ENGLEWOOD | A lot of top competition raced at the Liberty Bell Invitational Saturday, but Ana Holland needed only to race herself.
The Regis Jesuit senior sprint star capped a huge weekend at the elite meet at Littleton Public Schools Stadium with a performance in the 200 meter dash that set a new standard for girls across the country.
With three major competitors scratched from the field, Holland crossed the finish line in a blistering 23.29 seconds, or a hundredth of a second faster than the previous time recorded in the United States this season. According to Milesplit.com, Kaylin Whitney of East Ridge High School in Florida ran a 23.30 on April 24.
Holland’s time — which had an acceptable wind reading — also broke the Colorado state record of 23.36 seconds, held since 1994 by Denver East’s Aspen Burkett, and flattened the previous Liberty Bell standard of 24.32 recorded by Mullen’s Christine Scott in 2011.
It was the second state record Holland — a University of Virginia signee — added her to resume at the two-day meet, as she set a new Colorado mark in the 400 meters on Friday.
Holland’s time of 53.58 seconds in the prelims, which was just ahead of Pine Creek’s Alleandra Watt (53.78), put her atop the state recordbooks in front of the 53.71 set by Denver South’s Cynthia Newsome way back in 1993. The previous meet record in the 400 was a 55.08 set last season’s by Littleton’s Kayla Edwards.
Saturday’s 400 final had only three competitors, however, as Holland, Watt, and three others in the top eight in prelims scratched from the race.
Also on Saturday, Holland finished second in the 100 meter dash behind Valor Christian star Marybeth Sant. Sant clocked a meet record time of 11.49 seconds, just an eyelash in front of Holland, who finished in a personal best time of 11.51.
Holland’s efforts, plus the triple jump meet record of 39 feet, 2 3/4 inches set by teammate Kelsey Cunningham, helped the Regis Jesuit girls to ninth place in the field of 43 teams, just a point behind Grandview, which was an Aurora-best eighth.
Adaeze Obinnah won the shot put championship for the Wolves.
On the boys side, Gateway forged a three-way tie with Arapahoe and Cherry Creek for fourth place in the boys field of 43 teams.
Senior Zack Golditch’s discus title and junior Devundrick Walker’s 800 meter crown helped the Olys pile up 32 points, two better than seventh-place Grandview.
Junior Jordan Hatfield won the pole vault to help Regis Jesuit to a ninth-place total of 27 points. Hatfield — who leads the state with a jump of 15 feet, 8 inches — took the competition by successfully clearing 15 feet.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2013 LIBERTY BELL TRACK & FIELD INVITATIONAL
April 26-27 at Littleton Public Schools Stadium
Boys team scores: 1. Fountain-Fort Carson 84 points; 2. Fort Collins 50; 3. Poudre 36; T4. GATEWAY 32; T4. Arapahoe 32; T4. Cherry Creek 32; 7. GRANDVIEW 30; 8. Valor Christian 29; 9. REGIS JESUIT 27; 10. Ralston Valley 23; 11. Heritage 22; 12. Mountain Vista 21; 13. Chatfield 20; 14. Highlands Ranch 19; 15. Castle View 18; 16. Rock Canyon 17; 17. Fairview 16.5; 18. Douglas County 16; 19. Niwot 15; 20. Denver South 11; T21. Mullen 10; T21. Wasson 10; T21. Estes Park 10; 24. Silver Creek 9.5; T25. Grand Junction 9; T25. Monarch 9; T25. ThunderRidge 9; T25. Chaparral 9; T25. Evergreen 9; T30. Liberty 8; T30. Air Academy 8; 32. Littleton 7; 33. Battle Mountain 6; T34. EAGLECREST 5; T34. Pine Creek 5; T34. Pomona 5; T37. SMOKY HILL 4; T37. Faith Christian 4; T37. Columbine 4; 40. Palmer 3.5; 41. Peak to Peak 2.5; T42. Dakota Ridge 1; T42. D’Evelyn 1
Girls team scores: 1. Cherry Creek 76 points; 2. Arapahoe 64; 3. ThunderRidge 42; 4. Pine Creek 40; 5. Fort Collins 38; 6. Fountain-Fort Carson 37; 7. Valor Christian 34; 8. GRANDVIEW 30; 9. REGIS JESUIT 29; 10. Fairview 27; 11. Rock Canyon 26; T12. Poudre 21; T12. George Washington 21; T14. Denver East 17; T14. Golden 17; T16. EAGLECREST 15; T16. Chatfield 15; T16. Air Academy 15; 19. Monarch 13; 20. Highlands Ranch 12.5; 21. Palisade 12; 22. SMOKY HILL 11.5; 23. Chaparral 11; T24. Mullen 10; T24. West Grant 10; 26. Niwot 7.5; T27. Arvada West 7; T27. Boulder 7; 29. Littleton 6; T30. Doherty 5; T30. Fruita Monument 5; T30. Battle Mountain 5; T30. Mountain Vista 5; 34. Castle View 4.5; T35. Ralston Valley 4; T35. Palmer 4; T37. Lakewood 3; T37. D’Evelyn 3; T37. Dakota Ridge 3; T40. Heritage 2; T40. Telluride 2; T42. Grand Junction 1; T42. Pomona 1
