2002 Arcadia Invitational
Features Usual Super Athletes and Relay Groups!
by Doug Speck
The always-spectacular Arcadia Invitational will involve the best
athletes from four hundred schools in the competition in the greater
Los Angeles area April 12th and 13th. A ton of individual and teams
considered among the very best at the prep level will take part.
With the competition taking advantage of the fine prep squads "in
town" for the meet by adding a Friday Relays portion to the
usual Saturday program, the chances for even more explosive results
are possible during the meet weekend. Speaking of relay record-setters,
Red Bank Regional (New Jersey), closed down the indoor campaign
with a National All-Time Prep Indoor best of 11:49.34 in the Distance
Medley, with the east-coast crew out for the Arcadia competition.
Twenty-three national outdoor prep leaders for the year in the weekend's
different events will take part the action over the two day period.
With a packed house and hot action on the track the show is always
one of prep sports' best!!
Speed is the name of the game in Track and Field, and Arcadia's
"got what you need." The nation's best will face strong
challengers in the sprints and relays, with the match-ups of athletes
who have dominated their area seriously challenged this weekend
with the best from twenty different states gathered. Garry Jones
(Skyline, Oakland) blasted a nation-leading 100 meters a week ago
at 10.45 to follow up a solid indoor campaign, with Matt Bruno (Trabuco
Hills, Mission Viejo) the nation's #2 currently over 100 meters
at 10.53. All-world footballer Reggie Bush (Helix, La Mesa) wants
the back-seat to no one in the dashes, with the San Diego area star
and State Meet placer last year 10.64 and 21.26 sprint bests. Deun
White (Rancho Bernado, San Diego) is currently #3 nationally over
200 meters at 21.28, with Noah Smith (Taft, Woodland Hills) 21.38
last weekend, and Matt Bruno 21.39 strong this spring so far. At
400 Meters Deun is very solid also, with a 47.36 best as he tries
to turn back the charge of sub-48 second stars Arizonan Michael
Hilbe (Hamilton) 47.89 and Blake Mackey (Bakersfield) 47.94.
The Girls half of the speed scene features total screechers. The
100 and 200 are led by World Youth (under 18) 100 meter champion
Allyson Felix (LA Baptist, North Hills), who last weekend cranked
national leading 11.56 (100) and 23.62 (200) clockings to show she
is ready to roll her junior campaign. The steadily improving Californian
will be challenged by Texan Zenobia Reed (Lamar, Houston), who was
11.55 last year in the short dash and has strong competitive credentials
she was Texas State 5A runner-up in her best time with her school
45.84 to win the 4x100!! Shalonda Solomon (Poly, Long Beach) the
nation's top frosh sprinter last year at 11.57 and 23.22, the latter
the fastest frosh 200 in U.S. history (faster than Marion Jones
ran at the same age!!), will lead the rest of a talented pack in
the dash contests!! At 200 Meters Alycia Williams (Flagler Palm
Cosat, Bunnell, Florida), a sub 24-second runner, comes west to
push Felix! The Athlete of the Meet at last summer's World Youth
Championships was Angel Perkins (Gahr, Cerritos), who along with
a 200 meter World Championship last year at the under-18 level,
has packed more into her pre-12th grade prep career than almost
any athlete in U.S. prep history. A 2000 Olympic Trials competitor
at 400 meters, Perkins has run 23.07 for 200 meters and 52.18 for
400 meters, both among prep history's top fifteen ever with a season
to go this spring! One of her prep career highlights was a win over
Monique Henderson in the 2000 Arcadia competition, with a great
400 field testing her this weekend. Natasha Hastings (Randolph,
New York City) was 54.13 last year, with a runner-up effort at the
National Scholastic Indoor Championships at 400m to lead into this
spring. Alicia Williams (Flagler Palm Coast, Bunnell, Florida) was
54.15 last year, with solid credentials to back up her entry into
the field here.
The speed events spill over into the Relays, with California and
national bragging rights to come from the action with the batons!
The Girls 400 meter relay will feature the nation's best! Poly (Long
Beach) leads the country at 46.44, with the Jackrabbit crew touted
as capable of sub-45 sometime this spring! Lamar of Houston, with
super Zenobia Reed (11.55 100m) leads Texas this spring at 46.88
(they were the Lone Star State 4x100 champs last year at 45.84!!).
Holy Names (Oakland) 46.87, Wilson (Long Beach), and Logan (Union
City) all have super groups who will start Saturday evening's affair
with a level of tension and excitement that you wish you could bottle
and take home! Wilson (Long Beach) leads the nation at the 4x400
distance this spring at 3:42.74, with AP Randolph (New York City)
3:44.77 indoors in winning the National Scholastic Indoor title
over Long Beach Poly (3:48.52). Rancho Cucamonga, was 3:49.16 last
weekend, with the talent to step up to the next level nationally!
