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May 31 - June 2, 2007 Albuquerque NM
DyeStat on-site coverage
 | Preview
Meet records threatened
by a galaxy of national stars
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Boys - Girls
9 events feature 2007 US#1 performers
- B 300H - US#1 Robert Griffin TX 35.33, just 0.01 off the national record
- B 100 - co-US#1s Rynell Parson TX v. Jeremy Rankin CO, both 10.32 and both only sophomores
- G 100H - indoor national record holder Jackie Coward TN 13.27 US#1
- G sprints - double US#1 Tiffany Townsend TX 11.21 and 22.84
- G PV - soph national record holder Shade Weygandt TX 13-7 v. Rachel Laurent LA 13-4
- Decathlon - local stars Curtis Beach and Daniel Gooris take on 7000-point favorite Andres McDonald KS
- B LJ - US#1 Derrick Locke OK 25-5
- B Discus - US#1 Geoffrey Tabor OK 209-5 vs. US#2 Luke Bryant KS 205-5
- G 400 - US#1 Erica Alexander TX 53.29
- G-HJ - US#1 Victoria Lucas TX 6-1
Boys
Bring the sunscreen and stopwatches, you are all in for a fabulous Saturday of excitement at the
Great Southwest Track and Field High School Classic. Actually, the invitational competition begins
Thursday afternoon, when athletes from twenty states descend on the Duke City for the opportunity to
test their talent with the best in the country. The first event is the decathlon, the grueling ten-event
challenge over two days that will crown America's Best Schoolboy Athlete.
Cibola's Daniel Gooris, a sixteen-foot pole vaulter, and Academy's versatile Curtis Beach will contend
favored Andres McDonald of Kansas, who has highjumped 7' and already scored over 6,000 points in a
decathlon Darkhorse first-timer Chase Dalton of Oregon is an intriguing newcomer.. Gooris finished
fourth last year ahead of Beach, but Beach only two years ago won a national age-group
championship. He has been unbeatable all season in New Mexico at both hurdles, 200m, 400m and
even 800m, where his solitary effort became the state's fastest time in that event as well.
ELITE HIGHLIGHTS
The outstanding 2005 sprint records of J-Mee Samuels may well be challenged by the fastest three
sprinters in the country meet for the first time. Texas' Rynell Parson and Colorado's Jeremy Rankin
have blasted 10.32. Any misstep by this duo will find at least three quality sprinters ready to step
ahead. Rankin is doubling back in the 200m to challenge nationleader Maurice Mitchell (20.77) of
Raytown,Missouri.
OPEN EVENTS
Traditionally,the interstate 100m is tightly-contested and this year's race is likely to find Jacob
Roper, the powerful Raton state champion, eager to prove his mettle against the best from eight other
states. The 200m favorites are Texas' Shaquille Tubman and Bill Lawhorn and Oklahoma's Boyea
Lockett, all who have run 21.5, being chased by El Dorado's Scott Johnson.
Texas standouts also headline the 400m, with Danzell Fortson (46.7) and Markus Boyd in the top
seven nationally. New Mexico's top entry in Matt Fitzgerald.
Things could get interesting in the 800m, if Texas" favorite Howard Shepard lets the pace lag and
Alamagordo's big-kicking Corey De La Cruz is in sight of the leaders. The impressive meet record
(1:50.300 could be challenged in this dramatic race.
With New Mexico's defending champion Tebo out with a foot injury, the 1500m is wide-open. Three
Colorado frontrunners are favored, headed by Joe Brossard, but St. Pius sweet-striding Kevin Burnett
should be near the front, at least with a lap to go.
Defending GSW champion Ben Johnson as been New Mexico's best distance runner all season
in Tebo's absence and only Utah's Jared Ward or Colorado's Kevin Williams are likely to give him a
challenge.
Johnson won the rarely-contested 2000m steeplechase last year but is not scheduled to defend his
crown. In the Academy junior's absence, the demanding race is truly up for grabs, with untested Utah
and New Mexico runners the most likely contenders.
Texas' Oscar Spurlock (13.55) is a solid choice in the 110HH, but El Dorado' Cameron Flakes (13.9) is
in the hunt at least as a close runnerup. New Mexico's best hurdler, undefeated Curtis Beach, appears to
be focusing on the decathalon (see above), but secretly all fans are hoping he will return for at least the
300 IH. Not that he is likely to win, mind you, with the field headed by the spectacular Robert Griffin.
This Texas native has already blazed (35.33) within a meter of the national, all-time record and is
committed to getting it Saturday. Let us all support him as he goes for this venerable standard. A
solid performance by Carlsbad's Kris King could bring a worthy runnerup spot.
