Add Upper Dublin to the list of consecutive PA DMR winners behind Coatesville and Germantown Friends. Robert Micikas surprises fellow Pennsylvanian and FL champ to take 3K. Tatnell, DE wins state's first ever Penn Relays Championship of America with DMR win on Thursday night. Girls 3000m is very fast as 3 girls run under 9:36. Six girls teams break 46 secons in 4x100 COA, Roosevelt 2nd in 45.24.

    PHILADELPHIA – Matt Lorenzo didn’t want to be that guy again. He didn’t want to be able to say this again: “At nationals, everyone showed up but me,” the Upper Dublin senior said.

Mason Finley has had numerous highlights throughout his three-plus years of high school track & field. He has a few national titles under his belt, including a victory in the discus at last year's Nike Outdoor Nationals. But the senior from Buena Vista High School in Colorado, didn't have to reach too far back in his memory bank to come out with the one that tops the list.

Photo by Tim Fulton of ArmoryTrack.com, a MileSplit US affiliate Two major meets this weekend in New York with the New York Relays and Red Raider Relays being contested. One of the country's best states for high school track & field action during the indoor season is finally starting to able enjoy some decent weather it seems this weekend for their top athletes and teams to come out to post solid marks and times. Best performance so far belongs to Nike Indoor Nationals 2 mile runner-up Shelby Greany, who clocked a US #5 time of 10:27.33 at the Red Raider Relays after being presssed all the way to the line by Ailsing Cuffee as the runner-up in a US #6 10:28.33. More Red Raider Relays coverage on ArmoryTrack.com More New York Relays coverage on ArmoryTrack.com  

The Dana Hills boys were very serious and confident they could run much faster in the 4x800 meter relay this weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays than their 7:45 performance several weeks ago. Tyler Valdez for Dana Hills pointed out last weekend at the Arcadia Invite that their 7:45 squad at the California Relays did not include Zak Phillips, who he felt could run a sub 1:55 leg for them once placed on the relay. Valdez and his teammates were not lying as the current US leaders in three distance relays (4x800, DMR, and 4xMile) dropped five seconds on the US #1 time in the 4x800 with a 7:40.30 victory at the Mt. SAC Relays on Friday. The quartet from Dana Point, California is knocking on the door of their team moving onto the US top 25 all-time list in the event with their splits on Friday of 1:57.3 for Cole Guerin, 1:54.9 for Phillips, 1:54.4 for Tyler Valdez, and 1:53.9 for anchor Ryan Valdez. Two other teams ran US top 10 teams in the race including Upland (US #6 7:51.72) and Torrey Pines (US #10 7:53.51). (Photo right by Margot Kelly of CalRunners.com, a MileSplit US affiliate) Mt. SAC Relays High School Results: Friday 

James White, a junior from Grandview High School in Missouri, took over as the national leader in the boys high jump with his 7'3.25" clearance at the Kansas Relays on Friday. After a string of 7 foot clearances in his last two meets, White took himself to new heights in the event at KU. Matt Byers extended his national lead in the javelin throw with a mark of 213'1". The Wichita East (KS) senior held the US #1 mark previously at a 204'11" season best in the javelin. The girls 3200 had a fast finishing top 3 including Emily Sisson (MO) in first at 10:31.07, Megan Yohe in second at 10:31.26, and Avery Clifton (KA) in third at 10:40.09. A close race between Sisson and Yohe ended up producing US #6 and US #7 times in the event. Kelby Dias, a senior from Sierra High School in Colorado, won the boys' 300 meter hurdles with a time which will just rank him outside of the US top 10 at 37.89. Dias is the fastest qualifier for Saturday's 110 meter hurdles finals also. Kansas Relays Results: Friday HS Boys - Friday HS Girls Check out the Live Results link during Saturday's events.