Girls' 4x200 action - try the nation's best, with Long Beach Poly
blasting 1:36.90 indoors this winter to lead the country, with Lamar
(Houston 2001 State 5A Champ - yes, this is a State Meet event in
Texas!!), Wilson (Long Beach), Randolph (New York City), and a stunning
field to warm the facility up Friday evening!! 1600 Meter Medley
action will feature U.S. Prep history's two fastest groups ever,
with Wilson (Long Beach) returning members of the 3:53.17 Indoor
National Record setters from 2001 (their indoor record is actually
faster than anyone has ever run outdoors!!!). Randolph (New York
City) was the National Indoor Champ this winter at 3:54.31 (prep
history's #2 time ever indoors or out!!!). This the track will burn
Friday night? (me thinks the new relay format a very good idea!)
Boys' baton events will be every bit as exciting! Long Beach Poly
is on a roll as an athletic power, with a strong crew that cranked
41.46 already this spring, with the eyes on a sub-41 second effort!
Dominguez (Compton) and Taft (Woodland Hills) appear to have the
most talent to push the Jackrabbit squad! In the 4x400 event, Poly
renews its rivalry with Taft (Woodland Hills), with the LA City/San
Fernando Valley power the National Scholastic Indoor Champs at 3:17.94
to Poly's runner-up effort at 3:18.23! The four lap relay event
is always a great close to Saturday evening's action! In the 4x200
event Taft (Woodland Hills) nipped LB Poly in the National Scholastic
Indoor event, with 1:28.40-1:28.45 clockings that will drop significantly
on the wide turns of the outdoor facility!
The middle and long distances are always an Arcadia highlight!
2002 will be no change in the script, with a ton of the top in the
country rolling in to face strong California fields!
The Girls 800 is stacked with tremendous talent. Defending Champ,
Shannon Rowbury (Sacred Heart Cathedral, San Francisco) (2:08.52)
will face sub-2:10 indoor stars Heidi Magill (Mountain View, Orem,
Utah) 2:09.46 (National Scholastic Indoor Champ) and Selena Sappleton
(Randolph, NYC) 2:09.97 (Second NSI Indoors). Heidi Houle (Mountain
View, Orem) was 2:11.35 indoors. National 2002 Outdoor Leader Whitney
Schmucker (La Jolla) 2:12.45 will have to hustle here, with Jenna
Timinsky (San Dieguito, Encinitas) 2:09.12, Alex Bartschi (West,
Tracy) 2:10.21, Ashley Caldwell (Los Gatos) 2:10.27, and Alysia
Johnson (Canyon, Canyon Country) 2:10.63 in the field! Nine in the
race have run under 2:11!!! Over 1600 Meters it will be National
Outdoor 1500 Meter leader Clara Horowitz (Head Royce, Oakland),
with the 4:52.62 1600 star facing Bridget Duffy (St. Mary's, Berkeley)
4:51.96, Sally Meyerhoff (Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, Az) 4:53.54,
and Liza Pasciuto (Murrieta Valley) 4:57.75. You had better be well
under 5:00 if you expect to earn a medal here! Over 3200 Meters,
Megan Kaltenbach (Smoky Hill, Aurora, Colorado) had her national
"coming out" here last year with a stunning 10:11.97 victory
over the nation's best. Her 5:09-5:02 1600 splits were impressive,
with a strong group to keep her honest! Julia Pudlin (Baldwin School,
Bryn Mawr, Pa) was 10:27.51 here last spring, with Emily Vince (Peninsula,
Rolling Hills) 10:38.1, Amber Harper (Orem, Ut) 10:44.71, and Caitlin
Chock (Granite Bay) 10:48.75 make this another deep, talented field!
