| Sacramento Meet of Champions RESULTS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE
Verdon Reclaims Section Lead, Lowers 3200m School Record in Windy Solo Effort at Sacramento Meet of Champions With wind readings as high as eight meters per second earlier in the day, the 3200m competitors in Saturday evening's Sacramento Meet of Champions invitational heat had reason for concern. Doubts about posting respectable times were shared by coaches as they watched the flags at City College Stadium stretched out in the relentless breeze, indicating a nasty home stretch struggle the runners would face eight times. Nevertheless, Carrie Verdon (12) took the lead at the pistol crack and never looked back. Rather than play it safe, tucking behind other competitors in the hope of being shielded from the elements, Verdon stuck to her original plan: Run school record splits and dare anyone else in the field to come along. After a first mile in 5:14, Verdon was alone. Over the next three turns around the oval, Verdon's own relentlessness showed up the elements as she held 79 second splits. She finally found company again as she began lapping runners through the final 200m. Closing in 73 seconds for the final 400m, the junior distance star crossed the line in 10:29.76, crushing her own school record by ten seconds. Shortly after, Thomas Joyce (12) showed veteran toughness in the varsity boys' 3200m. Not willing to let the pace slow as other competitors hesitated to lead, Joyce surged on lap two and pulled the field through 1600m in 4:39. Though suffering in the later stages, he held on for fifth place in a time of 9:22, second fastest in his career. VARSITY GIRLS RESULTS VARSITY BOYS RESULTS 3200 Thomas Joyce 9:22.73 |