Arizona stars get early jump on leaderboard

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

In one of the first big outdoor meets of the year, locals Dani Jones, Isaiah Oliver, Carlos Villareal, Paul Lucas and Jasmine Stauffacher-Gray took center stage at the Chandler Rotary Invitational in suburban Phoenix. 

It was the 75th Chandler Rotary meet, which showcases the best high school athletes in Arizona in an event that lures top quality competition from throughout the Southwest. 

The elite portion of the meet happens on Saturday night and took place in perfect weather conditions. 

The girls mile -- with a camera for auto timing at 1600 as well -- was the deepest event of the night. Led by a US#1 4:46.17 full mile for Jones, of Desert Vista, there were 10 girls under five minutes.

After a slow first half in 2:29/30, Bryn Morley of Bigfork MT stepped up to push the pace. And then Jones took complete command on the last lap and sprinted away to the win.  US Junior XC team member Katie Rainsberger of Air Academy CO was second in 4:52.34 and Morley was third in 4:52.86. Annie Hill of Glacier MT was fourth and Lucy Biles from Herriman UT was fifth. 

Jones and many of the other top milers returned later for the 800. She won that, too, in 2:11.42. Rainsberger was second in US#3 2:12.50.

The meet also put a spotlight on the next big thing to come out of Brophy Prep: Isaiah Oliver. The senior multi-event athlete dominated the two hurdle events, taking the 110-meter highs in 14.14 and the 300 intermediates in US#4 37.14. Oliver already leads the country in the 400 with 47.13.

Lucas, Arizona's premier sprinter, repeated as Chandler Rotary champion in the 100 and 200 and led Mountain Pointe to victory in the 4x100 relay. 

Villareal of Rio Rico, like Jones, won the mile. He used a big kick over the final 180 to close a gap on William Mayhew of Colorado and then closed out a 4:12.50 victory, also a US#1.

Stauffacher-Gray, a three-time state champion in the 400 from North Canyon and UCLA signee, won that event in 55.70. She came back to anchor her 4x400 with a come-from-behind win. 

Cameron Laverty from Americas School in El Paso TX won the 800 meters in US#5 1:53.45. 

Alek Parsons from Ogden UT ran 9:04.94, cruising through a 60-second final lap, to run US#6 in the 3200.

The Eleanor Roosevelt boys ran a California-best 3:18.12 to win the 4x400 relay.

In an exciting girls 100, Alexis Center of South Mountain AZ ran 11.92 to defeat Courtne Davis CA (11.94 in the first of two sections), Shayna Yon CO (11.98) and Jasmin Reed CA (12.08).

Davis came back later for an impressive 200 win in 24.16.

New Mexico cross country champion Natasha Bernal of La Cueva ran a big PR to win the 3200 in 10:48.16.

Jasmyne Graham of Eleanor Roosevelt CA won the 100 hurdles in 14.06 and also the 300s in US#12 43.03.

Yon, an LSU commit, won the long jump with 18-2.50.

The Long Beach Poly CA girls ran US#3 46.16 to win the 4x100 relay.

Nicole Baker of Highland AZ won the pole vault, clearing 12-3.

Chandler's Tiana Poirier-Shelton won the triple jump with 37-5.50, getting the win on her sixth and final attempt.