Denean Howard Changes Lanes

For more than three years, Denean Howard has been misleading people.

First, there were three straight 400-meter championships at annual The Athletics Congress meets.

Then came an Olympic gold medal in 1984 as a member of the U. S. 4 X 400 meter relay.

The string of successes earned Howard a reputation as a world-class track athlete.

But tonight Howard returns to her first love--basketball--as a member of the Cal State Los Angeles women’s team. The Golden Eagles open the season at Cal Baptist.

“Basketball has always been my favorite sport,” said Howard, whose sisters Sherri and Tina are also first-class runners. “Most people wouldn’t know that because they see us excel in track and field.

“I had thought about going to college on a basketball scholarship, but when we moved here from Alaska, our success in track sort of overrode that idea.”

Howard was within reach of a college basketball scholarship in 1981 at Kennedy High, where she earned a spot on the All-City first team as the Cougars won the 4-A championship.

But her father, Eugene, believed that track held the best future for his daughters. Basketball was out, training for the Olympics was in.

The week before basketball practice began in mid-October, Eugene Howard changed his mind.

“Track is not over,” Denean Howard said. “I’m planning on going to the 1988 Olympics. But right about now I need some kind of diversion.”

That was good news for first-year Cal State Los Angeles Coach Fran Buckless, who goes for her 200th career victory tonight.

“Denean really pushes herself,” Buckless said. “But sometimes we have to remind her that she has been away from it for a while and it will take some time to get back.”

When Howard does return to form, the Golden Eagles could have one of the most explosive fast breaks in the nation. For the moment, basketball still hasn’t caught up to Howard--or vice versa.