2004 Arcadia Invitational

Event Previews - Girls

EVENT 115 WOMEN'S SHOT PUT 4:30 P.M.
Senior Megan Howard (Arroyo Grande HS) leads a field featuring the top four Californians and Michelle Amete of Arizona (Queen Creek HS). Howard, this year's premier performer from the throws powerhouse, has already posted a nation-leading mark of 50-03.5 for 2004, with Centennial's Missy Faubus (46-9), Orange Lutheran's Melissa Yunghans (44-11.5), and Vista's Uia Tupuola also in the mix! Amete has already been measured at 41-11 in competition this spring. Howard and Faubus are #1 and #3 in the nation currently.

EVENT 116 WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP 5:00 P.M.
Desirae Gonder (Stockdale HS, Bakersfield), who cleared 5-10.5 a year ago, is the California state co-leader this year along with entrant Bethany Johansen (Archbishop Mitty HS). Canadian Cissy Pierce (5-8) will also contend for the event title, with details such as fewer misses sure to play a role in sorting out the top placers here!

EVENT 118 WOMEN'S TRIPLE JUMP 5:30 P.M.
A quartet of 41-footers make this event among the highlights of the weekend! Texas bounding specialist Erica McLain (Plano East HS) is fresh off a stunning series at last weekend's Texas Relays, including a nation-leading and lifetime-best 43-1.5 winning effort! Northern California talent Brittany Daniels (42-4.75), J.W. North's Gayle Hunter (the Nike Indoor Classic heptathlon champion and 41-1.25 already this spring) and Tennessee's Lauren Stewart (Brentwood HS, 41-7.75 in 2003) are other potential All-American leapers gracing the entry lists here! A bombing event to start the evening!!!

EVENT 123 WOMEN'S 4X100M RELAY INVITATIONAL 5:52 P.M.
Nothing captures the excitement of a track crowd more so than the short relay, with Shalonda Solomon-led Long Beach Poly (45.66), Angelique Smith-led James Logan (46.09), J.W. North (46.74), Merrill West-paced Jennifer Nash (47.00) and Kiani Profit-led Muir (47.66) leading the groups slated to clash here! Poly is the favorite, but look for a host of fast times and maybe some school records as well! Check the program for the Meet Record when the Poly crew steps on the track!!!

EVENT 124 WOMEN'S POLE VAULT 6:00 P.M.
Aerialists set to take center stage here include Arizona wunderkind Katie Morgan (Corona Del Sol HS), whose 12-10 last year designates her as the #3 returnee nationally, and UCLA-bound Southern California standout Elizabeth Woepse (Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana). Mission Viejo's Whitney Johnson, another Orange County talent, has cleared 12-6 this spring while Washington's Doria Holbrook (Eisenhower HS, Yakima) has scaled 12-5. Most in the field have cleared 11-06 already this spring! Morgan, Woepse, and Johnson are ranked among the nation’s top half-dozen currently.

EVENT 126 WOMEN'S MILE RUN INVITATIONAL 5:57 P.M.
The nation's hottest young distance talent will be showcased here, as Devon Williams (Towson Catholic HS, Maryland) brings 4:50.76 credentials for the full mile to the table, not to mention awesome 2:06.48 speed for 800 meters! New York area wonder Heather Iatuaro (Tri-Valley HS, Grahamsville 4:53.44 for a mile indoors) returns to Arcadia, joining Virginia's Amanda Patterson (Midlothian HS 4:58.20 for mile this winter) and Oregon's Annaliesse Chapa (Grant HS, Portland) in mass part of a fine race featuring athletes from 11 states! Another where the yearly list will undergo a huge revision as the rest of the nation faces the Golden State’s best!!

EVENT 132 WOMEN'S DISCUS 6:30 P.M.
Centennial of Bakersfield's Missy Faubus has already hurled the platter a nation-leading 168-8 in outdoor competition this far this spring, with the Central Section leader enjoying a 20-foot-plus advantage over this nearest Golden State rival thus far in 2004. Pittsburg's Alex Toeaina (155-2 last year and 145-08 this campaign as the nation’s #7 thrower) and Megan Howard (Arroyo Grande - 147-01 #5 nation currently) and Whitney DeWeese (Rancho Buena Vista, Vista 145-11 currently #6 nation) are other headlining names here!

EVENT 134 WOMEN'S HIGH 100M HIGH HURDLES INVITATIONAL 6:35 P.M.
Get ready for some super-hot hurdling action here! Alandra Sherman, the queen of the hurdles on the national landscape these days, ranks as the #4 hurdler in U.S. history with her 13.25 clocking making the Texas lightning bolt (Eisenhower HS) primed to battle a great field. Multi-events All-Americans Gayle Hunter (J.W. North, Riverside) and National Scholastic Indoor Champ, Long Beach Poly's Dashanta Harris are other blazers set to settle in the blocks here!

EVENT 138 WOMEN'S 100M DASH INVITATIONAL 6:55 P.M.
The top dashers in talent-rich California converge here for mid-season bragging rights, with Bishop Amat HS senior Jasmine Baldwin springing the nation's biggest surprise thus far, unleashing an 11.60 smoker to edge World Junior Champs performer Shalonda Solomon at the recent Trabuco Hills Invitational. Captured in identical times, the duo share the nation's fastest mark this season. Jennifer Nash of Merrill West HS (Tracy) motored to a legal 11.62 to win last weekend at Oakland, with James Logan's Angelique Smith (11.78) and El Camino Oceanside's Jolanda Diego (11.86) other human rockets out quickly this season! Baldwin, Solomon, and Nash ARE CURRENTLY THE NATION’S 1-2 AND 3 100M DASHERS ON THE CLOCK!!!

