I'm coming as a spectator with only one or two cameras. In order to set up cameras around the Arcadia track you have to have media credential. As media credentialed person, you can't do anything live. And as I found out in 2024 not afterward either.
I think this is to ensure that all media approved go through the Arcadia site. So as a spectator, I'm just bringing one camera to cover some of the local schools (Servite, Trabuco Hills, El Toro, Tesoro, San Clemente and Dana Hills).
My videos are just a creative outlet (as well I would like to at least see clearly the bib numbers on the runners at night).
So instead of catching birds in flight or filming lions going after gazelles, I'm filming athletes in flight!
This post was edited 6 minutes after it was posted.
I'm coming as a spectator with only one or two cameras. In order to set up cameras around the Arcadia track you have to have media credential. As media, you can't do anything live - and as I found out in 2024 not afterward either. I think this is to ensure that all media approved go through the Arcadia site. So as a spectator, I'm just bringing one camera to cover some of the local schools (Servite, Trabuco Hills, El Toro, Tesoro, San Clemente and Dana Hills).
Where will you be set up? Would love to say hi and give thanks for your coverage. Any food you like, lol?
I usually set up on that section in the front door to the press box on the side close to the finish line. Feel free to stop by and chat. If you have any particular person or team you want my Eye of God Zoom Lens zoomed in, let me know.
Combe just ran a 2:04, so entering the 800 is not a "gutsy move". Combe is very competitive in the 800.
I'm just saying it was 'gutsy' to do the 800 instead of her specialty (1600), especially with the National talent in that 800 race.
I was curious if Combe had clocked a 400 time this year. She just ran a 55 at a league meet. That could translate to her running a 2-flat 800 soon.
Paige Shepard is going to be the favorite at Arcadia for sure. She's known for her footspeed, but she was outkicked by Combe at NB Grand Prix. I'm curious what Shepard's 400 time would be now. Her 57.81 PR is from 8th grade, and she ran a 2:12 back then. Since she can now run a 2:02, I'd guess she could run a 54 in the 400 these days.
The girls 800 doesn't get as much attention usually, but I think it is the most intriguing race this year since the mile and 2-mile won't include Bartlett, Combe, Dudek, Williams, Zang.
So, with Shepard and Combe in the 800, the mile at Arcadia is Abbie Hennessy's to win -- especially with Alder just returning from injury. Hennessy had an incredible indoor season. That is, unless Hennessy is running the 3200 instead.
The 3200 is Chiara Dailey or Summer Wilson's to win, and that should be a fun matchup, but watch for Addy Guymon from Utah to come down to sea level and introduce herself to the running world.
Can someone please explain how they are doing these heats? I have an athlete in the Girls' Open race who has run low 10:50s in California at sea level during this season. There are girls from Utah who have slower lifetime sea level PRs than my athlete or have run almost 10 seconds slower at 2,000 feet last year than my athlete has run at sea level this year. For kids who live and train at nearly 5,000 feet, going down to 2,000 feet at Pine View is essentially the same thing as going down to sea level. Maybe you could subtract a few more second, but that's still doubtful.
She will make the most of it and is in great shape, but the seeding seems to be extremely biased and opinionated.
Can someone please explain how they are doing these heats? I have an athlete in the Girls' Open race who has run low 10:50s in California at sea level during this season. There are girls from Utah who have slower lifetime sea level PRs than my athlete or have run almost 10 seconds slower at 2,000 feet last year than my athlete has run at sea level this year. For kids who live and train at nearly 5,000 feet, going down to 2,000 feet at Pine View is essentially the same thing as going down to sea level. Maybe you could subtract a few more second, but that's still doubtful.
She will make the most of it and is in great shape, but the seeding seems to be extremely biased and opinionated.
Slowest girl to get in the invite was 10:50, so it sounds like she just missed the cut.
So, with Shepard and Combe in the 800, the mile at Arcadia is Abbie Hennessy's to win -- especially with Alder just returning from injury. Hennessy had an incredible indoor season. That is, unless Hennessy is running the 3200 instead.
The 3200 is Chiara Dailey or Summer Wilson's to win, and that should be a fun matchup, but watch for Addy Guymon from Utah to come down to sea level and introduce herself to the running world.
Lily Alder isn't running at Arcadia. She was originally entered but dropped out.
Abby Hennessy is running the 3200 not the 1600, which makes Hennessy the favorite in the 3200, not Dailey or Wilson.
Dailey isn't running the 3200. She's doing the 800 / 1600 double on Saturday evening, two hours apart. She would probably be the favorite in the 1600 if it wasn't her second event of the evening. As it currently stands, there isn't a clear favorite in the girls 1600.
If Dailey cares about winning a race at Arcadia, then she should drop the 800 and just run the 1600. However, maybe she is doing 2 races as a test run to see if she should do 2 races at the California state meet.
Wilson is still entered in the 3200, and she can probably finish in the top three. Addy Guymon has a shot at top three as well.
The girls 3200 is missing most of the top stars like Nastasza Dudek, Blair Bartlett, Jaelyn Williams, who were top 3 at NXN, and Katy Zang, Ellery Lincoln, and Averi Lowen, who are all top 10 all-time on the track in a distance between 3k to 5k. But there are quite a few girls who should be able to run in the 9:55 to 10:05 range, so it will still be a good race.
Fun Fact - There are two Daileys running at Arcadia. "Chiara" and "Soda Pop". No, I didn't make that up.
Can someone please explain how they are doing these heats? I have an athlete in the Girls' Open race who has run low 10:50s in California at sea level during this season. There are girls from Utah who have slower lifetime sea level PRs than my athlete or have run almost 10 seconds slower at 2,000 feet last year than my athlete has run at sea level this year. For kids who live and train at nearly 5,000 feet, going down to 2,000 feet at Pine View is essentially the same thing as going down to sea level. Maybe you could subtract a few more second, but that's still doubtful.
She will make the most of it and is in great shape, but the seeding seems to be extremely biased and opinionated.
In general I think Rich does a pretty good job to create the heats based on merit. That being said it is clear that in some cases he uses his discretion to fill out a portion of a heat. It could be based upon 1) rapid near term improvement, 2) past form / times that haven't been seen of late, 3) coach / other recommendation/push, 4)altitude adjustment or 5) judgement call.
This undoubtedly will cause some athletes, parents and coaches to get upset when they see one or more runners that they think is not as good as their athlete. That could be a tough pill to swallow but that's life. Sometimes decisions are made that are not easy to understand. Tough but good life lesson.
Setting aside what I wrote above, I think Lucas Alberts, Jesuit should have been in the invitational 800 vs the seeded race. He was 2nd in the 800 at the 2025 California State meet and won the Stanford invite 1600 last weekend.
I usually set up on that section in the front door to the press box on the side close to the finish line. Feel free to stop by and chat. If you have any particular person or team you want my Eye of God Zoom Lens zoomed in, let me know.
Enjoy the meet and please show as many California distance runners as possible.
which 10:50 girl is in the invite section? Can't find one.
Brynn Davenport but I didn’t take her 9:41 3000 into account, my fault. Hallie Heemeyer in a 10:46 so probably the slowest.
Hallie Heemeyer's 10:46 PR is from last year, so very out of date. Rich Gonzalez let her into the invitational heat at Arcadia based on her great cross country season, when she was undefeated until she finished 2nd at NXR. She is in much better shape than 10:46 right now.
She wouldn't have gotten into BYU if she could only run 10:46.
