Arcadia Invitational Preview
- West Coast XC
- Apr 11
- 3 min read
Arcadia Invitational - April 11 & 12
Arcadia High School - Arcadia, CA
Watch the preview episode HERE
Watch the meet HERE
The two day Arcadia Invitational is the peak of the high school outdoor season and here is a preview of the distance events.
Friday
The highlight of Friday's events are the distance relays starting with the 4 X 800 and with the 4 X 1600 ending the evening. Also, some of the early heats of the 3200 meters will be contested on Friday night.
Saturday
Makenna Herbst of Carlsbad comes into the race with a 2:04.72 from a race in March. Boh Ritchie is traveling from New Zealand and has a 2:03.68 time. Other top contenders are Olivia Cieslak of Haverford Township (PA) and the JSerra duo of Anne Elise Packard and Chloe Elbaz and Keaton Robar of Newport Harbor.
Wyland Oblando of Long Beach Wilson won last week's 800 meter race at the Oregon Relays and Joseph Socarras travels from Florida's Belen Jesuit to race in the 800. Juan Juarez of Liberty Winchester and Brady Anderson of Faith Lutheran (NV) are other contenders in the 800.
Chiara Dailey of La Jolla, Braelyn Combe of Santiago (Corona), Jordin Lieberman of Murrieta Valley and Annie Ivarsson of Dana Hills leads the group from California that are racing the girl's invitational mile. Alexa Matora of Lake Washington (WA) ran an outstanding indoor season and is listed in both invitational 800 and mile. Sophia Thompson of Union Catholic (NJ) and Payton Meineke of Riverdale Ridge (CO) are out of state contenders.
Jag Willers of New Zealand is one of the interesting entries in the boy's mile. Griffin Kushen of Tesoro and Aydon Stefanopoulos of Los Gatos are representing California in the boy's mile. Corbin Coombs of Organ Mountain (NM) is listed in the invitational mile and won this event last year. Coombs is also listed in the individual 3200.
The girls will be racing the 2-mile to see if Jane Hedengren of Timpview (UT) can break the high school record in that distance. Based on her performance in the 5000 and mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals, her chances look good. Allie Zealand ran 9:41.76 last year to set the high school two-mile record. Another race to watch is to see how many girls can break ten minutes in the 2-mile. Sisters Sophia and Victoria Rodriguez of Mercer Island (WA), Chloe Huyler of Lakeridge (OR), Ruby Ihmels of Century (ND), Hanne Thomsen of Montgomery (CA) and Keeghan Edwards of Mountain Vista (CO) all have legitimate shots of breaking the ten minute barrier.
Last year 69 boys broke nine minutes at Arcadia in the 3200 meter races. What will happen this year? New Zealand Sam Ruthe broke the four minute barrier earlier this year as a fifteen year old (he turns sixteen on Saturday)! Ruthe will be one of five athletes who have broken four minutes in the mile in 2025. Owen Powell of Mercer Island (WA), Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen of Crater (OR) and Tommy Latham of Marist (GA) have also broken four and will be racing the 3200. Last year's Arcadia mile champion Corbin Coombs of Organ Mountain (NM) and Marcelo Mantecon of Belen Jesuit (FL) are other notable athletes racing the 3200 on Saturday night. Ethan Noonan of Dana Hills (CA) ran the fastest time in the 1600 in the US last week (4:04.88) and is among the many talented athletes entered in the 3200 Saturday night.
But wait, there is more! The boys and girls distance medley races will also be contested on Saturday night.
Look for photo galleries of the Arcadia Invitational after the meet is completed!
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