By Times Staff
ARCADIA - Jordan Hasay won her anticipated duel with Christine Babcock
Saturday night and set yet another national class 3,200 meter/two mile
class record at the Arcadia Invitational in the process.
Hasay
passed Babcock, an Irvine Woodbridge senior, in the last 100 meters to
win the women's invitational 3,200 in 10:03.07 to Babcock's 10:04.03.
The Mission Prep junior and Arroyo Grande resident ran the
third-fastest girls U.S. time ever at the distance. Kim Mortensen, who
was the only U.S. girl to break 10 minutes in the 3,200, owns the first
and second-fastest times ever nationally.
Hasay set the national
junior class record. She set a class record when she won the 3,200 race
at Arcadia as a freshman. She set a sophomore class record when she won
the two mile there last year.
Seniors Chelsea Cassulo of Lompoc
and Jeanette DeWitt provided other big local highlights at Arcadia
Saturday night. Cassulo smashed her personal best in the shot put,
finishing third at 42-8 1/2 in the women's invitational division.
DeWitt placed fourth at 147-4 in the women's invitational discus.
Lompoc
coach Claudia Terrones said, “Chelsea's personal best before this was
41-2, also this year. She may have broken the school record (tonight).
Obviously, we're very happy with where she's at.”
Hasay pronounced herself happy too, after she countered Babcock's unexpected mid-race move.
Hasay
said, “I led for the first mile, then she passed me.” She chuckled. “We
didn't really have a race plan for that. We thought she'd try to stay
on my shoulder, then try to pass me at the end with her speed.
“I'd
planned to make a mid-race move, but whenever I tried to pass her, she
just kept surging. I just tried to hang in there. It was nice that she
led (most of the second half). I wasn't expecting that. I think it
helped both of us.”
Among St. Joseph representatives at Arcadia,
Mariah Vail tied for seventh in the women's open shot put at 37-7;
Teresa Loya was 14th in the women's invitational shot put at 37-2; and
Jeff Blake finished eighth in the men's open high jump at 6-0 Friday.
Justin Morrow led Arroyo Grande's contingent with a.... READ MORE
