Track and field talent converging for Royal Invite
More than 2,600 athletes expected to compete Saturday at RHS
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

This Saturday, the track and field season will kick off for many local high schools when Royal High hosts the 13th annual Royal Twilight Invitational.

The meet will feature approximately 2,600 athletes from 23 schools, including Royal, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Agoura, Westlake and Calabasas.

Because of the size of the allday event, preparations start very early, according to Royal High girls' track and field coach Jay Sramek.

"Basically, planning for the meet begins as soon as it ends the previous year," Sramek said with a laugh. "We had to turn some schools away because it gets so crazy and because some teams turn in their registration a little late."

The meet is different from others due to the large number of races during the day.

Unlike most league meets during the season, the Invitational offers a chance for every athlete on the varsity or soph/frosh level to compete at least once. Awards will be given out to the top five overall finishers in each event.

Sramek said many coaches want their squads to compete because of the quick availability of results that help them evaluate talent.

"We're able to have so many races during the day because of the work of our timing crew, which is now about eight or nine people," Sramek said. "They do a great job of working together and making it possible for results to be instantly put on the scoreboard.

"It almost seems disappointing at other events, because you don't get that instant feedback like you do at the Twilight Invitational."

The Invitational begins at 10 a.m. The price of admission is $5 for spectators ages 17 and up, and $3 for kids ages 7 to 16. Kids 6 and under get in for free.