Hamilton standout Martin runs wind-legal 13.32 to eclipse Prince’s 13.33 effort last year, with Basha star Garcia adding to her legacy with 159-2 (48.51m) javelin performance to complete remarkable career run at meet; Usoro sweeps sprints with 11.50/23.48 double and Taylor clocks 41.79 in 300 hurdles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

CHANDLER, Ariz. – The unmatched consistency of Gabriella Garcia.

The unparalleled hurdle prowess of both Kori Martin and Annaleise Taylor.

And the unwavering commitment to become the best girls sprinter in Arizona prep history by Mayen Usoro.

Whether it was on the straightaway or the runway, the track or the infield, the curve or the ring, remarkable female competitors from several states achieved exceptional efforts Saturday during the elite schedule at the 84th NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational at Austin Field.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | WEBCAST REPLAY | EVENT VIDEOS

Before Martin, a Kentucky-bound senior at Hamilton High, even cleared her first barrier on the way to producing the Arizona all-time mark in the 100-meter hurdles, Garcia had already achieved history earlier in the afternoon in the girls javelin competition.

The Basha High senior, who has signed with reigning NCAA Division 1 champion Oklahoma to play softball, became the only female athlete, as well as the first field event competitor in meet history, to win four consecutive years.

Garcia challenged her 2022 meet record of 159-4 (48.56m) on multiple occasions, following a second-round effort of 159-1 (48.50m) by completing her series with a 159-2 (48.51m) performance on the final attempt, earning recognition as the outstanding girls field event competitor in the meet.

Jea Genet, a Highland senior and softball player as well, made her debut at the NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational a memorable one by elevating to the No. 2 all-time javelin competitor with a third-round throw of 150 feet (45.72m).

Genet added eight feet to her personal-best mark from a Feb. 28 competition at Highland to ascend to No. 6 in Arizona prep history.

Emily Raines, a sophomore at Desert Mountain High in Arizona, took third at 120-9 (36.81m).

With Garcia, Genet and Raines inside the stadium to receive their awards, they were all able to witness Martin running a wind-legal 13.32 seconds in the 100 hurdles, eclipsing the mark set last year by Williams Field standout Saira Prince, now a freshman at Arizona State University.

Martin followed less than an hour later by taking third in the 100-meter dash in 11.75 and concluded her schedule by helping Hamilton place second in the 4x100-meter relay in 46.69, with Chandler’s quartet of Arianna Carry, Imani Galera-Young, Aniya Jackson and S’Niyah Cade prevailing in 46.52.

Martin, selected the top girls track performer at the meet, was also scheduled to compete in the 300-meter hurdles, but decided to wait until April at the Arcadia Invitational in California to evaluate her progress in that event.

That left the spotlight for Canyon View senior Annaleise Taylor, with the Millennium transfer rising to the occasion to celebrate an amazing achievement of her own.

Taylor, who was second to Martin in the 100 hurdles in 13.96, triumphed in the 300 hurdles in 41.79, with Eleanor Borchard of Xavier College Prep from Arizona clocking 42.64 to place second.

Taylor became the only female athlete in meet history to produce sub-14 and sub-42 performances in the same year. She elevated to the No. 2 all-time competitor at the meet in the 300 hurdles, along with ascending to No. 4 in Arizona prep history.

Taylor also contributed to Canyon View winning the 4x400 relay in 3:50.76, joining Madyson Goodman, Brooklyn Grizzell and Aniya Smith in earning the victory, with host Chandler placing second in 3:54.74.

Canyon View also started its day more than 12 hours earlier with a victory in the 4x800 relay in 9:55.61, with Goodman and Smith joining Isabella Velazquez and Miya Carter.

Usoro, a sophomore at Cesar Chavez, had ideal conditions to triumph in the 100-meter dash in a wind-legal 11.50, with Agua Fria’s Stacey Onyepunuka finishing second in 11.70. Usoro improved to the No. 4 all-time prep competitor in the state.

Usoro also contributed to Cesar Chavez taking third in the 4x100 relay in 47.14, before withstanding a 10-minute rainstorm to produce the meet record and ascend to No. 2 in Arizona prep history with a wind-legal 23.48 in the 200.

Lauren Raley, a senior at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, followed a runner-up finish Friday in the 3,200 meters by winning the 1,600 in 4:58.93. Kiki Vaughn from Boulder High in Colorado was second in 4:59.67 and Gianna Rahmer of Eldorado High in New Mexico, who triumphed in the 3,200 in 10:45.69, took third in the 1,600 in 4:59.85.

Brooklyn Montgomery, a senior at Campo Verde High in Arizona, repeated in the girls discus throw with a mark of 140-2 (42.73m) and finished fifth in the shot put at 37-9 (11.50m).

Juliana Garcia, a junior at Basha, placed second in the discus with a throw of 134-8 (41.06m).

Sydnee Finch, a junior at Round Valley High in Arizona, was impressive in her NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational debut by winning the shot put with a 42-9 (13.03m) effort. Finch prevailed in the inaugural open state championship meet last year, combining the top competitors from all five divisions.

Kemarah Howard, a senior at Las Vegas Centennial High in Nevada, won the girls triple jump with a 39-2 (11.93m) performance, in addition to finishing fourth in the long jump at 18 feet (5.50m) and securing sixth in the high jump with a 5-foot clearance (1.52m).

In addition to helping Chandler to its 4x100 victory and finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash in 11.78, Cade also earned victory in the long jump final with a leap of 18-10 (5.74m).

Campo Verde’s Lea Spindell won the 400 meters in 56.76, with Eloise Stuart from Rock Canyon High in Colorado clocking 2:15.58 to take the 800 victory.

Hamilton’s Madisyn Williams cleared 12 feet (3.65m) on her second attempt to prevail in the pole vault, with American Leadership Academy (Queen Creek) sophomore Kyana Williams achieving a 5-6 (1.68m) clearance in the high jump.