This is the weekend high school track and field takes center stage in Southern California. Quincy Wilson, who won a gold medal at the age of 16 at the 2024 Olympic Games, is coming from Maryland to compete in the 400 and two relays at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High on Saturday.
โIโm so fired up,โ Servite coach Brandon Thomas said.
And Thomas isnโt running.
Serviteโs 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams will have to deal with Bullis High and Wilson running the anchor leg in races that should have fans standing on their feet while listening to the oohs and aahs.
โFrom a competitive standpoint, theyโre excited to compete against the countryโs best,โ Thomas said.
Serviteโs 4×100 relay team sent a message on Saturday, becoming the first to break 40 seconds in California history, winning in 39.82 at Trabuco Hills.
Itโs all a perfect setup, from the atmosphere to the stiff competition, to prepare for next monthโs section and state championships.
Thereโs two Loyola High athletes, sprinter Zion Phelps and 400 runner Ejam Yohannes, who hope to use Arcadia as a springboard to continue their early success this season.
Zion Phelps of Loyola edges Emmanuel Pullins of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the 100 meters on Tuesday, winning in 10.56 seconds. Pullins rans 10.59.
(Craig Weston)
Phelps is in his first year of track after being a defensive back and receiver for the football team. He and Loyolaโs new coach, Sharaud Moore, were having conversions during the fall.
โHe swore up and down he was the fastest kid in the school,โ Moore said. โYeah, put your money where your mouth is.โ
Said Phelps: โI told him, โJust wait.โ I knew I had that speed and wanted to prove it.โ
He ran a wind-aided 100-meter time of 10.39 seconds this spring. Last week in a Mission League dual meet against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, he won with a time of 10.56.
Said Moore: โI was his harshest critic on the field.โWeโre going back and forth and he was right. Heโs s really fast.โ
Showing his speed is legitimate will help with his football recruiting going into his senior year in the fall.
โDefinitely this year has pushed my recruitment out there with my track times,โ Phelps said. โI wanted to show the. Iโm dedicated to this and being a multi-sport athlete. It will translate a lot.โ
Yohannes, set to face Wilson in the 400, has an equally compelling story. He never played organized sports until joining the track team as a freshman. His parents came here from the small African country of Eritrea. His first name is Ethiopian.
He ran the 400 in 52.48 seconds as a freshman, focused more on having fun. Sophomore season he dropped to 50.75 and said to himself, โWow, Iโm fast.โ He started getting serious.
โNow I wanted to be better,โ he said.
An injury in January of last year didnโt let him get the foundation to run as fast as he hoped. He dropped to 47.69. Then Moore became coach, and Yohannes finally put in months of training to build a foundation.
โHe comes in and kills me,โ Yohannes said.
Then came the reward โ 46.11 on March 21. In his final tuneup on Saturday, he ran 47.17 at the Red Rock Running Invitational.
โHeโs a student and studies racing, training, race plans, athletes, programs,โ Moore said.
As for facing Wilson, Yohannesโ attitude is bring him on.
โIโm excited to go out there,โ he said. โItโs great competition. If I donโt believe I can win, nobody else can. If I donโt believe in myself, itโs over. Iโm going to give my best. I might be crazy to saying this, but I think I have chance. Heโs world class already in high school. Heโs top of the line talent, Itโs whoever wins on that given day. This is going to be unreal pressure knowing if I win, my name is out there. That puts me on the map. I can dream.โ
