Rainsberger, Washington headline impressive lineup at 76th NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

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From The Armory to Arizona

Following her victory in the mile Sunday at New Balance Nationals Indoor in New York in U.S. No. 3 all-time 4:36.61, Air Academy (Colorado) senior Katie Rainsberger will make her third and final appearance at Chandler.

After winning the mile as a sophomore and taking second in both the 800 and mile to Desert Vista star Dani Jones last season, Rainsberger is only entered in the 800 during Saturday’s elite session.

Rainsberger’s personal-best in the outdoor 800 is 2:08.87 at last year’s Colorado state meet. She ran 2:13.92 indoor to place third Feb. 20 at Simplot Games.

Lord of the ring

Canyon del Oro junior Turner Washington became the nation’s first to surpass the 200-foot barrier in the discus with his 201-4 at the Desert Tune Up, a 15-foot improvement from his previous PR at a meet March 2 at Flowing Wells.

The meet record of 187-9 by Tempe’s Dwight Johnson has stood since 1988, the oldest of all the elite boys marks.

Washington is also chasing Johnson’s state record of 212-11 set in 1987. His mark ranks No. 3 in state history and the best performance by any Arizona athlete in the discus since 1993.

Center of attention

After winning Arizona Division II state titles in the 100 and 200 meters last year, South Mountain senior Alexis Center will face her first significant sprint test of the season, with a possible 100 showdown against California standout Kayla Richardson of Walnut High.

Center ran 11.92 in the 100 and 24.66 in the 200 last year at Chandler. She is looking to follow the success of former Chandler star and USC sophomore Ky Westbrook by winning back-to-back meet titles in the 100.

Center clocked a wind-legal personal-best 11.86 in the 100 at last year’s state final to help South Mountain secure the team championship by one point over Youngker.

Schadler showcase

Rio Rico junior Allie Schadler ran a state-leading and U.S. No. 3 10:42.06 in the 3,200 at the Husky Invite, but will shift her focus to the mile and a potential showdown with Classical Academy (Colorado) freshman Chantae Steele.

Schadler has a personal-best 4:49.45 in the mile from last year’s Arcadia Invitational, but will have her sights set on Dani Jones’ mark of 4:46.17 last season at Chandler.

The event will also feature members of Arizona’s top three cross country teams in Chandler, Desert Vista and Xavier College Prep, along with the talented trio of Courtney Wayment, Aubrey Argyle and Ally Geisler from Davis (Utah).

Alek Parsons Project

The Ogden (Utah) senior won the 3,200 last year in 9:04.94, the No. 2 mark in meet history, before going on to run 8:55.56 at the Arcadia Invitational.

Parsons is chasing the meet record of 9:02.69 set in 2014 by Cerake Geberkidane of Denver East.

Davis depth

Instead of attending New Balance Nationals Indoor in New York in an attempt to defend its boys 4 x 800 relay title, Davis (Utah) decided to conclude its indoor season at Simplot Games in Idaho, before shifting its focus to making a big impact outdoor in Arizona, especially in the 800 and 1,600.

Logan MacKay, Colter Blanchard and Camren Todd have the potential to sweep the top three spots in the 1,600, with MacKay the top qualifier in the 800.

They’ll be aiming for the 800 meet record of 1:51.55 by Catalina’s James Eichberger in 2008, in addition to the mile record of 4:08.0 set in 2014 by Cerake Geberkidane.

Breaking up the Brophy reign

Four of the top five boys 300 hurdles marks in meet history belong to Brophy College Prep, including the 2012 record of 37.04 by Devon Allen, an NCAA and U.S. national champion in the 110 hurdles at Oregon, in addition to winning the indoor 60 hurdles championship last week in Alabama.

Since Brophy doesn’t have an entry in the elite session at this year’s meet, Cody Johnson of El Paso Franklin (Texas) enters as the favorite with a season-best 37.60. Johnson ran a personal-best 37.07 at last year’s regional meet in Texas, giving him a realistic shot at breaking Allen’s record.

Relaying the message

Although host Chandler isn’t the favorite in any individual races during the elite session, the Wolves are seeking a sweep of the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

Chandler has the top qualifying marks in the girls 4 x 100 and 4 x 400, but will have to hold off Arizona rivals Mountain Pointe, Hamilton and North Canyon after years of great rivalries with Long Beach Poly.

Chandler also boasts the fastest entry mark in the boys 4 x 100, but will need a significant improvement in the 4 x 400 to get past El Paso Franklin.

Las Vegas Centennial could take down Long Beach Poly’s 2012 record of 9:26.18 in the girls 4 x 800, with Millennium and Corona del Sol aiming for the girls distance medley record in the second year of the event after Poly prevailed last season in 12:43.33.

Hurdling heroics

The girls 100 and 300 hurdles races could produce two impressive showdowns involving Elsja Mecham of Summit Academy (Utah) and Autumn Smith of Mountain Pointe (Arizona).

Although the 100 hurdles record of 13.66 set in 2014 by former Colorado star Dior Hall -- now a sophomore at USC -- isn’t in jeopardy, the 300 hurdles mark of 42.04 produced the same year by Tianna Bond of Las Vegas Centennial has the potential to be challenged.

Breanna Bernard-Joseph, a sophomore at Roosevelt, will look to follow the success on the Chandler track by former teammate Jasmyne Graham, who swept both hurdles races last year.

Raising the bar

Quintella Johnson of St. Mary’s Catholic in Phoenix cleared a personal-best 5-10 in the girls high jump March 9 at Central High and has her sights set on the meet’s longest-standing female record.

Jenna McDowell of Highland cleared 5-10.25 in 1995, but no athlete in the past 20 years has elevated above 5-8 at the meet.

Johnson’s best effort entering the season was 5-6.