Arizona track and field athletes fared well at the Arcadia Invitational and many competed thoughout the day.
An early season injury kept Dani Jones (Jr., Desert Vista, photo left) from training with the same intensity she has grown accustomed to. With only 3 weeks of full training under her belt and with a photo finish in the 4x1600 meter relay the night before, Jones stood on the line of the girls mile with a little trepidation.
“As I was on the starting line I was thinking I needed to pull something out of the hat here,” said Jones. “I wasn’t questioning my endurance but I was questioning my kick because of the night before. I knew I had to stay toward the front of the pac more than I normally do.”
Jones settled into the middle of the pace crossing the 400 mark in 6th place and the 1200 in 4th. With 200 meters to go Jones unleashed her signature kick and moved to the front, hoping for a powerful finish - but Lucy Biles (Herriman, UT) responded.
When Biles felt Jones passing her, she did whatever she could to stay in control of the race.
“The minute Lucy saw me I felt her go into another gear,” continued Jones. “I think if I would have not come back from an injury it would have been disappointing for me to lose by so little. I think when I finished I was just happy that I could find it in myself to finish that race. I definitely wasn’t the favorite going into the mile and I think my kick was not as reliable as it normally is but I was happy with the time I pulled out and that I was able to pass some girls in the last 100 meters. I was mostly excited just to be back.”
“What really helped," continued Jones. "was about half way through the race I heard coach at the 200 say ‘All your hear Dani, all you heart’ and I knew I might not be as fit as the other girls with my training but I definitely wanted it a lot.”
Even though Jones finished the race in 2nd (4:50.81 mile /4:49.28 1600) by .13, she was content with her US#7 finish.
“One of the most exciting parts of the race was that last 100 meters as I was catching Lucy Biles. The environment at Arcadia is insane and as I was catching Biles I heard this huge roar of the crowd like someone had turned the volume up. As soon as I finished the race I felt content. I am more confident and I feel my speed is coming back…..my training is going well - I’m back.”
Baylee Jones (Fr., Desert Vista) was the 1st leg of the 4x1600 meter relay the night before and had the most time to recover but had the longest race on Saturday night with the seeded 3200 meter run.
“I was really hoping to run the 3200 a lot faster than I did,” said Jones after the race. “I was told to get out a little more conservatively and I hit my paces perfectly but sadly those paces were not the right paces for that exact race. I think in that kind of race you have to just compete. Getting out slow I think hurt me the most. I am not sure exactly how many girls were in my race but all I remember is looking up and I was at the back of the straight-away of just a long pac of girls. Every time I tried to get out an pass people I could not find a little tiny space to sneak into.”
As a freshman, the Arcadia 3200 is only her 2nd high school 3200 and she is still trying to find the best way to run it. “I was coming down the last 100 meters with another girl and I remember hearing my breathing and thinking I was not breathing hard at all. Honestly it was kind of like a flashback to Rotary but it was a good learning experience and I think now I know how I need to run and how I need to race………and just compete.”
Her time of 10:55.87 matched her Chandler Rotary time.
Mandy Davis (Fr., Desert Vista) had very little recovery before her mile run on Saturday morning.
“I was a little tired when I woke up,” said Mandy. “Starting the race - it was hard to be mentally prepared because I really didn’t know what to expect after running so hard the night before. I took out a fairly conservative pace and then as the race went on I tried to pick it up a bit and I ran a 1:12 last lap so that was good for me.”
Davis was pretty happy with her time as the 1600 conversion matched her PR. Her 4x1600 split the night before was a couple of seconds faster. “The relay was kind of loud and I had no idea what my splits were so you’re basically just running as hard as you can.”
After her morning race, Davis had the rest of the day to watch and cheer for her teammates and other Arizona athletes.
“Arcadia was so much fun, just the whole ordeal of staying at the hotel with my teammates and getting some cool stuff from Nike….it was a really good experience and I feel that next year I’m going to be prepared for an even better race.”
Mason Swenson (So., Desert Vista) was hoping for a better time in her 800 meter run but it was only a second off her PR finishing in 2:17.19.
“I went out fine but everyone went out really fast!” said Swenson, “The 800 was a lot more crowded with everyone really close together and it didn’t really spread out that much.”
Swenson was suppose to hit the first 200 in 33 seconds but was there in 30 seconds.
“I realized it was a little two fast and the 3 seconds made a difference. By the time I got to the last 200 my legs were dead.”
Always an 800 runner Swenson is spreading out to the mile and 2 mile. “I want to start doing the mile more because I feel I can be stronger in the mile. It’s a different type of race and I’m going to run the 2 mile this week because I have never run it and it looks like it could be fun.”
