West valley power house Verrado helped open the meet at Chandler Rotary with their 4x800m squads. Arizona Milesplit photo.
Editors Note: Complete coverage will be coming for Saturday, unfortunately I work most Friday's and could not be there. Stay tuned for more....
The biggest track meet in Arizona was set in motion on Friday, March 19th and the performances were none the less fulfilling. Athletes from all around come to Chandler every year to perform not just against their neighborhood rivals, but against athletes from states, programs and environments, about which they have never heard.
Boys 1600
Jordan Bramblett (Sr.) of Mingus Union ran 4:35.10 for 1600. "I've been coming out for 4 years and so I expected to do well," asserted Bramblett. Jordan returned win the 3200 with a time of 9:50.10.
Girls 1600
Katie Loyd (Catalina Magnet, Sr.) ran a very tactical race leaving everyone behind after about 600 to go to finish in 5:28.16. "My moral is never lead the race, never, unless you know you can win it," said Katie about her racing tactics. Katie also double downed for the distance events and won the Girls 3200 with a time of 12:07.99.
Boys 100m Relay
The Marcos De Niza Boys 4x100 team set a winning time of 43.20 in the third heat. "We were just trying to stay relaxed and do our thing. We knew we could run a good time," said Shaun Richards (Junior).
Boys 400
In the Boys 400 meters, Junior Luke Zuluaga (Seton Catholic) set the bar high by running 50.71. Only in the last heat of the event, did Buckeye Union Senior Robert Bybee, manage to run down, by that time with a 50.54 finish.
Girls 400
In the Girls 400, Samantha Deane (Verrado, Fr) smashed it with a 61.01 second performance. Samantha explained. "My Coaches told me not to race on the back bend because that's when most people can die out. I started at the 200 and I completely cleared the rest of it."
Boys 300H
Connor Woltz, Jr. of Tempe Prep ran a 41.35 to set a school record. He explained, "I've gotten a lot bigger since last year, a lot more powerful, so I just knew that if I ran my race I could get it (school record)."
Girls 300H
Sadie Deem (Sr.), of Basha and newcomer to the 300 Hurdles, ran a 48.57 far ahead of the rest of the field. Later Sadie returned for the 4x400 meter to help her team to the fastest time of the night.
Boys 800
Jordan Gardner (Snowflake, Jr.) ran early from the front and broke away from the field around the 650 meter mark to mark a time of 1:58.08. "I knew that I could run a decent race, so I decided I'd come out strong, see if I needed to pace off of somebody or if I just needed to go, and my body just said take it," said Gardner.
Girls 200
In the Girl's 200 meters Jae'Nisa Heckstall (Westview, Fr.) won the event in a time of 26.39. "I was really nervous, but I just focused on myself; concentrated on winning and I told myself I wasn't allowing a silver today," asserted Heckstall.
Boys 4x400R
The Tempe Buffalos made the night one to remember having won the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:31.24. "It's our responsibility to do the best and do what our Coaches tell us to do," said Rasheed X (Sr.) of Tempe.
Girls 4x400R
In the Girls 4x400 relay, the Basha girls pulled through with a time of 4:18.33. Basha anchor Christine Orr (Sr.) entered the final lap in third place, and ran a 59 second split to overtake her competition in front, from 10-15 meters behind.
Girls Shot Put
In the Girls shot put, Freshman Cairra Page-Stevens (Agua Fria) performed incredibly with a throw of 34' 6" to win the event.
Boys Pole Vault
Anthony Hall (Brophy College Prep., Jr.) won the Boys Pole Vault with a mark of 12' 06" and a lifetime best.
Girls Pole Vault
In the Girls Pole Vault Allison Whitworth (Mingus Union, Sr.) and Annie Hancock (Tolleson, So.) tied for first place, both having vaulted 8' 06".
Boys Long Jump
Allen Williams (Sahuarita, Jr.) won the event by jumping a length of 20' 4.75".