Chandler Rotary - Best Meet Ever!
State Records and Athlete MVP's
From left: Jasmine Todd (Chandler), Garrett Starkey (Basha), Jaide Stepter (Canyon del Oro) and Devon Allen Brophy Prep).
If you attended the 2011 Arizona Track and Field State Meet you would have witnessed Billy Orman (Tuba City) breaking a long standing 1600 meter record. And if you attended the Meet of Champions a week later, you would have again been treated to another record breaking run by Billy Orman in the 3200 meter race. Breaking a State Record in a season doesn't happen often and seeing 2 records fall in a season is extremely rare but if you attended the Chandler Rotary Saturday evening you would have seen 2 records fall in one night.
Devon Allen (Jr., Brophy College Prep) and boys Track MVP of the Meet, started the night with a 13.62 (US#2) in the 110 hurdles, breaking a 32 year old record of 13.70 by Mossy Cade of Amphitheater. The potential was there when earlier in the day Allen hit a mark of 13.69 in the prelims. What makes the record so extraordinary is that Allen, a sprinter, did not become a hurdler until after the Chandler Rotary in 2011 when he sustained an injury to his leg that kept him from sprinting. Allen's coach thought if he could switch from sprinting to hurdles for awhile it would keep stress of his injury. With Allen's smooth style, and his intense determination, he could break his own record by the end of his high school career if not by the end of the season.
"I am very happy about the record," said Allen after the race, "but I want to go faster."
Later in the evening Allen ran a 37.04 in the 300 meter hurdles for a (US#2) time coming within .03 of the State Record set by Cylend Simons of Westwood in 2006. The current record stands at 37.01.
Jaide Stepter (Sr., Canyon del Oro) and girls Track MVP of the Meet, ran the fastest time of 42.95 coming out of the 300 hurdle prelims. During the finals Stepter flew off the blocks and propelled herself to the lead immediately crossing the first hurdle ahead of everyone else. As she crossed the finish line the crowd waited for her finish time to show up on the lap board. The announcer, Ron Smith said, "We are looking for anything faster than a 42.67."
The crowd roared when the 42.18 showed up on the board and Stepter could not have been happier about breaking Christy Nore's 1985 State Record and her own meet record set 2 years ago.
Garrett Starkey (Sr., Basha) boys Field MVP of the Meet, jumped 16-00 in the pole vault for a US#5. Cole Walsh (Jr., Brophy Prep) jumped 15-6 for 2nd place and a tie for US#19.
Jasmine Todd (Sr., Chandler) and Field MVP of the Meet continued her dominance in the jumps setting a new meet record by almost a foot and a half in the long jump, jumping to a US#1 20-01.5. The old record of 18-9 was set in 2005 by Stephanie Garnett (Winslow). Todd, who owns the triple jump State Record of 41-5, won the event in 39-1.75 for a US#6. Todd also finished 2nd in the 100 meter dash with an 11.76 and a US#8. She also anchored the 4x100 meter dash to a 2nd place finish in a nail biter of a race!
Competition At It's Best
Bringing in "out of state" competition has made the Chandler Rotary the best it has ever been. Best for the athletes and the spectators. The events became so competitive, 12 meet records were broken not to mention 2 State Records, several top 10 US times and several personal bests by the athletes.
The Saturday evening seeded events started with Long Beach Poly (CA) winning the 4x800 meter relay in a US#7 time of 9:26.18 over Xavier College Prep's time of 9:33.04 (US#11). Long Beach Poly's first leg sprinted to the lead from the inside and kept a 50 meter lead until Xavier almost caught her at the 2nd leg exchange but Long Beach Poly's 2nd leg proved to be as strong as the first and gave the third leg the lead they needed to win. The win by Long Beach Poly was the first of 12 meet records.
Traci Hicks (Sr., Long Beach Poly, CA) was the next runner to score a meet record running a swift 13.87 100 meter hurdles (US#3) to break Larrisa Mathews (Chandler) 13.90 meet record set in 2008. Sherrelle Jordan (Jr., Chandler) finished second with a time of 14.11 for a US#6 followed by Makaila Flannigan (Jr., Chandler) in 14.38 (US#19).
The Milesplit Mile went out fast with Bernie Montoya (Jr., Cibola) and Erik Harris (Sr., Twin Falls, ID) hanging back a little. Harris moved to the front at the 800 but when the gun went off for the final lap, Montoya cranked it up finishing the 1600 in 4:08.82 (US#2) with Harris taking 2nd in 4:09.73 (US#3).
"I am thankful to be able to run this fast and feeling thankful my legs held up but I'll be honest, I was tired after this one." Montoya said just after the race. "They took it out fast and it was not in my plans so I hung back a little and ran my own race," he continued.
Harris was glad to be in Arizona and out of the Idaho cold. "I love the weather and the great competition. I plan on staying a week with my cousins in Gilbert and getting some training in," he said.
