Sierra Jarriel and Luke Zuluaga hope to secure individual state titles this weekend, but both face stiff competition. Arizona Milesplit Photos.
Athletes to Watch
Match Ups to Watch
Heat Sheets
Schedule and Information
Kaija Bramwell (pole vault): She not only sits atop the pole vault standings for division 3, but is one of the better vaulters in the entire state. Kaija has competed a lot this season notching top marks at big meets like Kiwanis, Sun Angel and the Chandler Rotary. She has consistently kissed the sky with her mark, only twice falling below 11'. Her model of consistency should lead her to a state title, as everyone who has beat her this season wears division 1 or division 2 uniforms.
Oscar Amaya and Justin Littleman (distance): These two will almost definitely score in the state meet. In fact, they would probably win small school races most years in Arizona and in most other states. The problem for the two of them is that they have a pair of teammates (see the 1600m match-up) who are nationally ranked runners. Both teammates have signed Division 1 scholarship offers with upper tier division 1 programs. While Justin and Oscar won't finish on the very top of the podium they will make the division 3 distance races some of the deepest for a small school division in the country.
Darian Hollins (long jump and triple jump): With Sydney Olson being hurt, Darian takes the mantel as the favorite in the long jump and will likely be in the mix in the triple jump. In fact her best mark on the season in the long jump is almost a foot further than anyone else in the field. After having a huge break out last year as a sophomore she will be looking to garner college coach's attention. Look for her to find the podium in the horizontal jumps.
Allie Schadler (distance): If there is any runner who stand a shot at taking down Dani Jones, it is Allie Schadler. In fact, she did just that last fall at the Nike Cross Regional Meet. Unfortunately we won't get to watch them race head to head since Allie goes to a much smaller school. Allie should dominate the distance races. It will be her vs the clock. Just because she is racing the clock does not mean she won't be able to set records. Dani has the fastest 1600 in state history at 4:44, but she was helped out by elite out-of-state competition like Katie Rainsberger and Lucy Biles in the process. Allie has the second fastest time in state history at 4:47. She did that all by herself. If she has an on day, she might just walk away with the fastest time of the season in either the 1600 or 800.
Yasheika Beckaroo (sprints): After having the fast time in the 100m coming out of prelims last year and finishing 6th place in the 100m one can bet Yasheika is looking for redemption at this years state meet. The senior from Sahuarita High School looks to score big point for Mustangs in their quest for a team state title. She will be joined by teammate Emily Bliven in both of the short sprints and on the 4x100m which should add a certain level of comfort.
Luke Zuluaga vs Roberty Bybee vs Trevor Clawson (400m): Believe it or not Luke is in his very first year running track this season. This season has been a hectic one for the Mustangs. While construction began on their first real track, the team was forced to rotate practice sites and story starting blocks and hurdles in the coaches car. Luke didn't like the chaos bother him one bit as he steadily climbed the state leader board latter. He is the favorite to defeat a Robert Bybee (Buckeye) and Trevor Clawson (Payson) in the 400m at the state meet. Trevor Clawson has primarily raced in small school meets during april while Robert and Luke have challenged themselves more against D1 and D2 competition. This means Trevor Clawson is more likely to have a break through time since he has won most of his April races by sizable margins.
Carlos Villarreal vs Jeffery Miller (1600m): I think this matchup will be one of the most exciting of the entire state meet, all four divisions included. Carlos and Jeffery are both national caliber runners. Both will be fresh going into this event. Both runners have the ability to crack the top 5 all time performances list, and they have each other to push each other. While Carlos has had the upper hand on Jeffery lately don't fool yourself into thinking Jeffery doesn't stand a chance. Carlos prefers to run from the rear and unleash his kick with 200m to go. Knowing that, Jeffery has two options. If he thinks his speed is up there with Carlos he could pull a Jordy Williams and make this a jog-fest for 1400m then a 200m sprint to the finish. I doubt that will happen. Carlos' speed is pretty stinking quick and I wouldn't want to bet against it. What is more likely is that Jeffery will go out and dial into a 62ish second/lap pace and see if he can run Carlos' kick out of him. Either way it will be fun to watch. For you distance fans out there, don't expect to see a faster prep mile in than this in the state of Arizona for a while.
Michael Williams vs Giancarlo Narvarte (HJ): The high jump is a highly unpredictable event. This means that picking a winner is usually pretty difficult. What makes it even harder in the division three match up is that Michael and Ginacarlo have the exact same personal best on the season, 6' 10". For those of you that know much about the high jump these are some very good marks. Both of these athletes are undefeated in the outdoor season for 2015. So what happens when an immovable object meets and unstoppable force? Something has got to give. Go watch the state meet or check back with Arizona Milesplit to find out.
Sierra Jarriel vs Chamique Duboise vs Daangoiina Haven (3200m): With the absence of Allie Schcadler this race is both wide open and very competitive. Sierra will have the burden of being the favorite by time going in. With her team counting on her to shoulder a heavy load, it will be interesting to see how fresh her wheels are. Fountain Hills hopes as a team rely on Sierra getting a lot of points. In cross country Chamique Duboise beat everyone but Allie. Can she repeat that feat? It will be interesting to see. She finished runner up last year as a freshman and looks to move up. Last year she lost to Daangoiina Haven. Its tough to discount a defending champ, especially one who is running faster than she did this time last year. Can she repeat? It's certainly possible. She will have to work hard to do it though.