Arcadia Track Meet to Draw a Fast Crowd

Many of the Southern California’s top prep track athletes, including a large contingent from the South Bay, will compete Saturday night in the 24th annual Arcadia Invitational meet at Arcadia High.

Field events start at 5:30 p.m., with running events beginning at 6:30.

As usual, the strong Hawthorne High program will be represented in several events. Demond Smith, who has Southern Section-bests of 14.51 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles and 38.1 in the 300 intermediate hurdles, is entered in both of his specialties. Sprinter Erik Allen will bring a state-best time of 21.3 in the invitational 200-meter race.

Hawthorne will also be represented in the long and triple jumps by Donnie Phifer and Derek Scurry, who each have long jumps of more than 23 feet. Scurry has a best of 47-1 in the triple jump.

Banning’s Travis Davis, an All-City running back who will attend Notre Dame on a football scholarship, is also entered in the triple jump.

Standout distance runners Steve Gonzales of Carson and Roman Rendon of Banning are entered in a competitive 3,200 field.

Hawthorne’s outstanding boys’ 400 and 1,600 relay teams will go against several of the top teams throughout California.

In girls’ events, Morningside’s defending state champion 1,600 relay team will face challenges from national power William Penn of Philadelphia, which is the heavy favorite, along with Muir and Hawthorne. Two of Morningside’s top athletes are entered in individual events--Santisha Arnold in the invitational 200 and Sanoma Nickson in the invitational 100 hurdles.

Torrance’s Kim Blankinship brings a school-record 5-foot-7 in the high jump and will run in the seeded 400 relay.

Hawthorne, aside from being entered in both the invitational 400 and 1,600 relays, will have Meshawna Mays competing in the invitational 100 hurdles and Kanika Conwright in the invitational 100 sprint.

St. Bernard’s Kerrie Pegues will compete in the 400 and will run in the 400 and 1,600 invitational relay races. South Bay Entries

BOYS--Long jump: Steven Stanley (Gardena), Donnie Phifer (Hawthorne), Derek Scurry (Hawthorne). Seeded 400 relay: Carson. Invitational 400 relay: Hawthorne. 110 high hurdles: Demond Smith (Hawthorne). Triple jump: Travis Davis (Banning), Phifer (Hawthorne), Scurry (Hawthorne). Shotput: David Yam (Rolling Hills). Seeded 100: Fred Sims (Carson). 3,200: Dan Minami (Palos Verdes), Steve Gonzales (Carson), Roman Rendon (Banning). 300 intermediate hurdles: Smith (Hawthorne). Invitational 200: Erik Allen (Hawthorne). Seeded 1,600 relay: Morningside. Invitational 1,600 relay: Hawthorne.

GIRLS--High jump: Kim Blankinship (Torrance). Triple jump: Tiffany McLeod (Banning), Shirena Harris (Morningside). Seeded 400 relay: Torrance. Invitational 400 relay: Hawthorne, St. Bernard, Morningside. 1,600: Nancy Heap (Palos Verdes). Seeded 100 low hurdles: Andrea Burnside (Westchester). Invitational 100 low hurdles: Sanoma Nickson (Morningside), Meshawna Mays (Hawthorne). Long jump: Sonya Bryant (Banning), Nicole Haynes (Bishop Montgomery). Invitational 100: Kanika Conwright (Hawthorne). 800: Kendra Ossey (Hawthorne), Kamara Mayberry (St. Bernard). Shotput: Shawana Fisher (West Torrance), Brittany Mounger (Torrance). 3,200: Yoko Senga (Palos Verdes). 400: Kerrie Pegues (St. Bernard). Invitational 200: Santisha Arnold (Morningside). Seeded 1,600 relay: Bishop Montgomery. Invitational 1,600 relay: Morningside, Hawthorne, St. Bernard.