High School

5-star football prospect destroys Olympian Noah Lyles' Arcadia Invitational record

The 2025 Arcadia Invitational showcased elite high school track talent, highlighted by 5-star Brandon Arrington breaking Noah Lyles’ 200m meet record and Servite dominating the short distance relays.

Roland Padilla

Robert Gardner of Servite reacts after winning the boys 4×100 Invitational race during the 2025 Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School in Arcadia on Saturday,
Robert Gardner of Servite reacts after winning the boys 4×100 Invitational race during the 2025 Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School in Arcadia on Saturday, / Libby Cline-Birmingham

Year after year, the Arcadia Invitational cements its place as the pinnacle of high school track and field competition in the United States. Dubbed "The Home of National Records," this meet attracts the deepest fields, the fastest times, and the brightest young stars from across the country.

From Olympic hopefuls to state champions, Arcadia is where legends are born, and records are rewritten. High school athletes representing 39 states as well as Canada, England and New Zealand were featured at this meet. A record 823 schools registered for entry, with a record 650 schools eventually earning an acceptance.

There were some historic performances both for California state history and as well as a national scale over the weekend. There were three meet records from California squads as well as one from New Jersey.

FRIDAY NIGHT SESSION

Servite's blazing young squad featuring star freshman, Jaelen Hunter, were absolutely flying during this race as they now hold the nation's third fastest time and set the meet record. The previous record was 1 minute, 24.15 seconds by St. John Bosco in the 2022 meet.

The sister school of Servite, Rosary Academy, went off as another US leading mark was set Friday night.

Led by sophomore, Lucas Alberts, who is ranked 5th in California in the 800 meter race, the Maruders showed their depth in the mid-distance 4x800 meter relay claimming the nation's top mark this season.

Anne Elise Packard led this squad as she currently ranks second in the state in the 800 meter with a time of 2:07.89 — 8:53.48 in the 2022 meet by Union Catholic (NJ) was the record. This JSerra relay crew was just .37 of a second off of it.

Long Beach Wilson had strong a strong showing as they set the meet record in the boys 1600-meter sprint medley relay. They won by almost 4 seconds and really put their stamp on the meet.

SATURDAY SESSION

Servite continued to steal the show as the Friars won the 4x100 and 4x400 relays in amazing fashion As they set the California state record in the 4x100 meter relay with a blazing time 40 seconds on the nose as they claimed the fastest time in the US this season. Not to mention their 4x400 comprising of only freshman . Sophomore, Benjamin Harris got second in the 100 with 10.33 seconds, etching his name into the meet record books claiming the 4th fastest time in meet history.

California girls' leader in the 100-meter hurdles, Anisa Bowen-Fontenot out of San Diego High, ran the 4th fastest time in California history clocking in at 13.16 seconds. This was also good enough for the 2nd best mark in meet history. She also took 3rd in the 300-meter hurdles, losing to the state leader out of Georgia, Jasmine Robinson and the California leader, Morgan Herbst.

Her time of 41.26 seconds was a personal record and solidified her spot as the 2nd fastest 300-meter hurdler in the state. Making the case for Anisa to be labeled as the best hurdler in the nation as he is no. 1 in the US for the 100 meter hurdles and 3rd for the 300. Don't forget to mention her freshman brother, Jasir Fontenot, (who is California's fastest in the 110-meter hurdler) took second at the meet in the 110 hurdles.

Fellow San Diego native out of Mount Miguel High School, and five-star football recruit, Brandon Arrington had himself an absolute monster of a day winning both the 100 and 200 meter races. In the 100 he set the 3rd fastest time in meet history with a 10.32 only winning by .01 of a second. In the 200 he was much more dominant as he shattered Olympic gold medalist, Noah Lyles' meet record of 20.49 as he ran a blistering 20.35 standing his ground as the nation's fastest 200 meter runner.

The senior out of Belen Jesuit Prep (FL), Joseph Socarras was a sight to see as he won the 800 meter race by just under three seconds. His mark of 1:47.66 was good for a meet record and the US lead. 2nd place was claimed by Wyland Obando out of Long Beach Wilson with a season record of 1:50.45, just 0.21 seconds off his personal record from last season. This mark ranks him second in California.

In the throws, the most notable performance was in the boys discus as Simon Rosselli out of Mead (WA) as he set the US no.1 mark with a toss of 218 feet, 7 inches. The throw was good for fourth all time in meet history and was the farthest throw in the meet since 2017.

The 57th Annual Arcadia Invitational once again cemented its legacy as the ultimate proving ground for high school athletes. With 3,900 athletes representing 650 schools from across the nation—and even internationally—the event produced moments that will echo through the 2025 outdoor season. In total, the meet saw one national record, 11 meet records, two state records, and performances that now top 18 national leaderboards.

California athletes alone accounted for 30 state-leading marks. More than just a competition, Arcadia continues to serve as a launchpad for future collegiate and Olympic stars, making it a can’t-miss spectacle in the world of prep sports.

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Published
Roland Padilla
ROLAND PADILLA

Roland Padilla is a high school sports journalist, NIL specialist, and analytics strategist covering primarily West Coast track and field, basketball, and football for High School On SI. He began his career in 2015 reporting on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Thunder era for ClutchPoints before moving into full NBA coverage. He later worked directly with the founder/CEO of Ballervisions, shortly leading programming and cross-platform social strategy during its viral 2016 rise covering the Ball brothers—a run that helped propel the brand toward its eventual ESPN acquisition and evolution into SportsCenter NEXT. A three-sport alumnus and current throwing coach at Damien High School, and a former NCAA track athlete at UC San Diego, Roland blends athlete-development knowledge with advanced analytics in his role as a Senior Analyst at DAZN and Team Whistle. He has supported content strategy for major global and U.S. sports properties including World Rugby, FIFA Club World Cup, the New York Mets, MLS, X Games, the Premier League, the NFL, and the Downs2Business podcast. With a strong background in NIL rules, athlete branding, and recruiting, Roland helps families, athletes, and readers navigate the rapidly changing high school sports landscape—bringing national-level storytelling and clarity to the next generation of athletes.

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