Irvine Elite Track Meet : Cubans Impressive in New Event

Edwin Moses called a few friends from near and far and put on a track and field meet Sunday afternoon at UC Irvine.

And if this, his first such attempt, is any indication, Moses has a future in this promoting racket. A three-time Olympian and two-time gold medal winner in the 400-meter hurdler, Moses and Danny Williams, UC Irvine women’s coach, staged the first Irvine Elite track and field meet Sunday before a crowd of 500.

Competitors included Roger Kingdom, Evelyn Ashford, Alisa Harvey, a foursome of Cuban athletes and a host of other world-class athletes.

Kingdom, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 110-meter high hurdles, and Ashford, a three-time Olympian in the 100 meters, were making their outdoor debuts and preparing for The Athletics Congress national championships next week in Houston.

Harvey tuned up for next week’s meet by outkicking Rose Monday and Tara Arnold in the final 10 meters to win the women’s 800 in 2 minutes 3.95 seconds in the most exciting race of the meet, and the only non-sprint event scheduled. Monday was second in 2:03.99 and Arnold was third in 2:04.21.

But the most impressive performances were turned in by the Cubans, all of whom competed Saturday at the Prefontaine meet in Eugene, Ore.

Ana Quirot powered away from the field with 80 meters left to win the women’s 400 meters in 50.45, Roberto Hernandez took the men’s 400 in 45.89. Luis Delis won the discus with a throw of 214 feet 8 inches and Juan Martinez was second with a toss of 213-10.

Quirot, who was top-ranked in the 800 and won the 400 and 800 at the Pan Am Games in 1987, ran the fastest 400 in the world this year with her 50.14 Saturday. She said she was tired from traveling Sunday morning but had little trouble pulling away from Jearl Miles and Marciel Malone, her closest pursuers.

“The competition here was much better (than in Eugene),” Quirot said through an interpreter. “I could have run much faster today but the conditions were windy.”

Miles was a well-beaten second in 51.89 and Malone finished third in 52.09.

Hernandez outdueled former Hawthorne High School star Henry Thomas, competing unattached, in the final 50 meters. Thomas was second in 46.22.

Delis and Martinez finished ahead of Ade Olukoju of Nigeria, who also competes for Azusa Pacific. Olukoju, who won the shotput and discus at the NAIA championships last week at Azusa, finished third with a throw of 210-2.

The Cubans leave for Spain today to start their summer tour on the Grand Prix circuit.

Kingdom and Ashford said they’re not quite ready for the challenge of such high-profile meets.

Kingdom’s plans include a week of intensive training back home in Pittsburgh in preparation for the TAC meet.

“I didn’t run as fast as I would have liked today, but that’s what meets like this one do for you--show you where you’re at,” Kingdom said.

His time of 13.35 was a good first outing, particularly in light of what Kingdom hopes to accomplish this season.

“There are three things I want to do,” he said. “Win the national championships next week. Win the Grand Prix in the 110 highs. And the third thing I want to do is break the world record.”

Ashford, after watching Florence Griffith-Joyner step into the limelight at the Seoul Olympics then retire after the Games, said it’s now time for her to prove herself all over again.

She started in that direction by winning the 100 in 11.27, just ahead of former UCLA runner Diane Williams, who was second in 11.32, and Grace Jackson, an Olympian from Jamaica who was third in 11.36.