Anchored by Amanda Winslow, the Collins Hill girls of Georgia became the first team under 12 minutes this outdoor season in the distance medley relay with their 11:59.44 victory on Saturday evening at the Volunteer Track Classic held in Knoxville, Tennessee. Another US top 5 performance came from the boys 2000 meter steeplechase winner Shawn Roberts of Centreville (OH) at a US #2 time of 6:14.74. More to come throughout the weekend with MileSplit US affilliate, TennesseeRunner.com, on-site with coverage. High School Results: Friday - Saturday Live Results Girls Steeple - Sarah Dorrell (Blacksburg VA) 7:43.66 Boys Steeple - Shawn Roberts (Centerville OH) US #2 6:14.74 Girls 4x200 - Bishop Hartley OH 1:41.17 Boys 4x200 - Ooltewah TN 1:28.60 Girls DMR - Collins Hill GA US #1 11:59.44 Boys DMR - Mountain Brook AL 10:34.18 Girls SHR - Brookwood GA 1:07.14 Boys SHR - Brookwood GA 1:01.12 Girls 2Mile - Megan Ferowich (Knoxville Catholic TN) 10:50.48 Boys 2Mile - Zach Wills (Mason OH) 9:13.58 Girls Triple Jump - Celeste Taylor (Beaufort SC) 35'4" Boys Triple Jump - Jadon Short (Oak Ridge TN) 45'5'25" Girls Pole Vault - Emma Dejarnette (Atlee VA) 11'6" Boys Pole Vault - Barret Folk (Memphis University) 14'6"

The states of Texas and Florida are already getting underway with their district championships mid-week, while looking ahead to this weekend shows there will be plenty to look forward from the West Coast to East Coast as some states will have finally start experience decent weather than in past weeks to allow for their star athletes to come out for national caliber performances. Various District Championships (TX) Various District Championships (FL) Mt. Sac Relays (CA) Volunteer Track Classic (TN) New York Relays (NY) Red Raider Relays (NY) Norfolk State Invitational (VA) Gus Lacy Track Classic (VA) Nike Littleton Invitational (CO) Bulldog Classic (KY) Coaches Classic (SC)

Pennsylvania has won the Boys' DMR Championship of America two years in a row - Coatesville in 2007, and then Germantown Friends - anchored by Max Kaulbach - in 2008. Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Dublin offer PA;'s best shot at a three-peat. (photo by Don Rich, PennTrackXC.com) (Photo by Tim Fulton of ArmoryTrack.com)

 James Taylor of Nansemond River (VA) is one of the few returning champions for the 2009 Penn Relays as Taylor won the long jump last April at Franklin Field with a mark of 23'10.75". (Photo by Tim Fulton of ArmoryTrack.com) Accepted individual entries for the high school events at the Penn Relays have been released. Top names include Robby Andrews (NJ) in the boys mile, Solomon Haile (MD) in the boys 3K, Chelsey Sveinsson (TX) in the girls mile, James Taylor (VA) in the boys long jump, Tynita Butts (VA) in the girls long jump, Nick Vena (NJ) in the boys shot, and Shelby Greany (NY) in the girls 3K among others.

Photo Courtesy of Victor Sailer, Photorun.net

Both have been running in the shadows of the likes of Jordan Hasay and Mac Fleet for most of their high school careers, but Saturday night's 3200 meter races at the Arcadia Invitational was sort of a coming out party for both Rancho Buena senior Collin Jarvis and San Clemente senior Alex Dunne in their monumental victories. Jarvis (pictured right by Margot Kelly) often faces Fleet, one of the nation's top milers, since both go to school in the San Diego area. Meanwhile, Dunn has plenty of achievements worthy of great name recognition, but when Jordan Hasay also competes in your state then its tough to share the spotlight and attention which is often focused on last year's US Olympic trials 1500 meter finalist.  

