Lewis Tries to Stretch Long Streak : He Goes for His 46th Straight Long Jump Win at Mt. SAC

Although an injury contributed to Carl Lewis’ off year (by his standards) in 1985, one thing has remained constant in his career:

Nobody can beat him in the long jump.

Lewis has won the event in 45 consecutive meets dating back to 1981. He will go for No. 46 today in the Mt. San Antonio Relays at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

The runway has been lengthened to 180 feet to accommodate him in his pursuit of Bob Beamon’s elusive world record of 29 feet 2 1/2 inches established at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. It’s the oldest field event mark in the book.

Lewis, though, has the best jump at low altitude, 28-10, and he regards the Mt. SAC facility as an excellent one.

He will also double today, running the 100 meters on the track where he recorded a wind-aided time of 9.90 seconds last year.

In 1984, Lewis geared his season to Olympic gold medals. And he got four of them--in the 100, 200, long jump and 400-meter relay--at the Coliseum.

He was off to an auspicious start last year before he strained his right hamstring while long jumping at the UCLA Invitational May 18.

Lewis did not fully recover from the injury until late in the season. He was fourth in a 100 heat at the TAC meet and lost two races in Europe before winning three straight to end his season.

In his “off year,” Lewis was still ranked No. 1 in both the 100 and long jump by Track & Field News, for the fifth straight year. But for the first time since 1982, he wasn’t the magazine’s Athlete of the Year, dropping to a No. 7 ranking.

Lewis says he’s now fit and will concentrate on track through June, meaning no outside distractions, such as cutting another album, as he did in Japan, or accepting a part in a movie.

Although Lewis has seemingly been around for a long time, he is only 24, and time is still on his side in his pursuit of world records.

He has the second-fastest time in the 100 at sea level, 9.97, and the fastest time in the 200 at low altitude, 19.75. The respective world records are 9.93 by Calvin Smith and 19.72 by Italy’s Pietro Mennea. Both marks were set at high altitude.

Lewis isn’t the only attraction in the 27th renewal of the meet in the rolling hills of Walnut, 29 miles east of Los Angeles.

Other prominent athletes competing include sprinters Harvey Glance, Evelyn Ashford, Alice Brown and Merlene Ottey-Page; high hurdlers Greg Foster, Andre Phillips and Tonie Campbell; quarter milers Gabriel Tiacoh, Ray Armstead, Antonio McKay and Bert Cameron; high jumper Debbie Brill; javelin throwers Tom Petranoff and Iceland’s Einar Vilhjalmsson; long jumper Larry Myricks; pole vaulters Earl Bell, Brad Pursley and Doug Lytle, and a Finnish contingent headed by Olympic hammer throw gold medalist Juha Tiainen, Tiina Lillak, the 1983 world champion in the women’s javelin, and high hurdler Arto Bryggare.

Randy Barnes, Texas A&M;’s outstanding freshman shotputter, surprised himself with his 71-9 1/2 throw last Saturday in a meet in Waco, Tex.

“I never expected 71-9 1/2 this year, or so early in the season,” he said. “Every shotputter would like to throw over 70 feet in every meet, but I try not to dwell on how far I’m throwing. There are a lot guys trying to beat me.”

More experienced shotputters will be trying today, and Barnes said he’s excited about competing against athletes who have been his idols.

He said his goal is to break John Brenner’s collegiate record of 71-11 if inflamed tissues on his throwing hand don’t restrict him this season.

Track and Field Notes The open portion of the Mt. SAC meet will begin at noon. . . . Carl Lewis’ outdoor schedule: Houston Invitational next Saturday, California Relays at Modesto May 10, Bud Light-Jenner meet at San Jose May 31, Prefontaine meet at Eugene, Ore., June 7 and USA-Mobil championships at Eugene June 19-21. . . . Lewis is also expected to compete in the Goodwill Games in Moscow in July before making a short European tour. . . . Trivia: Larry Myricks is the last athlete who beat Lewis in the long jump. That was Feb. 28, 1981. . . . It was incorrectly reported last week that Myricks didn’t make the 1984 Olympic long jump final. He got to the final, finishing fourth.