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2008 Simplot Games

Idaho State University, Pocatello ID
February 14-16, 2008

DyeStat on-site with Rich Gonzalez, Dave Devine
Mike Kennedy, Marc Davis and John and Donna Dye


Boys Previews

400, Pole Vault might be best boys events


By Mike Kennedy


60 METERS
This event shapes up to be highly competitive. A. J. Whitaker of Washington (Denver) won the Martin Luther King Invitational in 6.90, and teammate Quinton Dodson, who was sixth last year, has run 7.02. Outdoors, Whitaker had bests of 10.71 and 21.58 in 2006. Keenan Ballage of Falcon (Payton, Co.) has a best 7.04. All of those marks came at altitude.

Junior Cameron Marshall of Valley Christian (San Jose) won the MLK Run for the Dream 55-meter race in 6.50. Two young runners to keep an eye on are freshman Jordan Vaughn of Union Grove (Ga.), who had best of 11.01 and 22.35 as an eighth grader, and Kiel Pickett of Cherry Creek (Englewood,Co.), who ran 10.95 and 21.99 as a freshman last year.


200 METERS
Dominic Roberts of East (Denver, Co.) will warm up for his primary event, the 400, with one trip around the oval. Last year he won the Colorado State 5A title with a time of 21.14. Bobby Grier of West (Charlotte, N.C.) will be dropping down from 500 meters, where he has run 1:06.38. Evant Orange of Poly (Long Beach) has not been indoors this season but last year he ran 10.74 and 21.71 outdoors. Joey Hughes, also from Long Beach Poly, ran 21.66 outdoors in 2007. Matt Butcher of Longmont (Co.) was the State 5A champion in the 200 in 21.55. DeMario House of West (Charlotte, N.C.) has a best of 35.34 for 300 meters.

A.J. Whitaker of East (Denver), who was second last year and ran 21.58 outdoors, will double back from the 60 meters, as will teammate Quinton Dotson, who has run 22.14 at the Martin Luther King indoor meet in Boulder. Sophomore Kiel Pickett of Cherry Creek (Englewood, Co.) also doubles back here, and has an outdoor best of 21.99, as will freshman Jordan Vaughn of Union Grove (Ga.), who ran 22.25 outdoors last year.


400 METERS
This just might be the best event on the track for the boys. In 2004, Elzie Coleman of Newburgh Free Academy (Newburgh, N.Y.) set the current national indoor record at the Simplot Invitational with a time of 45.92. There are at least three runners who could challenge that mark and all three could better the best (regulation track) indoor mark this season, which is 48.34.

Dominic Roberts of East (Denver) has not been indoors this season, but last year he was the State 5A champion in the 200 (21.14) and the 400 (47.54). Two weeks later, he was second in the Great Southwest at 46.81 and had a best of 46.80. Kendall Gregory of Strongsville (Oh) has had limited indoor season with best of 22.21 in the 200 and 47.99 in the 400 on an oversize track. However, outdoors in 2007 he was the State Division I champion in 47.01.

Matt Butcher of Longmont (Co.) was the State 4A champion in 2007 in the 200 at 21.55 and also in the 400, where he ran 47.01. Jeff Daw of Skyline (Salt Lake City) was second here last year in 50.62. Akinto Boone of Free Academy (Newburgh, N.Y.) won the Arkansas Invitational in 48.34. Bobby Grier of West (Charlotte, N.C.) is another to watch, as is Sam Sebastian of Oak Grove (San Jose), who is dropping down from the 800 where he ran 1:53.12 in finishing second in the 2007 USATF Junior Olympics in the Young Mens division.


800 METERS
Charles White of Cherry Creek (Englewood,Co.) was fourth in the Boston Indoor Game Mile in 4:13.33 and third in the Millrose Mile in 4:15.01. Last year, he was second in the Great Southwest at 1:52.64 and seventh in the Nike Outdoor meet at 4:09.36 for a mile. Patrick Todd of Highland Park (Dallas) was the Carl Lewis indoor champion in 1:56.02, and last year was second in the State 4A meet at 1:54.05 before running 1:53.98 at the Nike Outdoor meet.

Joe Abbott of Galena (Reno) was second at the United Heritage indoor meet two weeks ago at 1:57.81, and won the 2007 Sacramento Meet of Champions in 1:54.09, before finishing second in the State 4A race at 1:53.83. Steve Kasica of Monument (Fruita, Co.) won the State 5A 800 in 1:54.63 in 2007.


1,600 METERS
Defending champion Luke Puskedra of Judge Memorial (Salt Lake City), who set a meet record of 4:13.62, is the hottest miler in the nation after running a nation-leading indoor mark of 4:08.77 at the Boston Indoor Games. Last year he was fourth in the Penn Relays mile at 4:11.25 and then won the State 3A meet at 4:13.44. He was also the Arcadia two mile champion in 9:00.51 in 2007.

Puskedra’s major competition should come from Stephen Clark of Skyline (Salt Lake City), who seventh here last year and was fifth in the Golden West mile in 4:17.77, and Spencer Gardner of Davis (Kaysville, Utah).


3,200 METERS
Two juniors headline the eight-lap event: Bryan Tibaduiza of Galena (Reno) and Garrett Wilson of Highlands Ranch (Co.). Both are entered at 9:20.0. Wesley Rickman of Falcon City (Peyton, Co.), another junior, ran 8:51.8 for 3,000 meters last summer. Nigel Sharp from Canada was fourth here last year at 9:47.50.


60-METER HURDLES
Michael Hancock of Washington (Denver) has run 7.98 at the Martin Luther King Inv. in Boulder to rank fifth in the nation. Last year he was the State 5A champion at 14.22. Andre McDonald of Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.), who won four medals in the State meet last year and has run 8.10 to rank seventh in the nation. Last year he was second at the State 4A meet in 14.23.