After a disappointing sixth place finish at the Nike Indoor Nationals in the 800 meter run, Wilbur Cross (New Haven, CT) senior Cas Loxsom was looking to getting back into action with a springboard meet into his outdoor season. "It was just frustrating. I was coming off a big win at New Englands and I felt great," said Loxsom (pictured left by Margot Kelly) of his race in Boston in which he got tied up early with Terrence Livingston of New York early in the race and was never able to recover. "Things just didn't work, but you can't always have your best day." It took him a cross country trip, but Loxsom found a better day certainly at the Arcadia Invitational in California this past weekend.

Photo by Margot Kelly It would be tough to recall a high school athlete to have ran so fast and dominated a strong field as easily as Reggie Wyatt did in the 300 meter hurdles, yet feel as though he had an off race. After all, Wyatt only managed to run a season best US #1 time of 36.01 to win the invitational division at the 2009 Arcadia Invitational. The La Sierra High School (Riverside, CA) senior had a somewhat shaky start to put him behind his meet goal of a sub 36 performance and maybe national record. "I had to studder step the first hurdle and it just threw my whole race off, so on the second hurdle I had to make up ground."

Photo by Margot Kelly The Arcadia Invitational not only draws athletes and relays from all over the United States, but saw an international flavor to the meet this weekend with the Ruyton Girls School track team from Australia making the long journey across the Pacific to join some of the best US preps in the Northern Hemisphere. It was a successful and busy weekend for the Ruyton girls in the distance relays as they garnered high finishes in the 4x800 (2nd, 9:15.11), 4xmile (3rd, 20:51.89) and DMR (5th, 12:09.35) as their depth was showcased with few of the same runners on each relay. MileSplit US spoke to one of their several relay quartets (girls DMR) this weekend about their trip, meet, and experience in America.

Photo by Margot Kelly Santiago High School (Coron, CA) senior Rodney Storrs is often overlooked when the top sprinters in the state of California are mentioned. It is understandable with the likes of speedsters Randall Carroll of Cathedral and Charles Saseun of Rancho Cucamonga to draw attention away from others. At one point, Storrs was not even going to make the cut to be selected for the invitational division of the 200 meter dash at the Arcadia Invitational. "I almost didn't get into the race. I guess there was a change up and as an alternate I got in," revealed Storrs. Good thing that meet management opted to place him in the fastest division or they would have been shutting out their 2009 champion in the event.

Kori Carter now owns US #1's in 3 hurdles events Photo by Margot Kelly A total of 10 US #1's on Saturday at the Arcadia Invitational. Big winners included Kori Carter in the girls hurdles (100H & 300H), Ashton Purvis in the girls sprints (100 & 200). Anna Jelmini in the girls throws (shot & discus), and Mason Finley (shot & discus) in the boys throws all winning two individual events. The Eleanor Roosevelt girls (4x200, 4x100, 4x400) and Dana Hills boys (4xmile, DMR) were also champions in multiple relays. The homestate of California ruled most of the meet, but there several events were the incoming talent from other states shined. A complete meet summary with plenty of quotes is on the way! Monster marks in the throws by Mason Finley (CO) & Anna Jelmini (CA) Photo by Brandon Miles US #1's Boys 1600 - Elias Gedyon CA 4:08.69 Boys 800 - Cas Loxsom CT 1:51.15 Boys 3200 - Collin Jarvis CA 8:58.15 Boys 5K - Trevor Dunbar AK 14:33.96 Girls 100H - Kori Carter CA 13.67 Boys 300H - Reggie Wyatt CA 36.01 Girls 300H - Kori Carter CA 41.09 Girls 4x400 - Eleanor Roosevelt MD 3:40.68 Boys DMR - Dana Hills CA 10:01.50 Girls DMR - Esperanza 12:02.27 Arcadia Invitational - Saturday Results Athlete Spotlights by Brandon Miles: Reggie Wyatt (300H) - Australia Girls - Rodney Storrs (200m) - Collin Jarvis & Alex Dunne (3200m) - Spencer Chase (400m) - Cas Loxsom (800m) - Many more to come on Sunday & Monday. Arcadia Invitational Winners Table (Photos) by Margot Kelly Arcadia Invitational Photo Gallery by Margot Kelly - 446 photos added so far. Many more photos to be added. Arcadia Invitational Race Videos by Brandon Miles - Most of all Saturday's invitational division running events posted. More videos from Friday's events and earlier Saturday events to ocme soon.

