RECAP Fast Times At Arcadia High

St. Mary's junior Jadyn Marshall was a double winner in the hurdles at Arcadia. (Jeffrey Parenti photo)

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ARCADIA -- The sprints/hurdles/relays group at the 53rd Arcadia Invitational produced nine new California leading times, seven new CA No. 2s, and 16 other top-five performances.

And there's plenty to unpack from these events.

Arguably most impressive, was the hurdles performance dropped by Jadyn Marshall, a junior at Stockton St. Mary's (SJ), who won the boys 110-meter hurdles in a state-best 13.76 (+1.2), with Upland sophomore Kai Graves-Blanks second in 13.95. Those are the top two times in the state and Marshall's performance ranks tied for U.S. No. 9. 

D'Niko Bates, a senior from St. Mary's (NC), was third in 14.33 (CA No. 5). 

The battle in the 300-meter hurdles came down to current national leader Delaney Crawford, a junior at Upland (SS), and Marshall, who as a frosh in 2019, dropped a 37.59 in this event at CIF-State Qualifying. 

Here, it came down to the end where Marshall was clean over the final hurdle and Crawford fell out of rhythm and fell to the track just after crossing the line. Marshall's winning time of 36.77 is CA No. 2 and U.S. No. 7. Crawford, who came in with a U.S.-best 36.64, had to settle for a 36.97 here. Bates went 38.43 for third at Carson Kaminski, a senior at Trabuco Hills (SS), clocked a 38.61 PR for fourth and CA No. 6.

Crawford, who had to be helped to the medical tent and was held there for some time, recovered well enough to anchor Upland's 4x400 relay team at the end of the night as it ran third (3:19.72, CA No. 4) behind Cathedral (SS), which was second in a CA No. 3-time of 3:19.66, and new state leader Long Beach Wilson, which ran away to victory in CA No. 1 time of 3:17.74.

On Friday night, Crawford, Kai Graves-Blanks, DeQuan January, and Davis Davis-Lyric combined to set the state record in the 4x110m shuttle hurdles. Saturday night, the Upland quartet of Crawford, January, Graves-Blanks, and senior Jailen Burrell, won the 4x100 relay in a CA No. 2 41.43. The Central team of Conley, Tarver, Johnson and Walker crossed in 41.90.

Patrick Ize-Iyamu, a junior at Chaminade (SS), came in as the state leader in the 100 meters and improved on that with a 10.47 (+1.8) sprint. Max Thomas, a junior from Servite (SS) was second in 100m (10.58) and won the 200 (21.37/1.0), taking the CA lead in the deuce. Bryce Brock, a junior from Cathedral Catholic (SD), posted the No. 2 time from the meet, 10.56, running in the seeded race. 

Cameron Tarver, a junior and part of the impressive sprint crew at Fresno Central (CS), had the No. 2 overall time in the 200 (21.42/0.5) while running out of the seeded race, ran third in 100 (10.72), and had a hand in the runner-up 4x100 relay team (41.90). Brock, also running in the seeded 200m, posted the No. 3 overall time, 21.49.

Jeremiah Walker, another junior from Central, won the 400m (47.58 for CA No. 2), had the fourth overall time in the 200 (21.50), and ran a leg on that relay.

The boys 400 was a battle at the front between two Central Section stars as Walker held off Buchanan's Austin Gillen, 47.58-47.92. Kai'Lib Copes, a senior from St. Mary's (NC) was third in 48.80.

Closing out the night in the sprints/hurdles/relay group for the boys was Long Beach Wilson's team of sophomores Isaac Lewis and Marcell Mitchell-Francis, junior Leroy Crook, and senior Phillip Jefferson running away with the 4x400 relay in 3:17.74. Cathedral was second in 3:19.66 (CA No. 3).

The Long Beach Poly (SS) team of Alyssa Perkins, Kennadi Reed, Anayah Wych -- all juniors -- and freshman Taylor Johnson won the 4x100 relay in 47.06. Roosevelt (SS) was second in 47.25 with Serra (SS) third in 47.27.

Asjah Atkinson, a Cal-bound senior from Long Beach St. Anthony (SS), who won the long jump, also won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.85 (+1.5). However, both of those marks were wiped off the books when it was learned that Atkinson had competed in a dual meet earlier in the day, a violation of CIF rules, prompting her post-meet disqualification from both events.

Charlize James, a junior from San Diego HS, was second on the track in 14.25, but moves up to first place following Atkinson's DQ. Y'vette Harris, a sophomore from Stockton Lincoln (SJ) moves up to second after running 14.27. 

The girls 100m dash went to Reign Redmond, a sophomore from Carson, who was a narrow winner over Aysha Shaheed, a Cal-bound senior from Madison (SD), 11.75-11.76 (+1.5). Lauren Fowler, a New Mexico-bound senior from Buchanan (CS), who came in with a state-best 11.70, was third in 11.80. Jahzara Richardson, a senior at Oaks Christian, was fourth in 11.88. 

Aujane Luckey, a sophomore at Long Beach Wilson (SS), won the invitational 200 in a CA-best 24.20. Fowler was second in 24.50 with Redmond third in 24.66. 

The girls 400 came down to a battle between the state leader coming into the meet, Clovis North junior Takiya Cenci, and the defending CIF-State Champions from 2019, Katriina Wright of University City. Wright, headed to Oregon, pulled away down the stretch to cross in 54.24. Cenci was next in 54.84. Caroline Hawkes, a junior from San Clemente (SS), was third in 55.84. Jocelyn Niemiec, a senior at Beckman (SS), running during the day session, dropped a huge 54.85 PR that turned out to be the third-fastest girls quarter of the meet. 

Kapiolani Coleman, a sophomore at Cathedral Catholic (SD), won the 300m hurdles in a CA No 2 43.51. Buchanan senior Alexa Dandridge was second in a CA No. 2 time of 43.67. Upland senior Cienna Norman-Thomas was third in 44.32. Earlier Coleman won the seeded 100m hurdles in 14.82 (CA No. 10). 

Riverside JW North (SS) closed out the girls competition with a 3:50.11 state-best in the 4x400 relay. Oaks Christian (SS0 was second in a CA No. 2-ranked 3:51.51.