The Boys middle and long distance events feature super groups
also! Defending Champion over 800 meters, Raphael Asafo-Agyei, was
1:50.70 last year, with Carson Schmiett (Inglemoor, Bothel, Washington)
1:52.92 last spring and 1:53.7 (Nation's #2 2002 outdoor time) this
year. Canadian Nolan Fyfe has run under 1:53.0, with Arizonan Eric
Chavez (Rio Rico) sub 1:54 this spring! If someone will get the
pace out this group can run fast! Over 1600 Meters National Outdoor
leader and Florida Relays Champ Sam Vasquez (Flagler Palm Coast,
Bunnell, Florida), at 4:12.36 , will have to run hard to stay ahead
of Bobby Curtis (St. Xavier, Louisville, Ky) 4:12.60 (mile 2001)
and 4:16.14 indoors this winter in taking the Nike Indoor Classic
at the mile distance! Sean Drake (University, San Francisco) is
sharp with a 4:13.33 best, with Alex Tatu (Thomas Dale, Chester,
Virginia) 4:14.66 indoors this winter for a mile! Rolf Steier (Berkeley
Prep, Tampa, Fl) was 4:13.88 for a mile last spring, with the list
of sub-4:20 athletes in this event going on and on and on! Again,
with the aggressiveness that pervades prep distance running now
a days, someone will go for the good time! At 3200 Meters, last
year's champ, Bobby Lockhart (Handley, Winchester, Va) 8:57.08,
will face another stunning field! Bobby was 8:58.04 for two miles
in winning the Nike Indoor Classic in March, with Chris Solinsky
(Stevens Point, Wisconsin) second in that meet at 9:01.96, with
a sub-9:00 performance in recent weeks indoors in his home state
of Wisconsin! Brett Gotcher leads the nation outdoors at 3000 meters
with his 8:28.26, with Arizonan Eric Dall (Scottsdale Christian,
Phoenix) close behind. Yong-Sung Leal (Arroyo, San Lorenzo) was
the California 3200 Champ last spring, with a 9:00.49 best. Leal
and Billy Nelson (Taft) are just back from representing the U.S.
in the World Cross-Country Championships in Ireland!!! Ryan Deak
(Maclay, Tallahassee, Florida) National outdoor 1500 leader at 3:53.82
moves up in distance here, with at least a dozen others in the field
who can run 9:10 or better. This could be prep history's deepest
and fastest mid-season prep 3200 group ever!!!
Oh yes, the action in the distances will spill over into the Relays!!!
The Distance Medleys here usually give the group at the Penn Relays
something to shoot at down the road! Girls' National Record Holder
Indoors over the Distance Medley distance, Red Bank Regional (New
Jersey) 11:49.30, lead a good group there, with some California
squads fresh stars ready to challenge! The Boys' Distance Medley
event features squads strong from the past Fall Cross-Country season.
In the Girls 4x1600 Relay Friday evening Red Bank Regional will
warm the troops up with four laps each, with Maria Carillo (led
by 4:49 star Jenny Aldridge), College Park (Pleasant Hill), and
Woodbridge (Irvine) appearing capable of going 21:00 or better (only
25 teams in prep history have done that!). In the Boys' 4x1600,
Canyon (Canyon Country), one of the nation's top Cross-Country teams,
leads a talented field. In Friday's 4x800 Girls action, Randolph
(New York City) was the National Scholastic Indoor Champs in an
amazing 8:59.52 (2:15 average), with the New Yorkers hoping to set
up a huge Meet Record there! Madera ducked under 8:00 in California
action already this spring, and they lead the Boys entries thus
far!
In the Hurdles, Georgia star, Roy Cheney (Evans HS), a sub-14
second High Hurdler will face California's best. Thomas Mack (Bakersfield)
leads the Golden State with his 14.23 and 37.97 High and Intermediate
bests. Frosh Kevin Craddock (Logan, Union City), after a fabled
age-group career, burst forth on the prep scene a week back with
a 14.32 that is a National Age-14 record for the 110 Highs, and
just short of the All-Time U.S. Best for Ninth Graders!!
On the Girls' side in the hurdles, Arizonan Jaime Cluff (Scottsdale
Christian, Phoenix) has run 14.01 for the 100 Meter Distance, and
she will battle with California's top stars in the event. Talia
Stewart (Logan, Union City) was 14.15-14.28 over Danielle Stokes
(St. Mary's, Berkeley) a week back, with Domenique Manning (North,
Riverside) 14.20 in a Southern Cal win. Long Beach Poly's Tunisia
Johnson (42.32 #4 returnee in nation) is among the best in the 300
hurdles, with Ashlee Brown (North, Riverside) 41.18 last spring
entered, but hobbled so far this spring. Tiffany Brown (Stockdale,
Bakersfield) was 42.39 (#5 back in U.S.) and has started strong
just off basketball season! Shuttle Hurdles action will be part
of Friday's Meet this year!!
In the Field there will also be a great series of events! California
already has three 7-foot Boys High Jumpers, with T.J. Fakehinde
(Eastside Christian, Yorba Linda), Keno White (Rancho Bernardo,
San Diego), and Teak Wilburn (Chico) all over that barrier this
spring, and each looking for a challenge. With a half dozen others
with bests of 6-09 or better the level of competition will be here
to push folks higher! The Girls High Jump features the nation's
best, with Chaunte Howard (North, Riverside) 6-00 last weekend as
part of an amazing triple (41-03 Triple Jump and 19-07.75 Long Jump).