Newnan (Ga.) senior Chalonda Goodman clocked a wind-legal 11.51 (+1.8). Goodman was apparently just warming up in the prelims as she went onto to run a U.S. #15 all-time performance of 11.30 in the finals. The meet record time is also the fastest juniors clocking in the World so far in 2009. More meet coverage inside and coming throughout the week. 

Photos by Margot Kelly Friday's events at the Arcadia Invitational saw cooler temperatures for at least SoCal standards in a relay heavy first day of competition. A total of six US #1's were produced nonetheless and the boys decathlon national record was simply destroyed by Curtis Beach of New Mexico with his point total of 7909. It was a historic performance thanks to his incredible output of 14.42 clocking in the 110 meter hurdles, over 150 feet throw in the javelin, 14'6" pole vault, and 4:09 1500 to complete the multi-event. Eleanor Roosevelt girls added a US #1 in the 4x200 to their national leading times in the 4x100 and 4x400 from last weekend at the Florida Relays with a 1:36.55 victory. They were unable to win a second event of the day later in the 1600 sprint medley relay as they were turned back by the Long Beach Wilson girls who refused to be defeated in their neck of the woods with a US #2 time of 4:02.31. Two other East Coast schools picked up relay wins on Friday at Arcadia with Monsignor Farrell boys in the 4x800 at 7:51.24 and the Sheephead Bay boys in the shuttle hurdle relays in a US #1 59.50. Farrell has been a factory for producing great half milers including a 1:54 on their anchor leg just as Sheephead Bay has been in finding strong hurdlers. Rancho Verde had a boys and girls squad win a sprint medley race with the boys winning the 1600 meter version quite convincingly in a US #2 3:27.49 and just off their own meet record. The Rancho Verde girls had already own the nation's fastest time in the 800 meter SMR and simply dropped it down a half second on Friday in a time of 1:45.08. Dana Hills boys and Saugus girls have been two of California's most successful cross country programs in recen years and certainly relish any opportunity to showcase their depth in the distances when given the opportunity to compete in 4xmile relay. Dana Hills, who had ran US #1 times in the DMR and 4x800 several weeks ago at the California Relays, took aim at a top time in the 4xmile. They were challenged for much of the race by a Seattle Prep squad from Washington, but the Valdez twins (Ryan and Tyler) with 4:19 and 4:16 splits as the final two legs allowed them to pull away with a US #1 17:27.75 win. Despite already posting such strong times early in the outdoor season, the Dana Hill boys are confident of running much faster this season. The Saugus girls had some company through three legs with in-state rivals Dana Hills and then a squad actually from Australia in Ruyton High School, but anchor leg Anne Bulder broke the race open with a 5:04 anchor. Saugus finished with an overall time of 20:38.75, which tops the national leaderboard. More to come from Arcadia including photos from Margot Kelly, videos and interviews from Brandon Miles. Arcadia Invitational - Day 1 Results Arcadia Invitational - Friday Meet Summary (w/ quotes)

MileSplit US will be on-site with coverage at this weekend's Arcadia Invitational. Expect plenty of photos, videos, interviews, and stories from Margot Kelly and Brandon Miles. The 3200 meter run is once again the featured event with Jordan Hasay leading the girls' field, while more than a handful of boys will be shooting for sub 9 minute times. The relay action could be hot as well with the Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) girls make the trek west with their US leading relays. Reggie Wyatt will look to blaze another fast one in the 300 meter hurdles, while the high jump competition will include several who have went over 7 feet already in 2009. In the throws, Anna Jelmini (CA) and Mason Finley (CO) are national leaders in their respective events and will look to extend their US #1 marks further. Nike Indoor Nationals triple jump champion Ciarra Brewer (CA) and defending USATF Junior Nationals triple jump champion Allita Boyd will clash with Brewer as the current US leader and Boyd as the top returnee from last year. Plenty of more reasons and events to look forward to the 2009 Arcadia Invitational with high expectations!    

