Highlanders match 4x100 relay meet record 40.28 set by Muir in 1997, equal No. 3 all-time mark in the state, with Stanley clocking 45.92 in the 400 and Coleman producing a 10.36/21.01 double, showcasing potential to contend for state team title

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

ARCADIA, Calif. – Could Dijon Stanley and Jordan Coleman lead the Granada Hills boys team to a California state track and field title?

They seem to think so and just as importantly, the results in Saturday’s invitational races at the 55th Arcadia Invitational indicate the potential for the Highlanders to be in contention May 27 at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium for the state final.

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The duo was part of Granada Hills’ winning 4x100 meter relay team, with Stanley winning the 400 meters and Coleman and Stanley taking the top two spots in the 200 meters at Arcadia High.

“Beating Dijon, it felt great, but what was more important to me was showing what Granada can do,” Coleman said. “We’re going to repeat that for our school at the state championships, at the City championships. It shows how fast Granada is this year and we’re competitors at state.”

It marked the first time in meet history that one team had the winning invitational 4x100-meter relay, and on that relay had separate individuals who won the invitational 200 and invitational 400.

But it wasn’t just the medals that were impressive, but the times.

The 4x100 relay time of 40.28 equals the meet record, set in 1997 by Pasadena Muir, with Kanye Martin and Jayden Smith joining Coleman and Stanley to also match the No. 3 mark in California prep history.

Coleman’s time in the 200 of 21.01 ranked 10th all-time in meet history. He also won the seeded 100 in a wind-legal 10.36.

Stanley’s time of 45.92 seconds in the 400 is second-best in meet history and the first time any runner has gone under 46 seconds at Arcadia since 2016.

“I started off fast like I always do,” said Stanley, who also ran 21.27 in the invitational 200.

“I’m primarily a sprinter, so I want to start off fast. Glided on the back stretch, not too much effort. Coming down at the finish, I knew it was just maintenance and heart and I held on and that’s all I can ask for.”

The Granada Hills’ exploits were just some of the highlights among the boys invitational races.

Newbury Park senior standout Aaron Sahlman won the 800 in 1:49.07, one of three runners to run sub-1:50 in the race, the first time that feat has been achieved at Arcadia since 1995. Sahlman improved on his runner-up time at the APU Meet of Champions two weeks ago by 1.79 seconds.

“I could see all the guys coming and I didn’t know if I had it,” Sahlman said. “But as soon as 50 meters (remaining) came by, I got an extra spark. Just by seeing those guys and crossing the line with a 1:49.07 was just great.”

Tyler Mathews of Red Mountain High set an Arizona all-time mark to place second in 1:49.32 and Andrew Regnier of Waunakee High in Wisconsin took third in 1:49.35. Carter Cutting of Wilsonville High in Oregon, last year’s invitational 800 winner for Corner Canyon High in Utah, finished fourth in 1:50.27.

Troy Lane of Pickerington Central High in Ohio won the 100 in 10.28 seconds, tying for the third-best wind-legal mark in the country this year. Lane, who elevated to No. 2 in meet history, was one of five runners in the race to run under 10.5 seconds, despite California state record holder Rodrick Pleasant of Serra High not competing.

Upland’s Davis Davis-Lyric, who was part of the state record-setting time of 57.10 in the 4x110 shuttle hurdle relay last year (that was later improved upon to 56.77 at Mt. SAC Relays), excelled yet again at Arcadia, although there was no shuttle hurdle relay this time for the Highlanders.

Davis-Lyric won the 110 high hurdles Saturday in a personal-best 13.85 seconds, the best time in the state this season and the fourth-best mark in the country.

The other invitational hurdle event had impressive times as well.

Roman Mendoza of Santa Margarita won the invitational 300 hurdles with a personal-best 37.39 seconds, but Gage Gose of Lander Valley High in Wyoming won the seeded 300 hurdles in 37.29. Both marks ranked in the top 10 in the country this year.

Long Beach Poly secured victory in the 4x400 relay in 3:15.56, the second-best time in the state, led by junior Xai Ricks, who also took fifth in the invitational 400 in 47.15.

Loyola’s distance medley relay team was also impressive. The Cubs won in 10:12.91, edging out San Clemente in 10:13.86. Loyola’s time was the second in the state this year behind Long Beach Poly’s 10:08.97 performance March 31 at the Stanford Invitational. 

Will Heslam of Roosevelt High in Oregon triumphed in the invitational mile in 4:12.20, with William Steadman of Herriman High in Utah securing victory in the seeded mile in 4:14.88.

Sophomore Carson Hedlund of San Jose Pioneer High in California produced a meet record in the rising stars mile by clocking 4:15.47, eclipsing the 2019 mark of 4:16.44 achieved by former Newbury Park star Colin Sahlman.