54TH ARCADIA INVITATIONAL - DAY 1 RECAP
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Updated on 4/9 at 7:45 am.
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A year after setting the state record in the 4x110-meter shuttle hurdles, the Upland boys did themselves one better. St. John Bosco (SS) overcame a formidable challenge in the 4x200. And near the end of the evening, a quartet of juniors and freshmen from Buchanan west sub-20 in the 4x1600-meter relay.
The 54th Arcadia Invitational, a high school track, and field meet billed as "Home of National Records," warmed up on a steamy Friday evening with some fast times that set or challenged the venerable event's all-time best during the "Burnin' Batons" relays portion of the two-day showcase.
With senior Delaney Crawford healthy from an early-season hamstring strain, and junior Kai Graves-Blanks undeterred by a slight setback last week, the Upland (SS) boys shuttle hurdle relay team lowered their state and meet record by 0.65 seconds, shredding the back-and-forth challenge in 57.10. Junior Davis Davis-Lyric led off, Graves-Blanks, and senior DeQuan January ran the middle two legs, and, as he did a year ago, Crawford, the future University of Virginia football quarterback, brought the team home in record time.
With a stocked team from Fresno Central (CS) and a formidable foe with a stellar anchor in Gardena Serra (SS), Bellflower St. John Bosco (SS) proved to be the best of the fastest of the fastest boys 4x200m relay in meet history. SJB closed in 1:24.15, to shatter the record set by the Michael Norman-led Vista Murrieta team in 2015. Central, with Terrell Johnson Central anchoring, crossed in 1:24.99, the third-fastest in meet history, with Rodrick Pleasant closing fast for Serra in 1:25.53, No. 4 in Meet history.
The girls distance team at Buchanan (CS) has proven its excellence over the past few years, winning state cross country titles and last fall earning a MileSplit50 final U.S. No. 3 ranking. With freshmen Ell Lomeli and Sierra Cornett running the early legs and veteran juniors Grace Hutchison and Sydney Sundgren crushing all remaining challengers, the Bears quartet established a new 4x1600 record of 19:56.08, breaking the previous mark of 19:58.71 set by Great Oak (SS) in 2015.
Unofficially, the final three runners all split 4:57.6 or faster with Hutchison going 4:57.3 and Sundgren closing in 4:55.1.
Highland (UT) Lone Peak was second in 20:09.80, No. 7 on the meet's all-time list, with JSerra (SS) crossing third in 20:17.73, No. 10 on the all-time meet list.
Earlier in the evening, the JSerra quartet of Sydney Paulson, Georgia Jeanneret, Anastasia Snodgrass, and Ashlee Gallegos, blew away the field in winning the 4x800m relay in 9:06.45, No. 7 on the meet's all-time list. Sophomore Brooke O'Brien replaced Paulson later on the longer relay. JSerra's B team ran fourth in that race, 21:08.99.
Atlanta (GA) Westlake put itself in the records with a 1:36.31 victory in the girls 4x200m relay, No. 4 all-time. Long Beach Wilson (SS) ran second in 1:37.93.
Wilson's girls, with Samarra Monrroy anchoring, won the 800m Sprint Medley Relay running a No. 3 all-time mark of 1:43.28.
Cathedral (SS) held off Long Beach Jordan (SS) in the boys 800m SMR, with senior William Mullins anchoring in 1:30.36, No. 4 all-time. Jordan crossed in 1:31.82, No. 10 in meet history.
Lees Summit (MO) West won the girls 1600m SMR in 4:00.20, No. 7 in meet history.
Photos by Jeffrey Parenti