No state meet means runners turn focus to Arcadia Invitational
Without a state track and field meet for the second straight year because of the coronavirus, Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational is considered by many its replacement for 2021.
Since 1968, the annual event in Los Angeles County has produced more than 30 national records and featured 179 future U.S. Olympians. Run a month later than usual because of the pandemic, this year’s event is expected to include many athletes from the Bay Area (marks listed below are according to athletic.net):
⏩ John Lester (Amador ValleyPleasanton): The Stanfordbound senior — seventh at the state meet as a sophomore — owns the state’s top 800meter time for the second straight year, having gone 1:51.62 last week at the West Coast Relays in Fresno. In June, he recorded the thirdfastest high school junior time in history, going 1:48.26 at the Desert DreamLast Hurrah Invitational in Arizona.
⏩ Samantha Wallenstrom (Marin CatholicKentfield): After a shocking 800 state championship as a sophomore in 2019 (2:08.78), Wallenstrom has recorded only a casual 2:23.66 this season. St. Francis senior Isabelle Cairns (2:13.72) and Palo Alto sophomore Hillary Studdert (2:14.76) own top10 state marks.
⏩ Christian Trapps (Pittsburg): The senior blew away his personal best by going a windaided 10.71 in the 100 — sixth best in the state — on April 21; three days later, he ran a windlegal 10.76. Trapps is also part of the state’s No. 2 ranked 4x200 relay (not run at the state meet, but it is at Arcadia), with Clarence Strong, Kenyan Higgins and Chaison Wesley (1:29.93).
⏩ Mara Lampsas (CaliforniaSan Ramon): The junior is tied for third in the state in the high jump at 5foot6, which FoothillPleasanton junior Torre Anderson also has cleared.
⏩ Di’Niko Bates (St. Mary’sBerkeley): The senior has the state’s thirdbest time in the 300 hurdles (38.26) and is fourth best in the 110s (14.42).
⏩ Miles Bennett (Castro Valley): He is tied for third in the high jump at 66.
Baseball notes: Unranked San Ramon ValleyDanville, winner of 11 of 12, including backtoback shutout wins over previous No. 4 De La SalleConcord, moved up to No. 7 in The Chronicle Top 15 rankings. … Ninthranked Los Gatos moved up three spots after scoring 50 runs while going 40 last week. … TamalpaisMill Valley had a 12game win streak snapped Tuesday in a 21 loss against Marin CatholicKentfield (114), which Van Lar
1got a gem from son (6 ⁄3 innings, 10 strikeouts), who also scored the winning run. … Los Altos senior infielder/catcher Aaron Parker is hitting a statebest .750 (15for20, four home runs, four doubles and a triple). He also has walked 17 times, giving him an onbase percentage of .858 and OPS of 2.518.
Softball notes: Topranked St. Francis and No. 2 Heritage need to schedule a game. Heritage has outscored opponents 19818, St. Francis 13818. They are a combined 290. … FoothillPleasanton moved up five spots to No. 3 following a stunning 140 win over crosstown rival Amador Valley, which just beat previous No. 3 Livermore. … Sadie Leonard is 90 with an 0.81 ERA (94 strikeouts, 52 innings) for seventhranked RedwoodLarksper. … Sophomore Kailani Tatro leads the state in wins (15) and strikeouts (176) for Pinole Valley (164). … HillsdaleSan Mateo senior Mika Chong, St. Francis junior Jessica Oakland and HeritageBrentwood junior Tianna Bell are tied for second in the state in home runs with nine each.