Balkin Bounces Back Into High Jump Picture

With Jimmy Howard and Dwight Stones in the high jump at last Saturday’s Pepsi Invitational at UCLA, little was expected of Lee Balkin.

But Balkin won with a jump of 7-6 1/2.

Balkin, while at Glendale High School, set a state high jump record of 7 feet 3 inches, then went on to UCLA, where in 1981 he jumped 7-4 as a freshman.

But in 1982 he tore tendons in his left ankle and wound up having surgery five times. Three of the operations were major. After one, he spent a month in a hospital bed.

He didn’t jump again until 1984, then almost quit the sport.

Now he has renewed interest. “I think I can go 7-7, 7-8,” Balkin said at a track luncheon Monday. “I made 7-6 1/2 on a bad jump. That was encouraging. My ankle feels pretty good, although I’ve got scars like you wouldn’t believe.”

Balkin recently began working with Stones, another former Glendale High jumper, and Stones’ coach, Harry Snider. Balkin said he plans to jump in a competition organized by Stones May 31 at Ambassador College in Pasadena, then in the ARCO meet June 8 at the Coliseum.

Another overlooked athlete is Al Joyner, who was also at Monday’s luncheon. Joyner won an Olympic gold medal in the triple jump, but his sister, Jackie, UCLA’s outstanding heptathlete, is considerably better known.

Al Joyner, besides triple jumping, is trying to make a name for himself in the 110-meter high hurdles, where he finished second in Saturday’s meet with a wind-aided time of 13.69. Andre Phillips won in 13.32.

“I slipped at the start and still had a good time,” Joyner said.

Track Notes

Mike Tully and Billy Olson failed in their attempts to set an American record of 19-2 in the pole vault at the Pepsi meet on Saturday, but Joe Dial of Oklahoma State cleared 19-2 1/2 at a meet in Norman, Okla., Sunday. That broke the record of 19-1 1/2 set by Dial May 10 at the Big Eight meet. . . . Promoter Al Franken said that the hamstring injury that caused Carl Lewis to pass on his final two jumps Saturday is a little more serious than at first believed. Lewis had the injury checked by a doctor Monday. . . . Darrell Robinson, 21, a former national high school 400 champion from Tacoma, Wash., finished second in the 400 Saturday in 45.16, behind Innocent Egbunike of Azusa Pacific who won in 45.15. Robinson recently moved from Tacoma to train with Coach Chuck DeBus of the Los Angeles track club. Saturday’s meet was his first outdoor competition of the season. Robinson has his sights set on a world record. “I’m not competing to be second best,” he said Monday. “I want to be No. 1, the best. If I can’t be, I’ll get a job, wear a tie and take the earrings off.” Robinson said he is taking his running more seriously. “I used to chase girls. I had overactive hormones. I got engaged and got my heart broken. Now I’ve found myself and feel good about myself.”