LOS ANGELES – The first two days of a busy weekend of competition in Los Angeles produced some of the best marks of the season for some of the Sun Devils, including two of the fastest times in school history in the men's 400-meter hurdles and women's 800.
Khalil Parris was just one-hundredth of a second off his personal best in the 400-meter hurdles when he clocked a 51.03 at the Bryan Clay Invitational Friday afternoon. He finished second in the event, but was the top collegiate finisher and improved to second in the Pac-12.
"I didn't see anything different today," assistant sprints and hurdles coach Javonie Small said. "We knew he could be faster and can still get faster, so I think today came down to a change of environment. We've had three home meets and whenever you race where you train, you can kind of get too comfortable."
Parris' time Friday was nearly two seconds better than his previous best as a Sun Devil this season, and put him into the record book at No. 7 in school history.
"He's got another chance tomorrow to run, and we're looking for something around 50.7 because we know he's got that in him," Small said.
Only one other man in the conference has run faster than 51 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles, and with his current time, Parris is already among the elite in the region as he sits in seventh in the West.
In the women's 800 Friday, Bianca Tinoco cut her personal best time down to 2:08.14 and jumped into the outdoor record book. She won her heat and grabbed 18th overall.
"We've run her in a bunch of races and kind of put her in over her head because that's important for her development, and she was out for outdoors last year," middle-distance and distance coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "This race in particular got scratched down to less people and no one was willing to take the pace. They came through in 64 low and I kind of got on her and told her she had to do that again to run the 2:08. To her credit, she did it, which was a huge testament to her work and her fight because there were a lot of people battling her down the stretch."
The Sun Devils now have two women in the top-eight in the conference in the 800-meter run with Alethia Marrero and Tinoco. The last time ASU finished the season with two women in the top-20 was when Shelby Houlihan and Keia Pinnick did back in 2013.
Kevin Wilkinson also scored a personal best in the men's version of the 800 as he crossed the line in 1:50.91, good for the No. 8 time in the conference.
Thursday night was all about the distance Devils as they got the weekend started with races at the Bryan Clay Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays.
Samantha Ortega didn't disappoint in her debut in the longest event on the track as she clocked a 34:38.39 in the 10,000-meter run to put her within striking distance of the top-10 list and into the top-40 in the region.
"Going into it we thought she'd be ready to run and anywhere between 35 and 34:30 based on work she'd done," Rasmussen said. "It was the right race for her to be in, but she found herself out in 'no woman's land' for a bit of the race, which is hard to run in, in a 10K, but she figured it out and that was really the difference."
Prior to Ortega's personal best at Mt. SAC, sophomore Courtney Lewis earned a personal best in an exciting 3,000-meter steeplechase that saw her finish second in her heat over in Azusa at the Invitational.
She put up a time of 10:34.36 and finished 18th overall and recorded an impressive PR of more than 30 seconds in her first steeple of the season.
"Courtney is such a great competitor and such a tough athlete that if you give her an opportunity and she can stick it out, she's always got a chance to do something great," Rasmussen said. "It was a really fun race to watch and she was excited about it as well. She knows there are some things to clean up, but she wants to fix them so she can get closer to that top-10 list and even a regional mark."
In the men's pole vault, Nathan Hiett led the way in the standings, but all three Sun Devil entrants cleared 5.09m/16-9.25 feet. Hiett is already in the top-15 in the region with his jump from the Sun Angel Classic two weeks ago, but the clearances today for Michael Chadwick and Matthew Eckles improved their position on the descending order list to just outside the top-30.
The weekend continues and concludes tomorrow as many of today's participants head over to the Beach Invitational in Long Beach or the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance. Both events are available for streaming on FloTrack or USATF.tv, respectively.
Bryan Clay Invitational | April 19-20, 2018 | Azusa, Calif.
