It was the last big weekend to qualify for state and many athletes were taking the opportunity. Some were competing in two different meets the same weekend.
Freshman Showcase (Very windy for 100m, 100h)
Freshman Davonte Neal from Cesar Chavez traveled to Tucson on Friday to compete in the Mario Castro Invitational placing second in the 200 meter dash with a meet record breaking time of 21.96 behind first place finisher and new meet record holder Derrick Coker of Cienega. Neal headed to Desert Vista on Saturday to compete in the Freshman Showcase finishing first in the 100 and 200 meter dash. The 100 meter dash was wind aided and will not count in the rankings but the 200 meter dash will. Neal's time of 22.36 puts him at #13 in the state. Neal also placed 2nd in the 400 meter dash and was named Male Athlete of the Meet.
Jasmine Todd (Fr., Chandler) competed in the Tribune Invitational at Westwood High on Friday evening finishing first in the triple jump in 36-03.50. Saturday Todd placed first in both the 100 meter dash (12.51) and the long jump (17-1). Todd is ranked 13th in Arizona in the 100 meter dash, 4th in the long jump and 3rd in the triple jump. Todd was also named the Female Athlete of the Meet for the Freshman Showcase.
Photo: Jasmine Todd jumping to first place at the Freshman Showcase
Other great marks at the Freshman Showcase were Michael Wagner's (Mt. Ridge) 4:41.46 mile win followed by Brock Ghelfi (Brophy Prep) 4:42.39. Ghelfi went on to win the 800 meter run in 2:05.59
Seven runners ran under five minutes in the boys mile and nine girls cleared the six minute mark including first place finisher Dani Lemieux (Corona del Sol, 5:44.68) and Valley Christian twins Christine Patterson (5:46.45) and Amanda Patterson (5:47.48)
Tribune Invitational (Windy early in the evening)
Spencer Chase (Sr., Desert Vista) won the 200 meter dash running a PR of 21.31 and moving him to the top of the Arizona leader board. Chase also finished second in the 100 meter dash (10.6) behind Hamilton senior Ryan Milus (10.4).
A malfunction in the timing system could not verify if Ryan Milus broke the state record in the 100 dash. A hand timed watch had him at 10.1 but when converted the time would be slower than the state record. With a few meets left in the season all eyes will be on Milus to see if the 31 year old record will fall.
Alec Hsu (Sr., Desert Vista) had a great night placing 2nd in the 110 hurdles (14.42) behind Mesa Mountain View senior Aaron Allen (14.28). Hsu went on to win the Pole Vault event jumping 16-00.75. Allen and Hsu are #1 and #2 in the 110 hurdles on the Arizona State leader board. Hsu is AZ#1 in the Pole Vault.
Allen had the fastest time in the 300 hurdle preliminaries but was edged out in the finals by Chandler's Yusuf Muhammad (Jr., 38.48) and Desert Vista sophomore Michael Ingrassia (38.65). Allen's 3rd place time was 38.68.
Larissa Matthews (Sr., Chandler) broke 14 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles (13.97) bumping her to the #1 spot in Arizona and the #8 spot in the nation. Callie Davis (Sr., Highland) finished second in the 100 hurdles (14.60) and Alexis Clay (So., Chandler) came in third (14.82) and later won the girls long jump in 18-05.50.
Photo: Larissa Matthews (center over hurlde)
Shannon Jacobs (Jr., Highland) and Samantha Collins (Sr., Westwood) had a photo finish race in the 100 meter dash with Jacobs finishing first in 12.13 and Collins finishing in 12.19.
Later in the evening Cami Jackson (Sr., Mesa Mt. View) and Taylor Cole (Jr., Hamilton) also brought the crowd to their feet in a nail biting 1600 meter run. Jackson won the race in 5:13.53 with Cole right at her side (5:13.57).
Chandler junior Mackenzie Flannigan shot to the second place spot on the Arizona leader board after she won the 200 meter dash in 25.04.