The 4 X 100m and 4 X 400mrelays are traditionally exciting, close, and dominated by the deep pools
of Texas and Oklahoma sprint talent, with Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico more competitive in the 4 X
800m relay. Who prevails often depends on how the state team coaches choose to allocate their
athletes.
FIELD EVENTS
Derrick Locke is a heavy favorite in the Long Jump; his 25' 5" leap leads the nation. Only Highland's
Gilbert Guzman has much of a shot at scoring for New Mexico.
Chris Carter ranks second nationally in the Triple Jump (51' 2") and is also a heavy favorite to bring
this title to Texas, but Clovis' Manuel Robles will be in a tight pack of agile jumpers for the second place
points
Another feature will be the High Jump, featuring as many as five young men who have soared
over seven feet, headed by Utah's Russ Nielson. Marcus Williams and Diego Rosado should score
points for New Mexico.
After completing the decathlon Friday, Cibola's Daniel Gooris will be one of four polevaulters who
have sailed over sixteen feet, which should make for an especially tactical and intense finish.
In the Discus, the top two ranked throwers in America will tangle. Oklahoma's Geoffrey Tabor took
the lead mark (209' 9") from leader Luke Bryant of Kansas 205-5, and this special match could prove quite
engaging.
In the big boy events, Colin Boevers heads the Shot Put field with the second-best national mark and
will be a prohibitive favorite.
Keep your distance but not your eyes off the Javelin, when two of the country's top three go head-to-
head for the first time. Kansas Ian Trimble (229' 7") has a huge lead over his foes, but third-ranked
Chase Dalton of Oregon could launch a record dart. .
Girls
HEPTATHLON
Before the powerful sprinters take over University Stadium, heptathletes have center stage to
challenge Laureen Reimer's 5,357 point 2001 record. The leading performer returning from last year's
meet is Missouri's Brittany Borman.
TRACK EVENTS
From Tennessee comes America's premier schoolgirl hurdler, the undefeated Jacquelyn Coward,
whose 13.27 100 hurdle PR nips inside the Illinois' two-time GSW champion Shalina Clarke. As usual,
her Knoxville teammate Bianca Blair will be chasing her to the finish line with Dallas' April Williams within
a stride. These three return to test one another later in the 300 IH event. The opportunity to see three of
the top six hurdlers in both events test one another twice in a single evening will be a true meet highlight.
A solid favorite in both elite sprints is Texas' Tiffany Townsend, who has roared a nation-leading
11.21 100m and 22.84 200m. Only Arizona's Kenyanna Wilson may give her a race to clip the meet
records, both of which are well within her reach.
The Open 100m finds Manzano's Isis Wilson and Del Norte's Jazmine Ralph solid contenders against
the eight state teams. Oklahoma's Carissa Levingston is clearly the class of the Open 200m field with a
23.89 PR.
The 400m record may not survive a duel between Texas' Erica Alexander , the national leader at 53.29 and Missouri's A'Lisha Usery. Eureka Hall's 52.99 has stood fourteen years of challenges, and this
talented duo my finally tip the Arizona star's venerable standard.
With North Dakota phenom Laura Roesler not returning to defend her 800m title, the sentimental
favorite has to be Academy's Lyndsay Harper. The lanky lady has won more New Mexico state track
titles than one could count, and she will be sorely missed. Her best time, however, is still three seconds
behind the marks of the imposing Utah duo of Lacey Cramer and Nachelle Stewart.
Another Utah standout Candace Eddy has run 1500m inside the meet record, and she
hopes teammate Samantha McMillan will help her nudge the 12-year old mark of (yes!) Utah's Rosie
Gardner. Colorado's Kristen McGlynn is a slight pick at altitude over Arizona's Lindsay Prescott in the
3200m.
FIELD EVENTS
The highlight should be the pole vault two of the country's top three competing. Shade Weygandt TX and
Louisiana's Rachel Laurent have both soared almost a foot over the meet record, and fourteen feet is
within range.
Another treat awaits with the best high jumper in America, Texas' Victoria Lucas again leaping over six
feet and hoping to top that meet mark.
Texas A'Lexis Brannon and Brittany Hemphill are picked in the Long Jump, while Tennessee's Gabby
Gioia is the triple jump fave, although do not discount the chance of LaCueva's durable Asal Salehpoor
in the later.
In the throws, Arizona's Hannah Carson leads the nation and should win by many feet here. While the
shot put has no clear favorite, the Discus will be the stage for two of the country's five best, in
Oklahoma's Kylie Spurgeon (no.2) and Texas' Skylar White.
As far as relays, New Mexico has to defend its 4 X 800m title without Grace Rich, and the sprint
relays tend to be dominated by the powerhouses from Texas and Oklahoma. The home state teams will
likely be filled with many of the above-named talents, joined by such other reliable performers as Alex
Darling, Rachel Velarde, and Liz Wolf.
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