THE SIMPLOT GAMESSome of the top prep scholar athletes from across the United States and Canada will be in attendance.
Tune in to Altitude Sports and Entertainment on Sunday, March 2, at 2 pm to view the premier of the Simplot Games. Altitude is available on DISH network channel 410 and Direct TV channel 644.
Contact your local cable company for more information on the Simplot Games or visit the following sites: Simplot Games (
www.simplotgames.com) Altitude TV (www.altitude.tv), and/or DyeStat (www.dyestat.com).SIMPLOT PREVIEW 2008
RICH GONZALEZ of DyeStat
GIRLS
HIGH JUMP
Both Tara Richmond of Poly (Long Beach) and Camilla Dencer of West Valley Christian (North Hills, Ca.) are entered at 5-8. Richmond best win came in placing second at the USA JO Intermediate Division and Dencer had her best effort in placing fourth at the State meet. Both cleared 5-7. Kaycee Brunel of Nampa Christian, Nampa, Id.) has done 5-7 and both Danielle O’Donnell of Canada and Aziza Baker of St. Mary’s (Stockton) are entered at 5-6.
POLE VAULT
Junior Shade Weygandt of Mansfield (Tx.) and senior Rachel Laurent of Vanderbilt Catholic (Houma, La.) have been playing ‘can you top this’ as they both move up the all-time indoor list. Weygandt, who was the winner here last year in a national freshman indoor record of 12-9, opened up with a 13-7 at the Vault summit to improve her indoor best by one inch and remain No. 4 on the all-time list. Laurent then cleared 13-7 ¼ to win the State qualifier meet and move into fourth all-time. Weygandt answered with a 13-8 clearance at the Trojan Games in Enid (Ok.) to retake fourth on the all-time list. Elizabeth Stover of Longmont (Co.), a gymnast who had just taken up the event when she place third here last year at 11-9, improved all the way to 12-9 ½ outdoor in placing third in the USA JO Young Womens Division at Walnut. She has a best of 12-1 this indoor season. Lindsay Baird of South (Eugene, Or.), who had a best of just 12-3 outdoors last year, cleared 12-7 at the Vault Summit to rank No. 5 in the nation. Chelsea Barr of Nampa Christian (Nampa, Id.) was the State 2A champion and has a best of 12-2.
LONG JUMP
Defending champion Karynn Dunn of Diamond Ranch (Pomona, Ca.) won with a mark of 19-10 ¼ which turned out to be her best legal mark for the year. She had a wind-aided 20-6 ½ in the State prelims and another wind-aided mark of 19-11 ¼ to finish fourth in the final. Vashti Thomas of Mt. Pleasant (San Jose) won the MLK Run for the Dream at 19-0 ½ to rank No. 4 indoors this season. Last year she had 20-2 in the Central Coast Section semifinals to rank No. 5 in the nation and them placed third at State with a wind-aided 20-1½. Junior Andrea Geubelle of Curtis (Tacoma, Wa.) had a 19-7 outdoors last year before an injury ended her season early. Ashtyn Baltimore was third here last year in 18-7 and then jumped 19-04 ¾ to place third at Mt. San Antonio Relays and then finished sixth at state with an 18-10¼. Ciarra Brewer of James Logan (Union City, Ca.)was second at the MLK Run for the Dream at 18-6 ½. Last year she had a best of 18-10 to win the USA JO Youth Division at Walnut. Sophomore Audrey West of Star Valley (Afton,Ut.) won the BYU Invitational at 18-10 ½ to rank No. 7 indoors. Sophomore Olivia Hudson of Wilson (Long Beach) jumped 18-10 to place fifth in the USA JO Intermediate Division in 2007.