Xavier Prep sophomore Bianca Lewis set a new PR in the 400 meter dash winning in 57.44 (AZ #2). Lewis was followed by Shayna Norberg (Sr., Mesa Mt. View 58.81).
Another Xavier Prep sophomore Katie Penney had a nice PR in the 800 meter run winning the event in 2:19.21. Nine runners so far this year have run under 2:20 in the 800 and three of them are from Xavier Prep.
It looked as though Hannah Carson (So., Chandler) would be out for the season after ACL surgery, however, Friday evening she placed second in the shot put and won the discus, throwing 118-5. Welcome back Hannah!
Jullian Lieb (Xavier College Prep) threw the discus 114-3 placing second.
Jacy Bennett (Sr., Mesa Mt. View) won the pole vault (11-9) with Emily Heisler (Jr., Desert Vista) finishing second (11-9), Sarah Hedberg (Sr., North High) placing third and Makenzey Donaldson (Sr., Mesa Mt. View) taking 4th (11-6).
Matt Whitlatch (Jr., Corona del Sol) won the 800 in 1:58.32.
Matt Yalung (Jr., Desert Vista) won the high jump in 6-6.25.
Charles Robinson (Jr., Mesquite) and Anders Battle (Jr., Desert Vista) both jumped 22-2.5 in the triple jump with Robinson taking the win.
Mario Castro (Windy for prelims)
Multiple Meet Records Broken
Mariah Bowers (Sr., Queen Creek) set two PR's while breaking two meet records. Bowers first win came in the 400 meter dash where her time of 58.04 broke the previous record of 58.71 set in 2006 by Analisa Marquez from Salpointe. Bower's second win was in the 200 meter dash. Her time of 25.13 broke Zenobia Sims (Buena) record of 25.73 set last year. Sims finished 2nd in 25.54 breaking her own record.
Photo: Mariah Bowers
The 300 meter hurdles had quite a finish with AZ#1 Kala Stepter (Sr., Canyon del Oro) running to a PR, and setting a new meet record, in 43.68. Kayla also won the 100 meter hurdles. Kathy Fisher (Fr., Sahuaro, 44.63) and Lindsay Honea (Jr., Marana, 44.69) also broke the meet record.
More Meet Records Set:
Queen Creek girls won both the 4x100 (49.76) and the 4x400 (4:00.39). Canyon del Oro placed 2nd in 4:02.65. The 4x400 record was 4:10.52.
Derrick Coker (Cienega) won the 200 meter run setting a new meet record of 21.77.
Three runners ran the 800 faster than the meet record time of 1:57.89. Chris Rutledge (Sr., Casa Grande) won the event with a PR of 1:55.63 with Alex Evans (Sr., Sabino) finishing 2nd in 1:55.96 and Wais Khairandesh (Catalina Magnet) placing 3rd in 1:57.86.
Steve Magnuson (Jr., Ironwood Ridge) won the 1600 meter run and smashed the meet record of 4:29.84 by running a time of 4:18.29. Three other runners also ran faster than 4:29.84; Jose Luis Munoz (Jr., Rio Rico, 4:21.59); Humberto Bravo (Jr., Flowing Wells, 4:23.45) and Sherod Hardt (Jr., Queen Creek, 4:26,65)
Chris Correa (Santa Rita) and Kevan Howe (Sahuaro) both ran a time of 14.66 in the 300 hurdles beating the previous record of 14.71
The top jump in the high jump was Sahuarita's Daniel Conorque who jumped 6-08 surpassing the meet record of 6-06. Three other jumpers tied the record; Donovant Grant from Mesa Mountain View, Fredrick Scarber from Cienega and Robert Wozny from Deer Valley.
Mike Kivi from Marana jumped 44-05.25 in the triple jump and Donovant Grant took second with a jump of 44-02. The meet record was 44-00.75.
Jeremy Tuttle (Sr., Buena) took first in both the shot put and the discus throw. His shot put distance was 48-04.50 but his discus throw of 166-05 gave him the meet record by a foot.