Men's Results
100 Meters
54. Marcus Howard – 11.13
200 Meters
85. Marcus Howard – 23.05
800 Meters
23. Kevin Wilkinson – 1:50.91
77. Adam Meyer – 1:55.67
85. C.J. Maree – 1:56.67
400M Hurdles
2. Khalil Parris – 51.03
13. Jesus Llanez – 53.52
14. Quinten Bankston – 53.56
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
62. Jackson Lewis – 9:28.27
5,000 Meters
23. John Reniewicki – 14:24.23 (3)
High Jump
7. Elijah Hughes – 2.06m/6-9
15. Mason Ford – 2.01m/6-7
17. Ryan Bright – 2.01m/6-7
Pole Vault
4. Nathan Hiett – 5.09m/16-8.25
5. Michael Chadwick – 5.09m/16-8.25
6. Matthew Eckles – 5.09m/16-8.25
Triple Jump
34. Ivan Hinson – 13.66m/44-9.25
Women's Results
100 Meters
33. Courtnee Oglesby – 12.32
46. Darreyl Woodson – 12.42
200 Meters
21. Courtnee Oglesby – 24.92
62. Alexandra Williams – 25.95
800 Meters
18. Bianca Tinoco – 2:08.14
76. Angela Saitta – 2:15.41
77. Alexis Nichols – 2:15.44
100M Hurdles
6. Alexandra Williams – 13.95
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
18. Courtney Lewis – 10:34.36
40. Anna Pruter – 10:54.20
44. Billie Jo Dytrt – 10:55.72
5,000 Meters
26. Daan Haven – 17:03.27 (3)
30. Megan Reniewicki –17:21.10 (3)
Pole Vault
20. Tommi Hintnaus – 3.41m/11-2.25
20. Haleigh Fritts – 3.41m/11-2.25
--. Kristiana Warth – NH
High Jump
10. Katie Eidem – 1.57m/5-1.75
Mt. SAC Relays | April 19-20, 2018 | Torrance, Calif.
Women's Results
200 Meters
22. Sha'Maya Flanagan – 24.56
31. Kalei Matthews – 24.74
10,000 Meters
27. Samantha Ortega – 34:38.39
Hammer Throw
10. Kaylee Antill – 57.84m/189-9
Beach Invitational | April 20, 2018 | Long Beach, Calif.
Women's Results
Javelin Throw
22. Jessica Barreira – 42.91m/140-9
26. Melanie Johnson – 41.85m/137-4
Khalil Parris was just one-hundredth of a second off his personal best in the 400-meter hurdles when he clocked a 51.03 at the Bryan Clay Invitational Friday afternoon. He finished second in the event, but was the top collegiate finisher and improved to second in the Pac-12.
"I didn't see anything different today," assistant sprints and hurdles coach Javonie Small said. "We knew he could be faster and can still get faster, so I think today came down to a change of environment. We've had three home meets and whenever you race where you train, you can kind of get too comfortable."
Parris' time Friday was nearly two seconds better than his previous best as a Sun Devil this season, and put him into the record book at No. 7 in school history.
"He's got another chance tomorrow to run, and we're looking for something around 50.7 because we know he's got that in him," Small said.
Only one other man in the conference has run faster than 51 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles, and with his current time, Parris is already among the elite in the region as he sits in seventh in the West.
In the women's 800 Friday, Bianca Tinoco cut her personal best time down to 2:08.14 and jumped into the outdoor record book. She won her heat and grabbed 18th overall.
"We've run her in a bunch of races and kind of put her in over her head because that's important for her development, and she was out for outdoors last year," middle-distance and distance coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "This race in particular got scratched down to less people and no one was willing to take the pace. They came through in 64 low and I kind of got on her and told her she had to do that again to run the 2:08. To her credit, she did it, which was a huge testament to her work and her fight because there were a lot of people battling her down the stretch."
The Sun Devils now have two women in the top-eight in the conference in the 800-meter run with Alethia Marrero and Tinoco. The last time ASU finished the season with two women in the top-20 was when Shelby Houlihan and Keia Pinnick did back in 2013.
Kevin Wilkinson also scored a personal best in the men's version of the 800 as he crossed the line in 1:50.91, good for the No. 8 time in the conference.
Thursday night was all about the distance Devils as they got the weekend started with races at the Bryan Clay Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays.
