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DyeStat 2001 Indoor
LA Invitational
Preview - High School
from Press Releases by the LA Invitational
A record number of entries, including standouts from all Southland track powerhouses and top talent from throughout the state, will again make the high school portion of the 41st annual Los Angeles Invitational indoor track meet, Saturday, January 20, at the L.A. Sports Arena, the highlight of the indoor track season.
A quick look at the headliners, event by event:
GIRLS EVENTS
50 Meters: Last year's state meet runner up Porchea Carroll of Rio Mesa (once Marion Jones' school) will be challenged by returning state finalists Tracee Thomas of state team champion Riverside North, Alexis Weatherspoon (Grant) and Sierra Hauser-Price (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame).
500 Yards: With state runner up Angel Perkins (Gahr) receiving a berth to compete in the Invitational 500, nationally-ranked Lashinda Demus (Long Beach Wilson) is the favorite ahead of Ashlee Brown (Riverside North), a state 400 flast year.
800 Yards: Junior Treani Swain (Oakwood Academy) seeks an unprecedented third straight victory in this event.
Mile: Stanford-bound and Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships runner up Anita Siraki of Glendale Hoover has decided to run in the Invitational mile, so the seeded race appears to be up for grabs.
2 Mile: State finalists Julie Allen (Fountain Valley), Natalie Stein (North Hollywood), Emily Vince (Peninsula), and Heather Hansen (Madera) appear to be the cream of the crop.
50-meter Hurdles: Versatile Lashinda Demus (Long Beach Wilson) will be challenged by fellow returning state finalists Dana Bethel (Mission Viejo) and Undine Becker (San Jose Mt. Pleasant).
Long Jump: If basketball duties will allow, Michelle Sanford of Woodbridge, daughter of former USC sprint great James Sanford is the clear-cut favorite. She won the state title as a frosh with a 19-7 1/4 leap. The field includes returning state finalists Porchea Carroll, Dana Bethel, Nastassja Hall (Rancho) and Elzunia Lamb (San Benito), the state leader at 19-11, whose grandmother, Elzbieta Krzesinska, won the 1956 Olympic long jump gold medal for Poland.
High Jump: Organizers await confirmations from twin sisters Rachel and Bianca Ziemann (Huntington Beach Edison). Rachel was second in the state meet and has a best of 5-10.
Pole Vault: A rematch of the state final is to be expected between champion Laura Chen (Temple City) and Melissa Astete (Birmingham).
Triple Jump: Candice Baucham (Long Beach Poly) was second in the state meet behind fellow Jackrabbitt Blessing Ufodiama (who graduated), and has the best marks among the entrants at 40-6 3/4.
Shot Put: State champion Karen Freberg (San Luis Obispo) is a prohibitive favorite to win for the third straight time and a serious threat to surpass the national high school record.
The sprint relays (4x160, 8x160, 4x440) will feature perennial powers Long Beach Poly and Wilson, Riverside North and Muir in highly anticipated duels.
BOYS EVENTS:
50 Meters: Maurice Dosty (Franklin Stockton) is the fastest returning 100 runner in the state at 10.47. He'll battle a strong Southern Section legion led by Chris Morgan (Woodland Hills Taft), the defending state 110 hurdles champ, Darryl Poston (HB Edison), Chreston Anderson (Long Beach Poly), Chris Singleton (Etiwanda), and other stars. The always popular Football 50 will feature Blake McKay (Bakersfield), Matt Clark (Cleveland), Jahlamb Sinclair (Westchester), Lamar Ferguson (Inglewood), and Tyronne Gross (Lincoln Stockton).
500 Yards: State 400 finalist Ramal Porter of Birmingham will be challenged by Dion Cason and Jamaal Broomfield (both Long Beach Poly), Dominique Roux and Andre Reed from state team champion Gardena Serra, Raphael Assabo-Agye (Don Lugo) and Michael Hilbe (Hamilton, Chandler, Arizona).
880 Yards: Martell Mungia (Woodcreek) finished third in the state meet and has a best of 1:53.09. Nico Cueva (Escondido), Chris Wells-Anders (El Camino Real), and Jimmy Ungricht (Fallbrook) are others to watch.
Mile: Last year Athlete of the Meet Ryan Hall (Big Bear) had a stellar junior season, clocking a 3:45.12 1500 meters (equivalent of a sub 4:05 mile), good enough to be ranked second in the nation. He's so good he will run in the Invitational mile, against Olympic bronze medalist Bernard Lagat of Kenya! Nick Schneider (St. Louis Park, Minnesota; 4:08.33 last year) is the favorite, with Arturo Garcia (Don Lugo), Ozwaldo Pina (Long Beach Poly), and Daniel Clements (Woodland Hills Taft) other top entrants.
2 Mile: Neil Davis (San Jose Bellarmine) and Tom Kubler (Viewpoint) are the fastest Californians in the meet. Organizers, however, hope to bring the best in the country - Dathan Ritzenheim (Rockford, Michigan), the recent Foot Locker Cross Country national champion, who clocked 8:41.10 in the 3200 this past summer!
50 Hurdles: Taft's state champion Morgan will have his most serious challengers in fellow state finalists Scott Jarvis (Covina) and Jeff Garrison (Riverside North), and Jeff Hunter (Granite Hills) and Kenneth Thomas (Gardena).
High Jump: Chadd Smith (Camarillo), 3rd in the state meet last year, has the best mark among California entrants at 6-10, but the jumper to watch is Quentin Matthews (Chesapeake, Virginia), who has cleared 7-0 1/4. Other standouts: John Wratten (Pasadena), and Alex Marbley (Tustin).
Long Jump: Versatile Morgan, with a 23-7 1/4 personal best, is again among the favorites, along with Aaron Williams (Diamond Ranch), with an identical PR.
Triple Jump: Defending state champion Jamil Smith of Palmdale is the logical favorite. Others to watch: Trandon Harvey (Sweetwater), Donald Wilson (Dorsey), and brothers Martin and Malcolm Boston (Union City Logan), the nephews of legendary long jumper Ralph Boston.
The high school portion of the L.A. Invitational is presented by the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles. Other sponsors of the meet include Charter Communications, Daily News, and AMC Theaters.
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