Santa Margarita Hosts Track and Field Invitational on Saturday

(Sports editor's note: Well, my job was made just a little easier today when I awoke to find the following preview of Saturday's invitational in my e-mailbox. Thanks to author Sean Zeitler, who is the assistant head coach/sprints coach for the Santa Margarita track and field team.

By Sean Zeitler

The cast for the 15th annual ASICS Eagle Invite evokes almost a "reunion tour" feel about it. Of the five teams confirmed this year, four were around for the conception of this Invitational. Southern Sectional powerhouses such as Esperanza, Newport Harbor, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, as well as Trinity League rivals Mater Dei and St. John Bosco will all be in attendance. Despite the early season kinks that need to be worked out, there will be no shortage of high performances on and off the track.
 
On the track, some of the best returnees in the state will be on display for everyone to enjoy. In the 100, last year’s freshman standout Khalfani Muhammad of Notre Dame will look to improve on a stellar freshman campaign. Muhammad's time of 10.87 was good enough to rank him 20th in the Southern Section, eighth fastest returnee this year. Khalfani is coming off a football season in which he led the Knights with 161 carries for 851 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, plus one in the air. Teammate and elder statesman Eric McDaniel, a junior this year, was not far behind at 38th in the Southern Section last year running a 10.96, 18th fastest returnee. Next fastest 100m runner will be Corbin Anderson of Mater Dei with a best of 11.08 run at the Trinity League finals last year. Corbin led the ground game with 641 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns for a Monarch football team that finished 8-5 overall and 3-2 in league. Aside from the aforementioned, the rest of the field is up for grabs.
 
More of the same in the 200, Khalfani's time of 21.63 at last year's Mission League finals is the top time heading into the Eagle Invite, joined by his counterpart, Eric Mcdaniel, with his sub-22 second effort in that same race with a time of 21.99.
 
In the 400, coming off an injury plagued football season, USC bound senior Victor Blackwell of Mater Dei will look to kick off his senior track season on the healthy side of things. Victor's 49.16 last year at the West Coast Relays will put the target on his back going into the Eagle Invite. With the departure of Eric Vetter from Esperanza, the number two spot belongs to fellow Monarch Charles Michinock and his 49.82 run at CIF Prelims last year. With no other sub-50 guys, this rest of the field should look to take advantage of a fast opportunity to start the season.
 
Heading into the multi-lap events, the 800 will be headlined by senior Will Conway of Notre Dame. Will's 1:56.12 at CIF Finals will make him the top seeded runner in the 800. Not far behind Will is Esperanza's Senior Ryan Nayon. Ryan's 1:56.89 at the Sunset League finals should make for quite the battle up front.
 
To the 1600, Esperanza's Elliot Meyrs will be the guy to keep an eye on after his 4:18.53 at the Sunset League finals last year. With entries yet to be determined, the field will look to try to keep pace.

One of the unique aspects of the Eagle Invitational is the incorporation of the 4 x 800 meters relay race to replace the 3,200. Most non-relay based invitationals will run the flat 3,200, but the Eagle Invitational will feature this exciting relay race in place of the 3,200. This race will highlight the team with the deepest group of 800 runners, which will take place a little after noon, featuring all levels.
 
To the 110 high hurdles, coming off a breakthrough junior season, Mater Dei's Sam Barkley made a name for himself when he crashed onto the scene early last year. Barkley will look to improve on his county's top returning time of a wind-legal 14.54 last year, with the standard being set much higher for the 2011 season.

The fleet of Monarch 300m hurdlers will be headlined by Barkley's 37.66 run at a windy Orange County Championships last year. Riding the ship with Barkley are teammates Charles Michinock and Junior Corey Hammond. Michinock and Hammond's times of 39.21 and 39.61 will be the only sub-40 second times represented at the Eagle Invite.
 
To the field events, the high jump will be contested by senior Ike Okpara of St. John Bosco. Ike's 6 feet 4 will be the highest mark coming into the meet.
 
With the departure of Esperanza longjlump senior tandem of Hayden Pierce and Drew Huusfeldt, the field will be wide open for the taking. Bosco Junior Justin Johnson's 21-9 guides the long jump crew heading into March 5. Justin will also take the runway in the triple jump with his mark of 42-6.25. Justin took the Trinity League Finals crown last year with a jump of 41-11. Justin supplied 27 catches for 365 yards and a touchdown for the Braves last fall, averaging 13.5 yards per catch, while doubling as a part-time kickoff returner.

In the pole vault, with Mater Dei's top two vaulter's off to college, Newport Harbor's Mark Sakioka is the top returning vaulter at 15-1. Just days ago, Mark vaulted himself to a huge lifetime best of 16-00.00 indoors at the Pole Valut Summit exhibition in Reno. Mark's teammate Max Van Bergh's vault of 14-6 last year makes him the number two pole vaulter heading into the meet. Also in the field are Mater Dei's Jack Gallivan at 14-3 and teammate Connor Hawks at 14-0. This marks the first time in a number of years where the Mater Dei vault crew finds themselves as the hunters rather than the hunted. Four of the top 25 returning pole vaulters in California will be on display at the ASICS Eagle Invite for everyone to enjoy.
 
On the upper field at the discus, make sure you get your popcorn ready and enjoy the show. According to Mike Kennedy's 2011 preseason boys discus all-state selections, Esperanza's Mason Miller throw of 176-2 at CIF Prelims last year ranks him eighth in the state, putting him on the first team all-state selection list. Miller, a 6-3, 230-pound linebacker, has been recruited by Army and Navy, among others.

Coming in on the preseason's second-team all-state selection list are juniors Ethan Cochran and Steve Michalsen of Newport Harbor with throws of 172-11 and 169-9. On the third team preseason all-state selection is Esperanza's Ryan Belanger's 164-5, with the book end to this prestigious field of discus throwers is Notre Dame's Andrew Baranchick with a best of 153-8. You won't want to miss this early season showdown between some of the best discus throwers that the state of California has to offer. With this high level of competition, lets see what other competitors can make a name for themselves with the big boys of California.

In the shot, Ryan Andrews, Steve Michaelsen, and J.B. Salem of Newport Harbor, alongside Mason Miller of Esperanza, will make for quite a show next to the discus ring that you won't want to miss. Newport's stout defensive football unit led by Andrew's 28, Michaelsen's 18, and Salem's 11 solo tackles helped the Sailors to a 6-5 overall and a 3-2 Sunset League record. Throw Cochran's 25 solo tackles in there and you have the meat of Newport's defensive squad swarming the shot and discus venue.
 
With no real indication of how the relays will shake out, last year's top 4x100 times belong to: Notre Dame (41.26, sixth in the Southern Section), Esperanza(42.50, 17th in the Southern Section), Mater Dei(43.07, Trinity League Finals) with Bosco, Newport Harbor and Santa Margarita set to put their best performances forward. Mater Dei's 4x400m time of 3:16.80 was good enough for the seventh fastest time in the Southern Section last year, with Notre Dame not far behind at 3:18.66.

Taking into account all of the returnees' top marks, this years ASICS Eagle Invite does not appear to disappoint its viewers. On the opening weekend of the 2011 season, this invitational should prove to be a great indicator for what the Southern Section has to offer this year. For details of the meet, please click here. To see the Southern Section performances from the 2010 season, click this link.

Sean added:

All of the previews above are based strictly on last year’s top performances. Meet entries have not been completed and there is no guarantee who will be running in what events.