. This season, however, he's been impressive with
victories at the Los Angeles Invitational and the Mount San Antonio College
Relays.
Garza isn't the only top-flight discus thrower in the field today. Bishops
(La Jolla) junior Daniel Schaerer, who won the Arcadia Invitational open
division earlier this month, will compete, as will Temescal Canyon senior
Tony Tuala, the 2001 champion in this event.
Garza will also compete against a deep field in the shot put. Hemet junior
Adam Simler, already a two-time CIF finalist, leads the field with an
early
season 56-foot effort.
In the distance events there appears to be some epic battles shaping
up,
especially in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter events.
Murrieta Valley senior Kellen Acosta, a double winner at those distances
last season, leads the field in the 1,600 meters after clocking a 4:17
effort earlier this year. Acosta has already run 9:24 for 3,200, but there
is depth in every race.
In the 1,600, Acosta will be challenged by Glendora's Sean DeFillipo,
a 4:21
performer, and Rialto senior Clayton Dunn, who has run 4:20. Also chasing
will be Yucaipa junior Ryan Allan, who has terrific speed over 400 and
800
meters, and Rialto's Jared Bain and Daniel Cuevas. There are 10 runners
who
have run 4:37 or faster.
The 3,200 field appears to be just as deep. DeFillipo has run 9:19 and
is
seeded No. 1 coming intothe meet. However, Indio junior Joel Cota, who
has
already run 4:14 for 1,600 meters, is set to run a fresh 3,200. Beaumont
senior Brian Banker, who finished third at the state Division IV cross
country meet, ran a personal best 9:23 at Arcadia two weeks ago.
Fourteen runners will compete today who have run under 10 minutes, which
makes for the deepest field in the meet's history.
In the 800, Murrieta Valley senior Ian Ritchie is one of the top performers
in the state witha 1:53 clocking at a meet last month. Glendora senior
Ozzi e
Dunn, who will also run the 400, and Rialto's Dunn are also in the field,
and both have run 1:57 this season.
The boys hurdles features Clairemont (San Diego) senior Jacob Symons,
a
state finalist last season. Symons has 39.74 over the 300-meter intermediat
e
hurdles this season and 14.60 over the 110-meter highs.
Symons, however, will be challenged by Valley View senior Brian Thompson,
who is coming off a heat victory at Arcadia. Thompson has run14.51 and
38.91
in these races. He finished second in the 110 highs during last year's
inviational.
In the sprints, it appears to be a wide-open affair with several boys
posting fast entry times but no boy has yet to run under 11 seconds in
the
100 meters.Valley View's Jon Johnson, Larry Foust and Tinnar Wilson have
all posted
times under 11 seconds as has Temescal Canyon's Gene McCaleb. Yucca Valley'
s
Kyle Tuttle, however, has run an 11.16 (FAT) time on the track this season.
Valley View will look to defend its title in the 400-meter relay but
it
appears the Eagles will get a strong challenge from Yucca Valley and Norco.
Indio and Pacific have also posted times under 44 seconds this season.
Redlands East Valley, Temescal Canyon and Murrieta Valley have also been
near the 44-second barrier.
In the 1,600-meter relay, Yucca Valley, which owns the stadium record,
will
not compete in this event this year. The Trojans have won their last five
races in this event.
So, that leaves a wide-open field in the 4x4.
In the long jump, Twentynine Palms senior Layton "Dynamite"
Matthews is the
leading contender here. Matthews, a standout football and basketball player,
soared to a personal best 22-foot effort earlier this season.
Glendora's Andrew Scott is the leading contender in the triple jump.
Teammate Morgan McGehee has also jumped well this season and will challenge,
as will Pacific's Clifton Davis.
Murrieta Valley senior Chris Miyake is the defending champion in the
pole
vault.
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