Athletes from hundreds of schools and about two-dozen states plus Canada will compete Friday and Saturday, April 9-10 at the largest high school track meet in the country, the 44th annual Arcadia Invitational at the Arcadia High School.

25 national records have been set at the meet, which has also proven to be a breeding ground for Olympic athletes — 125 of them competed here first, including Marion Jones.

The first competitions start at 4:30 Friday and run all day and evening Saturday.

Following is a video highlight of the 2008 event.

 

The Arcadia High School cross-country team won the Nike National Championship meet on Saturday in Portland, Ore. and finished the season undefeated.
Even though the Apache team phenom Ammar Moussa, lost his first race of the season, finishing fourth, and the team’s 92 points was the fewest ever scored in the meet, the team was thrilled with the outcome. Read more in the Pasadena Star-News.

Arcadia student cross country runners, a figure skater, and a baton twirler were all extremely successful in major competitions from Long Beach to France last week.

Arcadia High senior Ammar Moussa led the Apache cross country team to CIF State titles at Woodward Park, Ca., Saturday, completing an undefeated season. Moussa had the day’s fastest time on the 5-kilometer course at 14 minutes, 43 seconds. It was the second-fastest time on the course and the fastest in a State Division I race. The Apaches boys won the team title by 84 points, their first state crown. Their team time of 76:12 was the fastest ever for the course, according to the Pasadena Star-News. Moussa and the team compete in the 7th Annual Nike Cross Nationals championship in Portland, Oregon this Saturday, Dec. 4.

Mirai Nagasu is thrilled to win first Grand Prix figure skating medal -- silver -- in France.

On the same day in France, 17-year-old Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu of Arcadia medaled for the first time at a Grand Prix event, winning the silver at the Trophee Eric Bompard in France on Saturday. The event was shown on NBC Sunday afternoon. After finishing second in her short program to the “Witches of Eastwick” soundtrack, Mirai had the highest-scoring free skate to music from “Memoirs of a Geisha” but her overall score ranked less than two points behind gold medalist Kiira Korpi of Finland. The medal was notable for Mirai, who placed two spots ahead of prominent Japanese skater Mao Asada, because Mirai had been off the ice for six weeks in July/August with a right ankle stress fracture. She won the short program at the Cup of China earlier this month but dropped to fourth after the free skate.
Mirai had to leave Arcadia High School after her sophomore year to focus on her training for the Olympics last February and as her mother Ikuko was battling cancer. At the family Kiyosuzu restaurant on Baldwin Avenue, Ikuko recently told ArcadiasBest.com that she has recovered well so far from the cancer and is splitting her time working some evening shifts and shuttling Mirai back and forth to her training at Lake Arrowhead.

Kelsey Miller wins four state baton twirling titles.

Six days earlier on Nov. 21, First Avenue Middle School 7th grader Kelsey Miller won four State Titles in Long Beach at the 2011 State Twirl Championships — Intermediate State Twirl; Intermediate State X-Strut; All Level State 3-Baton; and Beginner State 2-Baton Titles.
Kelsey juggles three batons at once as the feature twirler for the First Avenue Spartan’s marching band led by Michael Danielson.

– By Scott Hettrick

Arcadia High School cross-country phenom landed in Sports Illustrated and The Los Angeles Times this week just before the nation’s top-ranked runner competes in the Southern Section preliminaries Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College, followed a week later by the section finals and then the state championships in Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 27. The national championship is in San Diego’s Mission Bay Park on Feb. 5.
He was pictured in SI “Faces in the Crowd” section with the following mini-profile:

Ammar, a senior at Arcadia High, tied the course record (14:24) to win the three-mile Mt. SAC Invitational in Walnut, Calif. His effort helped the Apaches, ranked No. 1 in the nation, take the team title in a meet-record time of 75:16. Ammar also won the three-mile Woodbridge Cross Country Classic and the 5K Stanford and Clovis invitationals.

Arcadia High School top cross country runner in the nation, Ammar Moussa -- photo by Gina Ferazzi of The Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, the Times ran a big four-column profile of the 5’7 125-pound Moussa in the sports section of last Sunday’s paper quoting Moussa and his AHS coach Jim O’Brien about how much Moussa has matured to become the consummate team player. Last year he won the Division I championship at the state finals in 14:59, the fastest time in any division. He then went on to finish fourth at the Nike Cross-Country Nationals finals.

– By Scott Hettrick

Arcadia High School‘s 2010 homecoming Friday night (Oct. 8th) could not have been more successful: a huge pass on the opening play that led to a romp of longtime nemesis John Muir High School, the usual homecoming festivities including the crowning of the Queen and King, fireworks, and a performance by the award-winning marching band and color guard, and perfect weather, to showcase all the renovations at Salter Stadium, including new bleachers for the home fans and visitors, including red chairs for the best seats, and a new and bigger press box.
The following video features 2-minutes of highlights of the night’s events: