Instead of Hawaii or Disneyland, Mason Finley of Salida, Colo., is celebrating his high school graduation by traveling the country competing in track and field meets.

Finley won both the shot put (69 feet, 6 1/4 inches) and the discus (207-2) at the 50th Golden West Invitational at Folsom High School. In winning the GWI discus crown, he matched the feat of his father and coach, Jared, in 1977.

"It brings back a lot of memories," Jared Finley said. "Makes me want to get out there and throw it around again."

Mason Finley, bound for UCLA in the fall, won the shot put and discus in the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic in Albuquerque, N.M., last weekend and will continue his tour next weekend at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., then at the USA Track and Field Junior Nationals in Eugene, Ore., at the end of the month.

Should he place in the top two there, Finley, who has the top high school mark this year (236-6), may yet get his vacation. That would mean a berth in the Pan American Junior Championships, July 31- Aug. 2 in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

For now, Finley is content traveling the country with pops. "There's nothing I'd rather be doing," he said.

Meanwhile, Mississippi's Tavaris Tate did not disappoint in the boys 400 meters. He had run the fastest high school 400 this year (45.48 seconds) and won easily Saturday (46.46) to retain his GWI crown.

Jordan Hasay of San Luis Obispo's Mission Prep ran the mile in 4 minutes, 44.28 seconds, the quickest in the nation this year, to win her third GWI mile title.

Jesuit's R.J. Frasier ran his way to two podium finishes – third place in the boys 110 hurdles (14.48) and second in the 300 hurdles (37.87)

Foothill's T'Keyah Birkley ran 44.09 for second in the girls 300 hurdles, and Placer's Derrick Hinch was second in the pole vault (15-9 1/4) to top the list of local performances.

While other meets have come and gone, the GWI, featuring "the cream of the crop of high school athletes," according to meet director John Mansoor, has stood the test of time. Following five years in Southern California, the meet moved to Sacramento in 1965, where it has been since.

Sacramento State hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2000 and 2004, and the NCAA championships in 2003 and from 2005 to 2007. Hughes Stadium hosted the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships six times between 1997 and 2008.

"Sacramento is a great track town," Mansoor said. "We've proven that over and over again."

The meet, which Mansoor estimates takes nearly $50,000 to put on and utilizes 100 volunteers, has survived recession, and competition from other prep meets and the NCAA championships.

The golden anniversary of the GWI featured 440 athletes from Anchorage, Alaska, to Miami, including 42 Sacramento-area entries.

While the GWI remains popular with elite athletes – who are required to bring a coach and pay their way – spectator interest has dwindled in the past decade. Folsom's Prairie City Stadium was at about two-thirds of its capacity.

There is talk of next year merging the event formerly known as the Modesto Relays – an event that until 2009, Mansoor said, had been going strong for 63 years – with the GWI in hopes of drawing more fans and keeping the history-rich events going.

"People get spoiled," Mansoor said of Sacramento hosting the Olympic Trials and NCAA championships. "It will take a few years to get those fans back and to get the next generation of track fans to come out."

Source : http://www.sacbee.com