San Diego Colleges : Now, Clayton Cleans Up on the Race Course

Two years ago, the only running San Diego State’s Matt Clayton was doing was between tables as a bus boy.

After one year on a track scholarship at Northern Arizona, Clayton transferred to Southwestern Community College, where he lasted a semester.

Clayton took a job as a bus boy after dropping out of college. A once-rigid regimen that helped him win consecutive San Diego Section 2-A cross country titles in 1981 and 1982 was reduced to occasional efforts at running.

Now at SDSU, Clayton has rededicated himself.

After a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference championships, Clayton regrouped and won the NCAA District 7 individual title at Salt Lake City last Saturday, finishing the 10,000-meter course in 31:10. The Aztecs placed sixth in team competition.

Clayton is the first Aztec to win a district individual title and the first to run in the NCAA championships since 1977.

But in the summer of 1985, Clayton’s running career seemed all but over.

While Clayton was working in a restaurant, Rich Cota, now the cross-country coach at the University of San Diego, contacted Clayton and talked him into running again--this time at San Diego City College, where Cota was coaching at the time.

Clayton won the state community college title as a sophomore.

“I missed the competition a lot,” Clayton said. “I’d hate to look back when I’m 40 and say I wish I had done this. I wanted to look back when I was 40 and say I gave it my best shot.”

From San Diego City, Clayton transferred to San Diego State, where he is now shooting for an All-American season. If Clayton places among the top 25 runners at the NCAA championships Nov. 23 in Charlottesville, Va., he will earn All-American status--first team if he places in the top seven.

But just making the nationals was a major achievement. Three weeks ago, at the WAC championships, Clayton suffered cramps throughout the race and finished fourth. To reach the NCAA championships, he needed to place no lower than third in the District 7 race.

Entering the district meet, Clayton had one objective.

“Revenge, redeeming myself,” he said. “It really kept me working hard for the last couple weeks. I knew I wouldn’t get cramps again. I ran more conservatively.”

At the district meet, Clayton pulled away from the pack 3 3/4 miles into the race.

“I opened up quick,” Clayton said. “In 100 yards, I had a 30-yard lead on the field and cruised in. After four miles I figured they would really have to work to catch me.”

As he cruised to the district title, Clayton said he started thinking about the NCAA championships.

“Before the race, (SDSU Coach) Tom (Lux) pulled me aside and said, ‘You know, I’ve never been to Washington, D.C., and I’m counting on you to get me there,’ ” Clayton said. “I’m just happy I got him there.”

Grossmont Community College remains the state’s top-ranked women’s volleyball team in the JC Athletic Bureau coaches poll. The Griffins (30-5-1 overall and 10-0 in conference) clinched a share of the Pacific Coast Conference championship last week with a victory over Imperial Valley College.

The Griffins can win their third straight PCC title outright with a victory over second-place Palomar College Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Grossmont.

A pizza-party fund raiser will be held after Grossmont’s match against Palomar to help the team meet expenses associated with playing in the state tournament.

The MiraCosta women’s cross-country team won the Southern California Championships at Orange Nov. 13 and will advance to the state meet Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. MiraCosta finished with 80 points, Orange Coast had 85 and El Camino was third with 91. San Diego Mesa was eighth with 201 points.

Grossmont College’s men’s cross-country team advanced to the state meet for the 16th time in the last 17 years after finishing second in the Southern California Championships.

Mark Dani led the Griffins with a second-place finish. Dani, who won the San Diego Section title in 1985 as a senior at Valhalla High, finished the four-mile course in 19:19. Angel Hernandez of Los Angeles Trade Tech won the individual title in 18:48. MiraCosta’s Henry Chio was fourth in 19:42.

El Camino won the team championship with 66 points, Grossmont had 87 and San Diego Mesa was third with 111. The top five teams advance.

Imperial Valley College is favored to win its second straight Pacific Coast Conference men’s basketball title. IVC is ranked No. 10 in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau coaches poll. Grossmont College is ranked No. 13 in the state poll. El Camino is ranked No. 1.