The 77th annual Nike Chandler Rotary Invitational again offers two full days of competition for track and field athletes from around the state and many out of state starting Friday morning March 24 and continuing through late Saturday March 25 at Chandler High's Austin Field.

A record number of schools (154) and entries (4,218) will be competing. The meet begins Friday at 9 a.m. with the open invitational. Added this year to the Friday schedule and beginning at 7 p.m. are four relays -- 4X1600, 4X200, 800 sprint medley and a distance medley. Competition Saturday begins with the seeded invitational starting at 8:45 a.m. (field events) and 9:15 a.m. (track events). The elite invitational portion starts Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (field events) and 4:30 p.m. (track events). Admission is $10 per day for adults and $5 for students with ID and seniors. A two-day adult admission can be purchased on Friday for $15. 

Elite athletes to watch on the girls side are Tara Davis (Agoura HS, Agoura, CA), who could threaten meet records in the long jump, triple jump and high hurdles and Brie Oakley (Grandview HS, Aurora, CO) in the distance races, particularly the 3,200. A double winner from last year returns -- Mountain Pointe senior thrower Kayleigh Conlon. Conlon won the shot and discus last year and recorded a meet-record toss in the shot put (45-8).

Attention should also paid to throws on the boys side with Canyon del Oro's Turner Washington, Desert Edge's Tyson Jones and Desert Vista's Elijah Mason in the shot and discus. All three have thrown 61 feet in the shot. Washington threw the discus 211 feet, 1 inche last week. That's the top throw in the nation this year. Jones and Mason have toyed with the 200-foot mark. Washington set the meet record last year in discus -- the lone boys meet record to fall last year.