Junior Tashaun Hill of Eaglecrest (Aurora, Co.) has run 8.31. Arron Burney of Granite Bay (Ca.) and J.D. Morgan of Taft (Woodland Hills, Ca.) were one-two at the MLK Run for the Dream 55-meter race in, 7.54 and 7.72, respectively. Morgan ran 7.69 in the prelims. Last year he was the leading freshman outdoors at 14.22. James Kennedy of Serra (Gardena) also ran 7.69 in the prelims at the MLK meet.


HIGH JUMP
Andre McDonald of Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.), the defending champion at 6-10, begins the challenge of winning three field events here. Outdoors, last spring, he had three meets over 7-0. He won the State 4A meet at 6-9 and had a best of 7-0 ½. Maurice Valentine of Castro Valley (Ca.) was the State champion at 6-10 and had a best of 7-0 ¼ in the Summer. Another jumper to watch is Kevin Rutledge of Bellarmine Prep (San Jose), who won the Central Coast Section finals at 6-8 and has also long jumped 23-2 ¼.


POLE VAULT
Last year the two best Youth Division (under 18) pole vaulters in the world were Nico Weiler of Los Gatos (Ca.) and Corey Shank of Northrop (Ft. Wayne, In.), and both will be here. Weiler, a foreign exchange student from Germany, is the yearly indoor leader at 17-2. Last year Weiler was just outstanding, winning the State meet at 17-2 just one week after clearing a personal best of 17-6 ¼ at the Central Coast Section finals. Weiler went on to win the World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic at 17-3.

But for a fault in qualifying system the U.S. uses, that requires competing in one of three national meets a year before the World Youth Championships, Shank might well have joined Weiler in Ostrava. Shank has a best of 16-4 ¾ to rank No. 7 indoors this season. Last year as a junior, after a severe back injury prevented him from competing in the summer of 2006, he won the State meet at 17-0.

Weiler and Shank are just two of an outstanding field that includes five 16-0 vaulters. Blair Wallingford of Roseville (Ca.) has already done 15-8 at the Vault Summit and last year was second in the State meet at 16-4. Justin Gebicki of East (Cheyenne, Wy.), who also has done 15-8 at the Vault Summit, was second in the State 4A meet at 15-6 and a week earlier cleared 16-3. Jason Pelletier of Bryan (Ar.) has in indoor best of 16-1 ¼ this season. Last year he won the State Meet of Champions at 15-8 and had a best of 15-9 ¾ in finishing fourth at the Nike Outdoor nationals.


LONG JUMP
Andre McDonald of Park City (Kansas City, Mo.) — sound familiar? —was fourth here last year at 22-10 ¼. He went on the win the State 4A meet at 23-0 ½, just two weeks after jumping 23-10, where no wind gage was present. Kevin Rutledge of Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) has not competed indoor, but has a best of 23-2 ¾ last spring.

Steven Michel of Laramie (Wy.) was fourth last year at 22-9 ¼ and has a best of 23-4. Junior Omar Craddock of Killeen (Tx.) is entered with a best of 22-11 and already has done 49-5 in winning the Carl Lewis indoor meet.


TRIPLE JUMP
Stephen Michael of Laramie (Wy.) is the No. 2 indoor jumper in the nation with his 49-10 ½ at the Shine Invitational. Last year he won the State 4A title at 48-5. Junior Omar Craddock of Killen (Tx.), with his 49-5 in winning the Carl Lewis Invitational ranks No. 4 in the nation. Stephen Scott-Ellis of Canada has a best of 48-7.

Andre McDonald of Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.) — there he is again — was second in the State 4A meet in 2007 with a best of 48-2 ¾. Joseph Hill of Washington (Denver) has an indoor best of 46-5 in January, but last year won the State 4A meet at 47-11. Kason Covington of Capital (Boise, Id.) was fourth here last year and had a best of 47-2 outdoors. Bryan Mack of Arlington (Wa.) won the Washington Preview meet at 46-10.


SHOT PUT
A great three-way battle is shaping up. Bryce Hall of Davis (Kaysville, Ut.), was fifth here at 55-0 and won this year’s BYU indoor invitational at 58-11. Last year he was the State 5A champion at 62-11. Wesley Wright of Villa Rica (Ca.) was second here last year at 61-1, won the State 3A meet at 60-9 and was fifth at the Nike Outdoor meet at 62-2 ¼. His best in 2007 was 62-8. Junior Mason Finley of Salida (Co.) won the Martin Luther King Invitational in Colorado Springs at 62-1 ½, to rank No. 7 indoors. Last year his best was 61-0 ¾.


WEIGHT THROW
This could almost be the Throw 1 Deep intrasquad meet. The top three and four of the top five, all hail from the Marietta (Ga.) club. Wesley Wright of Villa Rica (Ga.) is the defending champion at 76-6 ¾. He is the national indoor leader at 73-4 and has been over 80 feet outdoors. Freshman Andrew Dunkelberger of Whitfield Academy (Mableton, Ga.) has an outdoor best of 58-8 this season. Braydon Anderson of Throw 1 Deep is entered at 58-0. Breaking up the Throw 1 Deep group is Bryce Hall of Davis (Kaysville, Ut.), who threw 57-8 ¼ at the BYU Inv. Davis Fraker of Throw 1 Deep is entered at 53-0.


RELAYS
Poly (Long Beach), D.A.T.A.C. (Denver), Southern California Cheetahs, Gardena Core (Ca.), Teekay (Long Beach), Teeva, Cardinal (Ca.), Cougar and Kryptonite (Co.) are just a few of the teams that will contest for medals in the 4 x 200, 4 x 400, 4 x 800 and Sprint medley relays.


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