Montoya set a new meet record and would have had the #1 spot on the National leader board but over in California at the Mt. Carmel Invitational, Darren Fahy (Sr., La Costa Canyon) ran a 4:08.15 earlier in the day to claim the US#1 spot. Montoya also holds the Arizona All Time #3 time.
An hour later Montoya and Harris battled again in the 800 meter run but this time Luis Romera (Sr., El Paso Montwood, TX) took the win with a US#6 time of 1:53.13. Montoya finished 2nd in 1:53.22 (US#8) with Brandon Wheat (Sr., Mesa Mt. View) finished 3rd with a US#9 time of 1:53.71, Harris in 4th with 1:54.11 and David Graham (Sr., Highland) in 5th with a US#15 time of 1:54.47
In the girls Sally Meyerhoff Milesplit Mile Sarah Fakler (Jr., Xavier College Prep) took the lead for the first 800 before Roland Jumbo (Sr., Chinle) took over for the win in 4:55.94 and a US#5.
"I love coming to this meet because we get flowers and I want to give them to my Aunt," Jumbo said with a huge smile on her face."
Fakler finished 2nd in 5:01.56 (US#22) with Laura Orlie (Sr., Xavier College Prep) taking 3rd in 5:01.83 (US#24).
Jumbo later ran the 3200 meter run in 10:42.97 for a US#11 coming close to breaking the meet record of 10:42.84.
Danielle Jones (Fr., Desert Vista) was a little disappointed with her run in the mile and was determined to make a difference in the 800. Jones took an early lead winning the 800 in 2:16.60 for a US#20.
Ky Westbrook (So., Chandler) came close to setting a new meet record when she ran an US#4 11.65 in the 100 meter dash. The current meet record is 11.64 set by Kenyanna Wilson in 2006. Later in the evening Arianna Washington (Long Beach Poly) edged out Westbrook in the 200 meter dash by running a 23.97 for a US#5 to Westbrooks 24.09 for a US#10.
Trae Armstrong (Sr., Deer Valley) won the 100 meter dash in 10.65 followed by Ben Trotter (Sr., Mt. Pointe) in 10.70 and Travonn White (Jr., Mt. Pointe) in 10.82. Armstrong also won the 200 meter dash in 21.36 (US#12) breaking the meet record of 21.40 set by Keegan Herring (Peoria) in 2003. Just N Thymes (Sr., Hamilton) finished 2nd in 21.48.
In the girls 4x100 meter relay, Long Beach Poly and Chandler battled the entire race with Long Beach Poly edging the Chandler at the tape finishing in a US#3 time of 46.04 to Chandler's US#4 time of 46.27.
The boys race was even closer with Long Beach Poly taking the win in 41.74 (US#24) coming close to the meet record of 41.73. Brophy College Prep took 2nd in 41.79 (US#26).
The excitement continued to the very end of the meet with the 4x400 meter relay with both the Chandler boys and girls winning. In the girls race Chandler the girls smashed the meet record with a time of 3:53.50 for a US#21. The old record was 3:55.67 set in 2007 by South Mountain. Long Beach Poly finished 2nd in 3:58.20.
The Chandler boys finished the 4x400 with a meet record and a US#16 time of 3:19.02. The old meet record was 3:20.01. Mesa Mt. View finished 2nd in 3:20.61 for a US#32.
More great performances
Hunter Wilkes (Sr., Hamilton) won the girls pole vault in 12-0 with a tie at US#15
Hollie Harris (So., Long Beach Poly) won the 400 meter dash in 56.42 for a US#28.
Travis Colby (Sr., Chandler) won the discus in 171-3 (US#25). Shawn Collins (Sr., Chandler) finished 2nd with a 169-7 (US#29).
Shawn Collins won the shot put for a US#9 58-8.5. Alex Barrett (Sr., Desert Ridge) finished 2nd for a US#16 (57-2.5) while Dominic Nappe (Jr., Chandler) took 3rd with 56-11 (US#17) and Talaiasi Tauel (Sr., Mesa) placed 4th with 55-9.75 (US#28).
Travonn White (Jr., Mt. Pointe) won the long jump with a jump of 24-3 for a US#3. Ben Trotter (Sr., Mt. Pointe) finished 2nd with a jump of 23-3 for a US#29.
Hayden McClain (Jr., Sandra Day O' Connor) won the triple jump with a US#15 jump of 47-9. Valley Vista junior Avery Mickens finished 2nd with a jump of 47-8.5 for US#16.
Devon Centers (Sr., Chandler) finished 2nd in the 110 hurldes with a US#20 time of 14.28.
Dobson boys won the 4x800 meter relay with an 8:02.82 for a US#21.
Valarie Allman (Jr., Silver Creek, CO) won the discus with a throw of 144-10 for a US#9.
Andrew McDonald (Sr., Sandra Day O'Connor) jumped 6-8 in the high jump for a US#30.
Robert Grant (So., Brophy Prep) finished 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles with a US#19 time of 39.63. Kaleb Garcia (Sr., Perry) finished 3rd in 38.83 for a US#29 and Tevin Mayfield (So., Corona del Sol) placed 4th with a time of 38.86 for US#32.