Arrival of phenom Wilson puts Arcadia meet on front burner

Olympic gold medalist from Maryland brings buzz and world-class speed to iconic event.

- BY ERIC SONDHEIMER

ZION PHELPS of Loyola, left, looks to build on his success at 100 meters after edging Emmanuel Pullins, right, of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame last week.

This is the weekend high school track and field takes center stage in Southern California. Quincy Wilson, who won a gold medal at the age of 16 at the 2024 Olympic Games, is coming from Maryland to compete at 400 meters and two-relays at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High on Saturday.

“I'm so fired up,” Servite coach Brandon Thomas said.

And Thomas isn’t running.

Servite’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams will have to deal with Bullis High and Wilson running the anchor leg in races that should have fans standing on their feet while listening to the oohs and aahs.

“From a competitive standpoint, they're excited to compete against the country’s best,” Thomas said.

Servite’s 4x100 relay team sent a message on Saturday, becoming the first to break 40 seconds in California history, winning in 39.82 seconds at Trabuco Hills.