Pacific high school first-half track and field season analysis
Published: April 10, 2012
With the season about half over, Stripes, with the help of Athletic.net and records gatekeeper Bruce Carrick, now examines those who have met published qualifying guidelines for next month’s Far East High School Track and Field Meet, scheduled for May 23-25 at Yokota High School.
We’ll go event-by-event, listing qualifying times and distances, with qualifying guidelines in parentheses and which athletes I predict to win those events at Far East. C indicates converted hand times, while A indicates fully automatic timing.
Athletes listed are those who compete in Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Guam and whose schools are possible entrants in the Far East meet, assuming that American School In Japan, Seisen and St. Mary's International, International School of the Sacred Heart, Zion Christian Academy and Okinawa Christian International are invited to Far East.
Asia-Pacific Activities Conference and Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools athletes are not listed here, since by conference rules they are prohibited from competing at Far East. Others may be missing because their times and distances have not been posted.
There are four weeks left until the qualifying deadline.
Out on a limb I go:
100 (boys 11.5, girls 13.2)
Boys, Rahman Cairnes, OCSI, 10.90a; Preston Brooks, Yokota, 11.04c; Tyrend White, Seoul American, 11.25a; Jarrett Mitchell, Kubasaki, 11.31a; Ronald Dogan, Seoul American, 11.38a. A total dogfight between the first four, but Cairnes should edge out the field, set a Far East record and perhaps a Pacific area record.
Girls, Janika Caines, Kadena, 12.66a; Kelsey Scott, Seoul American, 12.68a; Valerie James, Nile C. Kinnick, 12.94c; Davette Campbell, Osan American, 13.04c. Caines and Scott battled it out at the Mike Petty Meet, but James could very easily pass them as the weather up north thaws.
200 (boys 23.2, girls 27.4)
Boys, Preston Brooks, Yokota, 22.64c; Rahman Cairnes, OCSI, 22.84a; Tyrend White, Seoul American, 22.94c; Jarrett Mitchell, Kubasaki, 23.08a. Another dogfight, with Cairnes winning out in the end.
Girls, Janika Caines, Kadena, 26.54c; Jade Cummings, Zion, 26.64c; Stefani Loisel, Guam High, 26.80a; Kelsey Scott, Seoul American, 26.82a; Valerie James, Kinnick, 26.92a. Caines and Scott rules the roost for now, but don’t be surprised if Loisel and James are found battling for gold in the end.
400 (boys 53.7, girls 1:04)
Boys, Derrick Taylor, Kadena, 52.38a; 2, Keishi Nambara, OCSI, 52.54a; Donavan Ball, Yokota, 52.94a; Justin Clemenson, Kubasaki, 53.29a; Columbus Wilson, Kubasaki, 53.44c. Taylor’s to win or lose.
Girls, Jade Cummings, Zion, 1:01.74c; Valerie James, Kinnick, 1:02.36; Chinyere Turner, Kadena, 1:02.56; Pamela Henderson, Seoul American, 1:03.14. Henderson could nose ahead of this tightly bunched field in the end.
800 (boys 2:06, girls 2:34)
Boys, Trevor Maggart, American School In Japan, 2:04.11a; Erik Armes, Kubasaki, 2:04.70a. This duel I’d love to see; question is whether ASIJ will be invited/plans to attend, since it’s so late in the school year for the Mustangs.
Girls, none to this point.
1,500 (boys 4:25, girls 5:25)
Boys, Erik Armes, Kubasaki, 4:15.14a; Trevor Maggart, ASIJ, 4:22.40a. The longer the distance, the tougher Armes, a triathlete and reigning Far East cross-country champion, seems to become; don’t count out Maggart, the reigning Asia-Pacific Invitational cross-country runner-up.
Girls, Amanda Henderson, Seoul American, 5:01.23a; Allie Reichenberg, Kubasaki, 5:09.80a; Abigail Wall, Yokota, 5:17.80c; Carydaliz Fontanez, Kinnick, 5:24.80c. Four very worthy competitors, but Henderson absolutely hates to lose, which will fuel her gold-medal run.
3,000 (boys 9:54, girls 12:30)
Boys, Erik Armes, Kubasaki, 9:32; Akira Shavers, Zion, 9:52; Koh Terai, St. Mary's International, 9:52; Andrew Kilkenny, Kadena, 9:52.5. This one is Armes’ to win or lose.
Girls, Amanda Henderson, 11:10.53a, Allie Reichenberg, Kubasaki, 11:10.97a; Michelle Stolle, ASIJ, 11:34.4; Abigail Wall, Yokota, 11:53.1; Sam Fugate, Kubasaki, 12:06; Rachel Burchill, Kadena, 12:10.16a; Theresa Kern, Seisen, 12:14.3; Miranda Remington, Seisen, 12:19.2; Maku Itakura, Seisen, 12:20.2; Carydaliz Fontanez, Kinnick, 12:26; Kate Greathouse, Kinnick, 12:28.10a. Henderson-Reichenberg head-to-head for a second time this season … this will be breathtakingly close.
110 hurdles (boys 17.5)
Derrick Taylor, Kadena, 15.77a; Dustin Kimbrell, Kinnick, 15.99a; Charlie Seno, ASIJ, 16.12a; Mitchell Harrison, Zama American, 17:27a. Should be a pitched battle between Taylor, Kimbrell.
