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Arcadia Invitational
41st version of largest outdoor high school meet in the US.

April 11-12, 2008 - Arcadia CA High School

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California distance duo and super sprinters shine

Saturday Girls Story by SteveU
Photos by John Dye

When the girls side of a track meet has the presence of Long Beach Poly, standouts like the Purvis sisters lining up in the sprints and hurdles, and distance queens like Jordan Hasay and Christine Babcock grinding it out on the oval – well, it’s pretty easy to predict who’s going to chew up the headlines.

As anticipated, these athletes shone the brightest when the lights came on and the stars came out Saturday night at the 41st Arcadia Invitational. For Poly’s freshman star, Akawkaw Ndipagbor, it was a coming out party. She anchored both of her school’s winning 4x100 (46.27) and 4x400 (3:44.22) relays, and authored a US#1 53.43 400 in the middle. For Oakland’s (St. Elizabeth HS) Ashton (left) and Julian Purvis, the night was confirmation of their abilities and showing how they could overcome a few difficulties, as the younger sister swept the 100 (11.54w, +2.1) and 200 (23.54, +0.3w), and the older sister rolled through the 100H in 13.59 (+1.3).

And as for Hasay and Babcock, well, their duel was just over 10 minutes of toe-to-toe, grind-it-out combat that was probably as good as any distance duel in girls prep history. It was no wonder that Jordan earned Athlete of the Meet honors after finally overcoming Christine in their epic 3200 – and thoroughly entertaining and enthralling the big crowd – 10:03.07-10:04.03.

The girls events also featured a shot/discus sweep by Anna Jelmini (46-01 SP and 161-00 DT), and US#1s in the 300H by Claremont soph Kori Carter (41.58), in the DMR by Torrey Pines (12:06.15), and a near double by Poly jumper Tara Richmond (1st in TJ 40-09.25w +2.3, 2nd in HJ 5-9 (lost on misses)). The quality of the meet was also represented in the fact that someone like James Logan CA’s Briana Stewart could run 13.67 in the 100H and TJ 40-07.50 and still not win, or that nine girls ran 10:33 or better in the 3200 and were not close to the leaders.


Hasay at home on the track

Ah, the 3200. As meet director Rich Gonzalez would say, “Oh my!” While there was disappointment over the withdrawal of Foot Locker Finals champ Ashley Brasovan FL (just getting fit after injury), it’s hard to imagine anything better than what Jordan and Christine accomplished. They couldn’t crack 10:00 – a too-fast first 400 and the early evening heat (close to 80 degrees) saw to that – but what a fight.

Fueled by that nervous energy she still battles, Jordan (below, #1908) took out the first 400 in 69.8, with Babcock (#3306) right on her. A super field with five other Foot Locker finalists was already deep in the rear-view mirror. In fact, looking at what Jordan did is somewhat amazing in light of her Foot Locker challenges the past two years. But it’s important to remember: No prep distance runner loves her track any more than Jordan. That’s her home.

The pace quickly and inevitably slowed, though not enough to give hope to anyone else or to ruin the still-alive sub-10 hopes. Jordan hit 2:25.0 (75.2) and 3:41.3 (76.3). Then at 1600, reached in 4:57.8 (76.5), Babcock took the lead for the first time, by the slimmest of margins. That engaged Jordan in her strategy of trying to surge to break Christine, but Christine was not going to be broken, especially when the overall pace was still slipping slightly and both girls were struggling a bit from that fast start.

They hit the next three splits in 6:14.3 (76.5), 7:32.8 (78.5), and 8:50.5 (77.7), and then launched on the final lap. Sub-10 was pretty much out the window, but there was a race to be won. Christine began trying to kick and, for the first time for either girl in the race, there was some separation as the Woodbridge senior drew ahead by a couple strides.

With Christine having superior 400 and 800 speed, it was looking like she might have made the winning move, but as Jordan has proven in races starting with last summer’s USATF 1500, she has a kick, too. Rounding the final curve, Jordan had pulled right behind Christine again and in the final 100, the Mission Prep junior had the kick and the drive to finally take the victory.

Both exhausted girls were besieged by reporters afterward and, in an unusual scene, by autograph seekers. More than a dozen of the young female volunteers (mostly from Arcadia HS) asked both girls to sign the backs of their meet shirts before they were allowed to stagger off.

“She’s really great,” said Jordan of her rival, later that evening. “I was surprised when she took the lead with four laps left. Then I kept trying to surge and she kept pushing back … She started to pull away at the beginning of the last lap, but I remembered it’s not over until the finish and I thought about my race from Indianapolis (USATF Jr. 1500 last summer where Jordan kicked to victory).

“The only thing that would have been better is if we’d both broken 10:00, but we were both really tired at the end.”

