Farrell, Sheepshead Bay, Warwick Valley, Hilton, Shoreham Wading River, Ursuline, and Iona Prep are all competing in California this weekend.

photos by Margot Kelly - ca.runners.com

MILESPLIT MEET PAGE - OFFICIAL MEET WEBSITE

FRIDAY NY RESULTS - COMPLETE

Ursuline girls SMR - 4:18.77 6th place invitational
Meg Smith (Ursuline) 33-01.5 SP - 18th place
Warwick Valley boys 4x800m - 7:54.72 - 4th place invitational
Iona boys 4x200m Relay - 1:36.51 - 8th place rated
Iona boys SMR - 3:52.71 - 9th place invitational
Michael Berg (Iona) 13-01.5 PV - 9th plac
Sheepshead Bay 4x200m - 1:27.44 - 3rd place invitational
Sheepshead Bay boys 4x110m Shuttle Hurdles - 59.50 - 1st place invitational
Farrell boys 4x800m - 7:51.24 - 1st place invitational
Corey Orazem - 1:59.0 - Mark Bernardo - 1:58.3
Anthony Liota - 1:58.0 - James Farley - 1:54.9
Farrell boys "B" team 4x800m - 8:12.41- 5th place seeded
Farrell boys SMR - 3:38.43 - 6th place invitational

FULL MILEPSLIT STORY HERE

Monsignor Farrell boys won the 4x800m relay in 7:51.24 on Friday night. Sheepshead Bay wins SHR in 59.50.

By Brandon Miles

Two East Coast schools picked up relay wins on Friday at Arcadia with Monsignor Farrell boys in the 4x800 at 7:51.24 and the Sheephead Bay boys in the shuttle hurdle relays in a US #1 59.50. Farrell has been a factory for producing great half milers including a 1:54 on their anchor leg just as Sheephead Bay has been in finding strong hurdlers.

It has become an annual trip for Monsignor Farrell (NY) coach Tom Cuffe to bring a 4x800 meter relay out to Arcadia. Its also a nice departure for his team from the cold early season outdoor weather of New York, which can make the meets up until this point almost a wash in attempting to run any fast times in the less than ideal conditions. Corey Orzam, who ran leadoff for Monsignor Farrell definitely noticed the difference in performances for his teammates and himself when given the opportunity to run in better conditions. "Running in better weather apparently improves our times by a lot. We ran 7:51 today and thats the fastest time we've run together. Track is fast, great competition and environment. Can't expect anything better."

Coach Cuffe brought an "A" and "B" team to reward his next tier group of half milers, while possibly using the meet also to take another look at who might end up being on his "A" team. Despite bringing a decent-sized contigency, they still had to earn the trip and prove themselves in practices leading up.. "Its a competition to make the trip. You can see in our results from the work that we have done in the practices. Its a great time to come out west and we work hard to get here," said Orzam.

There was a lot of familarity for the New Yorkers in the race with Iona Prep and Warwick Valley also making the trip to Arcadia to compete in the 4x800 meter relay. It benefited Monsignor Farrell to have some competition in the race which they have grown accustomed to racing against. "We are very use to how they race, their runners, and their times. We run them often at the Armory indoors. It was really nice to have the other New York schools in the race with us."

However, their relay was also looking forward to facing new competition from the Western states. "You always read about the teams out here like Desert Vista and Long Beach, but its nice to see physically see these teams and be more than just whats on pen and paper and the internet."

Upland High School of California was the team who gave them the best battle at the end with their anchor leg going by Farrell's anchor James Farley at 400 meters to go. When it looked like Upland was going to pull away, Farley rallied back for a final 200 meters kick. Orzam was estatic to see his teammate respond back to give them a big win at Arcadia. "With just over 200 meters to go when he started to close the gap down, I cried a little bit. When he finally went by, it was a beautiful euphoric feeling coming out of me. He ran great and so did everyone else." Monsignor Farrell had 1:58 splits across the board except for their final leg Farley who went 1:55.0 to compile a US #5 time of 7:51.24.

Sheephead Bay junior Naquan Alexander and his hurdling teammates were anxious to make a statement in their opening race of the 2009 outdoor season. "We came all the way from the East Coast looking for the best competition. We proved ourselves on the East Coast at Boston in the Nike Indoor Nationals, so we had to come to the West Coast to see what its all about."

For many in the group from Sheephead Bay, it was their first trip out west. It was also their first outdoor race of the season after taking a break following the Nike Indoor Nationals in which they won the shuttle hurdles relay. "It feels good to fly out to California, do some sight seeing, and then win big and put our name up there," said second leg Alexander who helped his team build a good lead over the two Arizona schools and California squad in the invitational division of the hurdle relay with them.

VIDEOS

09 Arcadia Invite - Invite Girls 4x800

09 Arcadia Invite - Seeded Boys 4x800

09 Arcadia Invite - Invite Boys 4x800

09 Arcadia Invite - Boys 4x200

09 Arcadia Invite - Boys Shuttle Hurdles Relay

09 Arcadia Invite - Invite Boys 1600 SMR

09 Arcadia Invite - Seeded Boys 110H

09 Arcadia Invite - Invite Boys 800 (Finish)

09 Arcadia Invite - Invite Boys DMR

09 Arcadia Invite - Invite Boys 4x400

all videos posted here