Top athletes set stage for Simplot Games finale

Elite athletes will clash in tomorrow’s finals
by Luc Martin

Pocatello, Idaho – In today’s Simplot Games preliminary competition, Ashton Purvis, a junior from Oakland, California, turned in a stellar performance with an impressive 24.08 in the 200 meters and a 7.52 in the 60 meters. (High-resolution image of Purvis available at www.simplotgamesmedia.blogspot.com)

“I feel good about tomorrow, I can’t wait to see what I can do,” says Purvis about Saturday’s finals.

The Core Speed track club from Los Angeles also showcased their talent by placing three individuals in the top seven of the 200 meters, finishing first in the 4x200 meters, and second in the 4x400 meters.

Other outstanding prelim perfromances and athletes to watch in tomorrow’s finals include –

• Shade Weygandt, a senior from Mansfield, Texas, is the nations #1 girls pole vaulter. She looks to break the national record in Saturday’s finals.
• Omar Craddock from Killen, Texas, will face-off Johnny Carter from Bakersfield, California, in the triple jump.
• Track E.C., of New Bern, North Carolina, will race in the 1600-meter Sprint Medley. This relay team looks to break the 13-year-old national record.
• Candace Eddy, a senior from Kaysville, Utah, will look to add to her impressive Simplot Games resume of two previous 1600 meters first place wins and one runner-up finish.
• A 60-meter-dash showdown between Cameron Marshal from San Jose, California, and Kyle Middlebrooks from Anaheim, California, who both posted prelim-best times of 6.98 seconds.
• he Throw1Deep club from Marietta, Georgia, dominated the weight throw by winning both events and winning 10 of 12 medals. They look to do the same in the shot put.

Ashton Purvis runs in the girls' 200-meter dash at Simplot Games.
photo by Mike Roberts

click photo for high resolution image