By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 83rd Chandler Rotary Invitational is scheduled for Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 at Austin Field at Chandler High.

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Here are 10 storylines to keep an eye on at one of the most prestigious high school meets in the country:

McHenry motivated to reach even more rarefied air

Brophy Prep senior Brennen McHenry has developed into the best combination high jumper and long jumper in Arizona in nearly a half-century, evoking memories of the exceptional performances in 1975 and 1976 achieved by Santa Rita star Dannie Jackson, who went on to excel at Arizona State and become a global standout in the decathlon.

McHenry enters the meet equal to the national prep lead in the long jump with his wind-legal 24-4.50 (7.43m) and tied for third in the country with a 7-foot high jump clearance (2.14m), a level of versatility that caught the eye of Texas, as the reigning Arizona Division 1 state champion signed in the fall with the Longhorns.

McHenry is the only competitor in Arizona prep history to clear both 7 feet in the high jump and surpass 24 feet in the long jump during his career. 

He has already won back-to-back high jump titles at the Rotary event with a pair of 6-4 (1.93m) clearances, and is not only looking to three-peat, but also take aim at the 2000 meet record of 7 feet achieved by Dobson’s Brian Gray.

McHenry is also looking for another impressive long jump performance following his victory March 17 at the AMDG Invitational at Brophy Prep that produced the national-leading mark, matching the March 9 effort of Marquis Johnson from Dickinson High in Texas.

Only five athletes in meet history have surpassed the 24-foot mark in the long jump, with the last one achieved in 2014 by Adoree’ Jackson of Gardena Serra High in California, producing the all-time Rotary performance of 25-5.25 (7.75m).

McHenry placed 10th in the long jump at last year’s event with a leap of 21-6 (6.55m) and did not participate in both competitions at the 2021 Rotary meet.

Dallin Clark of Sandra Day O’Connor, Malachi Keller of Tombstone High and Anthony Meng of Chaparral High are the strongest challengers for McHenry in the high jump, with Julian King of Mountain Ridge hoping to contend in the long jump.

Prince pursuing hurdles sweep

Williams Field senior Saira Prince is looking to become the first female athlete since 2018 to win both the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles titles, a feat last achieved by Roosevelt High of California standout and current USC graduate student-athlete Breanna Bernard-Joseph.

Prince prevailed in the 100 hurdles last year in 14.18 seconds and took third in the 300 hurdles in 43.26.

Prince enters the meet with personal-best efforts of 13.73 in the 100 hurdles and 42.38 in the 300 hurdles, both state-leading marks in Arizona.

Elsja Mecham of Summit Academy in Utah also swept the invitational 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles in 2016, as did Jasmyne Graham of Roosevelt in 2015. But the only female athlete in meet history to run sub-14 in the 100 hurdles and sub-43 in the 300 hurdles in the same year remains Las Vegas Centennial graduate and current Arizona senior Talie Bonds.

Although she didn’t win both events in 2014, Bonds clocked 13.88 in the 100 hurdles to finish runner-up to the 13.66 effort achieved by Dior Hall of George Washington High in Colorado, a future All-American at USC. Bonds won the 300 hurdles in 42.04, the No. 4 mark in meet history.

Prince should encounter significant challenges in the 100 hurdles from Kori Martin of Hamilton High in Arizona, as well as London Davis of St. Bernard High in California.

Brooke Nordman of Chaparral High is another leading contender in the 300 hurdles.

Stacey Onyepunuka of Agua Fria High in Arizona is another female athlete with a potential to produce a sweep on the track, looking to double in the 100-meter dash and 200 meters. Lainey Jones of Highland is entered in the 100, 200 and 400, but has yet to race this season.

Washington ready for another sprint showcase

Long Beach Jordan sprinter Jordan Washington, one of the elite juniors in the country, nearly swept all four events he competed in at last year’s event.

But Washington has some unfinished business at Austin Field, and could leave Chandler High with multiple meet records.

Washington boasts all-conditions personal-best efforts of 10.31 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 20.93 in the 200 meters. His top wind-legal performances are 10.38 in the 100 and 21.20 in the 200.

Kelee Ringo of Saguaro High in Arizona, a defensive back for two-time NCAA champion Georgia, produced the meet record of 10.43 in the 100 in 2019.

Paul Lucas of Mountain Pointe High in Arizona achieved the 200 all-time mark at the Rotary event by clocking 20.91 in 2014.

Washington also contributed to Long Beach Jordan winning the 4x200-meter relay last season in 1:27.82, along with a second-place finish in the 4x100 relay by a 42.07 to 42.43 margin behind Chaparral of Arizona.

