Athletes from different parts of California and Idaho met at the Arcadia High School track for a distance only meet. With the entry deadline for the prestigious Arcadia Invitational being Sunday morning, what better place to get a qualifying time than on the Arcadia High School track?
800
The pre-race favorite Tessa Buswell of Poway didn’t disappoint in the 800 as she won by nearly three seconds with a 2:13.89 time. Buswell’s time ranks her 11th so far this season. She ran a personal best of 2:09.54 at the Arcadia Invitational last spring and finished sixth at the California State Meet in 2022. Luke Metcalf of St. Francis (La Canada) ran a personal best in the 1600 last weekend at the Redondo Nike Track Festival and lowered his personal best in the 800 by over three seconds and won the invitational 800 in 1:55.45. His time ranks him 18th in California for the 2023 season.
1600
Keaton Robar of Newport Harbor was in a distant fifth place with a lap to go in the 1600 and ran 1:08 last lap to come roaring back for the win in 4:57.42. Robar ran a 28 second personal best in the 1600 and puts her 13th on the California 1600-meter list for the 2023 season. We watched another strong last lap in the boy’s 1600 as Gabriel Rodriguez of Great Oak was in tenth place with 300 meters left in the race. By the time Rodriguez reached 200-meters to go mark, he was in first place and won in 4:14.31. His time places him sixth on the California 1600-meter list.
3000
Rylee Blade of Santiago (Corona) finished with a 5:14 last 1600 meters to come away with the victory in the 3200 with at time of 10:38.57. Blade’s time places her eighth on the California 3200-meter list. Blade was pushed for much of the race by Aishling Callanan of Peninsula who finished third in a season best of 10:54.95 and Abigail Errington of South Pasadena finished strong for second in 10:54.96. Joshua Bell of Templeton and Micah Sanchez of Liberty Charter pushed the early pace in an attempt to break the nine-minute barrier. Bell won in 9:04.08 which places him fifth on the 2023 California track season 3200-meter list.
Photo galleries of the evening races at the Arcadia Distance Challenge are HERE