Taco Bell Classic co-meet director Kevin Shaw announced today over 2,200 athletes from 185 schools and 11 states are entered in this weekend's two-day meet at Spring Valley in Columbia. File photo by Wayne Caparas.

Photo by Mark Smith For past four years, Jordan Hasay, a senior at Mission Preparatory High School in San Louis Obispo, CA, has been the face of American high school distance running.  After all, her credentials are endless: 2-time Footlocker National Champion, 4-time Footlocker West Regional Champion, 4-time California State Cross Country Champion, American High School Record holder in the 1500m, US #2 All-Time in the 3200m, and USATF Junior Olympics youth record holder in both the 1500m and 3000m.  Yet with all her accolades, Jordan Hasay still feels she has not yet reached her full potential.  With more records to break and races to win, the 17-year-old high school senior still has improvement within reach during her last semester of high school. Furthermore, she recognizes that high school running provides us only a glimpse of the Jordan Hasay of four years from now. Read more...

Baylor School (TN) senior Bill Matthews clocked a personal best time of 4:11.00 in the 1600 meter run at the McCallie Mid-South Classic on Saturday, which ranks him #1 in the nation currently in the event. Matthews, the 2008 Foot Locker South champion and University of Georgia recruit, was competing in his first race of the outdoor season to follow up a great showing in the two mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals last month in which he posted an all-time best of 9:05.38 for a third place finish. MileSplit US Boys 1600m National Rankings

The state of Alaska does not have a normal high school track season like most of the lower 48 states. Many states are well into their outdoor season, while Alaska enjoyed a rare indoor opportunity to compete on the country's only 400 meter indoor track found at The Dome in Anchorage this past weekend at the Big "C" Relays. The meet had 33 schools and over 900 athletes in attendance for Alaska's largest track and field meet. Foot Locker Nationals runner-up Trevor Dunbar of Kodiak High School turned in a solid 3200 meter time of 9:08.93. Chugiak High's Ethan Hewitt dipped under 50 seconds on the 400 meter indoor track in a 49.54 clocking. MileSplit US will attempt to bring you more results from some of the "frontier" states this year than in past years. Big "C" Relays - Complete Results

The Oakland Relays had the nation's best triple jump marks in all-conditions for both boys and girls with Moreau Catholic senior Allita Boyd at 41'7.50" as the first girl over 41 feet this season, while Deer Valley senior Hammed Suleman at 51'2" is the first over 50 feet in the country for boys. No wind reading either to become official US #1's, but still impressive marks in the first weekend of April. Boyd, a three-sport star athlete, is the returning USATF Junior Nationals champion in the triple jump, and one of the nation's top returnees with her 43'1" wind aided mark in last June's victory at the Junior Nationals. At the Oakland Relays, Boyd also won the triple jump with a US #6 mark of 19'6.50". Suleman also had a stellar double in the jumps with 23'3.50" mark in the long jump. Suleman is ranked #8 in the nation currently in the event with his 24'1" season best last weekend at the Deer Valley Invitational. MileSplit US Boys Triple Jump National Rankings MileSplit US Girls Triple Jump National Rankings