TRIPLE JUMP
Vashti Thomas of Mt. Pleasant (San Jose) was third here last year at 38-10 ¾. This year he has done 40-5 ¼ to rank No. 1 in the nation. Outdoors last spring she jumped 41-6 ½ in the Central Coast Section finals to rank No. 4 in the nation, was second in the State meet with a wind-aided 42-3 ¼ and placed third at the U.S.A. Junior National with a 41-1 ¾. Amanda Hunter of Marlborough (Los Angeles) was sixth at the Washington Open at 39-1¾ to move into seventh on the yearly indoor list. Last year she was second at Arcadia with a personal best of 41-2 ¼ and then finished eighth in the State meet with a 39-11 ¼. Freshman Ciarra Brewer of James Logan (Union City, Ca.) was third at the MLK Run for the Dream and last year outdoor she had a best of 39-3 in a U.S. Regional JO meet. Junior Alexandria White of Washington (Denver) has jumped 38-8 ¾ to win the Joe Davies Indoor meet. Last Spring Andrea Guebelle of Curtis (Tacoma, Wa.) won the XO Invitational at 38-9 1/2.
BOYS
HIGH JUMP
Andre McDonald of Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.), the defending champion at 6-10, begins the challenge of winning three field events here. Outdoors, last spring, he had three meets over 7-0. He won the State 4A meet at 6-9 and had a best of 7-0 ½. Maurice Valentine of Castro Valley (Ca.) was the State champion at 6-10 and had a best of 7-0 ¼ in the Summer. Another jumper to watch is Kevin Rutledge of Bellarmine Prep (San Jose), who won the Central Coast Section finals at 6-8 and has also long jumped 23-2 ¼.
POLE VAULT
Last year the two best Youth Division (under 18) pole vaulters in the world were Nico Weiler of Los Gatos (Ca.) and Corey Shank of Northrop (Ft. Wayne, In.), and both will be here. Weiler, a foreign exchange student from Germany, is the yearly indoor leader at 17-2. Last year Weiler was just outstanding, winning the State meet at 17-2 just one week after clearing a personal best of 17-6 ¼ at the Central Coast Section finals. Weiler went on to win the World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic at 17-3. But for a fault in qualifying system the U.S. uses, that requires competing in one of three national meets a year before the World Youth Championships, Shank might well have joined Weiler in Ostrava. Shank has a best of 16-4 ¾ to rank No. 7 indoors this season. Last year as a junior, after a severe back injury prevented him from competing in the summer of 2006, he won the State meet at 17-0. Weiler and Shank are just two of an outstanding field that includes five 16-0 vaulters. Blair Wallingford of Roseville (Ca.) has already done 15-8 at the Vault Summit and last year was second in the State meet at 16-4. Justin Gebicki of East (Cheyenne, Wy.), who also has done 15-8 at the Vault Summit, was second in the State 4A meet at 15-6 and a week earlier cleared 16-3. Jason Pelletier of Bryan (Ar.) has in indoor best of 16-1 ¼ this season. Last year he won the State Meet of Champions at 15-8 and had a best of 15-9 ¾ in finishing fourth at the Nike Outdoor nationals.
LONG JUMP
Andre McDonald of Park City (Kansas City, Mo.) — sound familiar? —was fourth here last year at 22-10 ¼. He went on the win the State 4A meet at 23-0 ½, just two weeks after jumping 23-10, where no wind gage was present. Kevin Rutledge of Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) has not competed indoor, but has a best of 23-2 ¾ last spring.Steven Michel of Laramie (Wy.) was fourth last year at 22-9 ¼ and has a best of 23-4. Junior Omar Craddock of Killeen (Tx.) is entered with a best of 22-11 and already has done 49-5 in winning the Carl Lewis indoor meet.
TRIPLE JUMP
Stephen Michael of Laramie (Wy.) is the No. 2 indoor jumper in the nation with his 49-10 ½ at the Shine Invitational. Last year he won the State 4A title at 48-5. Junior Omar Craddock of Killeen (Tx.), with his 49-5 in winning the Carl Lewis Invitational ranks No. 4 in the nation. Stephen Scott-Ellis of Canada has a best of 48-7.Andre McDonald of Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.) — there he is again — was second in the State 4A meet in 2007 with a best of 48-2 ¾. Joseph Hill of Washington (Denver) has an indoor best of 46-5 in January, but last year won the State 4A meet at 47-11. Kason Covington of Capital (Boise, Id.) was fourth here last year and had a best of 47-2 outdoors. Bryan Mack of Arlington (Wa.) won the Washington Preview meet at 46-10.
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