SHORELINE INVITATIONAL 2008

 

The Shoreline Invitational has always been the ‘event to attend’ for the top track and field athletes. This huge event is held just before the crucial league meets and is the perfect venue for the great and soon to be great to flex their muscles and try out the new spikes.

This year’s track season has been challenging to say the least. Late snows, cold temperatures, rain and wind have repeatedly kept the lid on most of the invitationals this season.

Ordinarily theses events bring out the best in athletes, this year they have continually brought out more layers of clothes.

The Eason Invite in Snohomish was called because of 5’ of snow, 1 week earlier.

Premeet notices set the school attendance over 80 teams and athlete attendance over 1000. By meet start the numbers climbed well over the 1000 mark.

Ordinarily this event draws a large number of schools and kids, the Meet staff has always put together a well run and successful event. This year, in spite of the largest crowd ever, the staff again putt together a flawless event. The schedule was closely followed, events ran smooth and the packed stands were always happy.

The morning temperature was 47deg, it was overcast and breezy, by meet start time the temperature was hovering around 60 and the sun was shining. At the premeet briefing the biggest talk was about the perfect weather.

The entire meet did not disappoint,

Highlights include

Ezra John Griffey, Decator 10.67 100M

Maurice McNeal,Tacoma Babtiste 22.99 200M

Maurice McNeal, Tacoma Babtist 49.01 400M

Mason McHenry, Sehome 4:12.56 1600M

Abraham Berhe SO Roosevelt FR-SO 1600M 4:28.0

The entire list of athletes at this premier boys event showed up and delivered a great day.

The real highlight of the day was the elite 3200M. This event put 26 sub 10.00 runners into 1 race. The LAST of the list finished the event at 9:53.63!

This roster included all most of the top performers of the past several years.

The meet record for this event is held by Max O’Donohue MacDonald of Seattle prep, set just last year at 8:59.73

Ryan Prentice, Miles Unterreiner, Kyle King, Seth Bridges, Andrew Kimpel, , the list goes on, these guys have redefined distance running in Washington state and have lead another year of success in bringing the Northwest to the top of the national prestige in distance running.

Not to disappoint the packed stands, the race started out fast and never slowed down. The opening lap saw Ryan prentice announcing his intention to take the event. A blistering 1:04 set the first lap. Things settled in , ‘kind of’, a 2:12 800 split, a 4:31 1600 split. Ryan led the pack for most of the first half, by the third lap Miles made a move and closed the 10 yard gap. For the last half the race turned into a true test for the 2 top distance athletes in the state. The two were neck and neck into the last lap. Approaching the last lap, Ryan prentice seemed to find just a bit more, with the crowd on its feet, delivering a constant thundering peel , Ryan delivered a 1:01 on his last lap. He finished the race with a .03 “disappointment.” 9:59.76

A great race, knowing the caliber of these guys and watching the talent of this group feeding and growing on each others success, I can’t wait to see what happens at the state meet in Pasco.

A great race, a great show, a great day.