US #1's at the 82nd Texas Relays Girls 1600 - Chelsey Sveinsson (Greenhill TX) 4:46.47 Girls 3200 - Chelsey Sveinsson (Greenhill TX) 10:12.11 Girls 100H - Christina Holland (Converse Judson TX) 13.87 Boys 110H - Cameron LaCour (Dayton TX) 13.48 Boys 2K Steeple - Zach Ornelas (Vista Ridge TX) 5:58.88 Boys 4x100 - Springfield Westfield TX 40.86 Girls 4x200 - Dallas Skyline TX 1:37.22 Girls 4x800 - Long Beach Poly CA 9:07.95 Girls SMR - Long Beach Poly CA 4:01.37 Girls DMR - Long Beach Poly CA 12:10.38 Boys DMR - Woodlands TX 10:06.12 Boys Pole Vault - Jack Whitt (Norman North OK) 18-00.25 Boys Long Jump - Marquise Goodwin (Rowlett TX) 25-2.75 Boys Triple Jump - Marquise Goodwin (Rowlett TX) 49-10.50 Boys Shot Put - Hayden Baillio (Whitesboro TX) 72-02.25 Texas Relays Photo Gallery by Alec Aldaco of TXRunning.com, a MileSplit US affiliate Video: Jack Whitt clearing 18'00.25" in pole vault  

Seven feet, 7-1, 7-2, the numbers don't really matter to high jumper Erik Kynard (pictured right by Peter Draugalis of Draugalis Photography).  When the competition begins, there's only one thing that's on the mind of the senior from Rogers (Ohio) High School. "I just jump as high as my competition takes me," Kynard said. "I don't set goals on how high. My goal is just to win." Ever since he was a freshman clearing 6-6, that's pretty much been the case for the country's top prep athlete in the vertical leap  - winning meets and soaring to new and extraordinary heights.

The Eleanor Roosevelt came all the way down to Gainesville, Florida to find some competition and great weather to post swift relay times. Their times at the Florida Relays indicate that the girls from Greenbelt, Maryland found a worthy opponent in the Miami Northwestern girls and warm and sunny Florida weather as the Eleanor Roosevelt girls rolled to national leading times in the 4x100 at 45.38 and 4x400 at 3:41.40. Miami Northwestern, second to Eleanor Roosevelt in both races with respectable times of 47.48 and 3:45.15, was able to claim at least one relay victory on the weekend in the 4x800 with a US #2 performance of 9:17.45. Their 4x800 squad featured Skyler Wallen, who broke 2:10 and became the new US leader in the 800 on the first day of high school events on Friday. While Friday's highlights were focused on individual performers, the theme seemed to focus on the relay times on Saturday as the Flagler Palm Coast boys were sensational in relay action with four victories over the course of the weekend in the 4x800 (US #3 7:46.57), 4x400 (US #2 3:13.15), 4x200, and 4x100 (42.35). Austin Gamble of Cypress Bay proved his first 200 foot performance last week was no fluke in the discus throw as he won at the Florida Relays with a best mark of 195'6". Florida Relays Saturday Results: High School Boys - High School Girls

Chalonda Goodman of Newnan High (Georgia) and Tavaris Tate of Starkville High (Misissippi) were easy choices as meet MVPs at the Mobile Challenge of Champions after Goodman sprinted to wind-legal US #1's in the 100 (11.64) and 200 (23.69), while Nike Indoor 400 champ Tate nearly had two US leading performances as well as his US #1  20.89 clocking in the 200 meter dash followed up his US #2 run of 46.74 in the 400. A repeat champion at Nike Outdoors in the 100 and 200, Goodman accomplished the same victorious double at the Mobile Challenge of Champions for the second year in a row to become a rare repeat meet MVP. Tate had company in his 400 meter  race as he was pressed by Andre Carter from Alexander High School (Georgia), who ran under 47 seconds at 46.97 to place second overall. Stonewall Jackson (Virginia) senior Damien Thigpen (pictured right by John Herzog), who will be gunning for his third straight state title in the 300 meter hurdles this season, posted a US #2 time of 36.75 in the 300 meter hurdles in Mobile. Thigpen had a previous best of 37.04 in the event. Host School St. Paul's Episcopal (Alabama) had two event winners in the female field events setting new meet records with Neal Tisher clearing a record height of 12'6.50" in the pole vault, while Katherine White went over 5'9.25" in the high jump. Catholic High School from Baton Rouge, Louisiana pulled off the difficult sweep of the boys' relay races with a state record time of 7:53.45 in the 4x800, while also putting down solid times in their 4x100 (42.07) and 4x400 (3:20.03). Mobile Challenge of Champions - Invitational Division Results