After finishing 2nd in the 100 dash to Mater Dei’s Curtis Godin, Paul Lucas (Jr., Mountain Pointe, photo left) put it aside and focused on the 200 dash later in the evening. He wanted 1st placeand with a strong 2nd 200 meters….he got it.
Lucas finished the 100 dash in 10.48 and the 200 in 20.84 for a US#1 time.
With 1/2 of the season left, Lucas feels he can go under 20.7 if he can work on his start a little more.
His sophomore year Robert Grant (Sr., Brophy College Prep, photo right) clipped the 2nd hurdle while racing in the 300 hurdle invitational and it threw off his entire race. The following year as a junior he fell going over the 7th hurdle but retuned this year with a new determination.
“I was nervous but I felt good,” said Grant after his race. “I just wanted to redeem myself.”
Grant had close company with MarQuis Morris (De La Salle, CA) in the next lane. “I was kind of watching him throughout the first couple of hurdles,” continued Grant. “His stride is very long and his foot speed is great. For me to be able to get out and beat him after two hurdles was really good for me to know that I’m running a good time - I’m running a good pace too - it was awesome to have him out there.”
Grants time of 36.47 was a lifetime best and put him at US#1 in the 300 hurdles.
Nathan Rodriguez (Sr., Corona del Sol, photo below left) was initially scheduled to race in the Invitational Mile and the Seeded 3200 but an unusual AIA ruling caused the meet director to move Rodriguez out of the seeded 3200 race and into the Invitational race. Rodriguez had no idea the events were switched until the morning of the races. The same ruling bumped Lucky Schreiner (Campo Verde) and Ryan Normand (Sr., Corona del Sol) out of the seeded 3200 on Saturday and into the rated 3200 on Friday night.
Rodriguez led the mile for most of the race with a 1.5 second lead on the first 2 laps and 3.5 second lead on the 3rd lap. As Rodriguez rounded the final 200, Ricky Faure (Rock Springs, WY) shifted into a new gear and passed Rodriguez on the final stretch.
Rodriguez finished 2nd by a second with a final US#4 time of 4:10.46 for the mile and 4:09.01 for the 1600 breaking the Corona del Sol record of 4:10.1 previously set by his Dad, Ari Rodriguez, 21 years ago.
With little time to recover, the 3200 Invitational came up quickly.
“My legs were cramping from the mile so I decided to just try and hang in there with the group,” said Rodriguez after the race.
As a middle distance runner, Rodriguez never ran the 3200 until his junior year, and he only ran it twice - once to qualify for state (9:33.24) and the other at state (9:10.61) finishing 2nd to Bernie Montoya (Cibola/ASU).
He hung with the group and finished the race with a 3 second PR in 9:07.38.
Other Great Invitiational Performances
Lucky Schreiner (Jr., Campo Verde) ran in the seeded mile race and finished 2nd with a 1600 time of 4:13.45 and a mile time of 4:14.88 after leading for most of the race.
Shelby Brown (Sr., Xavier College Prep) ran a 5:05.74 Mile/5:03.89 1600 for 10th place in the seeded mile race.
Isaiah Oliver (Jr, Brophy College Prep) finished 4th in the 300 hurdle invitational in 37.17.
Tevin Mayfield (Sr., Corona del Sol) finished 6th in the Invitational 110 hurdles in 14.54 and 7th in the Invitational 300 hurdles in 39.17.
Jasmine Stauffacher-Gray (Jr., North Canyon) finished 3rd in the 300 hurdles in 42.46 and 3rd in the 200 dash in 24.63.
Sasha Jarrett (Jr., Raymond Kellis, photo right) finished 2nd in the 400 dash seeded race in 56.92.
The Corona del Sol girls (Jackie Martin (Fr), Grace Ashu (Sr), Olivia Van Vleet (Sr) and Aery Ware (Jr)) finished 5th in the 4x400 meter relay invitational in 3:58.17. Earlier in the day the same four girls ran the 4x100 meter open relay for a time of 50.28 for 2nd place in their heat.
The Brophy College Prep boys (Josh Benjamin (So), Robert Brooks (Fr), Isaiah Oliver (Jr), Robert Grant (Sr)) finished 2nd in the 4x400 seeded race in 3:20.05
Field Events
Kayla Melgar (Sr., Tempe) finished 4th in the Discus throw with a 148-11. Makenzi Holmes-DiGiovine (Sr., Desert Vista) finished 8th in 140-00.
Finishing in 6th place with a jump of 11-4 in the pole vault were Abagail Sharkey (Sr., Red Mountain), Aliya Simpson (So., Desert Vista), Kristiana Warth (Sr., Red Mountain) and Tayler Jameson (Sr., Red Mountain).
