Arcadia Invitational 2008

One of the most successful female prep distance runners of all time, California's Jordan Hasay continues to build her legendary status. This season Hasay won an epic 3200m dual over Christine Babcock at the Arcadia Invitational, while coming back earlier this month to run a strong 4:17.46 1500m race against professional competition at the Stanford Invitational. With her season now kicking into full swing, Hasay talks with us about breaking 10 minutes for 3200 at state this weekend, her goals the rest of the season, her surfing habits and much more.

As the sun went down and the lights came on at the Arcadia Invitational in California, two Arizona runners toed the line for the men's 800 Invitational. Two weeks ago at the Chandler Rotary James Eichberger (Catalina Magnet) and John Kline (Desert Vista) gave the stadium crowd a race to remember.

What a weekend it was out at the Arcadia Invitational. As the dust settles and the results are entered into the national rankings, it is clear once again that Arcadia is one of the premier high school meets in the country. After analyzing the performances and notes from the weekend, MileSplit national editor Scott Bush takes a look at the top ten performances of the meet. Guess who made the top spot? (pictured right is Chris Derrick (IL) giving the thumbs up after his impressive 5k performance)

Emilie Amaro, the senior from Cypress Bay, headed westward this weekend to compete in the famed Arcadia Invitational's invitational 3200 meter. The two race favorites, Jordan Hasay and Christine Babcock (had not Florida's Ashley Brasovan dropped out it would have been three favorites), surged to the front from the gun and gapped the pack within 600 meters. Amaro ran a smart race and did not fall into the temptation of trying to match the blistering pace the two leaders set (the leaders went through four laps in 4:57!). So Amaro set the tone for the chaser, leading the pack for most of the race. She took that determined, self-set pace and took fifth place in the prestigious meet with a new state-leading time of 10:31.18. It was Emilie's second best time ever in the event, next to her 10:28.72 at Nike Outdoors last year. Great job to Emilie! Nice way to end the regular season! Hasay and Babcock, by the way, battled it out up front for all 8 blistering laps. It culminated with a kickfest the last lap with Hasay finally pulling away slightly in the last 100 meters: 10:03.07 to 10:04.03. The only other Florida competitor at the meet, Antonio Brandon of Wellington competed in the 800 meter invitational division. He finished in 15th place with a time of 1:56.34--the fifth fastest from a Floridian this year. Congrats, Antonio! Full On-Site Arcadia Coverage from MileSplit US...

Highlights from around NY State NY City's Mayor's Cup - Farrell boys win team crown. Nickolei Mahlung (Loughlin) 10.80 100m, Troy Faulkner (Curtis) 21.80 200m, James Farley (Farrell) 1:56.86 800m, Dylan Trotzuk (Collegiate) 9:33 3200m, Vincenzo Chairiello (Farrell) 148-05 Discus. Boys and Girls takes girls title. Janice Jackson (Middle College) 14.51 100m Hurdles, Nadonnia Rodriques 24.59 200m, Meagan Gillespie (Boys and Girls) 56.70 400m, Phylis Francis over Dalilah Muhammad 2:13.2 to 2:14.21 in 800m, Dana Walsh (Conv. Sacred Heart) 4:48 1500m. COLONIE ROLLS IN ARCADIA, CA 2nd in SMR in 3:26.79 - Nick Santos Anchors with 1:51.7 800m carry COMPLETE WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS AND RESULTS HERE

