Ringo is only male athlete to win multiple events, contributing a pair of meet records in 100-meter dash and 4x100 relay, with Manson soaring to all-time pole vault mark; Daschbach, Ramirez, Sprout and Strader produce No. 2 efforts in event history

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

One of the elite junior defensive backs in the country went on the offensive Saturday at the 79th NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational.

Saguaro AZ sprinting standout Kelee Ringo showcased several of the qualities that make him such a talented football prospect, combining speed and strength, balancing aggressiveness and control, and demonstrating both his competitive spirit and mental toughness to win three events, in addition to setting two meet records at Austin Field in Chandler, Ariz.

RESULTS | RACE VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

Ringo ran a wind-legal 10.43 seconds in the 100-meter dash to not only eclipse the record of 10.50 by Hamilton’s Ryan Milus that had stood for a decade, but he equaled the No. 5 performer in Arizona history in the process.

Ringo also anchored Saguaro to a meet record 41.21 in the 4x100 relay, teaming with Connor Soelle, Jacobe Covington and Mason Davies to lower the mark of 41.48 produced two years ago by host Chandler.

Ringo capped his night with a third triumph in the 200 in a wind-legal 21.18, the No. 2 mark in meet history behind the 20.91 run in 2014 by Mountain Pointe’s Paul Lucas.

Ringo was the only male athlete to win multiple events and was instrumental in two of the three boys meet records, the other coming from Monarch CO senior Max Manson, who cleared 17 feet, 1 inch (5.20m) in the pole vault to take down the 17-foot clearance (5.18m) by Desert Vista AZ graduate Scott Marshall that had stood since 2013.

Manson, who cleared 17-5.50 (5.32m) to win the New Balance Nationals Indoor title March 9, took attempts at a personal-best 17-6 (5.33m) after breaking the record.

In addition to Ringo’s 200, there were four other No. 2 all-time meet performances achieved, highlighted by a nation-leading 4:08.61 in the Sally Meyerhoff mile from Valor Christian CO junior Cole Sprout.

The New Balance Nationals Indoor runner-up March 10 in 4:06.68, Sprout expressed a desire to challenge the 4-minute barrier, but battled through a chest cold to still beat a quality field by more than three seconds, including a 4:07.20 split at 1,600 meters.

Highland AZ junior Leo Daschbach won the 3,200 in 9:04.27, second only to the 9:02.69 run in 2014 by Denver East CO standout Cerake Geberkidane as part of his distance double, along with a 4:08 mile.

West Ranch CA junior Solomon Strader ran a personal-best 47.27 to win the 400 meters, second only to the 47.15 produced by North Canyon AZ star Tyrees Moulton in 2017. Strader also placed second to Ringo in the 200 in 21.61.

Mountain Pointe junior Alexander Ramirez threw the javelin 195-3 (59.51m), the second-best effort in meet history behind only last year’s record-setting mark of 204 feet (62.17m) established by Carlan Naisant of Marcos de Niza AZ.

Highland had a pair of boys victories, with junior Sam Green prevailing in the 800 in 1:56.14.

Desert Ridge AZ senior Koa Tuipala edged Chandler senior DeCarlos Brooks in the 110 hurdles by a 14.30 to 14.31 margin. Tuipala returned to finish seventh in the 300 hurdles in 40.09, with Desert Vista senior Ethan Wright securing the victory in 37.73.

With two-time defending champion Roosevelt CA not competing, Casteel became the first Arizona quartet to win the 4x400 relay since 2013, with Mason Salonic, Collin Gapen, Matthew Abramson and Isaac Davis clocking 3:20.46.

The remaining throws and jumps didn’t measure up to past years in terms of national-level performances, but there were five different schools represented with individual winners.

Sandra Day O’Connor senior Ethan Jezulin won the discus with a throw of 171-5 (52.24m) and Ironwood Ridge AZ senior Parker Bays prevailed in the shot put with a mark of 55-8 (16.96m).

Basha AZ junior Connor Ivie won the triple jump with an effort of 46-1 (14.04m) and placed fourth in the long jump at 22-0.50 (6.71m), one foot behind winner Trayvion White Austin of Sahuaro AZ and his leap of 23-0.50 (7.02m).

Hamilton AZ senior Malik Whitaker cleared 6-5 (1.95m) to win the high jump and placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet (6.70m).