2017 Mullen Invitational: Last Of Its Kind?

Arria Minor Blisters The Blue Track


Anyone who doesn't expect something big when Arria Minor steps onto the track probably hasn't been around Colorado high school track and field very long. But, regardless of expectations, Minor posted a couple of very big marks on Saturday.

The Denver East sophomore--whose MO is to break open a sprint race in the first 20 strides--had two very big results on Saturday. At about high noon, Minor took her PR 100 meters from 11.64 (established at last year's Mullen Invitational) to 11.54. 

A few hours later, and interrupted by a lead-off leg of Denver East's 4x200, Minor squeezed herself into the blocks again, this time in the northeast corner of the Mullen High School track.

The result was entirely predictable. For all intents and purposes, the race was over in the first 30 meters as the top heat enjoyed increasingly distant view of Minor's backside all the way down the finish straight. When Ken Howell's camera captured the finish, 23.51 seconds had elapsed. 

It wasn't quite a PR; Minor ran 23.42 in State prelims last spring. It was still a meet record, however.

In combination, though Minor's 11.54 and 23.51 gave her US #5 wind-legal marks in both events. Not bad for a state where springtime temperatures rarely top 80F and athletes are still working their way toward peak condition.

All assembled were left to wonder if and when we'll see Minor running the 400 this spring. Minor ran the 400 exactly once before State last year, then ran 52.50 in the State finals. We could see something similar again this year.