Tim Duckworth (Sr., Arcadia) took 3rd in the Pole Vault with a jump of 15-4. Jacob Alme (Sr, Desert Vista) finished 6th in 15-0.
Bryant O’Geogia (Sr., North Canyon) jumped to 4th place in the high jump with a 6-8.
Damali Britton (Sr., Desert Vista) finished 10th in the triple jump in 36-08.00
Jordan Rezac (Sr., Desert Vista) placed 9th in the Discus with a throw of 171-05.
Saturday Open Races
The morning started early with the open relays and 7 heats of the boys 4x100 meter relay.
The Mountain Pointe boys (Paul Lucas, Isaiah Banks and Nicolas Sibley (all jouniors) and senior Arturo Davalos) ran the fastest time for Arizona teams in the 4x100 relay with a 42.50 for the 2nd fastest time of the morning.
North Canyon boys (Sedacy Walden, Ancel Gouldbourne, Stanley Moore and Bryant O’Georgia - all senior) finished the race in 44.61.
Brophy College Prep (Josh Benjamin (So), Rub Bigege (Jr), Robert Brooks (Fr), and Daniel Tran (So)) finished close behind North Canyon with a
time of 44.86.
The Corona del Sol girls (Grace Ashu (Sr), Aery Ware (Jr), Olivia Van Vleet (Sr), and Jackie Martin (Fr)) 4x100 meter relay finished 2nd in heat 2 with a time of 50.28.
Mt. Pointe girls (Autumn Smith (So), Brittany Patterson (Fr), Chynna Simmons (Fr) and Kylyn Jordan (Fr)) finished 2nd in heat 3 in the 4x100 in 49.55.
Allie Schadler (Fr, Rio Rico, photo left) finished 2nd in heat 2 in the girls mile with a time of 5:04.76 and a 1600 time of 5:03.48. Taryn Estavillo (Jr., Red Mountain, photo left) finished in 5:13.14 for the mile and 5:11.19 for 1600.
Jacob Walimaa (Sr., Desert Vista) ran the open mile in 4:23.27 and the 1600 in 4:21.53. Jeffrey Miller (Jr., Page) finished behind Walimaa in 4:27.26 for the mile and 4:25.48 for the 1600.
Cade Burks (So., Perry) ran in the rising star mile and finished 6th in 4:21.87 with a 1600 time of 4:28.38. A little time to rest, Burks ran in the open 800 meter run in 1:57.97. Burks is ranked #3 in Arizona with a time of 1:54.90.
Also running the open 800 was Rio Rico junior Carlos Villarreal (photo right) who ran a brisk time of 1:53.23 for the #1 spot on the Arizona leaderboard.
Isaiah Oliver (Jr., Brophy College Prep) had the fastest time of the day in the 110 hurdles winning the final heat in a time of 14.57. Trey Lauer (Sr., Mt. Pointe) won heat 3 in 15.02. Cole Tippit (So., Desert Vista) finished in 15.37 and Arturo Davalos (Sr., Mt. Pointe) had a time of 16.66.
Sasha Jarrett (Jr., Raymond Kellis) had the 2nd fastest time of the morning in the 100 dash winning heat 3 in 12.25 just .01 behind heat 4 winner. LaShira Tremble (So., Valley Vista) finished in 12.47. Jarrett went on to finish 3rd in the final heat of the 200 dash in 24.86.
Driana Mustin (So., Cactus) finished the open 800 in 2:18.31.
In the 400 meter dash, Diana Gajda (Salpointe) placed 3rd in the final heat with a time of 46.68 while Corona del sol freshman Jackie Martin finished 7th in heat 2 in 57.64. Gajda quickly turned around and ran a 25.35 in the 200 dash.
Autumn Smith (So., Mt. Pointe) won heat won in the 300 hurdles in 45.08
Sedacy Walden (Sr., North Canyon) ran a 23.02 in the 200 dash.
The boys of Corona del Sol (Nicholas Creasman (Sr), Grant Fishburn (Sr), Tevin Mayfield (Sr) and Jamaree Johnson (So)) finished 4th in their heat in the 4x400 with a time of 3:25.62.
Saturday Open Field Events
Sam Shoulttz (Corona del Sol) won the high jump with a jump of 6-07.00 Justice Summerset (So., Mountain View) finished 3rd in 6-05.00.
Bryant O’Georgia (Sr., North Canyon) took 2nd in the triple jump with a jump of 45-9.5.
Tempe senior Lonnie Smith made a distance of 38-10 in the shot put. Teammate Kayla Melgar followed with 38-00.
Robert Brooks (Fr., Brophy) jumped 21-06.50 in the long jump.