His PR had been 168. His goal was 200. Then out of nowhere, Ryan Bell blows past 220 in jav (includes video of the throw) Results needed for Union Area and Pacer 2008 PA Outdoor Leaderboard: Girls / Boys Harbor Creek Inv Photo Gallery by Carl Strub Left: Ryann Krais winning the 400 hurdles and breaking her own meet record at Taco Bell - Photo by W. Caparas On Saturday at the Hempfield Black Knight Inv, Conestoga Valley senior Vince McNally ran a 9:05.1 3200. His coach Mike Craighead reports that McNally split 4:34.7 and 4:30. Boyertown's Mark Dennin was at 9:26.1. At the 2nd Lady Skins Inv at Neshaminy, Council Rock South senior Ije Iheoma ran a US#14 55.58 400. The Central Bucks East girls were showin' off a little speed taking top spots in the 100, 2-3 in the 200 behind Iheoma and then a PA#3 49.24 4x100. At West Perry HS in the Mustang Invitational, soph Laura Loht burst onto the javelin scene with a 140-1 throw. At the Brookville Invitational, Kane's D.J. Horton cleared 16-0 in the pole vault, tie for US#6. Punxutawny's Laybn Hollis, Baldwin's David Adley, Mercer's Weston Schaa, and DuBois' Bethany Naugle were all double winners. There were four double winners at the Harbor Creek Invitational. McDowell senior Dan Kwiatkowski won the shot put with a big throw of 60-10.50, and also took the discus. Oil City senior Nick Klena won the 800 and 1600. Grove City sophomore Hanna Casalnova delivered in the 400 and 800. And fellow soph Laura Nientemp of McDowell won the 100 and 200 in. Cathedral Prep senior Akeem Satterfield ran a PA#3 10.77 100 in the prelims of the 100. He won the finals in 10.98, and also posted the fastest 200 of the day, a 22.31 in the prelims. He would take 3rd in the finals behind Johnny Dugun of McDowell. At the 20th Pan-Ram Invitational, Carly Seymour of Central Cambria set a meet record of 5:05.08 in the 1600. Justin Shirk, of host Central Dauphin, got on track with a 207-7 javelin. Juan Steward, Cumberland Valley, went 10.89 and 22.47 in the boys sprints, while Daniel Boone's Aubrie McAlpine went 12.32 and 25.80. Central Bucks West won the girls team title, Altoona, the boys'. Conestoga Valley's Vince McNally Leading Boyertown's Mark Dennin through a sub 4:30 1st 1600 - photo by Jim Dillner. On day one of the Taco Bell Classic in SC, Methacton teammates Ryann Krais and Betsy Dempsey placed 3rd and 5th, respectively, in the high jump. Krais cleared 5-6. On Saturday, Krais came back with an amazing day in the hurdles, finishing 2nd in the 100 in a PR of 13.50. Krais was second to the top hurdler in the US, Jackie Coward, who ran 13.27. Krais's time is US#2. Jasmine Stowers was 3rd in 13.67. In the 400 where Krais can hit her stride, Coward had a great start and was the 1st over the first 2 hurdles. But Krais soon caught and passed her, winning to break her meet record with a 58.94. Alix Williams of Strath Haven was 3rd in 1:04.28. Williams took 4th in the 100 hurdles in 14.49. Father Judge sent a full contingent. Jerome Lowery captured 2nd in the 400 hurdles in 54.45. The team also took 3rd in the 4x400 in 3:25.76 and 6th in the 4x800 in 8:08.62. At the Bristol Knights of Columbus Relays at Holy Ghost Prep, Neshaminy's Tim Malloy won three events, taking the 100 hurdles in 15.14, the high jump at 6-4 and the triple jump, leaping 44-02.25. Teammate Kevin Steinberg continued to rip through the sprints, powering to an 11.28 100 and 22.46 200. His 4x100 was also victorious. At the Purple & White Relays at Shamokin, the girls' 1600 sprint medley relay saw two nationally elite times, as Southern Columbia ent 4:21.8 and North Schuylkill was just over six seconds back. At the DELCO Relay Carnival at Upper Darby, Chester broke a Delaware County record, running a 3:52.5 in the 4x400, now top 25 in the US. Cardinal O'Hara posted a 9:37.6 4x800 behind a leadoff 2:18 by Robyn Oakley. Karen Shump, Penncrest, took the discus (144) and the shot put (47'11"). The North Penn girls won eight relays on the track and five in the field at the Don Seltzer Relays, finishing the 144 points. In the boys competition, host Exeter prevailed. At the Arctic Blast Inv at Northern HS, Oxford's Jordan Jenkins ran a fast 5:07.85 1600 and also captured the 3200. At the Harbor Creek Inv, McDowell's Dan Kwiatkowski threw 60'-10 1/2" in the shot and teammate Laura Kosiorek went 15.02 in the 100H. At the Mercersburg Academy Inv, the Finucane family , James and Lena, dominated the 1600. At the Trojan T&F Classic at Center HS, Khiry Watts, Avonworth-Northgate, went 10.8 and 22.3 in the 100 and 200. Christa Rogers, Quaker Valley took the 100 with and without hurdles. Neshannock's Kacey Gibson ran the 3200 in 11:04.7. At the Susquehanna HS Classic @ Susquehanna University, Montoursville's Keenan Michael continued his winning ways in the hurdles. Teammate Tesa McKibben won three events, the 300 hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump. State College sprinter Alex Kenney posted quick times in the 100 and 200. At the TFCAofGP Relay Carnival at Upper Dublin, Derek Hynes, Central Bucks South, cleared 15 in the pole vault. Abington went 3:23.41 to beat Simon Gratz by just over a second in the 4x400. At the Hurricane Inv at Villa Maria Academy, Swenson's Shanae Bailey won the 100 (12.27p) and the 200 (24.97). Teammate Anthonia Ballard won both hurdles. Swenson's 48.59 took the 4x100. Kaleena Gray, Coatesville, took the shot and discus. Unionville busted 9:28 in the 4x800. McDowell's Dan Kwiatkowski threw 60-10.50 to win the shot put at Harbor Creek - Photo by Carl Strub At the Mansfield University HS Inv, Bradford's boys won the team title behind a strong 3:33.87 4x400. At the Fairview Inv, the home team swept both team titles. Shaler's Izzy Moreno was 5th in the 100 at the Beachwood Invitational in Ohio. On Tuesday, April 8, Wilmington HS senior Ryan Bell launced the javelin a US#1 20-07 on his second of three attempts at a dual meet at Mercer... At the April 7 Larry Simmons Inv at Penncrest, Karen Shump, Penncrest, upped her discus from Saturday's 147 to improve her PA#1 to 150; and she added a 46-11.50 in the shot put. For the first time and only time this season, I will be NOT spending a day at a meet. I've been busy with a lot of interviews for what I hope will be several interesting stories. If I don't get started on those this weekend, the athletes may graduate before I get it done, and another may be on her way to China to compete. We'll have some pix from two meets though, and I'll be at the Shippensburg Inv next weekend, followed by the Penn Relays, and then the West Central Coaches Meet.  

