Junior from Ventura High in California runs No. 2 all-time prep outdoor mile with 4:34.31 performance, Allori triumphs in 3,200 in 9:58.08, Wright sweeps 100 and 200 in 11.54 and 23.97, with Ince adding another 800 victory in 2:05.26 and Gero-Holt making it three in a row in high jump with 5-10 (1.77m) clearance

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ken Martinez and Anthony Flores Ramos

ARCADIA, Calif. – Another level of excellence from Sadie Engelhardt.

Jumping consistency not seen in a decade by JaiCieonna Gero-Holt.

A new sprint star in Keelan Wright.

And the long-awaited national spotlight for Isabel Allori.

RESULTS | EVENT VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

Among several female standouts Saturday at the 56th Arcadia Invitational, there were a select group of athletes who commanded the spotlight in remarkable fashion, none more than Engelhardt, with the junior from Ventura High in California adding to her exceptional legacy at Arcadia High.

Engelhardt became the first female athlete in Arcadia Invitational history to win the invitational mile three years in a row, lowering her own California state record and meet all-time mark to 4 minutes, 34.31 seconds, relying on a pair of significant surges to prevail against Timpview High of Utah teammates Jane Hedengren (4:37.17) and Lily Alder (4:40.82).

Engelhardt, who achieved the No. 2 all-time prep outdoor mile, had run 4:35.16 as a freshman to triumph in her Arcadia debut. Her performance Saturday was the catalyst for a meet record seven competitors producing sub-4:45 performances, improving on the five athletes to achieve the feat in 2022.

Tatum Olesen of Menlo-Atherton High in California clocked 4:49.75 to emerge victorious in the girls seeded mile.

Allori, a senior at Liberty Common in Colorado, triumphed in the girls invitational 3,200 meters in 9:58.08 to produce the lone sub-10 performance in the race, one year after being part of a meet record nine competitors eclipsing the 10-minute barrier.

Allori was fourth a year ago in 9:56.82, but wasn’t going to be upstaged again by any California standouts, pulling away in the final lap to prevail against Trabuco Hills star Holly Barker (10:02.52) and Chula Vista Eastlake competitor Jaelyn Williams (10:02.56).

Anna Callahan of Skyline High in Washington finished fourth in 10:04.80, Gioana Lopizzo from La Costa Canyon in California placed fifth in 10:05.65, Ella Hagen of Summit High in Colorado secured sixth in 10:06.19 and Rylee Blade from Corona Santiago in California earned seventh in 10:06.93.

Ten athletes all achieved sub-10:10 efforts, with Emily Wisniewski from Crescent Valley High in Oregon taking eighth in 10:09.26 and California athletes Chiara Dailey from La Jolla capturing ninth in 10:09.78 and La Canada’s Maya DeBrouwer clocking 10:09.86 for 10th.

Amaya Aramini of Bishop Manogue High was 15th in 10:16.53, eclipsing the Nevada all-time mark of 10:20.95 established in 2006 by Mel Lawrence.

Wright, a junior at Temecula Chaparral High in California, swept the invitational 100- and 200-meter titles, with sophomore Mayen Usoro from Cesar Chavez High in Arizona placing second in both races.

Wright held off Usoro by a wind-legal 11.54 to 11.63 margin in the 100, then took advantage of several scratches to elevate from the seeded section to the invitational 200 and edge Usoro again, 23.97 to 24.19.

Ali Ince, a senior at Normal Community in Illinois, won the invitational 800 for the second time in three years, clocking 2:05.26, with L’Mio Edwards from Claremont High in California placing runner-up in 2:10.09.

Kaitlyn Arciaga from Westview High in California led four athletes to sub-2:10 efforts in the girls seeded 800, producing the win in 2:09.26.

Gero-Holt cleared 5-10 (1.77m) on her first attempt in the high jump to secure victory for the third consecutive year, matching the success of former Bishop Gorman High of Nevada star Vashti Cunningham, who won three in a row from 2013-15.

Valentina Fakrogha from Ventura High and Cami Cvitkovich of Weber High in Utah both cleared 5-8 (1.72m).

