SPIRE Showcase - An Elite Gathering for Next Month's National Champions?

SPIRE HS Showcase (OH)

Photos by Shawn Conlon

Despite a snowstorm whirling around and bitter temperatures dipping below zero at night outside of the SPIRE Intitute's 300 meter indoor track facility in Geneva, Ohio, the elite high school athletes who were able to navigate their way to the SPIRE High School Showcase certainly put on a show with plethora of national elite and US top 10 performances. A total of 10 meet records were set and a total of over 200 MileSplit national elite performances packed into just over 4 hours of competition!

Leading the way was a US #1 performance from Sammy Watson from Rush-Henrietta Springs in New York. Fresh off breaking Mary Cain's national sophomore class record with a 2:47 performance in the 1000 meter run two weeks ago at the Armory Track Invitational, Watson bidded her time to seize the lead at SPIRE as Ersula Farrow, a US member on the World Youth team two years ago with a 2:06 PR set a hard pace for first two laps. Watson then pounced on the back stretch of the final lap to power way in dominant fashion with a new nation's leading time in the 800 at 2:09.27. Farrow held on for a runner-up time just off her season best in US #4 2:11.76.

The boys 800 was headlined by last weekend's New Balance Grand Prix Junior Mile winner (4:08) Logan Wetzel from Saline, Michigan. Wetzel had an open 800 PR of 1:55 and he definitely made the trip to Ohio worthwhile in lowering that PR down to 1:53.31, but it wasn't Wetzel who was first to cross the line. Elias Graca of Fox Chapel Area (PA) pulled off the shocker with an aggressive first 400 meters and was able to hold off a charging Wetzel for the win in a US #4 performance of 1:53.13 to run a 5 second season best. Interesting to note that Pennsylvania now has 3 of the top 4 times in the nation currently in the boys 800.

In the boys sprints, two of the nation's fastest darted off to blazing wins at SPIRE. In the boys 400, Will Allen of Paul Dunbar High School in Kentucky won with a US #3 clocking of 47.77 leading 7 others under 50 seconds in the field.

Allen attempted to double back in the 200 meter dash, but that race belonged to the man that owns the nation's top time in the 400 (but didn't race it at SPIRE) in Jaron Flournoy from Michigan, who blew away the fast section in boys 200 running just off his US #2 season best time (21.36) with a 21.38 victory.

All eyes in the field events were glued on Deakin Volz as the Bloomington South (IN) vaulter was attempting to regain the national record which he owned only a few hours last week when he cleared 17'10'.50" at Indiana University. After getting over the bar at 17'4.50", Volz decided to go for it all and took the bar up to 18 feet to try and put himself ahead of Paulo Benavides for that national record. Several decent tries, but nothing too close to getting a clean clearance and the record.

In the boys shot put, Jordan Geist from Knoch High School in Pennsylvania moved himself several inches closer to the national leading mark of 66'4" by Willie Morrison of Kansas in throwing a new lifetime best mark of 66'0.75" at SPIRE. Ranked US #2, Geist is certainly in the hunt to become a national champion among a handful of others who competed at the meet on Saturday night in Geneva.

Kristen Denk of North Royalton is striving to become the best vaulter ever from the state of Ohio after clearing a US #10 and meet record height of 13 feet in the girls competition at the SPIRE Showcase.

The Hudson boys of Ohio celebrated two race winners from their distance runners Gavin Gaynor in the 1600 and Kyle Mau in the 3200. Gaynor had plenty of company at the end of the boys 1600, but had a stellar kick to hold off Kendall Muhammad of Paul Dunbar (KY) with both runners timed at 4:16. Mau did pacing duties throughout the boys 3200 and was able to keep his distance en route to a 9:22 victory.

The Oak Park (MI) 4x400 meter relays ran outstanding times to close the meet for both boys and girls. The girls, defending indoor national champions, appeared to be racing without top leg Anna Jefferson, but still ran tough against an All-Star club team from Canada in The Speed Academy, and ran only a few seconds off their season best time in 3:47.24. The Oak Park boys were also just a few ticks off their US #2 3:19.50 season best in victory at SPIRE with a time of 3:21.65.

Results:

• Boys 1600m
• Boys 200m
• Boys 3200m
• Boys 400m
• Boys 4x400m
• Boys 60m Dash
• Boys 60m Hurdles
• Boys 800m
• Boys High Jump
• Boys Long Jump
• Boys Pole Vault
• Boys Shot Put
• Boys Weight Throw
• Girls 1600m
• Girls 200m
• Girls 3200m
• Girls 400m
• Girls 4x400m
• Girls 60m Dash
• Girls 60m Hurdles
• Girls 800m
• Girls High Jump
• Girls Long Jump
• Girls Pole Vault
• Girls Shot Put
• Girls Weight Throw