Mitch Stephens, Special to The Chronicle

Los Angeles County - The good news for Los Gatos High senior pole vaulter Nico Weiler was that he won the Arcadia Invitational under hot and fast conditions before 5,000 fans at Arcadia High on Saturday.

The better news was that his mark of 17 feet, 4 inches not only extended his national lead in the event but set a record at a meet that has featured 105 eventual Olympic team members and had 23 national records set in its 41-year history.

On a day when St. Elizabeth-Oakland senior Julian Purvis also broke a meet mark and her sister Ashton won two events, Weiler broke one of the meet's oldest records of 17-3 1/4 set in 1989 by Jayson Lavender of Wichita Falls, Texas.

"To win here is huge," said Weiler, an exchange student from Germany and the defending state champion. "It's the first time this year I've jumped like I was supposed to jump."

Julian Purvis overcame a relatively slow start to chase down James Logan-Union City senior Briana Stewart and win the 100-meter hurdles in 13.59 seconds. She broke her previous national season-leading mark of 13.81 and bettered the meet mark of 13.71 set in 1996 by Dominique Calloway of South Denver, Colo.

Stewart, who also took second in the triple jump (40-7 1/2), also broke the previous meet mark in 13.67, a personal best.

"Briana really pushed me," the Michigan-bound Purvis said. "I didn't get a great start but I felt really strong from the fifth hurdle on."

Ashton Purvis was thankful for a fast start in the 200 meters, which she won in a national season and personal outdoor best of 23.54 seconds. The sophomore slipped out of the blocks in the 100, but eventually won in a wind-aided 11.54, edging Yasmin Woodruff (11.64) of St. Mary's Academy (Inglewood).

"I wanted to go 11.3 or so in the 100 but I brushed it off and really bucked up in the 200," Ashton Purvis said. "Winning here under the lights is the best. All the eyes are on you."

Briefly: In one of the most memorable 3,200 races in state history, Jordan Hasay, a junior at Mission Prep-San Luis Obispo overtook Christine Babcock (Woodbridge) in the final 100 meters to win 10:03.07 to 10:04.03. ... Palo Alto senior Mia Lattanzi (2:12.65) and Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland senior Brazile Clark (2:13.29) finished third and fourth in the 800. ...Castro Valley junior........READ MORE

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