Newbury Park puts on a record-setting show at Meet of Champions Distance Classic

The upkeep crew at Azusa Pacific will want weeks to clean away the scorch marks on the monitor within the wake of Saturday night time’s Meet of Champions Distance Traditional.

Quite a few state and nationwide data have been shattered as Newbury Park senior Colin Sahlman and his teammates placed on a show by no means earlier than seen within the historical past of the occasion.

Sahlman clocked 1 minute 48.84 seconds to edge youthful brother Aaron (1:48.91) within the boys’ 800, destroying the meet report of 1:50.10 set by Placentia Valencia’s Sean Krinik in 2010. The brothers’ occasions are the quickest within the nation this 12 months.

Colin, who’s headed to Northern Arizona, was coming off a 1:50.90 effort indoors two weekends earlier than on the New Stability Nationals in Manhattan after recording a sub-4:04 break up to anchor his staff’s nationwide report within the 4xMile relay.

“Our mindset was to take it out quick the primary lap and I believed I’d do it, however Colin had that little kick on the finish that I didn’t have,” Aaron Sahlman stated. “To be pushed by your individual brother is tremendous enjoyable. I’m going to overlook him subsequent 12 months when he goes to varsity, however I’m going to take pleasure in the remainder of this 12 months. We wish to break extra data.”

One other sibling duel materialized an hour later when Newbury Park junior Leo Younger broke the highschool out of doors report for 1,600 meters with a 3:59.52 break up en path to successful the boys’ mile in a personal-best 4:00.77 whereas his brother Lex took second in 4:04.68.

Leo broke the meet report of 4:03.13 set by Connor Dunne of San Clemente in 2016.

With Sahlman setting the tempo for his teammates for the primary two laps earlier than dropping out, Younger took command.

“I didn’t know if I may break 4 [minutes] however I felt assured. I used to be very sharp mentally and the plan was to stay near Colin for 800 meters and never have to fret about setting the tempo, then go after it on the final lap,” Younger stated. “It was lots of enjoyable having my brother within the race additionally. That is simply the beginning. As a staff, we have now a lot extra deliberate.”

Within the 3,200, Conor Gibson from West Torrance set the early tempo and maintained the the lead for all eight laps, capping a blazing day on the oval by breaking 9 minutes with a time of 8:59.91. Carter Spradling of Clovis East was second in 9:01.14.

Within the ladies’ 800, Newbury Park senior Samantha McDonnell dazzled in her out of doors debut, successful the race in a personal-best 2:08.33, barely greater than a second behind the meet report of two:07.31 set final 12 months by Crescenta Valley’s Mia Barnett. McDonnell is the brand new state chief, topping the two:08.89 clocked by La Cañada’s Arielle McKenzie on the Nike Redondo Invitational on March 12.

“I’m hoping to interrupt 4:40 within the mile and go beneath 10 [minutes] within the two-mile,” stated Alabama-bound McDonnell, who ran a private greatest to beat runner-up Anna Terell (2:15.25) of Palos Verdes by nearly seven seconds. “The mile is my greatest occasion so I didn’t know what I used to be getting myself into immediately, however I figured I ought to set the tempo and see how the race went. Contemplating that I’m coming off a protracted break I actually wasn’t anticipating this.”

An injured tendon in her left foot had stored McDonnell out of motion for 2 months, however her return went higher than she may have hoped.

“It’s nice having the boys to run with,” she stated. “Typically I’ll do warmups and funky downs with them.”

Within the ladies’ mile, Manhattan Seaside Mira Costa senior Dalia Frias sprinted the final lap in 68 seconds and overtook Ventura freshman Sadie Englehardt within the remaining 25 meters to win in 4:35.06, breaking the state report of Irvine College’s Polly Plumer set in 1982. The Duke-bound Frias posted the quickest time within the nation this 12 months, whereas Englehardt’s 4:36.63 established a nationwide report for a ninth grader. Frias additionally shattered the meet report of 4:48.18 set six years in the past by Rylee Bowen of Santa Rosa Sonoma Academy. Frias and Englehardt are No. 1 and No. 2 within the nation within the 3,200 meters.

Sydney Sundgren from Clovis Buchanan received the three,200 in 10:30.50, effectively off the meet report of 10:12.21 set 5 years in the past by Claudia Lane of Malibu. Sundgren, a junior, boasts a lifetime better of 10:25.25 and was the Central Part Masters runner-up final 12 months.

The meet returned to its conventional format and placement after a condensed model was held at Arcadia Excessive final 12 months following its cancellation in 2020.