Gero-Holt also placed seventh in the invitational shot put at 40-6.75 (12.36m), as well as the seeded 100-meter hurdles in 14.78.

Josie Donelson, a senior at Lake Oswego High in Oregon, prevailed in the girls invitational 400 in 53.17, with Payton Smith from La Jolla High in California clocking a personal-best 53.56 and Madison Mosby from Culver City High in California taking third in 53.74.

In one of the most thrilling invitational 100-meter hurdles matchups in meet history, Kori Martin from Hamilton High in Arizona edged Kyndall Harrington-Spain of Cardinal Ritter College Prep in Missouri by a 13.666 to 13.670 margin.

Morgan Herbst of Carlsbad achieved the No. 2 performance in San Diego Section history in the invitational 300-meter hurdles by clocking 41.45.

Danayja Harper from Westlake High in Georgia was runner-up in 42.17 and Annaleise Taylor of Canyon View High in Arizona took third in 42.30.

Buchanan High provided another fantastic finish in the girls invitational distance medley relay, holding off fellow California program Newport Harbor by an 11:52.07 to 11:52.09 margin.

Elle Lomeli, Victoria Chatter, Kynzlee Buckley and Sierra Cornett outlasted Keaton Robar, Rachel Nataupsky, Natalie McCarty and Marley McCullough.

Jaden Billings, Caylie Jefferson, Zaniyah Jones and Zion Lockette helped Westlake High from Georgia secure victory in the invitational 4x100-meter relay in 45.81, with Calabasas High from California clocking 45.94.

Calabasas concluded the schedule in impressive fashion, with Lahela Ray, Arielle McKenzie, Paige Porter and Zoey Ray earning the win in the invitational 4x400 relay in 3:46.30. Zoey Ray also ran the fastest open 400 during the daytime schedule Saturday in 55.57.

St. John’s College from Washington D.C. placed second in 3:48.33, with Union Catholic of New Jersey taking third in 3:49.70.

Aja Johnson, a junior at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, prevailed in the invitational discus throw with a second-round effort of 151-7 (46.20m), grabbing the advantage after California rival Andreese Ortiz of Menifee Heritage High opened her series at 146-4 (44.60m).

Johnson had a mark of 43-3 (13.18m) and Ortiz recorded a 42-2.25 (12.85m) effort earlier in the schedule in the invitational shot put, a competition won by Huntington Beach Edison of California standout Alexa Sheldon and her personal-best 44-3.50 (13.50m) in the first round.

Erika Grossman, a senior at Millennium High in Arizona, placed second in a lifetime-best 43-6.50 (13.27m).

Alyssa Alumbres from Vista Murrieta High in California triumphed in the invitational triple jump, motivated by a disappointing 12th-place performance in the invitational long jump to emerge victorious with a fifth-round effort of 39-9.75 (12.13m).

Maleigha Canaday-Elliott from McDaniel High in Oregon opened her series with a wind-aided mark of 39-4.75 (12.00m) to secure second.

Shaylan Roy-Williams of Turlock High in California put the pressure on the field in the invitational long jump with a wind-legal 19-0.75 (5.81m) on her third attempt in the opening flight and never relinquished control to capture the gold medal.

Ellie McCuskey-Hay from St. Ignatius and Logan Todorovich of Helena High in Montana, both jumped 18-10.50 (5.75m), but the California sophomore standout had the better second mark with a wind-aided 18-8.75 (5.70m) performance to take runner-up overall.

Jathiyah Muhammad, competing for Pittsburg High in California and returning to Arcadia for the first time since a fifth-place finish in 2022, triumphed in the invitational competition with a 13-9 (4.19m) clearance on her first opportunity after needing three tries at 13-3 (4.03m) to hold off Julie Segroves from Biloxi High in Mississippi. Segroves made her first three heights all on opening attempts, but had three unsuccessful opportunities at 13-9.

Bella Turner from Bakersfield Liberty High in California equaled the fastest open 300-meter hurdles mark in meet history with her 43.13 performance, in addition to Gardena Serra senior Mia Flowers sweeping the open 100 and 200 in 11.70 and 24.31, respectively.