Local athletes look ahead to stretch run after Arcadia Invitational

As a new track and field season gets underway, much of the discussion from athletes revolves around improving their marks and times.

If the marks meet a standard or the times drop enough, athletes may gain entry into the Arcadia Invitational, a meet that draws talent from across the nation and provides a chance for the competitors to elevate themselves.

For some, it gives an opportunity to view greatness, as it was for Corona del Mar distance runner Max Douglass. He was in the race on deck when Utah teen Jane Hedengren of Provo Timpview set the national high school record in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9 minutes 30.68 seconds.

“I’ve never seen a women’s performance like that, especially in high school,” Douglass said. “That was phenomenal. Props to her for getting in such good shape and getting to where she is right now.”

Hedengren easily put away a top-flight field, the chase pack paced by Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery with 9:58.17.

“Thank you, Arcadia, for cheering,” Hedengren said immediately after the feat. “It really helped. … It just was amazing to have that excitement and energy here.”

Corona del Mar’s Max Douglass after competing in the 3,200 meters seeded race of the Arcadia Invitational on Saturday.

(Dylan Stewart)

For the local athletes competing in the Saturday night meet at Arcadia High, it was a challenging day, their focus turning to a stretch run that includes the CIF Southern Section postseason and beyond.

Douglass, a Notre Dame commit, had a breakthrough moment in dropping below nine minutes to win the Eric Hulst 3,200-meter race in the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational on March 15. Since then, the Sea Kings’ senior standout has had his momentum stalled by an illness. He clocked in at 9:09.18 in a 3,200 seeded race that saw 21 runners break the nine-minute barrier.

“If you’re feeling sick and your legs aren’t there, there’s only so much that I feel like I can do with my mind to push through it,” Douglass said. “I’m going to get back into shape. We got time until CIF, so I’m hopeful. I’m excited for the future. Everyone hits road bumps, so it’s nothing to whine and complain about.”

Sage Hill senior sprinter Jake Pirnazar crossed the finish line eighth in 10.67 seconds in the 100-seeded heat. He looked perplexed afterward, and described his feeling on the run, “I was crashing into the ground with all my steps.”

“I was really excited to make it,” Pirnazar said of competing in the Arcadia night meet. “This is a meet that my team had always been looking forward to since I was a freshman, so I guess I am proud to say that I made it here, but the outcome is also really disappointing at the same time.”

The day did hold some promise for Pirnazar and the Lightning, who saw the 400-meter relay team drop their season-best time to 42.07 seconds in the open meet. With each improvement, the quartet that also features sophomore Adam Pirnazar and seniors Preston Simpson and James Karahalios, continues to lower the school record in the event.

Sage Hill sprinter Jake Pirnazar helped the Lightning 400-meter relay team lower a school record at the Arcadia Invitational.

(Dylan Stewart)

“Again, our hand-offs weren’t where they should have been, but we [set a new personal record],” Jake Pirnazar said. “We’re showing consistent improvement every time we run it.”

Huntington Beach senior Marconi Mendoza produced a mark of 159 feet in the discus throw for a new personal record. He placed third in the rising stars meet on Friday.

Coming off a career-best clearance of 15 feet in the pole vault in a dual meet against Los Alamitos on April 8, Fountain Valley junior Viet Le placed sixth in the rising stars section of the event with a mark of 14’-4”.

Newport Harbor junior Natalie McCarty clocked in with seasonal-best times in both hurdles events in the open section — 100 (15.04 seconds) and 300 (44.03 seconds).

BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD

100 Seeded — 8. Jake Pirnazar (Sage Hill) 10.67

100 Open — 43. Jay Serrambana (Marina) 11.12

200 Open — 10. Jay Serrambana (Marina) 21.84

400 Relay Open — 9. Sage Hill 42.07

800 Open — 41. Michael Appell (Huntington Beach) 1:58.83

3,200 Seeded — 29. Max Douglass (Corona del Mar) 9:09.18

3,200 Open — 21. Kevin Steinman (Corona del Mar) 9:54.99

HJ Open — 13T. Callan Allende (Newport Harbor) 6-0J

LJ Rising Stars — 7. Colton Eggelston (Corona del Mar) 21-10½

PV Rising Stars — 6. Viet Le (Fountain Valley) 14-4

SP Open — 18. Marconi Mendoza (Huntington Beach) 43-5

DT Open — 10. Jack Paavola (Ocean View) 155-7

DT Rising Stars — 3. Marconi Mendoza (Huntington Beach) 159-0

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD

3,200 Seeded — 25. Marley McCullough (Newport Harbor) 10:58.28

100 HH Open — 15. Natalie McCarty (Newport Harbor) 15.04; 34. Sydney McGill (Huntington Beach) 15.51

300 IH Open — 11. Natalie McCarty (Newport Harbor) 44.03

400 Relay Open — 30. Corona del Mar 48.94

TJ Rising Stars — 10. Alia Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 35-8½