Poway Invitational Track Festival : Chapel Beats Rival Arreola in 1,500

Darcy Arreola just kept walking, hands on hips, as Laura Chapel hugged friends and talked to reporters alongside San Diego State’s Choc Sportsman’s Track.

Because Arreola could not find the energy to outkick Chapel in the girls’ invitational 1,500-meter race, she knew she did not have the energy to watch her University City High School rival celebrate her first outdoor track victory over Arreola since they were sophomores.

Arreola went out fast and led most of the race, but Chapel outsprinted Arreola in the last 100 meters to win Saturday at the Poway Invitational Track Festival with a time of 4:29.24. Arreola, from Grossmont, was second at 4:29.96.

“I didn’t have it at the end,” Arreola said. “I felt good most of the race. I guess I forgot how fast Laura is. I went into the race thinking I was going to win.”

Arreola had little reason to consider the possibility of losing.

The only time they competed against each other this season, Arreola easily won the Michelob Invitational 1,600 meters with a time of 4:53.9. Arreola ran two of her best times last weekend at the Pasadena Games, winning the 1,600 meters in 4:55 and missing the San Diego Section 3,200-meter record of 10:31 by only five seconds.

Chapel had not run anywhere near her best times this year. Chapel had the third-best 800-meter time before the state meet last year (2:09.17), but her best this season is only 2:18. Her mile times are not near her personal best, either.

“I took three weeks off,” said Chapel, who was third behind Arreola in the state 1,600 meters, “but I’ve been getting into it more lately. This gets me more pumped. I wanted to go out and go for time and not worry about winning. But I’m glad both (happened).

“She’s been running a lot. Maybe she’s tired.”

Arreola said her busy schedule “probably” had an effect on her. Besides running two races in Pasadena, she has had to run three or four races in dual meets and is putting in 35-40 miles a week in training. But Arreola said the race may help her later on.

“It taught me something,” she said. “I’ve got to remember that (Chapel) is going to be right there. I haven’t worked on my speed on the track that much . . . so I know I have to train harder (to build speed).”

Mark Dani of Valhalla had no problem winning the other invitational 1,500 meters. The senior ran a 61-second first 400 meters and cruised to victory. His time of 3:54.12, which was two hundreth of a second shy of the meet record, is equivalent to a 4:11 mile. Marc Davis of San Diego High was second (3:57.56).

Matt Farmer of Monte Vista jumped nearly three feet farther than the previous county best to win the triple jump with a leap of 46 feet, 6 3/4 inches. Junior Young of Patrick Henry and Paul Franklin of Crawford each jumped 44-1.

Curt Brown of San Pasqual cleared a county best of 14-7 in the pole vault, but missed badly on three attempts to clear 15-2, and inch shy of the Section record.

Eric Peterson, who jumped 6-7 to win the high jump in the Section meet last year, cleared 6-8 to win.

In the boys’ 300-meter intermediate hurdles, San Pasqual’s Matt Luttio ran a county best of 39.65, beating Osmond Swanegan of Morse by two tenths of a second.

Morse’s Yolanda Fitch won two races. Fitch won the girls’ invitational 400 meters by more than two seconds, with a county best of 57.15. She also anchored the Morse 400-meter relay team that was clocked at 48.85, the fastest in the county this season.

Brian Boggess of El Capitan won both the shotput and the discus, though he did not better either of his county bests. Boggess threw 55-6 3/4 to win the shot and 170-3 in the discus.