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Boys 3,200: Who will step up, how deep will it go?

Unlike the girls’ race, there’s rarely a heavy favorite in the boys’ 3,200 at Arcadia.  And, as fast as the races have been, there really hasn’t been any record-chasing.  So the storylines are typically all about who will step up and win, and how many runners will break 9:00 – for the latter has truly become the calling card of this event.  Three times there have been 16 runners under that standard here, including last year.

Regarding the first storyline, who will win, it makes sense to look at Blake Haney (Stockdale, CA senior) and Cerake Geberkidane (Denver East, CO senior).  If Haney runs as well as expected, he will go down as the only male runner to place 7th or higher in three Arcadia 3,200s and with three times under 8:55.  He was 3rd last year with 8:48.58, the best PR in the field, and of course last summer he went on to take 5th in the World Youth 1,500 – which underlies the fact that he also possesses the best miler’s speed in the field. 

Although Geberkidane’s 9:01.13 3,200 PR ranks him behind half a dozen others, it could be argued he is the country’s fastest rising prep distance star.  That 9:01.13 came at Simplot in February, following a 9:15.58 prelim after he came into the meet having never broken 9:30.  Outdoors, he ran 9:02.69 a few hours after a US#1 4:08.00 mile.  While Geb is still refining his race tactics, there’s no doubt he can run under 8:50.  Interestingly, the only time Haney and Geberkidane have met was at the NXN Final last fall, where Haney was a somewhat redemptive 2nd and Geb a mildly disappointing 4th.

Some of the rest of the contenders can be broken down thusly:

• The Californians, which include new 8:58.01 performer Garrett Corcoran (Villa Park, senior), super soph Austin Tamagno (Brea Olinda), 4:09.43 1,600 as a frosh; and veteran Steven Fahy (La Costa Canyon, CA senior), with a 9:02.61 PR.
• The Southeast contingent, which includes Ian Midler (Mt. Tabor, NC senior), sporting a new US#1 PR of 8:53.99; Aaron Templeton (Hardin Valley Acad., TN senior), with an 8:54.29 best from 2013 and 3rd place finishes in the past two NBNI deuces; Ben Huffman (Providence Day, NC senior), the 2013 Great American champ with an 8:58.84 best; and Noah Kauppila (Marquette, MO senior), whose 8:54.45 PR came here last year in taking 12th (!)
• An intriguing group from Washington, all with great creds, but no “big” races yet in 2014: Joe Hardy (Seattle Prep, WA senior), the #2 Arcadia returnee with his 8:51.01 PR (among many creds); John Dressel (Mt. Spokane, WA junior), with a 9:02.36 2M PR (6th 2013 NBNO) and 2nd at last fall’s Foot Locker Finals; and Tanner Anderson (North Central, WA junior), with a 9:01.79 PR and 3rd at NXN last December.  Unfortunately, Anderson’s teammate Kai Wilmot – the NXN champ with 8:57 creds – was a late scratch.
• And, finally, the super-deep “back end” of the field: Guys with 9:03 or slower PRs who could run 8:55 or better at any moment: including 2013 and 2014 NBNI 5k champs Elijah Armstrong (Pocatello, ID junior), Conner Mantz (Sky View, UT junior) – who chased Geberkidane at Simplot; Illinois standouts Patrick Perrier (O’Fallon, senior) and Jesse Reiser (McHenry, junior); and Tal Braude, the Torrey Pines, CA senior who stunned with Mt. SAC and D1 state victories last fall.

Blake-Scarvelis: Girls shot showdown, Round 3

Girls’ shot-putting in 2014 is an embarrassment of riches.  After Maggie Ewen’s 54-foot puts indoors and out last year, we could end up with at least three more 54-footers this year.  Only outdoor record-holder Michelle Carter (2003) and Anna Jelmini (2009) had previously reached that lofty barrier.

But it’s not just about marks, it’s also about competition and – with apologies to new indoor record-setter Raven Saunders – the ongoing storyline at this level in 2014 has been the series of matchups between Ashlie Blake (Liberty, NV senior) and Stamatia Scarvelis (Dos Pueblos, CA senior).  The future UCLA teammates battled first at Simplot, where Scarvelis then became =#4 all-time with her 53-8.25 to Blake’s 52-3.25.  Then at NBNI, with Saunders destroying the HSR on her first throw, Blake captured 2nd with 53-10.25 (new #5 all-time) while Scarvelis was 3rd at 52-8.

Outdoors, Scarvelis improved to =#6 all-time with her 53-3.5 at the Trabuco Hills meet last weekend, while Blake has a 51-7.25 so far.  When they clash Saturday evening here, they’ll no doubt bring out the best in each other again.  Interestingly, Saunders is throwing in the big Taco Bell meet in her home state of South Carolina Saturday, as well.  Any of the three could break Carter’s HSR (54-10.75) this weekend – keep in mind that Blake had a mark right about that distance at NBNI while barely committing a foot foul.

The field also includes Lena Giger (Highland, IL senior) – who set her 50-0 PR in taking 4th at NBNI and was a 2013 World Youth finalist along with Blake – and a handful of others at 45 feet or better.