With a big meet out west (Arcadia Invitational, CA) and a big meet out east (Taco Bell Invitational, SC), there was plenty of top-notch action to keep an eye on.  From the distance race at Arcadia (pictured left is Illinois' Chris Derrick running the 5k), to the hurdle races at the Taco Bell Invitational, and all the way up into Alaska for a monster shot put mark, this weekend was the best one yet this season.  Check out our weekend highlights to see what took place.

MileSplit On-Site: Arcadia Coverage / Taco Bell Results

Weekend Highlights & Results (4/11 - 4/13)

Arcadia Invitational (CA)

Arcadia Invitational: Live Coverage / Official Website / Friday Results / Sat. Inv. Results / Sat. Open Results

Saturday Highlights

As usual, the distance events were a sight to see Saturday evening as the sun lowered over the west end of the track.  Great match-ups in each of the 3200m races and the inception of the boys 5k made for quite a night.

Leading the list of top events throughout the whole weekend was the boys 5,000m run.  In its first year of existence at Arcadia, the event certainly did not disappoint.  For a few weeks Chris Derrick (Neuqua Valley, IL) (pictured left) had been labeled as the pre-race favorite, while New Jersey's finest, Brandon Jarrett (St. Benedict's, NJ) and Doug Smith (Gill-St. Bernard, NJ) were considered his chief competition.  From the gun Derrick shot out to hit the first 400m in 68 seconds, as a large group followed pace.  What would transpire however simply shook the distance world greater than perhaps any race in the last few years.

Derrick continued on a torrent pace, hitting 67-68 seconds for each lap.  Around the mile mark Jarrett dropped out, collapsing to the track in agony.  However, as Derrick passed through the first 1600m split in 4:33, he had company from Smith and Ryan Prentice (Mt. Rainer, WA).  Over the course of the next mile Derrick would drop both athletes rather easily and crossed the 3200m mark in 9:03.  As the laps counted down, the crowd became more and more aware of what was taking place.  9:03 would have earned Derrick sixth place in the open 3200m race earlier in the evening, but he was looking relaxed and fast through that marker and actually picked up the pace at that point.

Into the final mile Derrick went, as he started to lap runners and ride the wave of energy that the crowd provided.  Derrick his 67, 67, 66 for his next three laps and into the last 600m he went.  On his twelvth lap Derrick hit 61 seconds and sprinted home for the win with a 30 second last 200m, finishing in the U.S. #6 all-time performance of 13:55.96.  Simply incredbile!

Earlier in the evening, Derrick watched the 3200m run, which he later said inspired him for the 5k.  In the 3200m race, Luke Puskedra (Judge Memorial, UT) toed the line against Kiwi star Dominic Channon (New Zealand).  As the gun sounded, Puskedra did his usual song and dance and lept to the front.  Pushing an honest pace through the mile, Puskedra towed a slew of runners to nine minute pace, passing through in 4:27.5.  Into the final few laps Puskedra and Channon flew, with the New Zealander sitting right on Puskedra's shoulder.  As the gun lap sounded Channon flew up next to Puskedra and took the lead down the backstretch.  Many in attendance thought Puskedra was finished, but that was not the case.  With 100m to go, Puskedra swung wide and took the lead one last time to close in 60 seconds and win the race in 8:46.40, while Channon finished a strong second in 8:48.00

In the girls 3200m run, Jordan Hasay (Mission Prep, CA) and Christine Babcock (Woodbridge, CA) (pictured right, Babcock's in the yellow/red jersey) staged a historic dual Saturday evening, running stride for stride the entire race.  From the gun, both athletes sprinted to the front and had a five second gap on the rest of the field by 600 meters.  From there the two athletes traded off leads until the 1600m split of 4:57.8.  At the 1600m mark Babcock pressed to the lead, holding off multiple surges from Hasay.  As the laps counted up the crowd became more and more into the race, rising to their feet on the final lap.  WIth 300m to go Babcock gapped Hasay by about three meters, but Hasay came back up.  Into the final stretch the two athletes came, running neck in neck, until Hasay pulled away in the final strides 10:03.07-10:04.03.