Tatianna Fisher of Oak Ridge and Dentarius Locke of Chamberlain both rolled to victories in the 100 meter dash on Friday at the Florida Relays with Fisher defeating all-conditions US leader Octavious Freeman in a US wind-legal US #1 clocking of 11.70. Freeman, who has ran 11.52 this season, was second at 11.72. Locke, one of the top returning 100 and 200 dash sprinters in the nation, took the boys race with ease in a 10.57 performance. Skyler Wallen (pictured left by Don Rich) of Miami Northwestern is the first girl under 2:10 this season in the 800 with her 2:09.00 win to move ontop of the national leaderboard. Wallen had a previous personal best of 2:11.99 from the 2008 Nike Outdoor Nationals where she placed 9th overall. Derek Wehunt continued his amazing spring of big personal best drops in the distance races as the Sickles (FL) senior followed up his US #7 9:06.78 3200 win last week at the FSU relays with a US #1 time of 4:11.14 to take first in the 1600 meter run at the Florida Relays. Similar to last week's 3200, Wehunt led several others well into the US top 10 rankings. Race runner-up Connor Revord also ran under the previous US #1 time (4:13.16) in second place at 4:13.12 and Bishop Kenny's Colin Barker is also now high in the 1600 meter national rankings with his third place effort of 4:13.96 (US #4). More to come from Gainesville... Florida Relays Day 1 Results: High School Boys - High School Girls

At the Texas Relays on Friday, Norman North (OK) senior Jack Whitt became the first high school pole vaulter to clear a height over 18 feet in the event since Tommy Skipper set the current national record of 18'3" in 2003. Whitt cleared a US #5 all-time height of 18'0.25" is the first of many US #1 performances expected to be produced in the 82nd annual meet held in Austin, Texas. Both 4x800 meter relay races were won in fast times as the Long Beach Poly girls of California have made the trip out from the West Coast this weekend to take on the best relay schools from the Lonestar State. They had a strong start to their meet in taking the 4x800 meter relay in a US #1 time of 9:07.95. Their time also established a new meet record. The boys' 4x800 nearly had a new US leader as well as the Woodlands boys of Texas are now ranked #2 in the country after their 7:46.06 victory today. Plano East senior Toddrick Allen cleared 7 feet for the first time two weeks ago at the Texas Southern Relays to join a handful of others in the country over the height. Allen went an inch higher this weekend with a US #2 clearance of 7'1". Allen led a deep high competition with five athletes clearing 6'9". Rachel Fisher, a senior at Allen High School competing unattached at the Texas Relays, went over a US #3 height of 13 feet in the pole vault.  Fisher was an AAU Junior Olympics national champion and USATF Junior Olympics national runner-up in the pole vault last summer. 3:52.32 was not fast enough to make the finals of the girls 4x400 meter relay as nine other teams ran faster to make for a tightly bunched finals to look forward to led by fastest qualifiers Houston Lamar (TX) at 3:48.21 and Long Beach Poly (CA) at 3:49.11. The DeSoto (TX) boys were the fastest 4x400 qualifiers in a US #3 time of 3:16.78. Greenhill School (TX) sophomore Chelsey Sveinsson threw down an impressive time in the 3200 meter run as she dueled it out with previous US leader Sarah Andrews, a junior at The Woodlans (TX) High School. Sveinsson, who opened the season last week with a US #3 4:51.58 1600, stepped up to the 3200 to clock a US #1 time of 10:12.11. Andrews claimed second place in a four second improvement from her previous US #1 time at 10:21.35 as the top two finishers shattered by the facility (10:25.33) and meet (10:32.35) meet record. A sophomore won the boys 3200 as well as Craig Lutz of Marcus clocked in at 9:03.99 as the state of Texas now has four of the top six performers nationally in the 3200 meter run. More to come from Austin... Texas Relays - Live Results

Performance list for the invitational division to the 2009 Mobile Challenge of Champions to be held Saturday, April 4th at St. Paul's School in Mobile, Alabama.

