Humphreys sophomore Cassandra Jarzabek heads to the finish of the 800, which she won in Far East meet and Pacific-record time. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Cassandra Jarzabek made her swan-song appearance in a Far East track and field meet a record-setting one.
The Humphreys sophomore and reigning Far East cross country champion shattered the meet and Pacific 800-meter record by 2.3 seconds Thursday en route to a sweep of the three signature distance events, including the 1,600 and 3,200 over the two-day event.
“This was all I ever wanted ever since my days at Yokota,” said Jarzabek, who ran as a middle schooler for Yokota two years ago. “I just needed to give it everything I got and I did.”
Jarzabek’s record-breaking performance highlighted a meet in which two meet and Pacific records were eclipsed, the other one being the boys 1,600-meter relay by American School In Japan.
Other meet records that tumbled were the boys and girls triple jumps, broken by Kubasaki’s Carlos Cadet and Nile C. Kinnick’s Helsa Sokpoh; and the boys and girls sprint-medley relay records, the boys by Guam High and the girls by Kinnick.
Jarzabek entered track season having already won the combined Far East Division I and Asia-Pacific Invitational cross country title last October, and set the Pacific cross country 5-kilometer mark with a 17:58 earlier that month.
Having set goals of breaking the Pacific track records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, Jarzabek beat the 1,600-meter record by clocking 5:03.27 last month but came up two seconds short of the Far East meet record on Wednesday, running 5:07.42.
She left nothing to chance in Thursday’s 800. Jarzabek took the lead immediately and sped to a 2:15.68, 2.3 seconds faster than the old meet and Pacific record of 2:17.98, set a year ago by Matthew C. Perry’s Jane Williams.
“Good conditions, no wind,” Jarzabek said. “I was still having to push myself, but I got it done.”
“Besides her obvious talent, she has such tremendous drive,” Humphreys distance coach David Elger said of Jarzabek. “She sets her goals and she achieves them.”
Williams, now running for Utah State, also preceded Jarzabek as the meet and Pacific 1,600-meter record holder and the Pacific cross country record holder.
Jarzabek came up short in her bid to beat Williams’ Pacific record in the 3,200 and the meet record set in 2015 by Seisen’s Brittani Shappell. Jarzabek was timed in 11:09.57; Williams’ Pacific-record time is 11:00.89 and Shappell’s meet record is 11:04.56.
“I ran all out in the 800,” Jarzabek said, adding that there were “no excuses. I’m proud of myself. I left it all out there.”
Kadena's Neil Kentish, middle, outlasts ASIJ's Oisin Kaiyo and Yokota's Baron Reed to win the 100 and 200. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Yokota sophomore Camielle Dixon said she was "running angry" in winning the 200, after finishing last in the 400. She also won the 100, earning the unofficial title of "Pacific's fastest female." (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Carlos Cadet and Guam High's Jayden Jackson took turns winning hurdles events, Jackson taking the 300 and Cadet, the Pacific record holder, the 110. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Carlos Cadet leaps to a Far East meet record 13.40 in the triple jump. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Perry's Jeremiah Wardrobe outlasts Yokota's Baron Reed to the finish of the 400. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena senior Neil Kentish, the unofficial "Pacific's fastest human," outlasts ASIJ's Oisin Kaiya to the finish of the 100. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Carlos Cadet leaps to a Far East meet record 13.40 in the triple jump. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Cadet, the Pacific record holder in the 110-meter hurdles (14.61), divided the 110 and 300 hurdle titles with Guam High’s Jayden Jackson. Cadet edged Jackson in the 110 16.05 seconds to 16.33; in the 300, Jackson clocked 40.53 to Cadet’s 40.71.
Jackson credits longtime Guam track coach Joe Taitano for his success. “He’s pushing us hard,” Jackson said. “He has high hopes for us. He’s motivating us to try our hardest, even if we don’t win.”
Minutes after falling in the 300 hurdles, Cadet recorded 13.40 meters in the triple jump, breaking his own meet record set a year ago by a shade under one meter (12.41).
“It feels great,” Cadet said of the triple jump record. “Now, I know what progress I can make when I put my mind to something.”
Sokpoh’s best triple was measured at 10.56, which broke the meet record set two years ago by Humphreys’ Danielle Okorie. Sokpoh said she used to do gymnastics, “so I’m used to jumping. I feel like (triple jump) is different from running. You get more opportunities to improve.”
Earning the unofficial titles of “Pacific’s fastest human” and “Pacific’s fastest female” were a pair of Panther sprinters.
Kadena senior Neil Kentish swept the boys 100 and 200, clocking 11.20 and 22.47, while Yokota sophomore Camielle Dixon was timed in 12.65 and 25.72, closing in on the Pacific records of 12.26 and 25.52.
“I feel all the hard work I put in in the offseason paid off,” Kentish said. His best time this season is 10.52.
Dixon said she felt motivated for the 200 after finishing last in the 400 earlier in the meet. “I didn’t win it, so I was running angry in the 200,” she said. “I said to myself, I’ll show them what I can do.”
The meet ended with a Pacific record-breaking 1,600 relay performance by the Mustangs, who were timed in 3:22.70. They broke ASIJ’s own record of 3:23.24 set in 2016.
“We were completely aware” of the Pacific record, said Mustangs junior Lukas Corrado. “We’ve been reaching for it all season.”
The team championships followed the pattern of three-peats and repeats in Far East tournaments in other sports.
Kinnick won the Division I boys, girls and overall school banners for the fourth straight year, something the Red Devils also did from 2015-18. “That was our goal, to match what we did,” said coach Luke Voth.
And Yokota repeated the boys, girls and overall Division II school banner, but former Panthers star and current coach Danny Galvin said he’s not calling his team a dynasty yet.
“You need three and beyond” to be called a dynasty, Galvin said, adding that the Panthers are “well positioned” to make it three straight next year, with Dixon, sophomore Baron Reed, freshman Madeline Frost and junior Matthew Rowland returning.
“We have to come back and keep putting in the work,” Galvin said. “But a lot of our top dogs will be ready.”
