Emmanuel Sgouros rund TX No. 1 All-Time in 3,200m at 2022 Arcadia Invitational
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran - MileSplit CA
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Historically, the Arcadia Invitational is a huge piece to each high school track and field season that comes by. The performances are usually some of the best of the season and always leave a mark of the current year.
This year is no different and not only did it affect the West Coast, but it also had implications here in Texas; several Texans were at the Arcadia Invitational and a couple left with notable performances.
Emmanuel Sgouros - Houston St. John's
Sgouros knew he had the fitness and ability to run under nine minutes in the 3,200m, but it usually takes the right race and some consistent pacing to do it. He enlisted in several races to help him get on and stay on pace to get the performance he was looking for, but those attempts unfortunately fell short.
This weekend, the Arcadia Invitational had several runners who had already accomplished what he was looking to do, including the US No. 2 all-time performer in the event, Colin Sahlman. That pretty much assured that he would get the type of race he wanted, and the University of Texas signee did.
There were a total of 23 boys in the Invitational race who ran under nine minutes, including Sgouros. He finished in seventh place with a personal record time of 8:47.19. That is the fastest 3,200m time by a Texas high school athlete, and cracked the 8:49.12 set by Craig Nowak (Cypress Woods) back in 2012, which was also ran at Arcadia.
Only the great Colby Lowe (Southlake Carroll) and his 8:44.01 in 2008 and Ben Shearer (The Woodlands Christian) and his 8:45.83 last year have run faster with their two mile converted times. However, Emmanuel Sgouros, the Eastbay Nationals All-American and Texas Gatorade XC POY is now the top Texan of all-time in the 3,200m.
Isaac McGill competes at the 2022 Arcadia Inv.
Photo Credit - Raymond Tran - MileSplit CA
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Isaac McGill - Amarillo
With UIL district championships already going on and continuing next week, going to Arcadia is a gamble for most UIL runners. It was the same for McGill, but the gamble paid off when it comes to personal gains. McGill ran a personal best 9:00.85 in the 3,200.
Not only was this a nearly 16 second PR for McGill, but it could be the momentum he needed to roll into championship season for his senior season. The University of Portland signee recently set the Amarillo Relays record in the event and that began the ball rolling down hill in the event this season. Now, with a nine minute time, the third place finisher from last year's UIL 5A state track and field meet and this year's cross country state meet runner-up could be ready for big regional meet and state meet runs and match-ups with Walker St. John.
Autumn Wilson competes at the 2022 Arcadia Inv.
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran - MileSplit CA
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Autumn Wilson - Austin St. Dominic Savio
Like most sprinters, Wilson is in search for fast races as well as wind legal races. This weekend she got the wind legal she was looking bor, but herself, made the race fast.
The Georgia signee was the class of the field in California as she took down the defending 100m champion and added some impressive marks to her resume. Wilson won the Invitational 100m in 11.49 with only a +0.1 meter per second wind reading. That was nearly as perfect of a wind reading as she could have asked for when it comes to proving her natural speed. She led five other girls under 12.00 seconds in route to her win.
Wilson returned to the track later in the evening for the 200m when she led top runners from multiple states. The TAPPS star won her second race of the meet with a 23.69 (+ 0.6) pacing two other girls under 24.00 seconds and winning both races by .01.
Micah Bell - Houston Kinkaid
Houston Kinkaid two-sport star Micah Bell competed in the long jump and finished sixth overall. Bell jumped 22 feet; he was one of few to jump into a headwind as every athlete finishing ahead of him had a significant tail wind.