2016 Brooks Mt. SAC RelaysApr 13, 2016 by Taylor Dutch
Top Storylines of Mt. SAC Relays Men's Competition
Top Storylines of Mt. SAC Relays Men's Competition
WATCH THE 2016 BROOKS MT. SAC RELAYS LIVE! A slew of can’t-miss races await fans at this weekend’s Mt. SAC Relays, which will be broadcasted LIVE on FloTra
WATCH THE 2016 BROOKS MT. SAC RELAYS LIVE!
A slew of can’t-miss races await fans at this weekend’s Mt. SAC Relays, which will be broadcasted LIVE on FloTrack from Cerritos College. Here are some of the top athletes to watch during the three-day track extravaganza.
World Bronze Medalist De Grasse to Complete 100m/200m Double
21-year-old sprint phenom Andre De Grasse will continue his outdoor campaign by running the 100m and 200m. Last year, De Grasse sprinted to breakthrough performances in both events at Mt. SAC, where he ran 9.87 (+4.0) in the 100m, and a then-world lead and PR in the 200m (20.16) in a USC uniform.
This weekend, De Grasse will look to improve on his season debut in Tempe, Arizona, where he ran 20.23 -- his fastest 200m season opener to date.
De Grasse made headlines last summer when he tied for a bronze medal in the 100m at the World Outdoor Championships as a student-athlete. Just a few weeks later, De Grasse announced he would forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility to sign with Puma and run for Canada, his native country, in international competition. In December, De Grasse moved from Los Angeles to Phoenix to train under Stuart McMillan of ALTIS. The decision seems to have paid off for De Grasse, who punched a 60m win at Millrose Games, a 9.99 victory in the 100m at Florida Relays, and another win in the 200m at the Sun Angel Classic.
Solomon Headlines Competitive 800m Field
In 2014, Olympic finalist Duane Solomon set the Mt. SAC Relays 800m meet record with a blazing 1:43.88.
Solomon has clocked two personal bests so far this outdoor season, but not in his marquee event. In his professional debuts over 100m and 200m in late March, Solomon set PRs of 10.84 and 21.96, respectively. He is also returning from racing his first 800m of 2016, which took place in Orlando on March 19. He clocked 1:46.45, his third-fastest season opener ever. Solomon will be joined by his son Liam, who will make his Mt. SAC debut in the “Future Olympian” race.
Solomon will lead a knock-out 800m field that includes Bowerman Track Club’s Lopez Lomong, Pan-American Games bronze medalist Ryan Martin, All-American Eliud Rutto, World Championships competitor Brandon Johnson, and Pan-American Games silver medalist David Torrence.
World Champ Ashton Eaton Makes Outdoor Debut in 110mH and Long Jump
Just a month after winning the World Indoor Championships in the heptathlon, Ashton Eaton is back to competing, starting with the 110m hurdles and long jump at Mt. SAC. Ashton and his wife Brianne, who is also competing this weekend, usually stay in Santa Barbara, California, to train between the indoor and outdoor seasons. This year, they are taking advantage of the Mt. SAC Relays in nearby Cerritos, California.
We caught up with Ashton at last year's Santa Barbara training stint.
The decathlon world record-holder is returning to the track after an indoor season that included another world indoor title. Ashton was also hot in 2015, when he earned another world outdoor title and improved his own world record in the decathlon.
A Hot Field in the High School Boys Mile
Austin Tamagno, Eduardo Herrera, Connor Dunne, and Phillip Rocha are just a few standout names entered in the high school mile, which will serve as a Brooks PR qualifying race. California state champion Tamagno is returning to competition after winning the 800m in a personal-best time of 1:50.93 at the Arcadia Invitational last weekend. Tamagno and Dunne recently matched up in an exciting mile race at the APU/AHS Meet of Champions, where Dunne edged Tamagno by just a fraction of a second. Dunne finished in 4:04.59, while Tamagno finished in 4:04.83. Both athletes walked away with improvements to their personal bests.
Watch Dunne run the No. 1 800m time in the country at the Stanford Invitational two weeks ago.
