Arkansas High School Invitational 2008

While the official start to the Illinois indoor track and field season is still a few weeks away, a handful of athletes got started early with top performances this past weekend.  Shakeia Pinnick (Waubonsie Valley), Stephanie Brown (Tri-Valley) and Kendrick McRath (Cahokia) were the weekend's top performers.

 Photo: By Mark Keenan, from NC HS opener last weekend. New Bern, Sam Jordan of Laney, Booker Nunley of Garner, and Wayne Davis of SE Raleigh all traveled as a part of Track EC and lit up the track. North Carolina continues to prove to the rest of the US that it is a hotbed for track. Last year, multiple national champions and numerous top-5 performers came out of the Tarheel state. This year looks to be the same!

Riley Egan vaulted to a big new personal best out in Arkansas this weekend.  In this morning's high school competition the St. Thomas Aquinas senior cleared 15-8 for third place and bettering his Nike Outdoor performance from last summer by almost five inches.Going into the spring, Egan is the top Florida returner in the event.  The winning vault was by Jack Whitt, a junior from Oklahoma, who cleared 16-0.  Great job to Riley to start off 2008 with a bang!  

 **Wayne Davis (NC) Runs 7.63 in the 60m hurdles at the Arkansas H.S. Invitational Saturday.  His time puts him only .01 off of the high school record!!! **Jeremy Rankin (CO) runs 6.64 in the 60m dash at the Ft. Collins All-Comer Meet.  This time ranks Rankin fourth on the all time lists!!!Big meets lead the way this weekend (1/11 - 1/13), with championship caliber match-ups happening from Arkansas to New Hampshire to New York to Louisiana.  Keep checking back as the weekend progresses to see just what schools and individuals stand out this weekend.Top Girls Highlights- La Salle (RI) runs US#1 in SMR at Dartmouth in 4:12.01- Hannah Davidson (NY) wins Molloy Stanner mile in 4:55.05, three more under 4:57!- Skyline (TX) runs U.S.#1 4x200m relay in 1:40.20 at Arkansas- Victoria Jordan (TX) U.S.#1 in 7.52 in 60m dash at Arkansas- Chanelle Price (PA) runs 2:10.20 (800m) at the Colgate Games- Caitlin Lane (NY) wins Dartmouth mile in 4:55.25, leading four others under five minutes!Top Boys Highlights- Wayne Davis (NC) U.S.#1 in 60m hurdles at Arkansas in 7.63- Jeremy Rankin (CO) runs U.S. #1 6.64 in 60m dash at Ft. Collins- Isaiah Ward (IN) runs U.S.#1 in 800m at Indiana in 1:52.80- Merrimack (NH) runs 3:39.08 in SMR at Dartmouth for U.S.#1- Parker Doudreau (CT) wins 1000m in U.S.#1 2:28.93 at Molloy- Akinto Boone (NY) blazes 48.34 in the 400m at Arkansas- Fuqauwa Greene (NC) runs U.S.#1 in 200m at Arkansas in 21.76- Peter Dorrell (VA) runs 4:16.81 at Montgomery in mile