Three other notable performances that got a little overlooked came from a pair of California sprinters and a Arizona jumper.  Will Claye (Mountain Pointe, AZ) won both the long and triple jumps in perhaps the best jump double of the '08 season anywhere in the country.  Claye lept an amazing 51-07.5 to win the triple jump, while leaping 24-01.25 to win the long jump.  In the 400m dash events, Long Beach Poly teammates Joey Hughes and Akawkaw Ndipagbor each won their respective races with U.S. top three marks.  Hughes won the boys side over a strong field with a dominant last 150 meters, taking home top prize in 46.97.  The freshman Ndipagbor won the girls race in a U.S. #1 time of 53.43, over a half second ahead of the current U.S. #2 marking.

Moving on to the girls sprint and hurdle events, the Purvis sisters dominated.  Sophomore Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth, CA) won the 100m dash in 11.54, then came back to win the 200m dash as well in 23.54.  Senior sister Julian Purvis (St. Elizabeth, CA) won the 100m hurdles in 13.59, edging runner-up Bianca Stewart (Logan, CA) who finished second in 13.67.  Kori Carter (Claremont, CA) took home the top spot in the girls 300m hurdles in 41.58, pulling away down the homestretch for the victory over runner-up London Finley (St. Mary's, CA).

100m hurdle runner-up Stewart also placed well in the triple jump, taking second place with a nice leap of 40-07.5.  Winning the event was Long Beach Poly's Tara Richmond with her mark of 40-09.25.  This event was hands down the best triple jump of the season thus far, as Richmond, Stewart and Ciarra Brewer (Logan), who lept 40-02, all broke the magical 40 foot barrier.  Another field event star came from thrower Anna Jalmini (Shafter, AZ) who pulled off the double win with a 161-00 discus throw and 46-01 shot put toss.

In the boys pole vault, Nico Weiler (Los Gatos, CA) (pictured left) vaulted 17-04 to break the meet record as the sun was setting Saturday.  The home-state favorite gave the crowd a show, nearly clearing 17-08 on his first attempt.  His last three attempts were close but just a bit off.  His performance raised his U.S. #1 marking of 17-01 set in March.  Meanwhile, Bryce Hall (Davis, UT) threw the shot put 61-01 to win the event over a strong field, while California thrower Dayshan Ragans (Foothill) won the discus throw with a fantastic toss of 193-06.

The last event of the night, the 4x400m relay, carried some of the biggest thrills of the weekend.  In the girls top flight powerhouse sprint schools, and heated rivals, Long Beach Wilson and Long Beach Poly clashed for all four legs, none wanting to give a single step to the other team.  With freshman Akawkaw Ndipagbor anchoring LB Poly, Wilson knew they needed to get a strong lead heading into the anchor leg.  Wilson got that lead and ran with heart, but Kdipagbor balanced her race and carried it home in the last 100m to just barely get Wilson's anchor at the line, giving Poly the 3:44.22-3:44.97.  In the boys race, U.S. #1 Dominguez (CA) ran away from the field on their third leg, showing why they are the top team in the land currently, as they extended their U.S. #1 ranking by finishing in 3:12.13.

With another Arcadia Invitational under our belts, it is safe to say that this year's edition was simply outstanding.  Numerous U.S. #1's, meet records and U.S. top ten all-time marks flowed like the waves off of Southern California, high and mighty.  Perfect weather, knowledgable fans and deep fields are what make this meet thrive and in 2008 it is safe to say that very few meets can match the excitement of Arcadia.

Friday Highlights

The Arcadia Invitational kicked off in grand fashion Friday, as a night of relays took place. 

Top Highlights:

- Girls 4xMile (Invitational): Perhaps the great race of the day came in the girls 4xmile, as Saugus (CA) put on a show by dominating the field and running a U.S. #3 all-time performance of 20:10.75.  Closing out their relay was senior Katie Dunn, who ran a reported 4:53.7 anchor.  Congrats to the ladies of Saugus!!!

- Boys 4x800m Relay (Invitational): Led by anchor Elias Geydon, who's only a freshman, Loyola (CA) ran strong legs throughout, good enough to win a close battle in 7:49.24 over Dana Hills (CA) who finished runner-up in 7:49.49.

