Competition At It's Best - Great Races - Great Times!!
Every year the Chandler Rotary Invitational produces several top 10 national marks and this the 73rd year was no different. Out of state teams like Long Beach Poly add intensity and excitement to many of the races. Three of the top races went down to the wire - photo finishes - between Chandler's Ky Westbrook (Jr) and Long Beach Poly's Arianna Washington (Sr) with Westbrook edging Washington in each race.
In the 100 meter dash Westbrook (named the Women's Athlete of the Meet for running events) finished with a PR of 11:47 to Washington's 11.81 (photo below). Westbrook's 11:47 time broke the meet record of 11:64 held by Kenyanna (KiKi) Wilson (2006). It also puts her at US#1 this season. Later Westbrook and Washington ran the anchor legs of the 4x100 meter relay with Westbrook leading Chandler to victory in 46.19 to 46.26 for Long Beach Poly (photo above). Long Beach Poly set the meet record in 2012 with a time of 46.04 and sits at US#5. Chandler has the US#3 mark of 45.94 from the Brophy AMDG Invitational earlier in the season. The Chandler winning team included Dominique Jackson (Sr), LaMaya Williams (Fr), Tope Williams (Jr) and Westbrook.
The 200 meter dash was the final match-up with Westbrook finishing in 23.64 to Washington's 23.71 giving Westbrook the US#1 spot and Washington US#2. It doesn't get better than that!!
If you want to know the definition of focus, look no further than the face of Chandler senior Sharrelle Jordan. Jordan's 100 meter hurdle race (photo above) was smooth and rhythmic as her eyes were locked on every hurdle - blocking everything out but the finish line.
Focus turned to overwhelming emotions (photo below) as the time of 13.76 flashed on the lap board. Jordan's time is a new meet record and puts her at US #3 and at #3 all time Arizona.
Mountain Pointe super sophomore, Paul Lucas, won the 100 meter dash (photo below-center) in 10.66 with Christian Clark (Sr., Westwood) finishing 2nd in 10.82 and Trevon Myles (Jr., Mesquite) in 3rd in 10.85. Later in the 200 dash Myles edged Lucas in a photo finish win in 21.68 with Lucas finishing in 21.69. Clark went on to win the 400 dash in 48.66. Paul Lucas also won the Long Jump with a jump of 22-07.00 with Aeron Carr (Sr., Red Mountain) finishing 2nd in 22-06.00.
Devon Allen (Jr., Brophy College Prep) still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in football was part of 2 winning relays. Brophy won the 4x100 meter relay in 41.94 with the help of seniors Clarence Clark, Robert Relf and Dalton Radcliffe. El Paso Burges, TX finished a very close second in 41.98 with seniors Kenny and Aaron Jones, Nick Colbert and freshman Dartez Hamlin. Brophy went on to win the 4x400 meter relay, final event of the night, in 3:21.43 with seniors Allen, Dalton Radcliffe, Jack Rubenzer and junior Robert Grant.
Junior Robert Grant missed the podium after clipping a hurdle in the 110 hurdles but came back to win the 300 hurdles (photo below) with a new PR of 37.85 and a US#5 standing.
Andy Trouard (Sr., Salpointe Catholic, photo below) was named the Male Athlete of the Meet for running events after he won the Milesplit Mile. Trouard took the race out quick and Bernie Montoya (Sr., Cibola) sat back in the pack waiting to make his move but he waited too long and when he finally tried to kick - it just wasn't there. Trouard finished the 1600 part of the race in 4:08.28, with a US#2, breaking the meet record of 4:08.82 set by Montoya the year before. Trouards mile time was 4:09.71. Ogden Utah senior Jordon Cross finished 2nd in the 1600 in 4:10.97 for a US#3 and 4:12.56 in the mile. Cross later went on to win the 3200 meter run in 9:20.17.
"I kept looking for Bernie and waiting for his famous sprint finish," said Trouard after the race. "I was so nervous."
