Wolf ready to run well for new team at NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

In preparation for the most prestigious regular-season meet in Arizona, the state’s biggest offseason transfer finally made her debut Saturday for defending Division 1 champion Chandler High.

Haley Wolf, a senior who transferred from Desert Vista for the final semester of her high school career, competed at the Rattler Booster Invitational at North Canyon High, winning the girls 3,200 meters in 10 minutes, 50.59 seconds.

Wolf was forced to sit out the first five meets for Chandler, per Arizona Interscholastic Association transfer rules.

“I was hoping for a better time, but I felt really strong the first mile and came through in a 5:16, but then lost over 10 seconds in the last 800,” said Wolf, who competed unattached in a club meet March 3 at Alhambra High, running 10:08.97 in the 3,000.

“We had a hard week of training, so my legs didn’t feel as fresh and I didn’t time my eating right, but still a good learning experience and a good icebreaker meet.”

Wolf, who ran a personal-best 10:44.06 in the 3,200 at last year’s Arcadia Invitational, is scheduled to race Saturday in the Sally Meyerhoff mile as well as the 800 at the 78th NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational at Chandler High. WATCH LIVE WEBCAST

She won the 3,200 last season in 10:47.42 and placed sixth in the mile in a personal-best 5:00.16, with a 1,600 split of 4:58.30.

“I’ve been having a blast running with (coach Matt Lincoln) and the team,” Wolf said. “We’ve had some great, hard workouts, but we still have a lot of fun at practice, so it’s really been an amazing experience so far. I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity for my last track season.”

Caden Hercules, a Desert Mountain transfer, also made his Chandler debut Saturday at Rattler.

Hercules clocked 2:05.95 in the 800 and 4:36.59 in the 1,600. He is entered in the 3,200 at the Rotary meet Saturday.