- In the Boys 1600m Sprint Medley Relay, solid 400m legs and amazing 800m legs led Rancho Verde (CA) and Colonie (NY) to run nearly stride for stride the entire way, as Rancho Verde (CA) pulled out a close win in a new U.S. #1 time of 3:26.60.  Colonie finished in second, as their anchor leg ran 1:51.7, while Rancho Verde's ran 1:52.1.

- Girls 1600m Sprint Medley Relay (Invitational): Long Beach Wilson (CA) dominated from start to finish, running 4:00.97 and winning by 5.5 seconds.  Their third leg Angele Cooper and anchor Christina Smith simply outworked the field.  Their splits were 25.2 (200), 24.5 (200), 55.0 (400) and 2:16.2 (800).

Taco Bell Invitational (SC)

Taco Bell Invitational: Boys Results / Girls Results / Meet Page / Official Website

Saturday Highlights

A slew of national top ten performance highlighted the second day of the Taco Bell Invitational.  In the night section, the girls hurdle events really stole the show.  Superstars Jacquelyn Coward (Sr., Knoxville West, TN), Ryann Krais (Sr., Methacton, PA) and Jasmin Stowers (So., Pendleton, SC) all ran the 100m hurdles, which saw all three break 13.70 seconds.  Coward used her top end speed to beat Krais and Stowers with a finishing time of 13.26, while Krais finished second in 13.50 and Stowers third in 13.67.

Krais returned the favor to Coward in the 400m hurdles however, beating the Tennessee star 58.96-60.76, using a strong second half of the race to pull off the win.  Both Coward's 100m hurdle win and Krais' 400m hurdle wins are U.S. #1 marks currently.

In the girls 100m and 200m dashes, Newnan (GA) junior Chalonda Goodman (pictured left in navy blue Newnan jersey, photo by gomavs.net) beat out in-state rival Brittney Long (Sr., Therrell, GA) in both races.  Goodman ran a 11.37w (+4.4) in the 100m, while finishing in the top spot at 200m in 23.55w (+2.3).  Long finished second in both races by running 11.53w and 23.88w.

A few evening field events attracted some attention.  In the girls discus throw, Aslynn Halvorson (Jr., Butler Matthews, NC) and Britney Waller (Jr., J.L. Mann) staged a classical battle of skill, both throwing extremely well but Halvorson won the dual 148-09 to Waller's 147-05.  In the boys long jump Stephen Hill (Jr., Miller Grove, GA) won with his leap of 23-08.5, giving one more stellar athlete to the amazing class Georgia has this spring.

Meanwhile on the boys side, Marcus Rowland (Sr., Dorman, SC) and William Wynne (Sr., McEachern, GA) put on a show for the crowd in their respective events.  Rowland won the 100m and 200m dash events, winning the shorter ran in 10.28 and the longer in 21.10w.  While the wind was a factor in helping many performances throughout the weekend, Rowland's 100m dash time was wind-legal.  In the hurdle events, Wynne won the 110m hurdles in 13.67w and the 400m hurdles in 52.04.

A few distance highlights Saturday evening came from the boys 800m dash and 3200m run.  In the 800m race, Dylan Ferris (Sr., East Forsyth, NC) won in 1:53.37, making him one of the top rated athletes in the event this outdoor season thus far.  What made the performance even more amazing was that he ran 1:51 the night before in the 4x800m relay and ran 4:21.18 to beat Luke Lovelace (Sr., Chapin, SC) after Saturday's 800m race.  Lovelace beforehand placed second in the 3200m run against Ryan Hill (Sr., Hickory, NC).  Both Foot Locker qualifiers battled from start to finish, with Hill showing strength over the second half of the race, picking up the title 9:04.87-9:08.85.

While the finals of most events take place later in the day, a few early morning prelim results helped wake up the crowd.  Chalonda Goodman (Jr., Newnan, GA), who ran 23.71 for 200m the night before, kept her momentum going as she won her heat in the 100m prelims with a 11.31 (wind +4.3) time that ranks her tops in the prelims.  On the boys side of the event, Marcus Rowland (Sr., Dorman, SC) ran 10.19 (wind +4.5) to easily establish himself as the finals favorite later in the day.

Early hurdle action also saw William Wynne (Sr., McEachern, GA) take the top spot in the 110m hurdle prelims with a 13.84 (wind +2.7)effort.  On the girls side, Ryann Krais (Sr., Mecathon, PA) led three athletes under 14 seconds with the high winds at their back, winning her heat with the fastest times of the prelims in 13.75 (wind +4.3).

