Top Girls to Run in Arcadia Meet

Forty-nine area athletes and 11 local relay teams will compete Saturday night in the Arcadia Invitational track and field meet at Arcadia High.

Among those scheduled to compete are Rio Mesa sprinter Marion Jones and distance runners Deena Drossin of Agoura and Nikki Shaw of Fillmore.

Jones, a sophomore who leads the nation in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, will compete in the 100 and 200 races despite injuring her left ankle during workouts Monday at Rio Mesa. She also will anchor the Spartans’ 400 relay team.

She will be challenged in the 100 and 200 by Cocoa (Fla.) High’s Zundra Feagin, who posted the nation’s top high school marks of 11.35 and 23.13 seconds last year.

Drossin will compete against a strong field in the 3,200. The defending state champion (10:29.60 last year) will face Thousand Oaks sophomore Stacy Auer (10:49.57 this season) and Westlake senior Jeannie Rothman (10:52.1). Fillmore sophomore Maribella Aparicio, who has run 10:53.03, also will compete.

Shaw recorded the fastest 1,600 time in the state (4:55.24) in winning the event at the Pasadena Games last month. Shaw’s 2:12.98 speed in the 800 will help her contend with Rogers High’s (Spokane, Wash.) Sarah Schwald, the national prep mile leader a year ago in 4:50.23.

Canyons’ Dave Hartman again will meet Angel Martinez of San Gabriel in the 3,200. Hartman finished second to the Matador junior in the two-mile at the National Scholastic Indoor championships March 9. Hartman, a senior, ran 9:06.28 last year and Martinez, the state’s No. 1 returnee, has clocked 8:56.48.

High-jumper Brock Chase of Antelope Valley has the second-best mark (6-10) entering the competition behind Lorenzo Roberts (7-0) of Auburndale, Fla.