Pepsi Meet Attracts a Great Field

The premier field gathered in track and field to date in 1986 will be present at the annual Pepsi Invitational, Saturday afternoon, May 17, at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. Field events start at 12 noon, with the first race at 12:40.

Pepsi has drawn several foreign greats, along with most of America’s premier stars. Overseas aces include Olympic 800-meter champion Joaquim Cruz of Brazil, gold medalist Julius Korir of Kenya, in the 3000-meter steeplechase, world 60-meter record holder indoors Nellie Cooman of the Netherlands and 1983 world champion Imrich Bugar of Czechoslovakia, in the discus.

The domestic standouts will include Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Willie Banks, Steve Scott, Mike Tully, Charlie Simpkins, Earl Bell, Earl Jones, Johnny Gray, Antonio McKay, Michael Franks, Claudette Groenendaal, Doug Padilla, Art Burns, Tom Petranoff, John Brenner and Jackie Joyner.

Feature events could be the 400-meter, where perhaps the fastest one-lap field ever assembled will run. It includes bronze medalist Antonio McKay, Olympic silver medalist Gabriel Tiacoh, UCLA’s great Henry Thomas, Darell Robinson, 1985 world number one ranked Michael Franks and Innocent Egbunike of Nigeria.

The best change for a world record could come in the triple jump, where world record holder Willie Banks is fit and faces a strong challenge from Charlie Simpkins, who earlier this year set a world record indoors of 57-5 at the Sunkist meet.

Johnny Gray had an impeccable indoor season, headed by world records at both the 880 and 1000 yards. He set a new American record of 1:42.60 for 800 in 1985 and has aims on the world record this spring.

Agberto Guymares, the strong Brazilian, Billy Konchellah of Kenya, fourth-place finisher in the Olympics, and David Mack will make Gray hustle.

The Pepsi mile spotlights the great Cruz, one of the most dominant figures of the Olympic Games, and America’s Steve Scott, holder of the U.S. record at 3:47.69 in the mile. Last year the two had a stirring photo finish at Pepsi, with Cruz edging Scott by 1/100 of a second.

The 3000 could be a classic with Doug Padilla, winner in 1985 of the World Grand Prix championship, matches against the great Korir of Kenya. Padilla has been America’s dominant distance runner for the past several years.

The high hurdles has been a province of Olympic silver medalist Greg Foster, who has won the event six times in eight years, including head-to-head matchups against Renaldo Nehemiah. Foster faces Arto Bryggare of Finland, Olympic bronze medalist, World Cup champion Tonie Campbell, Milan Stewart and Sam Turner.

Valerie will be after a possible American record in the 200, where she meets Olympic medalist Alice Brown, great UCLA sophomore Gail Devers and Jennifer Inniss.

The women’s 800 could be a highlight as Groenendaal, whom many experts predict will become a new Mary Decker, meets Delia Walton-Floyd, Olympic silver medalist Kim Gallagher, Joetta Clark and Renee Ross.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketron and the UCLA ticket office, (213) 825-5368.