Lewis Says He’s Fit, Wins Qualifying Heats

Carl Lewis began his quest for three gold medals in the USA-Mobil outdoor track and field championships Thursday by breezing to qualifying heat victories in the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter dashes and qualifying for the long jump final.

Lewis, winner of the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and the long jump in the 1983 national championships at Indianapolis, is trying to win those three events again this year.

The 200 and long jump finals will be contested today, with the 100 final on Saturday.

“I’m in the best shape that I’ve ever been in,” Lewis said. “The way I’m running is at least as good as it’s ever been. I ran very relaxed and very smooth and jumped rather easily.

“My goals are to go under 10 in the 100, under 20 in the 200 and in the 28-(foot) range (in the long jump).”

Danny Harris, who ended Edwin Moses’ 107-race winning streak earlier this month at Madrid, Spain, and Moses each won their heats in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.

Harris, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist behind Moses, was timed in 48.79 seconds in beating Tranel Hawkins, the Olympic bronze medalist, who was second in the heat in 49.09.

Moses, the two-time Olympic champion and world record holder at 47.02, built a big early lead in his heat and cruised to victory in 49.82.

Four years ago, after completing his first triple, Lewis won gold medals in the 100, long jump and 400-meter relay in the inaugural World Championships at Helsinki, Finland. This year, provided he makes the United States team in all three individual events, Lewis plans to compete in four events, including the relay, in the World Championships at Rome.

He won gold medals in those four events in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

In the long jump trials, Lewis, unbeaten in 49 meets since 1981, went 26 feet 11 inches on his only jump to qualify for the final.

The longest jump in qualifying was a 27-1 3/4 by Larry Myricks, the 1979 World Cup champion and two-time national titleholder.

In the 100 heats, Lewis overpowered his opponents in the final 30 meters and won handily in a wind-aided 10.06 seconds.

In the 200 heats, Lewis stayed with the field until about 70 meters remained, then burst in front and raced easily to the finish line in 20.22.

Calvin Smith, the world record-holder in the 100 and the 1983 world champion in the 200, finished second to Lewis in 20.33, .01 seconds ahead of 1976 Olympian Dwayne Evans.

The sprinters expected to give Lewis his toughest competition in the 200, Olympic silver medalist Kirk Baptiste and NCAA champion Floyd Heard of Texas A&M;, finished 1-2, respectively, in their heat. Each was clocked in 20.18.

In the women’s 200 heats, Florence Griffith, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist, recorded the fastest time, 22.35.

Evelyn Ashford, the Olympic 100 gold medalist, took her 200 heat in 22.55, and Gwen Torrence, the NCAA champion from Georgia, captured the other heat in 22.79.

Ashford also qualified for the 100 semifinals, finishing second in her heat.

The most impressive performer in the women’s 100 trials was Alice Brown. Her 11.01 broke the stadium record of 11.12 and was the fastest time in the world this year by an American.

Defending champion Pam Marshall also went under the old stadium record, winning her heat in 11.08.

Earlier, Tom Petranoff, the American record-holder both with the new and old javelins, broke his meet record in leading the qualifiers for today’s final.

Petranoff’s best throw was 259 feet 6 inches, surpassing the mark of 250-5 he set last year, when the new javelin was introduced.

The next four qualifiers also exceeded Petranoff’s old mark--Craig Cristiansen, 256-5; Mark Babich, 254-8; Duncan Atwood,t 252-7; and Brian Crouser, 252-2.

Jud Logan, the American record-holder and two-time national champion in the hammer throw, led the qualifiers into Saturday’s final with a throw of 251-0, only three inches short of the meet record. Defending champion Bill Green threw 250-0.

Henry Marsh, six-time defending champion and eight-time winner overall in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, eased through his trial heat leading to Saturday’s final. Marsh finished fourth in 8:35.84.

Mark Smith had the fastest time in the two steeplechase heats, 8:33.05.

Quarter-miler Harry Reynolds and high hurdler Tonie Campbell were among the other impressive heat winners.

Reynolds, the NCAA champion from Ohio State who has run the two fastest 400-meter times at sea level, 44.10 and 44.13, took his heat in 45.09. In comparison, the second-fastest heat winner was Antonio McKay, the Olympic bronze medalist, in 44.35.

“I didn’t want to go out and blast it, not with two races to run,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t push too hard, but it was still a tough race. I think it will take a low 44 or high 43 to win.”

Campbell, gold medalist in the 60-meter hurdles in the World Indoor Championships at Indianapolis in March, was clocked in 13.36 for the 110 hurdles.

Greg Foster, ranked No. 1 in the world and the 1983 world champion, took his heat in 13.44.

Valerie Brisco, the Olympic 200 and 400 champion, was runner-up in her 400 heat and advanced to today’s semifinals, along with NCAA champion Lillie Leatherwood-King of Alabama and 1984 Olympian Diane Dixon.