100 hurdles (girls 19.0)
Stefani Loisel, Guam High, 17.80a; Danielle Balfour, Kubasaki, 17.94a; Kelsey Rodgers, Kadena, 18.26a; Pashence Turner, Kadena, 18.30a; Micaela Sherman, Kubasaki, 18.41a; Jayla Bradley, Kinnick, 18.64c; Ariana Gordon, Daegu High, 18.74c; June Garrett, Zion, 18.94c; Tyren Ward, Zama, 18.94c. Loisel wasn’t at her best in last year’s Far East and is coming back with a belly full of redemption fire.
300 hurdles (boys 45.3, girls 53.4)
Boys, Fred Gustafsson, Yokota, 41.02a; Derrick Taylor, Kadena, 41.75a; Dustin Kimbrell, Kinnick, 42.80a; Columbus Wilson, Kubasaki, 43.39a; James Cortez, Yokota, 44.40a; Jarred Morgan, Yokota, 44.45a; Clark Williams, Kadena, 44.74c; Anthony Sherman, Kadena, 45.03a; Mason Lautzenheiser, Kubasaki, 45.23a. Gustafsson vs. Taylor, with Kimbrell waiting in the wings if one of them falters.
Girls, Pashence Turner, Kadena, 48.43a; Kelsey Rodgers, Kadena, 49.93a; Jenna Doyno, ASIJ, 50.54c; Josie Mitchell, Kubasaki, 52.06a; Candace Bowman, Zama, 52.68a; Arrianna Guerra, Zion, 53.16a. Why Loisel isn’t listed here, I don’t know; if she runs the 300, look for her and Turner to duke it out.
400 relay (boys 46.4, girls 53.4)
Boys, Yokota, 44.26a; Kubasaki, 46.04; Seoul American, 46.21; ASIJ, 46.30. Expect this to be Yokota-SAHS, in no particular order; talk about guys who can fly.
Girls, Kadena, 51.54a; ASIJ, 52.73a; Guam High, 52.91. Panthers can fly also.
1,600 relay (boys 3:45, girls 4:23)
Boys, Seoul American, 3:40.00; Yokota, 3:43.30; ASIJ, 3:44.23a. See 400 relay.
Girls, Seoul American, 4:22.05. Yes, Kelsey Scott, running the 1,600 IS fun. J
3,200 relay (boys 9:45, girls 12:00)
Boys, Zion, 8:56; Kadena, 8:58; Kubasaki, 9:07; Kinnick, 9:09.2; Yokota, 9:09.2; Zama, 9:36. This may be the best collection of boys athletes Zion has ever fielded.
Girls, Kubasaki, 11:11; Zion, 11:34; Kinnick, 11:35.9; Yokota, 11:39.14a; Kadena, 11:59. Don’t be surprised if the Red Devils nose in front of this field.
Shot put (boys 38 feet, girls, 28 feet)
Boys, Gabe Ahner, Kadena, 41-0.12; Craig Hollins, Zion, 40-9; Nijee Smith, Guam High, 40-4.65; Chris Schehl, Kubasaki, 38-2.16; Roland Cote, Zama, 38-2; Eli Peterson, Christian Academy Japan, 38-0.3. Cote is capable of reaching 40; this final will be one for the ages.
Girls, Mecca Perkins, Seoul American, 31-0.25; Kendra Peterson, CAJ, 29-11.84; Jasmine Jackson, Daegu, 29-7.25; Trellini Lunsford, Osan, 28-6.5; Christian Garner, Zama, 28-6.13. We won’t see any records fall, but Perkins is clearly the superior thrower in this field.
Discus (boys 112 feet, girls 78 feet)
Boys, Roland Cote, Zama, 141-6; Gabe Ahner, Kadena, 118; Chris Schehl, Kubasaki, 114-8. Cote’s 141-6 at Mike Petty was an absolute freak of nature, but if he repeats that, he’ll be tough to catch.
Girls, Mecca Perkins, Seoul American, 100-4; Jasmine Jackson, Daegu, 94-8; Kendra Peterson, CAJ, 87-9.94. See shot put.
Long jump (boys 19 feet, girls 14 feet, 10 inches)
Boys, Columbus Wilson, Kubasaki, 19-3.6; Keith Smith, Kadena, 19-3. This category rates an incomplete at the moment.
Girls, Liz Thornton, ASIJ, 14-10.74. Same thing, incomplete at the moment.
High jump (boys 5 feet, 6 inches, girls 4 feet, 7 inches)
Boys, Devyn Harris, Guam High, 6-6; Justin Smith, Kinnick, 6-1.62; Ian Pope, Zama, 5-8.9; Columbus Wilson, Kubasaki, 5-8. Lotty Smith’s 6-7 (2.0066 meters) is well within Harris’ reach.
Girls, Arrianna Guerra, Zion, 5-0; Christianna Dale, ISSH, 4-9.09; Keila Welky, Kubasaki, 4-8; Valerie James, Kinnick, 4-7.12. James might just catch and lap this field, but it’s Guerra’s to win or lose for now.
Anybody I miss out there? Anybody didn’t post their results to Athletic.net? As Larry the Cable Guy always says, “Git ’er done!”
We’ll do this again in a couple of weeks. Results courtesy of Athletic.net and records gatekeeper Bruce Carrick.