Colorado commits Eduardo Herrera and Phillip Rocha will also return to competition after running respectable races at Arcadia last weekend. Herrera finished seventh in the 3200m in a new personal best of 8:55.01, while Rocha finished seventh in the mile in 4:17.61.
A slew of can’t-miss races await fans at this weekend’s Mt. SAC Relays, which will be broadcasted LIVE on FloTrack from Cerritos College. Here are some of the top athletes to watch during the three-day track extravaganza.
World Bronze Medalist De Grasse to Complete 100m/200m Double
21-year-old sprint phenom Andre De Grasse will continue his outdoor campaign by running the 100m and 200m. Last year, De Grasse sprinted to breakthrough performances in both events at Mt. SAC, where he ran 9.87 (+4.0) in the 100m, and a then-world lead and PR in the 200m (20.16) in a USC uniform.
This weekend, De Grasse will look to improve on his season debut in Tempe, Arizona, where he ran 20.23 -- his fastest 200m season opener to date.
De Grasse made headlines last summer when he tied for a bronze medal in the 100m at the World Outdoor Championships as a student-athlete. Just a few weeks later, De Grasse announced he would forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility to sign with Puma and run for Canada, his native country, in international competition. In December, De Grasse moved from Los Angeles to Phoenix to train under Stuart McMillan of ALTIS. The decision seems to have paid off for De Grasse, who punched a 60m win at Millrose Games, a 9.99 victory in the 100m at Florida Relays, and another win in the 200m at the Sun Angel Classic.
Solomon Headlines Competitive 800m Field
In 2014, Olympic finalist Duane Solomon set the Mt. SAC Relays 800m meet record with a blazing 1:43.88.
Solomon has clocked two personal bests so far this outdoor season, but not in his marquee event. In his professional debuts over 100m and 200m in late March, Solomon set PRs of 10.84 and 21.96, respectively. He is also returning from racing his first 800m of 2016, which took place in Orlando on March 19. He clocked 1:46.45, his third-fastest season opener ever. Solomon will be joined by his son Liam, who will make his Mt. SAC debut in the “Future Olympian” race.
Solomon will lead a knock-out 800m field that includes Bowerman Track Club’s Lopez Lomong, Pan-American Games bronze medalist Ryan Martin, All-American Eliud Rutto, World Championships competitor Brandon Johnson, and Pan-American Games silver medalist David Torrence.
World Champ Ashton Eaton Makes Outdoor Debut in 110mH and Long Jump
Just a month after winning the World Indoor Championships in the heptathlon, Ashton Eaton is back to competing, starting with the 110m hurdles and long jump at Mt. SAC. Ashton and his wife Brianne, who is also competing this weekend, usually stay in Santa Barbara, California, to train between the indoor and outdoor seasons. This year, they are taking advantage of the Mt. SAC Relays in nearby Cerritos, California.
We caught up with Ashton at last year's Santa Barbara training stint.
The decathlon world record-holder is returning to the track after an indoor season that included another world indoor title. Ashton was also hot in 2015, when he earned another world outdoor title and improved his own world record in the decathlon.
A Hot Field in the High School Boys Mile
Austin Tamagno, Eduardo Herrera, Connor Dunne, and Phillip Rocha are just a few standout names entered in the high school mile, which will serve as a Brooks PR qualifying race. California state champion Tamagno is returning to competition after winning the 800m in a personal-best time of 1:50.93 at the Arcadia Invitational last weekend. Tamagno and Dunne recently matched up in an exciting mile race at the APU/AHS Meet of Champions, where Dunne edged Tamagno by just a fraction of a second. Dunne finished in 4:04.59, while Tamagno finished in 4:04.83. Both athletes walked away with improvements to their personal bests.
Watch Dunne run the No. 1 800m time in the country at the Stanford Invitational two weeks ago.
Colorado commits Eduardo Herrera and Phillip Rocha will also return to competition after running respectable races at Arcadia last weekend. Herrera finished seventh in the 3200m in a new personal best of 8:55.01, while Rocha finished seventh in the mile in 4:17.61.