Later after the race Montoya made no excuses for his performance giving all the credit to Trouard. "Andy is very talented and he has a bright future ahead of him," he said. "I just had a bad race."
Regardless of how Montoya's race went, many spectators blogged later about how excited they were just to get to see him run!
Kristi Rush (Sr., Highland, photo above) and Sarah Fakler (Sr., Xavier College Prep) took an early lead with both of them running side by side. Rush increased her lead in the final lap of the 1600 to win the race in 5:03.60. Shelby Brown (Jr., Xavier College Prep) finished 2nd in 5:09.79 with Monica Huston (Sr., Cibola) in 3rd in 5:09.90 and Fakler in 4th in 5:09.98. Fakler went on to win the 3200 meter (photo below left) run in 10:50.59 with a 12 second lead over Flagstaff junior Tatiana Gillick. Huston went on to win the 800 meter run in 2:18.06
The boys pole vault became a late night thriller as 3 boys went for the meet record of 16-7 set in 1990 by Nick Hysong. Hysong won the gold medal in the Sydney Olympics and coaches Cole Walsh (Sr., Brophy College Prep) who has a 16-6 PR but missed the 16-8 jump. Grant Sisserson (Sr., Horizon) and Scott Marshall (Sr., Desert Vista) both made the 16-8 jump. Marshall went for the 17-0 mark (photo below) and made it on his 2nd try for a US#3. Sisserson's mark of 16-8 is US#4 and Cole Walsh is at US#6. Marshall was named the Male Athlete of the Meet in field events.
On the girls side, 3 girls jumped over 12 feet. Savannah Whitehead (Sr., Marcos de Niza) jumpe 12-7.00 (US#10) with Jenny Rolph (Sr., Liberty) finishing 2nd with a jump of 12-1 and Vanessa Davis (So., Desert Vista) 3rd with a jump of 12-1.
Ethan Homan (Sr., Cactus Shadows, photo below) won the boys 800 meter run in 1:56.20. Brandon Gonzalez (Sr., Liberty) finished 2nd in 1:57.26 and Nathan Rodriguez (Jr., Corona del Sol) finished 3rd in 1:57.91.
Imani Adams (Jr., Chandler, photo below) won the 400 meter dash in 56.53
Dyan Fischer (Sr., Desert Vista, photo below) was a double winner, winning both the shot put with a toss of 59-08.00 for a US#9 and discus with a throw of 176-04 for a US#18.
Corona del Sol girls took the lead from the first leg and held it to the finish to win the 4x800 meter relay in 9:40.69 (US#19). Long Beach Poly finished 2nd in 9:53.48 and Chandler finished 3rd in 9:53.60. The winning team included Kelly Naumann (So), Mason Swenson (Fr), Victoria Haun (Sr) and Hallie Swenson (Sr).
More great performances
Ashlee Moore (Jr., Hamilton) won both the high jump (5-05) and the long jump in 18-01.00
Kymber Payne (Jr., Long Beach Poly, CA) won the girls 300 meter hurdles in 43.15 for a US#12.
Victoria Ubanyionwu (So., El Paso East, TX) won the girls triple jump with a jump of 37-07.00
Kayla Melgar (Jr. Tempe) won the discus in 121-10. Erin Fakler (Sr., Chandler) finished 2nd with a 121-06.
Amanda Conlin (Sr., Deer Valley) won the girls shot put in 43-10.00
Keandre Bates (Jr., El Paso Burg, TX) won the triple jump with a jump of 47-03.00.
Vincent Calhoun (Jr., Long Beach Poly) won the high jump with a jump of 6-06. North Canyon junior Bryant O'Georgia finished 2nd with a jump of 6-04.
Juan Ward (Jr., Long Beach Poly) won the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.70.
El Paso Eastwood boys won the 4x800 meter relay with an 8:06.98
Salpointe Catholic Girls won the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:01.60.