The Irvine Invitational consistently provides us with an early season opportunity to see some of Orange County's best athletes on display. This year looks to be no different as another star studded field is lined up to compete on Saturday.
Boys Events
The first event of the day, the boys 1600 will likely start things off with a bang as returning CIF finalist Mark Field from Newport Harbor headlines the entries. In the 400m, returning CIF D2 Champion Anthony Reyes of Elsinore High is set race. Other sub 50 second performers racing include Bradley Rainford of Colony and Micah Ray of San Juan Hills. The 100m has Keith Taylor of Servite who boasts a PR of 10.89. David Hulme of Foothill, who ran 1:54 last season, will be running in the 800m along with 1:58 runners Adriel Barajas of Servite and Chad Gibbon of Woodbridge. Servite duo Ian Ward and Kyle Sandoval are competing in the 300m hurdles, both runners were CIF finalists last year. Arguably the most credentialed runner in the meet, returning state finalist Ryan Moya-Chapron is competing in the 200m. Last year he ran 21.75 to place 6th at state. In the 4x400 we have Woodbridge and Servite, both squads competed at CIF finals last year. In the field events, Cole Smith of Newport Harbor will be competing in both the shot put and discus. Smith was a state meet qualifier last season in the discus, throwing 179-3. Ryan Fegan, who is also from Newport Harbor, will be competing in the Pole Vault; Fegan owns a PR of 15-1 and has already vaulted over 15 feet twice this season.
Girls Events
On the girls side, the 1600m looks to be just as loaded as the boys with Haley Herberg (Capistrano Valley) leading the field. Herberg qualified for Masters last year with a 4:56. Sara Leonard will also be racing, she is a returning CIF finalists as well. Milana Malec is running the 400m, and she placed 5th last year at CIF finals, running 56.65. The host school, Irvine High will have Laurel Shepherd competing as well - Shepherd placed 3rd at CIF D3 finals last year. Two time CIF D2 finalist Sydney Carr of El Modena is racing in the 100m, Carr holds a PR of 11.99. Capistrano Valley's Alyssa Bautista is running the 800m, in 2016 she placed 4th at CIF D2 Finals running 2:14. Nicole Harvard from Silverado is slated to be competing in the high jump as she cleared 5-5 and competed at last year's State Championships. Her teammate Jartierra Grissom is also jumping; last season Grissom placed 7th at CIF D2 Finals. In the triple jump, Kellie May of Northwood and Emily Garner of Woodbridge are both jumping. Garner is a returning State Finalist and May is a CIF Finalist.