Holland Sets Pace as Six Records Fall

Jamere Holland called himself fat and out of shape, but it turned out that the only thing faster than the Woodland Hills Taft sprinter on Saturday during the Arcadia Invitational track and field meet was the rate at which meet records fell.

There were six records set, including Holland’s 10.36 seconds in winning the 100 meters, making it one of the most memorable evenings in the 39-year history of the prestigious meet.

“It’s a big meet,” said Holland, who added the 200-meter title by finishing that race in 21.09 -- the second-fastest time in the nation this year -- despite claiming to be months away from peak condition.

“It brings out the best in people. There are so many great athletes that push you to run harder and faster.”

It certainly did for Bryshon Nellum of Long Beach Poly, who set a meet record of 46.20 in the 400 meters, out-dueling J.T. Scheuerman of Littleton (Colo.), whose second-place time of 46.24 was the third-best time ever run at Arcadia.

And Jordan Hasay of San Luis Obispo Mission College Prep, who set a meet record for the girls’ 3,200 by running a 10:07.56, which is also a national freshman record, erasing one that had stood since 1976. It’s also a national record for 14-year-olds and is No. 10 on the all-time high school girls’ list.

Corona del Mar joined the record-breaker club with an 11:42.86 in the girls’ distance medley. David Klech of San Ramon, Calif., established a new best in the 300 hurdles by finishing in 35.45 -- the fourth-fastest time for a high school boy.

The final record came in the girls’ pole vault when Tori Anthony of Palo Alto Castilleja cleared 13 feet 6 inches.

“You never know what’s going to happen in a great field like this,” said Annie St. Geme of Corona del Mar, who anchored the winning distance medley team and also won the mile in 4:46.10. “You just go out and run your race and see how it stacks up.”

St. Geme’s mile time was the second-fastest ever at Arcadia.

Another touted race was the boys’ mile, but a showdown between Michael Coe of Lompoc Cabrillo and Ireland’s Ciaran O’Lionard never materialized because O’Lionard pulled up lame on the backstretch of the second lap.

Coe won in 4:08, which wasn’t exactly the 4:05 he was shooting for, but he was counting on more of a challenge from O’Lionard, who aggravated a tight hamstring, according to his coach.

“I thought he would have given me a little more push,” Coe said. “It was a little disappointing time wise, but it always nice to win.”

Shana Woods of Long Beach Poly had quite a night, winning gold medals in the 110 and 300 hurdles and anchoring Poly’s winning 1,600 relay team.

The girls’ 400 meters was shaping up for quite a finish, with Sa’de Williams of Rancho Cucamonga quickly gaining on national leader Brittany Jones of Deerfield (Fla.), but Jones fell with about 50 meters to go and Williams won easily in 53.52 -- the No. 2 time in the nation this year. Only Jones has run faster, clocking a 53.13.

Long Beach Poly ran the 400 relay in 40.83 -- the No. 2 time in the nation this year -- and won by a second over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Compton Dominguez. Union City Logan won the girls’ 400 relay in a national-best 45.96.