The great all-arounder from the Inland Empire will have 5-09 or
better leapers Kaylene Wagner (Dos Pueblos, Goleta) (5-10), Julia
Pitts (North Torrance), and Sharon Day (Costa Mesa) to push her
this day.
The Boys' Pole Vault has National Outdoor leader David Murphy
(Arroyo Grande), a 16-footer, with State Champ Mike Landers (Golden
Valley, Merced) (16-03 2001), David Moore (Miramonte, Orinda) 15-08
lifetime best, and Adam Ziminski (Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, Arizona)
15-07 heading a strong field! The Girls have National Outdoor leader,
also from Arroyo Grande, in Rachel Viau, a 13-footer, with Julene
Bailey (Skyview, Nampa, Idaho) 12-06.5, Kira Costa (Lemoore) 12-06,
Chelsea Johnson (Atascadero) 12-04, leading nine in the field with
bests of 12 feet or better!!
The Boys Long Jump has 23-footers Ronald Hill (Walnut), Martin
Boston (Logan, Union City), Demetrius Westbrook (Morse, San Diego),
Danny Casupanan (Tustin), and Rodney Van (LB Poly) battling, with
Van just a sophomore! On the Girls side in the Long Jump, Chaunte
Howard has only been jumping for three weeks, with a 19-08 effort
in her first meet (Marion Jones was 18-11 her first time out in
the LJ as a senior), with a 19-07.75 after three days practice in
an Invitational for the talented Howard! Chaunte, Georgia Tech bound,
leads the nation in the LJ, with Gayle Hunter (King, Riverside)
19-03 this spring (19-06.25 last year). Michelle Sanford (Woodbridge,
Irvine) is gaining her "track legs" after a winter on
the boards and basketball, with a 20-05 best last year, and Maxine
Marlow (Centennial, Bakersfield) was fifth at State last year (19-05
best).
In the Triple Jump, Keno White (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego) matches
his 7-0 HJ talent, with a 48-08 Nation-Leading jump already this
spring! White was 49-05.5 last year and is the nation's #2 overall
returnee overall in the event. Nathan Adkins (Cerritos) has jumped
48-07 this spring, with a 49-01.5 last year. Martin Boston (Logan,
Union City 48-00) and Donald Wilson (Dorsey, LA 47-11.5) were strong
last year here, with Solomon Welch (St. Mary's, Berkeley), Jovan
Grady (Rancho Verde, Moreno Valley), and Maurice Henson (Doherty,
Colorado Springs, Colorado) 47-footers! Chaunte Howard (North, Riverside)
and Michelle Sanford (Woodbridge, Irvine) should have a titanic
battle in the Girls' Triple Jump here. Sanford was a bronze medalist
in the World Youth (under 18) championships last summer at 43-04.5
(#3 prep jumper U.S. History!). Howard has recently taken the event
seriously, jumping 41-03 to beat Michelle 40-03.75 two weeks back
as Sanford eased in from Basketball. With a couple of weeks of jumping
the south runway should be worth keeping an eye on as this duo bounds
around the middle of Saturday evening!
The Men's weights have had a good start in California, with Noah
Bryant (Carpinteria) 64-00 (#3 Nationally outdoors this spring)
to lead the Shot Put. Brian Ruziecki (Huntington Beach) 61-00, Jerome
Auelua (Leuzinger, Lawndale) 60-11.5, Steve Huntzinger (J.W. Robinson,
Fairfax, Va) 60-08.75, Jon Howard (Arroyo Grande) 60-04, and Jarered
Morgan (La Quinta) 60-00.25 will help make up a super group!!! Jarered
Morgan has shown great consistency in both the weights this spring,
with a 197-00 Discus effort to lead the State! Brian Ruziecki (Huntington
Beach) 184-00 (188-02 2001), Kurt Seefeld (Marin Catholic, Kentfield)
183-03, and Arizonan Mike Talbot (Agua Fria) 182-00 lead over a
dozen who have thrown 170 feet or better! The Girls have a super
group in the weights!! Rachel Varner (Bakersfield) is #2 nationally
in the Shot Put at 48-01.25 two weeks back, with Kamaiya Warren
(St. Mary's, Berkeley) 47-00.5, Jessica Pressley (Laguna Creek,
Elk Grove) 46-10, and Dia Matthews (Central, Fresno) 44-10 headlining
a very, very deep group!
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