U.S. Olympic Festival Roundup : Brisco Sets Meet Record in Women’s 200

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Valerie Brisco led an assault on the U.S. Olympic Festival record book Friday night during the opening session of track and field.

Despite stifling 96-degree heat at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium, LaTanya Sheffield and Lynn Jennings also set Festival marks.

At Chapel Hill, N.C., Robin Richter of Lincoln, Neb., recovered from a shaky start to earn an individual gold medal and lead her West team to the group title in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition.

Brisco, 27, of Los Angeles, running her first 200 meters of the year, burst into a huge early lead and was never challenged in posting a time of 22.28 seconds. It was the third fastest by an American this year and broke Brisco’s Festival record of 22.57, set in 1985.

Danette Young of Jacksonville, Fla. was second in 22.96.

Sheffield, of El Cajon, Calif., ran the 400-meter hurdles in 55.63, breaking Lori McCauley’s 1983 mark of 55.69. Jennings, Newmarkert, N.H., ran the 3,000 meters in 8:56.89, beating Jan Merrill’s 1982 record of 8:58.58.

Brisco, who said she is seeking to break her own American record in the 400 meters today, is also scheduled to run in the 1,600 meter relay Sunday. She decided to run the 200 just five hours before race time, replacing fellow Olympic gold medalist Evelyn Ashford, who sprained an ankle two weeks ago in an Italian meet.

“This is my first 200 of the year and I’m still testing myself,” Brisco said. “I feel I’m ready to run. I’ve had to get myself back into running shape. It’s nice here--but it is hot.”

Sheffield, 23, pulled even with Kellie Roberts at the third hurdle and was comfortably in front in the stretch before tiring near the end. Sheffield was the 1985 NCAA champion at San Diego State while setting an American record in the 400 hurdles at 54.66.

“I wanted to get out as fast as I could and set a pace that if I flawed, I could still maintain my race,” Sheffield said. “It was not a very good race, certainly not my best performance.”

Lance Deal, 25, of Eugene, Ore. uncorked the five best efforts in the hammer throw and won at 239 feet 9 inches. That was less than four feet short of the meet record of 243-5, set last year by Ken Flax, also of Eugene.

In gymnastics at the Dean Smith Center, Richter, 15, started off in sixth place but battled her way into first after three events and finished with a total score of 38.30 points. Danna Lister, 15, of Tulsa, Okla., a member of the gold medal team in the 1986 Festival, took the silver with a score of 38.15. Newcomer Sunja Knapp, 14, of Reading, Pa., finished third with 37.9.

Richter’s final score matched the gold medal performamce of Kristie Phillips in last year’s Festival, when Richter finished third behind Phoebe Mills. Neither Phillips nor Mills is in this year’s event.

“It’s nice to know I can compete my way and get the same score as Kristie,” Richter said. “This really helps a lot to build confidence.”

In ice hockey at Greensboro, N.C., Bob Kudelski scored at 17:48 of the third period to lift the South to a 5-4 victory over the North, setting up a rematch Sunday night for the gold medal. Kudeleski, Agawam, Mass., put in a rebound of a short shot by Dave Sunggerud of Minnetonka, Minn., who scored the South’s third goal. Both teams will enter the championship at 2-1.

The West hockey team broke out of its record-setting scoring slump, getting three goals from Wally Chapman and Mike deCarle in a 9-2 victory over the East.

Only a small segment of the Festival was carried live by ESPN, which decided to stick with a Davis Cup elimination match between John McEnroe and West Germany’s Boris Becker. Festival competition was televised later on a tape-delay basis.