Although Washington ran the fastest times in both the 100 (10.69) and 200 (21.64) at last year’s event, he didn’t sweep the elite sections of both competitions. Washington was placed in the seeded section of the 200, but ran faster than invitational section winner Blaise Nelson of Valley Vista High in Arizona (21.72).

Nelson and Washington are expected to be matched up in adjacent lanes Saturday in the invitational sections of both the 100 and 200. Andereya Nsubuga is representing host Chandler in both events.

Long Beach Jordan is scheduled to square off against fellow California program Trabuco Hills, as well as Arizona lineups from Desert Vista, Mountain Pointe and Shadow Ridge in the 4x100 relay. The Panthers will look to defend their 4x200 crown Friday against Trabuco Hills.

LeBlond targeting distance double

With multiple elite distance runners in Arizona recovering from early season injuries, Millennium junior Landen LeBlond has grabbed the spotlight in impressive fashion, producing the top marks in the 800 meters at 2:13.68, the 1,600 meters at 4:50.79 and the 3,200 meters at 10:38.89.

LeBlond is entered in the Sally Meyerhoff mile, as well as the 3,200, and could also factor into Millennium’s relay plans as well, looking to follow the spectacular sweep produced last year by Eva Klingbeil of Niwot High in Colorado, now a freshman standout at North Carolina.

Klingbeil won the mile in 4:49.34 and the 3,200 in 10:17.82, the latter performance achieving a meet record.

LeBlond is attempting to become the first Arizona female athlete since Rolonda Jumbo of Chinle in 2012 to win both the girls mile and 3,200 in the same Rotary meet.

Kylie Wild of Salpointe Catholic High in Arizona and New Mexico standout Leah Futey of Sue Cleveland are expected to be the top challengers Friday for LeBlond in the 3,200.

Sarah DeLaCerda of Alamosa High in Colorado, as well as Futey and Wild, are all looking to eclipse the 4:50 barrier in Saturday’s mile.

LeBlond helped Millennium to a runner-up effort in 4:12.86 in the seeded 4x400, along with a third-place finish in the 4x800 relay in 10:02.20 at last year’s Rotary meet.

Millennium is expected to square off against host Chandler in the girls distance medley relay, in addition to a potential showdown with Valor Christian High from Colorado in the 4x800-meter relay.

Bingham prepared to rule the runway again

Only three male competitors in meet history have produced 17-foot clearances (5.18m), including just one from Arizona, with Desert Vista’s Scott Marshall the first athlete to achieve the feat in 2013.

Since then, Garrett Brown from La Costa Canyon in California and Max Manson of Monarch High in Colorado – now Stanford teammates – have both cleared 17-1 (5.21m) at the Rotary event, but they could have company Saturday, with Highland High senior Zach Bingham motivated to join the elite group.

Bingham won the Great Southwest Indoor Classic on Feb. 11 in Albuquerque with a lifetime-best 17-1 clearance, but boasts an outdoor mark of 16-10 (5.13m) that ranks second in the country this season.

Bingham is also aiming to become the eighth vaulter in Arizona prep history to produce a 17-foot outdoor clearance. Tolleson High graduate Nick Hysong is the only vaulter in Arizona prep history to clear 17 feet both indoors and outdoors in 1990.

Cole Riddle of Valley Vista produced the Arizona state record with a 17-7 (5.36m) clearance in 2017.

Bingham could begin the competition with little or no opposition, as only two other entries in the boys pole vault field have achieved 15-foot clearances. He won last year’s invitational title with a 15-9 (4.80m) clearance.

Versatility of Vanderwall on display

Queen Creek senior Viann Vanderwall, a Utah State signee, is one of the most talented all-around competitors in the state and was a significant contributor for the Bulldogs and their third-place finish at last year’s Arizona Division 1 state championship meet, winning the high jump and taking second in the triple jump.

Vanderwall is entered in four events for Queen Creek, including the 100-meter hurdles and long jump, seeking her first career victory at the Rotary meet.

Vanderwall is tied for the leading competitor with North Canyon’s Gloriah Hussey at 5-7 (1.70m) in the high jump, followed closely by Queen Creek teammate Chloe Bingham at 5-6 (1.67m).

Clare Palin of Chaparral High is the top seed in both the long jump and triple jump with personal-best performances of 18-8 (5.70m) and 38-11 (11.86m), with Vanderwall looking to build on her top marks of 17-1 (5.21m) and 38-5.75 (11.73m).

Diamond Black of host Chandler was the last female competitor to sweep the long jump and high jump in the same year, achieving the feat in 2018.

Vanderwall would be the first female athlete to win both invitational high jump and triple jump competitions in the same Rotary meet.