A big weekend out in southern California at the Arcadia Invitational should lead to some fantastic results. Warm weather, little wind and plenty of sunshine are setting up for ideal racing conditions. MileSplit will bring you the best coverage possible this weekend from the first race to the last. Keep checking back all weekend. Friday Results Top Arcadia Highlights - Chris Derrick (IL) wins boys 5k in 13:55.96, U.S. #6 all-time - Will Claye (AZ) leaps 51-07.5 in TJ & 24-01.25 in LJ - Ashton Purvis (CA) wins girls 200m dash in U.S.#1 of 23.54 - Luke Puskedra (UT) wins Arcadia 3200m run in 8:46.40 - Jordan Hasay (CA) runs 10:03.07 to win 3200m, U.S.#6 all-time - Nico Weiler (CA) vaults 17-04 to break meet record, U.S. #1 - Saugus (CA) girls run U.S.#3 all-time in 4xmile in 20:10.75 - Rancho Verde (CA) wins boys SMR at Arcadia in U.S.#1 3:26.60 - Long Beach Wilson (CA) wins girls SMR in 4:00.97 - Loyola (CA) wins boys 4x800m relay in 7:49.24, anchored by freshman Elias Geydon's 1:52.2! - Westfield (VA) wins girls 4x800m relay in 9:21.86 - George Barlow (UT) wins seeded 3200m run in 9:13.09

Our national editor, Scott Bush, is on site at the Arcadia Invitational in California today and he called in that rumor had it that Ashley Brasovan had pulled out of the much anticipated 3200 out there. We have confirmed this with another source: we will not get to see the Brasovan vs. Jordan Hasay rematch this weekend. While Brasovan managed to run a completely uncontested 10:33 last week (which followed a solo 5:06 1600 just hours earlier), she and her new coach decided to pull plans for the trip. The reason stated was that they did not feel she was yet 100%, since she missed so much time due to her injuries, therefore she did not want to face Hasay at this juncture and potentially lose by 10+ seconds. It was looking to be a great race--and still be a great race with some of the other talent in the field--and another look at the battle we watched at the end of Footlocker Nationals where Brasovan came out victorious. While we might question the logic in opting out of a trip that was already paid for and a chance to (win or lose) get more big race experience... ultimately, she and her coach did what they felt was right for her this season. While Ashley might not be competing, there will be a ton of amazing showdowns at this storied meet. Representing Florida will be Antonio Brandon of Wellington (800m) and Footlocker Finalist Emilie Amaro of Cypress Bay (3200m). Look for on site coverage from the Arcadia Invitatinal on our national portal MileSplit.us. Good luck to Ashley at district/region/state (and beyond)!