Christine had a different version of the second mile tactics. “She would surge and I would go back ahead when she let up. I’m more of an even runner … My plan was just to run as hard as I could and not die at the end. It was a big PR for me … The last time I raced her in the 3200, I kind of lost her in the beginning.”

As to her post-season plans, Christine just flashed her humble smile and said, “We’ll see what happens when we get there.”

The depth of the race was astonishing, as more outstanding performances were almost overlooked after the battle at the front. Davis CA sr Laurynne Chetelat, who led the prep efforts at the junior women’s race at World XC and is the only girl to ever beat Jordan at 3200 or 2M, was 3rd in a very fast 10:15.17. Millard North NE soph Emily Sisson, showing improved form from last fall, turned out a great PR in 4th at 10:21.71. Beyond that, there were Foot Locker Finalists Emilie Amaro FL (5th, 10:31.18), Jessica Tonn AZ (9th, 10:33.17), and Kauren Tarver (11th, 10:41.50), and Saugus CA teammates Kaylin Mahoney (6th, 10:31.86 for freshman), Katie Dunn (8th, 10:33.17), and Nina Moore (19th, 10:50.60). Sixteen girls ran 10:45.15 or faster.

Purvis sister and Poly sprinters shine

Meanwhile, the Purvis sisters were showing their superiority on the straightaway. In the 100H at Stanford last week, Julian Purvis led all qualifiers into the final with a then-US#1 13.81, but then banged a hurdle in the final and did not recover in a 2nd-place effort.

Saturday, she was ready to roll again. Although top Cali rivals Vashti Thomas and Dahlys Marshall were not in the field, she got plenty of competition from Briana Stewart. But this time Julian was clean over the hurdles and in focus all the way. She didn’t get the best start, but the last half of her race was power, speed and style defined, as she surged ahead and won in 13.59, the second-best legal mark of the year in the country.

“I just had to make some adjustments,” Julian said of responding to the previous week’s loss. “Today, I got kind of a slow start, but I was really happy with my last 4-5 hurdles.”

Speaking of starts, Ashton Purvis had her blocks slip in the 100, but recovered nicely to win in 11.54w (+2.1). She wasn’t satisfied, though, and wanted to make a bigger statement at twice the distance. She did. With a much better start and her strong acceleration, she dominated the 200 with a US#1 23.54.

“The 200 was better,” said Ashton. “I got somebody to hold my blocks.

“In the 100, I wanted 11.3, but my start wasn’t there,” she added. “I’m pretty satisfied with the 200. My coach didn’t want any 23.7 or 23.8. I had to buck up and get past the tiredness.”

Ashton was especially happy for Julian. “I’m proud of her. It made up for Stanford.”

While Long Beach Poly may not have quite the “Dream Team” relays they would have had with the combination of the three 53-second 400 girls (Turquoise Thompson transferred), they proved Saturday that they can still win almost any meet in the 4x1 and 4x4, and that freshman Akawkaw Ndipagbor (left) is ready for the big time.

After an amazing youth career that saw her reach heights of 53.73 in the 400 last summer, Akawkaw had competed well for Poly during the winter and early spring, but nothing like Saturday. Although she’s more of a 200/400 runner, she began with an anchor of the winning 4x100, joining with teammates Lakeisha Smith, Jasmine Joseph, and Erin Reid for a 46.27.

Then, with teammate Jasmine Joseph (US#1) scratched out of the 400, the stage was there for Akawkaw to roll and take the national lead. She showed every bit of her power and grace in doing so, leaving no doubt with her 53.43.

Finally, in the 4x400, she showed some true grit with a come-from-behind stretch run. James Logan CA led the entire way in the relay until the final 100 when Akawkaw clenched her teeth, pumped her arms and mowed down the competition. The quartet of Erica Winston, Tanisha Hawkins, Autumn Fowler and Ndipagbor went 58.7-56.0-55.5-53.8 for their final 3:44.22.

Akawkaw had to acknowledge at the end, as Elias Gedyon had the night before, that this was a far cry from Youth Track. “I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind of experience,” she said. Of her winning 400, she said, “I just got out, relaxed in the 2nd 100, and exploded in the last 150. It felt great … but I didn’t expect to break my PR like that.” In the 4x400, with fatigue forcing her to really use her head, she measured her effort in the first 300, then really laid it down in the final straight.

So where do these girls go from here? The Purvis sisters and the Poly sprinters will likely have state, then summer track as their focus, with perhaps a few attempts at making the US Junior team. Before that, though, Poly will make one of their frequent annual trips to Penn. Hasay and Babcock will certainly try for glory at state, with Jordan definitely shooting for the Junior team and Olympic Trials after that, and Babcock undecided about the post-season.

But everyone who was there Saturday will remember how they left it all on the track at Arcadia.

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