National, state and meet records fall like rain at Arcadia

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

The 49th edition of the Arcadia Invitational produced a national high school record, a California state record and several other memorable performances. Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from the three-day event, which began with Hayden Ashley of Bishop Kelley (Oklahoma) and Los Gatos' Caice Lanovaz winning the decathlon and heptathlon titles.

NXN Champs Leave Another Legacy

Four months ago, Great Oak captured the boys team title and American Fork (Utah) junior Casey Clinger stood on the podium as the individual winner at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon. On consecutive nights, they both added their names to the list of memorable distance performances in meet history. Great Oak’s Solomon Fountain, Cole Spencer, Isaac Cortes and Spencer Dodds produced a national high school record 16:55.85 in the 4 x 1600 relay, taking down the converted mark of 17:00.2 set during a 4 x mile relay by South Eugene (Oregon) in 1976. It was the 27^th national record achieved at the Arcadia Invitational. Clinger won the marquee 3200 in 8:50.70, becoming the second Utah runner in four years to win the invitational race after Park City’s Ben Saarel prevailed in 8:45.74 in 2013.

Just Call Her “Record Breaker”

On more than one occasion, Anaheim Canyon junior Rachel Baxter was referred to as “Cassidy” by the public address announcer as she cleared her first four heights in the pole vault. By the time Baxter cleared 13-10 on her third attempt and then a state-record 14-2 on her first try, everyone in the stadium knew her name. Baxter broke the 2007 mark of 14-1.25 set by Castilleja’s Tori Anthony to ascend to the No. 4 all-time performer in U.S. prep history. Baxter, who competed for the U.S. team at the World Youth Championships in Colombia, has already improved nearly a foot from last year when she was runner-up at the state final clearing 13-3.

Making Their Intentions Clear

Vista Murrieta’s Michael Norman and brothers Noah and Josephus Lyles of T.C. Williams (Virginia) showcased the speed that has the high school seniors on the fast track toward competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in July in Oregon. Noah Lyles set meet records with wind-legal marks of 10.17 in the 100 and 20.48 in the 200, the latter taking down the 1985 standard of 20.79 set by Hawthorne’s Henry Thomas. Norman ran 45.51 in the 400, lowering his own meet record from last year, with Josephus Lyles placing second in 45.94. All three could potentially be teammates on the U.S. roster that competes at the World Junior Championships in Poland, but they demonstrated they are ready to take on the challenge of racing against the best in the country at the Olympic Trials.

Tremendous Triple for Tara

For the first time since Marion Jones in 1993, a female athlete captured three individual gold medals in the invitational session when Agoura junior Tara Davis won the 100-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump. Davis clocked 13.80 seconds in the 100 hurdles, leaped 19-9 in the long jump and 41-8 in the triple jump, rebounding in impressive fashion after fouling on her first two attempts. Davis defeated two-time long jump champion Courtney Corrin of Harvard-Westlake – second at 19-6.25 – and last year’s triple jump winner Chinne Okoronkwo of Mountlake Terrace (Washington), who finished third at 40-2.25. Jones won the 100 in 11.48, 200 in 23.49 and the long jump with a wind-legal mark of 20-9.25 during her senior year at Thousand Oaks, capturing eight career gold medals at Arcadia.

Dunne Delivers Again

San Clemente senior Connor Dunne wasn’t the only Colorado University signee competing at Arcadia, but he was the only invitational winner after prevailing in the mile in 4:09.45, holding off the talented American Fork (Utah) tandem of Patrick Parker (4:09.87) and McKay Johns (4:10.37). It was the third consecutive week that Dunne relied on an impressive kick to win an invitational race against an elite field, following a mile victory in 4:04.59 at the APU/Arroyo Meet of Champions Distance Classic and an 800 triumph at the Stanford Invitational in 1:50.53. Brea-Olinda senior Austin Tamagno, an Oregon signee, won the invitational 800 in 1:50.93, setting the stage for impressive future matchups with him and Dunne after their thrilling mile showdown at the Meet of Champions.

Arcadia Spotlight Agrees With Williams

There was rain in the forecast throughout the competition and there was once again Lauren Rain Williams of Oaks Christian securing three invitational victories, repeating as girls track athlete of the meet after defending her titles in the 100 and 200, in addition to a victory in the 4 x 400 relay following a runner-up finish last season. Williams produced wind-legal marks of 11.64 in the 100 and 23.37 in the 200, along with joining Jordann Feinstein, Julia Sullivan and Carolyn Wilson in winning the 4 x 400 in 3:49.80. Williams was part of Oaks Christian’s winning 4 x 100 relay last year in 45.57, along with capturing the 100 in 11:42 and 200 in 23.57.

Bruckner Brings It Again

San Jose Valley Christian senior Elena Bruckner has had better career performances in the shot put and discus throw, but securing back-to-back invitational championships in both events was a significant achievement given the inclement weather. Bruckner joined Shafter’s Anna Jelmini (2008-09) in winning both events in consecutive years, throwing the discus 166-3 and prevailing in the shot put with a mark of 51-0.25. Brentwood (Missouri) senior Sophia Rivera, the only prep athlete in the country to produce a better shot put mark than Bruckner last year, placed second at 48-1.75. Bruckner, who also won both titles at the Texas Relays, will pursue her next big challenge by throwing the discus at the end of the month at Penn Relays.

Another Breakthrough for Bowen

Sonoma Academy sophomore Rylee Bowen admitted disappointment when she ran 10:29.61 last year and placed 16^th in her debut in the invitational 3,200. Bowen used that as motivation in her return to Arcadia to close in strong fashion the final 400 meters and edged fellow sophomore Annie Hill of Glacier (Montana) by a 10:13.20 to 10:14.14 margin to secure her third prestigious victory in as many weeks. Bowen won the mile March 26 at the APU/Arroyo Meet of Champions Distance Classic in 4:49.83, then prevailed in the 2,000 steeplechase March 31 at the Texas Relays in 6:53.34.

Familiar Faces In Relay Races

For the second year in a row, Great Oak’s girls captured two invitational relays, repeating in the distance medley in 11:48.65 and securing their first win in the 4 x 800 in 9:14.70. The Wolfpack pursued a third straight win in the 4 x 1600 relay, but Davis Senior captured the invitational title in 20:05.26, with Great Oak taking second in 20:17.75. Notre Dame’s boys won the invitational 4 x 400 in 3:17.41 and the 4 x 800 in 7:53.83, in addition to taking second in the 4 x 100 in 41.76, with Vista Murrieta prevailing in 40.63. Los Alamitos set the meet record to repeat as boys 1,600 sprint medley relay champion in 3:26.36, with Cathedral's boys capturing the 4 x 200 relay in 1:27.66 and 800 sprint medley relay in 1:32.43.

Carson Stars In Late Night

For the first time all season, Carson had its complete lineup for the girls 4 x 100 relay and the Colts took full advantage by running 45.81, the best performance by an L.A. City Section team in meet history. After teaming with Kenyla Miles, Autumn Wright and Kennedi Atkins to win the relay, Kaelin Roberts captured the invitational 400 in 53.47, holding off Buchanan’s Hannah Waller (53.62) in a rematch of the past two Arcadia and state champions.