Samantha Ortega didn't disappoint in her debut in the longest event on the track as she clocked a 34:38.39 in the 10,000-meter run to put her within striking distance of the top-10 list and into the top-40 in the region.
"Going into it we thought she'd be ready to run and anywhere between 35 and 34:30 based on work she'd done," Rasmussen said. "It was the right race for her to be in, but she found herself out in 'no woman's land' for a bit of the race, which is hard to run in, in a 10K, but she figured it out and that was really the difference."
Prior to Ortega's personal best at Mt. SAC, sophomore Courtney Lewis earned a personal best in an exciting 3,000-meter steeplechase that saw her finish second in her heat over in Azusa at the Invitational.
She put up a time of 10:34.36 and finished 18th overall and recorded an impressive PR of more than 30 seconds in her first steeple of the season.
"Courtney is such a great competitor and such a tough athlete that if you give her an opportunity and she can stick it out, she's always got a chance to do something great," Rasmussen said. "It was a really fun race to watch and she was excited about it as well. She knows there are some things to clean up, but she wants to fix them so she can get closer to that top-10 list and even a regional mark."
In the men's pole vault, Nathan Hiett led the way in the standings, but all three Sun Devil entrants cleared 5.09m/16-9.25 feet. Hiett is already in the top-15 in the region with his jump from the Sun Angel Classic two weeks ago, but the clearances today for Michael Chadwick and Matthew Eckles improved their position on the descending order list to just outside the top-30.
The weekend continues and concludes tomorrow as many of today's participants head over to the Beach Invitational in Long Beach or the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance. Both events are available for streaming on FloTrack or USATF.tv, respectively.
Bryan Clay Invitational | April 19-20, 2018 | Azusa, Calif.
Men's Results
100 Meters
54. Marcus Howard – 11.13
200 Meters
85. Marcus Howard – 23.05
800 Meters
23. Kevin Wilkinson – 1:50.91
77. Adam Meyer – 1:55.67
85. C.J. Maree – 1:56.67
400M Hurdles
2. Khalil Parris – 51.03
13. Jesus Llanez – 53.52
14. Quinten Bankston – 53.56
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
62. Jackson Lewis – 9:28.27
5,000 Meters
23. John Reniewicki – 14:24.23 (3)
High Jump
7. Elijah Hughes – 2.06m/6-9
15. Mason Ford – 2.01m/6-7
17. Ryan Bright – 2.01m/6-7
Pole Vault
4. Nathan Hiett – 5.09m/16-8.25
5. Michael Chadwick – 5.09m/16-8.25
6. Matthew Eckles – 5.09m/16-8.25
Triple Jump
34. Ivan Hinson – 13.66m/44-9.25
Women's Results
100 Meters
33. Courtnee Oglesby – 12.32
46. Darreyl Woodson – 12.42
200 Meters
21. Courtnee Oglesby – 24.92
62. Alexandra Williams – 25.95
800 Meters
18. Bianca Tinoco – 2:08.14
76. Angela Saitta – 2:15.41
77. Alexis Nichols – 2:15.44
100M Hurdles
6. Alexandra Williams – 13.95
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
18. Courtney Lewis – 10:34.36
40. Anna Pruter – 10:54.20
44. Billie Jo Dytrt – 10:55.72
5,000 Meters
26. Daan Haven – 17:03.27 (3)
30. Megan Reniewicki –17:21.10 (3)
Pole Vault
20. Tommi Hintnaus – 3.41m/11-2.25
20. Haleigh Fritts – 3.41m/11-2.25
--. Kristiana Warth – NH
High Jump
10. Katie Eidem – 1.57m/5-1.75
Mt. SAC Relays | April 19-20, 2018 | Torrance, Calif.
Women's Results
200 Meters
22. Sha'Maya Flanagan – 24.56
31. Kalei Matthews – 24.74
10,000 Meters
27. Samantha Ortega – 34:38.39
Hammer Throw
10. Kaylee Antill – 57.84m/189-9
Beach Invitational | April 20, 2018 | Long Beach, Calif.
Women's Results
Javelin Throw
22. Jessica Barreira – 42.91m/140-9
26. Melanie Johnson – 41.85m/137-4