Canyon Del Oro (77.50) girls edged out Queen Creek (72) for the team title. Cesar Chavez (78) boys took won the team title over Casa Grande (63).
Glendale Invitational (Windy for prelims)
Peoria junior Serene Williams continued her reign over the 100 meter dash winning the event over Promise Amukamara (So., Apollo) in a time of 12.27. Williams went on to win the 400 meter dash in 1:02.16 while Amukamara won the 200 meter dash in 25.64
Photo: Serene Williams
Brian Akpan (Sr., Rincon) won the 300 meter hurdles in 39.50.
Moon Valley senior Dylan Austin took the pole vault event with a vault of 15-6. Austin is currently ranked 2nd in the state behind Desert Vista's Alec Hsu.
Discus winner Culley Allison (Sr., Centennial) got a PR in the event with a throw of 120-5
Wolves Classic
Multiple Event Winners
Freshman Jasmine Pratt (Estrella Foothills) won both the 100 meter dash (12.4) and the 200 meter dash (26.60).
Notre Dame Prep senior Patrick Foley finished first in the 100 meter dash (11.0) and the 400 meter dash (50.5). Foley also placed 3rd in the 200 (23.3)
Senior Steven Magana (Desert Edge) won the high jump (6-2), the long jump (21-4.5) and the triple jump (43-10)
Estrella Foothills boys and Northwest Christian girls won the team events.
Snowflake Invitational
Snowflake boys and girls had a strong showing this weekend winning both team titles over Blue Ridge. The boys team earned 163 points while the girls team racked up 174.5.
Senior Matt Reidhead started the day earning points for the Snowflake boys winning the 100 meter dash (11.27). Reidhead had the fastest prelim time in the 200 meter dash (23.13), but did not compete in the finals. Senior Cody Wells won the 800 meter run (1:58.69), the 1600 meter run (4:27.91) and the 3200 meter run (10:39.23). Senior Damian Scott took a first in the pole vault (13-0), Jordan Hunt (Jr.) won the shot put (47-10) and Jason McCray (Jr.) finished first in the discus (113-11).
The girls of Snowflake won the team title by the depth of their team. Sophmore Faythe Duran won the 400 meter dash with 3 teammates also earning points. Samarah Houser (So) won the 300 meter hurdles and 3 teammates earning points. Junior Kim Johnson won the high jump (5-0) and Kelsey Livingston (also a junior) won the long jump 14-10.75 with freshman teammate Carli Stratton finishing second (14-8).
Alchesay junior Marie Lupe had an outstanding day winning the 100 meter dash (13.23), the 200 meter dash (28.14), the 100 meter hurdles (17.02) and the triple jump (34-5).
Senior Emerald Raney (Blue Ridge) won the 800 meter run (2:24.72) and the 1600 meter run (5:18.30).
Blue Ridge senior Matt Boyd was another multiple winner, winning the 110 meter hurdles (14.99) and the 300 meter hurdles (38.93). Boyd also place second in the long jump (20-10.25) behind Winslow senior Stacey Berg who won the event in 21-10.75.
Page Merchants Invitational (Windy and Cold)
Page won the boys team title with 145 points over second place Coconino. On the girls side, Flagstaff took the title with 134 points. Page and Monument Valley tied for second place with 108.5 points each.
Flagstaff sophomore Amanda Stricker won the girls 100 meter dash (13.16) and the 200 meter dash.
Ruben Smith (Jr., Page) took first in the boys 100 meter dash (11.47) and the 200 meter dash (23.94)
Taylor Stapley (Sr., Sinagua) won both the girls high jump (5-2), the long jump (16-6.5) and the 110 meter hurdles (14.80)
Page senior Jullian Nelson took home the gold in the shot put (32-8.5) and the discus throw (92-10).
Chris Chischilly (Sr., Page) won the shot put (50-2) and the discus throw (143-1).