Magnificent middle-distance matchup could materialize

Tyler Mathews of Red Mountain High delivered one of the most memorable moments at the Arizona Division 1 state final last year, winning the 800-meter title as a sophomore, holding off state record holder Brian Fair Jr. of South Mountain by a 1:51.39 to 1:51.41 margin.

Mathews is expected to encounter another significant test Saturday from Drew Costelow of Valor Christian High in Colorado, who won the 800 title at the RunningLane Championships in Alabama last year in 1:51.66.

Both Costelow and Mathews have the potential to take down the 2008 meet record of 1:51.55 established by James Eichberger of Catalina High in Arizona.

Mathews took third at last year’s meet in the most impressive boys 800 race in Rotary history, which produced three of the event’s top five all-time marks.

Connor McCormick of Longmont High in Colorado prevailed in 1:51.90, followed by Jared Laverty of El Paso Americas in Texas clocking 1:52.24 and Mathews running 1:52.50.

Costelow placed third in the mile at last year’s meet in 4:15.20, but is expected to compete in both races Saturday.

Donovan Bitticks of Horizon High and Tyler Tisinger of Corona del Sol are a pair of Arizona competitors looking to upstage Costelow and Mathews.

Harrison Witt of Mountain Vista and Cruz Culpepper of Niwot both share the Colorado state record of 1:48.50, with Fair boasting the recognized Arizona all-time mark of 1:50.12.

Montgomery hoping her throws steal the show

With her 154-6 (47.09m) performance March 11 in the discus throw at the Rattler Booster at North Canyon High, Campo Verde junior Brooklyn Montgomery not only elevated among the top five competitors in Arizona prep history, but established herself as a legitimate threat to challenge the Rotary meet record of 156-3 (47.63m) achieved in 2021 by former Perry High star Makayla Long.

Only three female athletes in meet history have achieved a 150-foot effort in the discus, with Kayleigh Conlon of Mountain Pointe the first to surpass the barrier in 2017 and Chandler graduate Makayla Hunter joining Long two years ago.

Montgomery is the No. 2 junior in the country this season – trailing only Madeleine Fey of Midlothian High in Texas at 169-2 (51.56m) – and ranks sixth overall in the discus.

No other athlete entered in the girls discus competition has a mark within 20 feet of Montgomery, who has improved from 147-4 (44.91m) last year.

Montgomery is also entered in the shot put, looking to improve on her personal-best 35-6 (10.82m) from last year’s Division 2 state final.

Relaying a powerful message

There hasn’t been a sub-8 performance in the boys 4x800-meter relay at the Rotary meet since 2011 and the event hasn’t showcased a pair of those elite efforts in the same race since 2009.

But there are a trio of programs with sub-8 aspirations Saturday, led by Liberty High of Arizona, which produced a 7:56.83 performance March 10 at Mountain Ridge High.

Sandra Day O’Connor clocked 8:00.51 to place second to Liberty at the Ridge Invite and is looking forward to the rematch. Valor Christian ran 8:02.32 last year in Colorado and should benefit significantly from competing closer to sea level, with the Eagles potentially adding Drew Costelow to their lineup.

Only three times at the meet have there been multiple sub-8 efforts in the same year, including 1999 and the best all-time showdown at the Rotary event in 2007, when Mountain View held off Desert Vista by a 7:54.63 to 7:56.99 margin for the top two marks in invitational history.

Desert Vista is entered in the 4x800, but the Thunder endured significant losses to graduation from its lineup that ran 7:43.79 last season to elevate to No. 2 in Arizona prep history behind the 2019 Highland quartet that clocked 7:42.16.

Matavao hopes to hold court on the road

Liberty High senior Ali’a Matavao, the two-time Gatorade Girls Basketball State Player of the Year in Nevada, is a Brigham Young signee who also competes in track and field, in addition to playing volleyball and soccer.

Matavao is the top seed in the shot put at 43-8.75 (13.33m), and is also scheduled to compete Saturday in the high jump and long jump. She also runs the 100-meter dash, 200 meters and 100-meter hurdles for the Patriots.

Only six female competitors in meet history have surpassed 44 feet.

Matavao already ranks in the top 10 all-time in Nevada and is attempting to become the eighth female athlete to surpass the 44-foot mark in state history.

Makayla Hunter of Chandler High in Arizona produced the meet record of 47-11.75 (14.62m) in 2021, holding off Makayla Long of Perry High at 47-5 (14.45m).

Ashlie Blake, the Nevada state indoor and outdoor shot put record holder – both marks beyond 52 feet – and Liberty High graduate, was entered in the 2014 Rotary Invitational, but did not compete at the meet her senior year.