This Weekend in Track - January 13-15
For our first meet of the year, we are traveling to Spokane to take pictures of the Spokane Indoor Challenge with college athletes competing and the Spokane High School Invitational. Here is a preview of the distance events for the Spokane High School Invitational.
800 Meters
The class of the girl’s 800 is Arielle Mckenzie of Calabasas (CA). She ran 2:08 last spring and was finalist in the California State Meet in the 800. Charlotte Cullen of Mead (WA) has the next fastest personal record of 2:17. The field is deep with many athletes in the 2:19 to 2:21 range. In the boy’s race Ben Sonneland of Mt. Spokane enters the 800 with a PR from last season of 1:54. Kellen Langford of Arlington (1:56), Keiyu Mamiya of Shorewood (1:57) can be the challengers. The field also has athletes who have run 1:58 and 1:59.
Elite Mile
Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura (CA) travels to Spokane with a personal best of 4:35 in the mile. Her mile time is the age group record for fifteen-year-olds. Sadie will help her fellow milers to a fast time including Logan Hofstee of East Valley (WA) who has a 5:00 1600 PR from last year and completed a successful cross -country season by winning the 2A Washington Cross Country State Meet and qualified for NXN. Taylor Stetner of Gig Harbor (5:12), Raegan Borg of Mead (5:16) and Mary Jane Harig of Issaquah (5:16) will add depth to the field.
Brody Hartley of Walla Walla has the fastest PR from last spring at 4:10 in the 1600 and there are a number of athletes like Jack Gladfelter of Port Angeles, Evan Bruce of Lewis and Clark and Zachary and Anthony Giesch of Newberg (OR).
3000 Meters
The mile and the 800 are competed on Sunday and the 3000 starts of the distance races on Saturday night. The girl’s 3000 has Sydney Collier of Skyline (10:28 in the 3200), Logan Hofstee of East Vally (10:49/3200) and Jessica Duran of Wendell (ID) who won finished third at the Idaho Cross Country State Meet. Luke Schmidt of Shorecrest has a 9:10 3200 PR Conner Wirth of Emerald Ridge won the 4A Washington Cross Country State title and has a 9:18 3200 PR. Jack Gladfelter of Port Angeles has a 9:14 2-mile best time. Oregonians William Heslam of Roosevelt and Zachary and Anthony Giesch of Newberg have all run well under nine minutes in the 3000.
Look for the photo gallery from the distance races competed on Saturday and Sunday!