WY Duo Blazes Track in California Sun
April 11, 2018
As we progress through the track season, many meets have been cancelled due to bad weather, but a few Whitney Young runners have found a way to get around the weather and still race, by going to California. Clayton Mendez 18’ and Sam Rivera 19’ travelled to California this past weekend to run at the 2018 Arcadia Invitational. The meet is widely known for being one of the best outdoor meets of the season, and running in it is a huge honor. Sam competed in the mile around noon on 4/7/2018 while Clayton raced in the two-mile later that night.
In the mile, Sam ran a blazing time of 4:25 and placed 23rd in open mile. This is not his PR (personal record) as he has delivered a 4:18 mile at the end of the 2017 track season. With lots of outdoor track to go for this season, one can only imagine what Rivera will accomplish in these coming months. Sam had this to say about his race: “This race was such a amazing opportunity. Leaving the cold of Chicago to run in this beautiful weather was truly a fun time. I’m excited for what’s to come next.”
In the two-mile, Clayton ran with several other Illinois runners such as Danny Kilrea 18’ (Lyons Township) and Dylan Jacobs 18’ (Sandburg) trying to escape the cold Midwest weather. Out of a field of 33, Clayton ran a 9:00 and placed 18th. The finish of the race was crazy with around 20 guys finishing in the span on 10 seconds. Clayton had this to say about his race: “I’m happy with it, obviously it’s not my PR, but I still have a lot of time left. I am grateful for the chance to come here and participate with a field this talented. Look out for me come May and June.”
Clayton Mendez will be attending Stanford University in the Fall.
Results to Clayton and Sam’s Races
