DyeStat.com – News – King’s Alyssa Hope Looks to Rule the Runway Again at Arcadia Invitational

Following sweep of long jump and triple jump titles in February at California Winter Outdoor Championships at same venue, along with a pair of victories at last year’s Arcadia Invitational, USC commit seeks another impressive double

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

At first glance, it looks like USC-bound senior Alyssa Hope is a walking – or leaping – contradiction.

Her coach at Martin Luther King High in Riverside, Calif., says she prefers operating under the radar.

“She likes to stay out of the spotlight, come there to do her job, then check out,” King coach Mat Vasel said.

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Yet, when it comes to the big stage, the adrenaline gets going, and the defending girls state champion in the triple jump feels most comfortable, even with everyone else in the field now aiming for her.

“Surprisingly, it’s the same in the sense that I have the same motivation and the same drive to do as well as I did last year,” Hope said. “The only thing is I feel the pressure to keep getting better.

“I feel like I work well under pressure.”

It’s hard to argue with Hope’s results.

Along with the aforementioned state championship, she is ranked second in the nation in the long jump this season.

Hope also captured both the long jump and triple jump titles Feb. 4 at the California Winter Outdoor Championships at Arcadia High.

And Hope will try to build on that early season success Saturday night at the 55th Arcadia Invitational at the same venue.

Hope is slated to compete in both the invitational long jump and triple jump, as well as the 4×100-meter relay along with twin sister Coryssa, a relationship that both challenges and helps Alyssa every day.

Hope will square off for the first time this season with reigning state long jump champion Sydnie Vanek of Clovis High in a rematch of their impressive showdown at last year’s final when both athletes surpassed 20 feet.

Hope will also compete in the invitational triple jump against Jada Gatlin from Mission Viejo, the state leader at 40-8 (12.39m) from her April 1 effort at the Trabuco Hills Invitational.

In the relay, King is scheduled to compete against reigning state champion Gardena Serra, Carson and anchor Reign Redmond – the defending state 100-meter champ – as well as Lake Oswego High from Oregon and junior standout Mia Brahe-Pederson, the national high school indoor record holder in the 200 meters.

“So through all four years of high school, she’s been my…