With gale-force winds sweeping throughout the Entrance Vary and intermittent snow squalls hammering the Excessive Nation, Summit Excessive College junior Ella Hagen and senior Lindsey Kiehl escaped to the honest climate of Southern California for the distinguished 2024 Arcadia Invitational.

Thought to be one of the crucial aggressive highschool monitor and area meets, the annual Arcadia Invitational routinely sees a smattering of recent private data and new nationwide data.

The premiere occasion of the meet was the girls and boys 3200-meter invitational races, the place Hagen lined up as a part of the stacked ladies area. In 2023, Hagen positioned thirteenth general out of 29 athletes whereas concurrently shaving 37 seconds off her private report and resetting her personal faculty report to a time of 10 minutes 13.18 seconds.

Now a yr older and wiser, Hagen took off from the beginning line beneath the brilliant stadium lights. With 31 athletes on the monitor, Hagen properly put herself towards the again of the pack to start the eight-lap race.

Hagen break up a time of two:34.63 over the primary two laps. After splitting 5:04.72 via the midway level of the race and efficiently staying out of hassle, Hagen really started to race, steadily passing opponents.

“I knew it was crunch time, and this was my alternative to check myself in top-of-the-line fields that you will get at any competitors anyplace,” Hagen mentioned.

Hagen closed the ultimate half of the race in a time of 5:01.47 to cross the end line with a smile. She positioned sixth general with a school-record-breaking time of 10:06.19. 

As soon as crossing the end line, Hagen took a couple of second to soak in her personal race earlier than hurrying over to congratulate the race’s winner — Isabel Allori of Liberty Commons Excessive College in Fort Collins, who ran a time of 9:58.09. 

“With Isabel, now we have been racing since my freshman yr, and alongside the best way now we have gotten actually shut,” Hagen mentioned.

Earlier within the day, Kiehl competed within the open 1-mile and 800-meter runs, the place the College of Florida commit was capable of notch finishes inside the prime 15.

Kiehl positioned eleventh within the mile with a brand new personal-best time of 5:14.77 after which took 14th within the 800 with a time of two:20.45.

Again in Colorado, the remainder of the Summit monitor and area staff braved the wind for the David S. D’Evelyn Invitational at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.

Main the best way for the boys staff was junior Quinn Breigenzer. He positioned fourth general within the 400-meter run in a time of 55.27 seconds. Breigenzer was adopted by senior Emilio Jain in thirteenth (57.24) and senior Jackson Archambault in fifteenth (57.77).

Archambault doubled again to put fourth within the lengthy soar with a finest try of 19 ft, 2.50 inches. Within the triple soar, junior Joey Smith took fourth (38 ft, 9.50 inches) and freshman Luke Saville took seventh (37 ft, 7.50 inches). 

Sophomore Henry Eslich positioned sixth within the shot put with a throw of 40 ft, 2 inches.

Sophomore Carter Niemkiewicz positioned ninth within the 800-meter run (2:18.11) and twelfth within the 1600-meter run (5:05.51).

Freshman Owen Fallon positioned sixth general within the 3200-meter run in 11:10.84 to set a private report. Lukas Remeikis debuted within the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:14.20 to put eighth whereas sophomore Cain Steinweg ran a season-best time of 11:16.33 for ninth.

The Summit ladies staff was led by sophomore Religion Fox, who took third within the 400-meter sprint with a time of 1:02.06. Fox was adopted by junior Avery Eytel in fourth who ran 1:07.09 to set a brand new private finest time. 

Within the short-sprint occasions, senior Shannon Reed positioned fourth within the 200-meter sprint (29.27), and sophomore Teagan Barth positioned twelfth within the 100-meter sprint (13.74). Freshman Ashley Adkins ran a brand new private finest time of two:40.26 within the 800-meter run.

The Summit ladies positioned third as a staff with 72.50 factors and the Summit boys staff took twelfth with 30.50.

Earlier than heading into spring break subsequent week, the Tigers can have the prospect to compete on the Don Osse Lakewood Tiger Invitational on Thursday, April 11, and the twenty sixth Mullen Invitational on Saturday, April 13.