Rotary Preview #2. Returning champions.
This year, Chandler Rotary welcomes back ten individual winners in 13 of the 28 individual events.
The top female returnees are Ky Westbrooks, (Chandler HS 100m & 200m), Imani Adams (Chandler HS, 400m), Kymber Payne (Long Beach Poly (CA), 300 hurdles), Ashlee Moore (Hamilton HS, HJ & LJ) and Kyla Melgor (Tempe HS, Discus).
The top male returnees include Paul Lucas (Mt. Pointe HS, 100m, LJ), Trevon Meyers (Mesquite HS, 200m), Juan Ward (Long Beach Poly (CA), high hurdles) Robert Grant (Brophy College Prep, 300 hurdles) and Vincent Calhoun (Long Beach Poly (CA), HJ).
This contingent represents the largest returning champions from the last five years.
Returning champions don’t necessarily mean they are going to repeat as champsions but the expectation is they will be fighting to defend their title and to return to the podium for first place and first choice of the awards.
This is not always the case.
Coming into last year’s meet (2013) there were 9 champion returnees (five girls and four boys) from 2012. Only Ky Westbrook (Chandler) and Amanda Conlin of Deer Valley were able to defend their titles. Again in 2012 ten champions from 2011 returned and only Trae Armstrong, Jasmine Todd, and Sherrelle Jordan were able to defend a title.
Although team numbers may be down (100 compared to 115) this year, the depth of talent is the deepest in Rotary history. For example; Ariana Washington had the number two time in the nation last year, but finished second in the 100 and 200 at Rotary, to Ky Westbrook (US#4). In 2013 the top three girls in the 200 broke 25 seconds but this year there are at least nine girls under that mark.
In the boys 300 meter hurdles, Robert Grant ranked 11th nationally in 2012 and will be chased by five athletes that finished in the top seven at last year’s meet.
So who have repeated as winners consistently over the past seven years? The following individuals defended their Rotary titles three years in a row:
- Jade Septor, (Cayon del Oro) won the 300 hurdles, from 2010 through 2012 and set the state record.
- Jasmine Todd, (Chandler) won the triple jump from 2010 through 2012 and the long jump in 2010 and 2012.. As a junior Todd set a new State Record.
- Bryce Lamb (Chandler) won the Long Jump from 2007 to 2009. He won the triple jump twice in epic duals with Olympic Medal Winner (in both the long jump and triple jump) Will Claye (Mt Pointe), and finished second to Will in the triple jump in 2007.
- Trae Armstrong (Deer Valley) was a double winner in both the 100m and 200m from 2009 to 2012.
The only four time champion:
- Shaylah Simpson (Desert Vista) won the girls pole vault all 4 years in high school from 2007 to 2010.