The beginning of the month of April should usher in a step up in performances across the nation. Two of the best high school track & field states, Texas and Florida, will be having mega meets loaded with their best at the Texas Relays and Florida Relays, while the Mobile Challenge of Champions has collected several stars from the Deep South. Texas Relays (TX) - A loaded assembly of field event stars including Jack Whitt in the pole vault, Stephen Saenz in the shot put, Marquise Goodwin in the long jump, and Shanay Brisco in the high jump Florida Relays (FL) - Speed will be on display in Gainesville including two of the nation's swiftest at the short sprints in Dentarius Locke and Octavious Freeman. The Eleanor Roosevelt girls will make the trip south to matchup against Florida's best relay school Miami Northwestern in several races. Mobile Challenge of Champions (AL) - Returning champs Tavaris Tate MS, Cory McGee MS, and Chalonda Goodman GA lead the field and are ready to defend. Neal Tisher in the pole vault and Patrick McGregor in the mile will try to not let the out-of-staters completely upstage the Alabama high school athletes.

If you were in Atlanta Monday and you don’t know who Brittany Porter is, it’s time to get your head out of the sand.   She is now one of the nation’s all-time best.  After setting a meet record long jump at Nike Indoor Nationals this year (20-7.25), the Towers High School senior blasted 21-3.5 to win the Dekalb County Championships in Atlanta, Monday.  “Now everyone at our school is getting on board and is behind us,” said Towers Head Coach Edward Center.  They ought to be. Brittany’s jump Monday is the #10 all-time, all-conditions mark recorded, and the nation’s best since 2001. And she’s not finished yet, either. 

Oregon’s Elijah Greer (pictured right by Margot Kelly) has a realistic approach when it comes to his weekly track workouts.  It’s not about taking his body to the limit and pushing to the extreme each time he begins an interval. For some diehards, that might work. It worked for one of the state’s most celebrated runners, the legendary Steve Prefontaine.  But for the 18-year-old senior from Lake Oswego High, he’d rather take the less painful approach.  “Everything is full recovery,” Greer said. “Run an interval, feel good and run another one. It’s all about feeling good and feeling motivated.” With the outdoor track season in its early stages, feeling good and feeling motivated  certainly have to be how Greer is these days. After an illness forced him to forego his indoor season, one of the nation’s best middle distance stars is back where he belongs - at the top of the list.

Photo by Alex Aldaco of TexasRunning.com, a MileSplit US affilliate site Despite competing under unseasonably cold conditions for Texas in the 30s on Saturday morning, Hayden Baillio of Whitesboro (TX) seized the US #1 ranking in the shot put from fellow Texan Stephen Saenz with a throw of 68'7.50" at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays. Saenz, the Nike Indoor Nationals champion (Baillio was 2nd at NIN) and US indoor leader in the event, had thrown for a then US #1 mark on Friday at the Brownsville Meet of Champions. It should be a great throws competition when Baillio and Saenz meet for the first time this outdoor season. Photo by Don Rich of PennTrackXC.com, a MileSplit US affiliate site With her 143'2" mark at the Lawrence/Mercer Relays, Lakeview (PA) junior Fawn Miller took over as an early national leader in the javelin throw. Miller's performance was closely followed this weekend by Ashley Aldredge from Cedar Creek of Louisiana with Aldredge's throw of 143'1" at the LSU Relays. It is an interesting blend of states which are represented among the top ranked in the event with Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Oregon boasting the top three female javel throwers in the nation currently. Lauren Chambers, the Nike Indoor Nationals champion in the weight throw and current US outdoor leader in the hammer throw, was recently featured in an interview article on GATFXC.com, a MileSplit US affiliate site.