2/19/00 at Los Angeles Sports Arena

Los Angeles Invitational
Preview

Los Angeles Indoor Meet Features Top Fields!

by Doug Speck

Saturday, February 19, 2000 -
Los Angeles Sports Arena
(ALL ATHLETES COMPETE UNATTACHED - SCHOOL LISTINGS BELOW ONLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION)

The usual super group of Southern California preps will be joined by a number of stars from up north and across the state's borders in what should be a great Los Angeles Indoor Meet this coming Saturday, Feburary 19th. 

The state of California has a great group of athletes back, with this weekend's competiton a good chance to see the best the prep world can offer this Olympic year. Marion Jones, Michael Marsh, and many others who eventually have gone on to International and Olympic glory made this weekend's 160 yard track their local home during the state's abbreviated "under-cover" season. 

Coming in hot as a pistol is the JW North team from Riverside, California, with the group running one of prep history's top ten times ever indoors for the 4x200 relay at 1:39.4 a week ago in Reno, Nevada. Nichole Denby, the nation's top prep female hurdler (13.59 outdoors), equalled a National Record this weekend last year indoors in Simplot, Idaho (60mHH), with the University of Texas bound star capable of better things this year! Tracee Thomas from North, who set a National Frosh 200 meter record last year of 23.28, will help to headline a great Girls 50 meter field that will include Porchea Carroll (Rio Mesa, Oxnard 11.70 100m), Shakhan Lewis (Duarte), and Crystal Phillips (Poly, Long Beach).    Chaunte Howard is another North star, one of the country's best High Jumpers indoors, a 5- 08 winner in San Diego, with a half dozen in the field with 5-06 or better leaps!

The Men's end of the competition is headlined by the nation's top sprinter, with UCLA bound Warren Rogers of Serra, Gardena racing 10.34 and 20.88 last year in the sprints, with a fine 6.44 55m win in San Diego a month ago. Oliver Jackson (Simi Valley, also UCLA headed) was 24-04.75 in the Long Jump last year, with his match-up with Tony Allmond (St. Paul, Santa Fe Springs) 24-04.25 one to watch! 

Matt Mathis (Norte Vista, Riverside) at 15-09 leads a great group of 15 foot plus vaulters in that exciting event! The action does not slow much after the headliners! Early morning weight event action at USC features top groups! Three 60 footers in the Boys' Shot Put, Rhuben Williams (62-08.5, Rusty Price (61-04), and David Adamo (60-02.5), will battle, with Karen Freberg (Arroyo Grande) among the nation's best (48-05) 

On the Girls' side. Lara Say (UCLA bound from Silverado, Las Vegas) was 156-00 in the Discus last year. A great Girls Mile will close out the prep evening at 7:45 p.m., with State 1600 champ Alejandra Barrientos (San Lorenzo Valley, Felton) 4:45.02 battling Anita Siraki (Hoover, Glendale), Julie Komosinski (Torrey Pines, Encinitas), and Spring Dawson (Valejo). The Boys Seeded Mile has Ryan Bousquet (Esperanza, Anaheim 4:16.90) and 8:56.23 3200m star Augie Escobar (Villa Park) leading a strong group. 

Julia Allen (Fountain Valley) a 10:52.14 3200m star leads the Girls Seeded Two Mile, with the Boys' event there Ryan Hall (Big Bear), hot off a 4:18.01 mile in San Diego, battling with Oswaldo Pina (Lakewood) 9:05.57 last year for 3200 meters as a soph! 

Angelita Green (Poly, Long Beach), as fast as 2:09 during her prep 800 meter career, leads a Girls' 880 field that has frosh Treani Swain (Oakwood, North Hollywood), winner here last year at 2:15.34. Liz Morse (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach) will opt again for Open competition competing unattached, racing against Collegiate/Olympic level stars, with a good effort in San Diego a month ago against a stellar field! 

Travon Walton (Chino) heads the Boys' 500 yard event, with a 47.09 last year outdoors for the 400 meters. Maggie Vessey (Soquel) 55.32 last year for one lap outdoors, will battle with Quiana Webb (Morningside, Inglewood) 55.43 for 400m, in the Girls' 500 Yard race. Nick Thornton (Rancho Buena Vista, Vista) was 1:54.43 for 800m outdoors last year and a San Diego Indoor 880 yard winner at 2:01.1 with a big last lap! 

Chris Morgan (Taft, Woodland Hills), 14.30 and 9th at State leads the Boys 50m Hurdles against 14.1 star, Kenan Jackson (Cleveland, Reseda). Chadd Smith (Camarillo) was a 6-09 Boys High Jump winner in San Diego, with Fernando Lopez (Taft, Woodland Hills) and Jerrick Holmes (Palmdale) 6-10 last spring. 

Anthony Parks (Las Vegas, Nevada) leads a good Triple Jump group at 48-05, with Rodney Woods (Littlerock 47-10) and Robert Nunn (Gahr, Cerritos) 47-08 last spring. 

Travis Pendleton (Esperanza, Anaheim) 183-07 will battle a good Boys' Discus group early in the day at USC. 

Buffie Ryan (Soquel) won at San Diego in the Girls Pole Vault in a lifetime best of 11-06, with Laura Chen (Temple City) 12-02 year as one of the nation's elite. Super frosh Gayle Hunter was one of the nation's top middle-schoolers last year in the Long Jump, with a 17-07.5 win at the San Diego Indoor meet against a good field--a half dozen others are over 18-0 for their lifetime best! Blessing Ufodiama (Poly, Long Beach) is one of the nations' best Triple Jumpers at 40-05.25. 

Boys relay action will be hot. Muir (Pasadena) cranked it up at San Diego in the sprint relays, with the strong sections in the 4x160 and 8x160 featuring challenges from McClymonds (Oakland), Serra (Gardena), Edison (Huntington Beach), State Team champs Vallejo, and Long Beach Poly.

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