Desert Twlight XC, Chandler Prep VB Invite highlight weekend

September 27, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Highland's Caroline McLeskey and Leo Daschbach have been among the top XC runners this season. The Hawks are at Desert Twilight on Friday. (AzPreps365 photo).

It's a weekend of mega events in cross country and volleyball Friday Sept. 28 (cross country-volleyball) and Saturday Sept. 29 (more volleyball) with the annual Desert Twilight XC Invitational in Casa Grande and Chandler Prep's hosting of a 96-team, all-Arizona volleyball tournament in Tempe.

Desert Twilight takes place at Grande Sports World, 12684 W. Gila Bend Highway in Casa Grande with just about any and everybody in the state and many top schools from out of state competing in various races, including a couple middle school races. Races begin at 4 p.m. with freshman races and conclude with the top races -- Sweepstakes girls (9 pm) and Sweepstakes boys (9:25 p.m.).

Here is the entire race schedule: 4:00 PM - Boys Frosh Small School; 4:15 PM Girls Frosh Small School; 4:30 PM Boys Frosh Large School; 4:45 PM Girls Frosh Large School; 5:00 PM Jr..High Girls (1.5 miles), 5:15 PM Jr. High Boys (1.5 miles), 5:30 PM Boys Small Schools Open 1, 5:45 PM Boys Small Schools Open 2, 6:00 PM Girls Small Schools Open, 6:15 PM Boys Large School Open 1; 6:25 Pm Boys Large School Open 2; 6:35 PM Boys Large School Open 3; 6:45 PM Girls Large School Open 1; 7:00 PM Girls Large School Open 2; 7:15 PM Girls Small School Varsity; 7:30 PM Girls Large School Varsity; 7:40 PM Boys Small School Varsity 1; 7:47 PM Boys Small School Varsity 2; 7:55 PM Boys Large School Varsity; 8:05 PM Community Race; 8:25 PM Girls Championship; 8:40 PM Boys Championship; 9:00 PM Sole Sports Girls Sweepstakes; 9:25 PM Sole Sports Boys Sweepstakes.

Large school division races are for schools with enrollments of 1,800 or more; small school division races for schools with less than 1,800 students.

VOLLEYBALL

Chandler Prep is the host school for its invite with competition taking place at various locations on the campus of Arizona State University. The tournament has more of a small school feel with most of the top 6A, 5A and 4A schools not competing. The locations for matches are ASU Fitness Complex and ASU PE West. There are three divisions -- Platinum, Gold and Silver with 32 teams competeing in each division. Pool play is Friday starting at 9 a.m and continuing through 10 p.m.  Bracket play is set for Saturday with play beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing to division final games at approximately 5 p.m.