The top field event during the morning session came in the girls triple jump, which saw Searra Jones (Sr., Fort Dorchester, SC) leaps 40-10, beating Gabby Brooks (Jr., Cedar Shoals, GA) who finished in second place with an exceptional leap of 39-01. 

Friday Highlights

While most of the top action at the Taco Bell Invitational takes place Saturday, a few performances really stood out Friday evening.  One of the top highlights came from Dylan Ferris (Sr., East Forsyth, NC), who led his squad to the boys 4x800m relay title in 7:59.56.  What was most impressive was Ferris' 1:51 lead-off leg, which gave the squad a huge lead to work with over their competition.  The Stanford-bound senior has run ok this season, but not nearly as impressive yet as he was as a junior.  This relay split definitely sets him on the right track.  In the girls 4x800m relay, Collins Hill (GA) ran 9:21.11 to win the event by over eight seconds.

In preliminary action, Chalonda Goodman (Jr., Newnan, GA) ran 23.71 (wind +1.4) for 200m, winning her heat by a large margin and running one of the fastest times of the season thus far.  Goodman's rival, Brittney Long (Sr., Therrell, GA) was nearly as impressive with her 23.99 (wind +2.1) heat victory.  These two are creating quite a match-up for the final Saturday.  In the boys 200m dash prelims, Marcus Rowland (Sr., Dorman, SC) ran 21.09 (wind +1.0) to win his heat in 21.07.  The final race Saturday should be exciting as six runners broke the 22 second barrier.

Mullen Runner's Roost Invitational (CO)

Mullen Runner's Roost Invitational: Meet Page / Results

ColoradoRunners.com Mullen Runner's Roost Inv. Article by Alan Versaw

While a handful of the top Colorado athletes like Dominick (Denver East, CO) and Charles White (Cherry Creek, CO) were off competing at the Arcadia Invitational this weekend, many of the state's top athletes took to the Mullen Runner's Roost Invitational hoping to face some solid competition and improve their seasonal PR's.  Leading the way at Saturday's event was Chase Cooper (Smoky Hill, CO), who continued his winning ways in the boys pole vault with a fine 16-00 effort. 

On the track, Joe Morris (Golden, CO) continued his winning ways as well with a great 10.53 100m dash win over Jordan Edwards (Heritage, CO), who finished in second place with the same time.  Meanwhile, Matt Butcher (Longmont, CO) won the boys 200m dash in 21.30, while Kevin Williams (D'Evelyn, CO) dominated the 3200m run with a finishing time of 9:12.64.  This was a great race for Williams, especially being at altitude and coming off of his World Cross Country Championships experience.

The girls side saw equally as many highlights with Conifer's Emily Blok (pictured right by ColoradoRunners.com) setting the way.  Blok won both the 200m and 400m dashes Saturday afternoon, taking the top spot for the shorter race in 24.80, while cruising to a 57.08 win in the longer race.  Brianna Patton (Eaglecreat, CO) also posted a big win in the 100m hurdles in 14.51, while Kaitlin Hanenburg (Classical Academy, CO) won the 1600m run in 5:07.75.

Big C Relays (AK)

Big C Relays: Meet Page / Boys Results / Girls Results

With snow, cold and darkness covering Alaska for most of the winter, it's starting to feel a little bit warmer on the Alaska track and field scene as the Big C Relays brought together many schools up north.  While many athletes are still trying to find their form, thrower Jordan Clarke (Sr., Bartlett, AK) and distance runner Trevor Dunbar (Jr., Kodiak, AK) are already showing mid-season form.  The Arizona State-bound Clarke dominated the boys shot put with a monster toss of 65-06.5.  His throw easily ranks him as the top thrower in the state and leaves him with a U.S. #1 performance currently.  Clarke then came back on Saturday to toss the discus 170-10, winning the event by 25 feet.  Meanwhile, Dunbar had a big day by running 2:00.15 to win the 800m dash, 4:17.92 to win the 1600m run and ran a leg on his team's victorious 4x800m relay leg.

Virginia Weekend Wrap-Up (VA)

Virginia Full Weekend Wrap-Up (by Brandon Miles, MileStat.com)

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