2008 Arcadia Invitational
Doug Speck - Editor DyeStatCal

Preview Written late last week for program, and does not reflect 4/5 weekend results




Girls 100 Meters

photos by Photo Run.net and Greg Smotherman
(left) Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth) in action at the World Youth Championships this past sumer
(right) Yasmin Woodruff leads the charge against the talented soph Purvis

Led by Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth, Oakland) the Arcadia century event will once again feature a super group, with five State sections and the best from the Pacific Northwest represented in the blocks. Purvis last year had as decorated a season as any ninth grader in US History, with World age bests highlighting a season that ended with a Gold Medal at the World Youth, under age-18 championships. Purvis returns at a blazing 11.40, and was just edged last year here by Cherelle Garrett in one of their furious struggles, so Ashton hopes to take home a winner’s watch by seriously stomping on those from around the state interested in upsetting the dash pecking order this go-round. Yasmin Woodruff (St. Mary’s) was third here last year and has run 12.07, with San Diego’s best Vanessa Houston (Hoover) 11.97w last week, the Central Section’s leader Megan Del Pino (Clovis West) 12.17 this past weekend. Angela Gradiska (Pinewood) is a small star from the CCS, with vet Erin Reid (Poly, Long Beach) very solid, and Valexia Droughn (Rio Mesa) a frosh age-group star settling in nicely at the prep ranks. Washington’s best Kelly Jacka (Bellarmine Prep, Tacoma) hopes to follow in the footsteps of alum Brie Felnagle, who blasted the locals over the mile distance here in 2005 in quite impressive style.