Track and field notes: Sandwich’s Sunny Weber runs record-setting time at prestigious Arcadia Invitational

Sunny Weber’s coach at Sandwich wanted her to make a statement on the national stage this spring.

Weber was looking for redemption last weekend.

The Sandwich junior did both at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California.

Weber took fifth place in the invite section of the women’s 2-mile run at the 57th Arcadia Invitational in the suburb of Los Angeles.

In doing so, Weber set a new Sandwich school record and personal best of 10:02 for 3,200 meters and finished the 2 miles in a school record 10:05.58.

Jane Hedengren from Timpview, Utah, won the race in a national record time of 9:34.12. The Arcadia, a two-day track and field meet, is considered one of the most competitive high school track and field events in the United States, attracting top athletes from across the country and internationally.

“It was super good, the environment was nice – I like running at night," Weber said. “I like running under the lights, a good environment for me. Leading up I was able to put a lot of attention on my race and try my best.”

Weber has already carved out quite a career on the Illinois high school racing scene.

She won the Class 2A state cross country championship last fall after taking second place in Class 1A as a freshman and third in Class 2A as a sophomore.

Weber’s been a two-time medalist in track and field both as a freshman and sophomore, the highlight a Class 2A 3,200-meter state championship last May.

Her distance coach at Sandwich, Brian Long, encouraged Weber to expand her horizons this spring.

“My coach wanted me to get into more well-known races just to put myself out there – he wanted me to make a statement," Weber said. “I never got a chance to explore and go to different places. It was a nice change and a good experience.”

Weber in March ran at the New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston, taking 26th over 2 miles in 10:26.70. She was far from satisfied.

“It was just a different environment; I was not used to running with that kind of competition, it was a change, and it messed with me mentally,” Weber said. “I felt like I could have done a lot better, but it helped me grow. I’m more confident now with competition, which is good.”

She qualified for Arcadia with her 10:15 run at the Illinois Meet of Champions.

“I was aware of the competition at Arcadia,” she said. “I wanted to stay in the top pack and not get too far behind, not get caught up in the later pack, stay in the top six.”

Weber’s plan for the rest of outdoor season is good quality workouts, not as many meets running her bread and butter, the 1,600 and 3,200. She will run them at conference, sectionals and state and plans to run at New Balance Nationals Outdoors in June in Philadelphia.

“I think [Arcadia] has helped me gain more experience and confidence, prepare me for future races,” she said.

Tristan Meszaros’ huge nights leads Plano sweep

Plano’s boys and girls track and field teams swept the team championships at their “Field of Dreams Invitational” in down-to-the-wire finishes.

The Plano boys edged Aurora Central Catholic 115-112.5. The girls did the same, beating out ACC 129-126.

The star of the night, and really for the season so far, was Plano senior Tristan Meszaros.

A week after breaking 13-year-old records in the 100 and 200 at Mendota’s Don Gooden Invitational, Meszaros ran a meet record 10.87 seconds in the 100 and came back to run a 22.42 200, winning both. He also was second in the long jump.

“Tristan, the season he’s put together has been so cool to see,” Plano coach Andrew DeBolt said. “I have known him for four years now and have seen how much he cares and how much work he put in. The missing element, this year, is he has a ton of confidence.”

Meszaros had a strong indoor season culminating at the Top Times meet in Bloomington, and carried it right into outdoors.

“He is a kid that sometimes would have a ton of thoughts going into his head,” DeBolt said. “He simplified it. He knows he’s the fastest guy on the track and can run with anyone. Now he gets on the line and does it.”

He did at Plano’s big meet, big PR’s despite less than ideal conditions.

“If you can run 10.86 in that ... I think having the Streator kid [Isaiah Brown] next to him helped, the Streator kid is legitimate,” DeBolt said. “The rain had stopped but throughout the night, it was probably 20 mile-per-hour winds, kind of a crosswind for the 100. Still really chilly.”