Area trio runs well
ARCADIA — Qualifying to an evening event at Saturday’s final day of the 45th annual Arcadia Invitational track and field meet is an honor bestowed to few, or locally, granted only to Glendale High’s Michael Davis, St. Francis’ James Knowles and Burroughs’ Anthony Monroy.
Yet, the trio didn’t shrink from the spotlight, instead they highlighted a successful day at Arcadia High.
Knowles posted two top-five efforts in his seeded events, taking third in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.40 seconds and fifth in the 300 hurdles in 39.04.
“I felt good in the 110 because I have the speed to compete,” Knowles said. “When it comes to the 300, you have to be strong and finish that race and I’ve got to get better.”
Knowles first raced with the sun at his back and a light tail wind awaiting him over the final 10-15 meters of the 110 hurdles, in which he topped his personal-best of 14.67.
As for the 300, Knowles led midway, but faded over the final 100 meters.
Speaking of shattering personal bests, Monroy did just that in finishing 13th in the seeded 3,200 in a mark of 9 minutes 14.20 seconds, well ahead of his previous top mark of 9:18.
“I haven’t ran in a competitive race in a while, so this was great,” Monroy said. “I really wasn’t sure how I’d do, but I did pretty good.”
Davis began by finishing fourth in the seeded 100-meter dash in 10.79, but felt he could have done better if he hadn’t been thrown off by a false start by El Camino’s Dylan McCloskey.
“The false start bothered me because I was ready to go,” Davis said. “I could have done better, but I have a couple of weeks before [the Mt. SAC Invitational] to get better.”
Davis later earned seventh place in the invitational 200, speeding to a mark of 21.98.
Glendale senior Sophia Amodia picked up the area’s lone victory at the two-day long meet, by winning her open 300 hurdles heat in 45.24.
Amodia entered with a personal-best mark of 46 seconds and held off a stiff challenge from Ayala freshman Jaela Williams (45.45), who momentarily took a lead at 250 meters.
“She was gaining on me and I had to give everything I had,” Amodia said. “I was disappointed with my results in the 100 hurdles [47th in 16.66] and wanted to make it up.”
Amodia’s time was 10th-best overall, behind overall leader Fleming Tayler (43.52) of M.L. King.
Flintridge Prep’s Kate Kennedy also raced in the open 300 hurdles and finished seventh in her heat and 21st overall (46.34).
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy began local competition in the 400 open relay.
Freshman Kayla Montgomery, juniors Daelyn Moon and Noelle Niederhaus and senior Stephanie Vargas finished seventh in the sixth heat and 47th overall in 51.84.
After the relay, Niederhaus competed in the 800 open and finished fourth in her heat and 13th overall in 2:16.21.
Like Niederhaus, Vargas entered multiple events and took seventh in the third heat of the open 400 in 61.24, which was 23rd best overall.
Niederhaus, Vargas, Montgomery and Hailey James completed Sacred Heart’s effort by clinching ninth in their heat and 32nd overall in the open 1,600-meter relay in 4:12.53.
Crescenta Valley senior Mike Duncan finished 14th in his heat and was 34th overall in the open one mile, finishing in 4:39.40.
Duncan later joined with sophomore Nick Beatty, senior Matt Williams and junior Alex Damla in earning 10th in the distance medley in 10:48.78.
The Falcons girls’ distance medley squad of Megan Melynk, Kayleigh Carrillo, Hannah Ruby and Cali King picked up 14th place in 12:55.26.
Burbank sophomore Isaiah Amos also competed and finished fifth in the first heat of the open 800.
Amos’ time of 1 minute, 57.94 seconds was 27th best.