2004 Arcadia Invitational - Girls 800 Meters

No event in track and field probably blends the perameters of speed, strength, and conditioning so perfectly as the 800 meter event. At the top level athletes deal with a quick early pace that has them on the edge of the “red line” as the contest continues, they are right on the edge of over-extending themselves to the point where they run out of steam far before the race is over. There are tactical considerations on placement and timing of mid and late race “moves,” and in the event athletes are dealing with the courage issues, with the two lap contest a blend of the “rig” that comes with the end of the shorter sprint events and gut-searing pain of the distance runs! When a top group comes together all of the above make a two lap event that on the female side takes a tad over two minutes another worth riveting your attention to the 400 meter facility. In the 2004 Arcadia Invitational Girls 800 meter event there is the great blend of geography, athletic background, and outstanding previous successes that will make this year’s Girls two lap contest one for the ages.

On top are two amazing young ladies who will have to hustle to stay ahead of the pack! Devon Williams (Townson Catholic, Md) burst forth this winter at the prep level with an amazing indoor season after an infamous age-group career that had her run a super 2:09.72 in the eighth grade last summer, with the championship in the USATF Junior Olympics Youth Division in that event! Heidi Magill (Mountain View, Orem, Utah) brings “Rocky Mountain” diversity to the contest, with two consecutive Arcadia 800 wins (she hopes to take home her third winner’s watch in a week). The Mountain View star is touted as one of the future Olympic level greats in the sport with amazing range. She covered 400 meters in 54.58 back a couple of years as a ninth grader, casually indicates that the first time she tried a 1600 “I ran 4:57,” and has been a National Cross-Country prep finalist during her career. Williams, named the Track & Field News Indoor Athlete of the Year for 2004, has range also, with a 40.0 300m best (rocketing on the boards!) And has run fine Cross-Country efforts, but this winter absolutely hammered the tracks between 500 meters and a mile. Showing no respect for her elders the Maryland star blasted the Prep 500 meter record down to 1:11.53 (57 at the 400 and another 100 meters in 14, showing the ability to crash 2:00 for a full 800 when the continued strength and conditioning comes), racing 1:30.22 for 600 meters (#3 All-time Prep), ran a 4:50.76 mile, and won the National Scholastic Indoor 800 at 2:06.48, a national class record and #5 Prep mark ever! All this and she took five weeks off during the season with injury! Has there ever been a better 9th grade indoor track and field season by a female athlete? We doubt it! Magill, a tall, thin, but powerful star from an area that does not take indoor track quite as seriously as the east coasters, who are blessed of late with super 200 meter facilities across the seaboard there. Heidi still raced 2:09.83 for 800 meters indoors at altitude in her home state, then anchored her school to a stunning National Prep Distance Medley Relay record of 11:35.43 with a 4:47 1600 leg! The same weekend as the Distance Medley record Magill was fourth to Williams over 800m, running 2:10.76, with Canadians 2-3 in the contest. You can bet Magill and crew are back to the drawing board since that race figuring how to deal with Williams, who was 30 (200) and 62 (400) for the first splits during her 2:06.48, showing a withering kick the final 350 meters in racing to victory over the early leaders. Magill, who has raced as fast as 2:06.43 in her Arcadia wins, will look forward to having someone share the pace-setting in a week, with some scary possibilities on the clock for a winner and depthwise if the race goes well for all. The field does not end with the first two!!

Latavia Thomas (West Catholic, Philadelphia, Pa), a soph, actually was the #2 prep indoor 800m runner of the year with her 2:08.47 from the Pennsylvania State Meet, with impressive career-long racing sophistication developed in her fine program. Junior Brianna Felnagle (Bellarmine Prep, Tacoma, Washington) was 2:08.67 last year outdoors, and as easily the best from the Northwestern part of the nation, comes in to test herself against this super national field. Felnagle was the Golden West Invitational Champ last June in her best time, winning by over two seconds, and she has a 1600m best of 4:52.48 to show her strength. Elizabeth Lang (Pius X, Lincoln, Nebraska) adds to the amazing geographic diversity, with the Midwesterner another who has run under 2:10 with her 2:09.4 lifetime best! California’s Golden State addition to the mix is Kelly McCann (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad), a national class soccer player who combines that sport with two-lapping in track and was 2:10.45 last spring for a state runner-up effort. McCann has 55 second 400 speed, and along with School Coach Mike Gainock, she is advised by Joaquim Cruz, 1984 Olympic 800 Meter Champ from Brazil, a San Diego resident. McCann still plays club soccer, but has worked for track since the fall, and gave up school soccer this winter to train for track and continue with her elite soccer club. She is sure the added conditioning will result in better times this spring, and added in a recent San Diego Union interview, “ I've never trained for track before, so when I ran in meets like Arcadia (last year) I wasn't even in shape.” McCann’s first big test of the year comes on the Arcadia oval in a week!

Whew!!! Potentially another one for the ages! Some of the top stars did meet in last June’s Adidas Outdoor Championships in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Heidi Magill was second at 2:06.74, Latavia Thomas 5th at 2:09.40, and the then middle schooler Devon Williams was 6th at 2:09.72. Predictions on the result in a week we will not venture to guess, but we certainly would plan concession runs for another portion of the affair!!!