EVENT 141 WOMEN'S 800M RUN INVITATIONAL 7:11 P.M.
The record books could come under assault here, as the fastest two-lap race ever to hit the West Coast (if not the entire nation!) could unfold here! Super frosh phenom Devon Williams (Towson Catholic, Maryland) has already created a gargantuan following during a legendary age-group career, evidenced by her recent 2:06.48 indoor freshman national record! Utah's Heidi Magill (Mountain View HS, Orem, UT) already holds the Arcadia meet record at 2:06.74 and comes here ready to battle! Washington's Brianna Felnagle (Bellarmine Prep, Tacoma) at 2:08.67, Nebraska's Elizabeth Lange (Pius X HS, Lincoln) at 2:09.4), and Pennsylvania's Latavia Thomas (West Catholic HS, Philadephia) at 2:09.48 are other headliners in thos Who's Who field!

EVENT 142 WOMEN'S TWO-MILE RUN INVITATIONAL 7:20 P.M.
From the beaches of California and the mile-high altitudes of Colorado to the sun-splashed ovals of Florida and the islands of Hawaii, leading multi-lappers from eight states are slated to clash here! Reigning cross-country national champion Katelyn Kaltenbach (Smoky Hill HS, Colorado) and 2002 national champ Zoe Nelson (Flathead HS, Montana) bookend this talented collection with California-based Foot Locker XC Finalists Claire Rethmeier, Rachel Bryan, Lindsay Flacks and Melissa Grelli among the All-American caliber talents sandwiched in the middle! Floridian Nicole Schappert (10:38 thus far in 2004 at Pope John Paul II HS) and Hawaii's Tia Ferguson (formerly at California's San Marcos HS) are others vying for leading medals. Definitely another Arcadia distance classic.

EVENT 144 WOMEN'S 400M DASH INVITATIONAL 7:41 P.M.
The nation's leading one-lap talent brings her skills to Arcadia, as West Catholic's Nicole Leach (52.19 indoors, #2 all-time and the 2004 National Leader) of Philadelphia checks in, with Long Beach Poly ace Jasmine Lee (52.43 outdoors last year) being her chief rival here! Gardena's Myra Hasson (53.64 as America's top freshman a year ago) and a host of others seek ultra-fast times!

EVENT 146 WOMEN'S LONG JUMP 7:45 P.M.
Picking up pretty much where they left off in the triple jump wars earlier this evening, expect J.W. North of Riverside bounder Gayle Hunter (a four measured at 21-feet plus a few weeks prior), Long Beach Poly's Shana Woods (national sophomore indoor record leap of 19-11.75 in February), Merrill West's Brittany Daniels (19-7) and Lone Star State phenom Erica McLain (19-6.75) to interchange throughout the trials, heat a heated battle eventually ensuing for the top spot!

EVENT 154 WOMEN'S 300M HURDLES INVITATIONAL 8:29 P.M.
National leader Alandra Sherman of Eisenhower HS in Texas is among the all-time greats over th barriers, with a 41.24 to her credit in the long hurdles setting the pace here! Although Sherman is the favorite, Long Beach Poly sophomore sensation Shana Woods (42.62 #5 in the nation currently) , J.W. North's Tanicka Ward (43.28 #7 in US at moment) , and Muir's sensational freshman Kiani Profit (43.25 #6 in the nation), tab this as one of the can't-miss showdowns of the weekend!

EVENT 155 WOMEN'S DISTANCE MEDLEY 8:38 P.M.
A Who's Who collection merges here, with San Diego-based San Pasqual possibly courting hopes of victory should Claire Rethmeier (also in the two-mile) double back with Lorin Scott and others to tab them as favorites. Bellarmine Prep of Washington, Rancho Cucamonga (sub-12:10 last weekend!), ultra-deep Murrieta Valley, Canyon of Canyon Country and Woodbridge of Irvine are others leading candidates for the top spot here, where a time near 12 minutes might be in order to come away victorious!

EVENT 157 WOMEN'S 200M DASH INVITATIONAL 8:58 P.M.
California speedburners Jennifer Nash (Merrill West HS, Tracy), Jasmine Baldwin (Bishop Amat), and Myra Hasson (Gardena) should be in the blocks for a close battle always playing a major role in Athlete of The Meet honors by evening's end!

EVENT 163 WOMEN'S 4X400M RELAY INVITATIONAL 9:49 P.M.
Long Beach Poly absolutely crushed the national record in this event last month –– showing it all the way down to an unheard of 3:38.91 to go along with last year's 3:35.55 outdoor national record! No other team in the nation has come within two seconds of that time, even outdoors this spring in 2004!! But Poly will need to have its "A" team suited up as Merrill West, West Catholic (52.19 studette Nicole Leach presumably on anchor), James Logan, Muir, and Rancho Cucamonga (all ranked among the nation’s top 15 currently) also will toe the line in search of baton glory, seeking to close out the girls' portion of the meet in sizzling fashion!