ON THE MEND : CLU Sprinter Bernard Goes Abroad to Heal, Train--and Make a Name

Darren Bernard of Cal Lutheran has lived in the United States since 1982, but the former Thousand Oaks High sprinter will represent his native England in the World University Games later this month.

Bernard will run the first leg on Britain’s 1,600-meter relay team that includes Paul Dennis of Azusa Pacific and Britons Richard Hill and Ikem Billy.

Billy, who won the 800 meters in the British championships in Birmingham, England, on Sunday, is well-known on the European track and field circuit, but the other members of the British foursome--which timed 3 minutes, 9 seconds in a qualifying race at Loughborough University in July--are relatively unknown.

Therefore, the games in Duisburg, West Germany on Aug. 25-30 will give Dennis, Hill and Bernard a chance to gain valuable international exposure.

“That’s what Paul and I came over here for,” Bernard said by phone from his father’s home in London. “We wanted to run some good times and hopefully qualify for the British team.”

Reaching that goal has helped ease the pain of a disappointing sophomore collegiate season for Bernard.

Bernard began the season with hopes of running under 46 seconds in the 400; he ended it in disappointment after being eliminated in the semifinals of the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics championships at Azusa Pacific.

Having run 46.65 to place fifth in the NAIA championships as a freshman, Bernard appeared to be on his way toward attaining his sophomore goals when he timed 47.11 to place second in an invitational meet at Cal State Northridge in early April.

“He was right where we wanted him to be at Northridge,” Cal Lutheran assistant Coach Doni Green said. “He was right on schedule. He looked very strong and relaxed there.”

But Bernard strained a tendon in his right hamstring competing in the 200 meters later in the meet and the injury hampered him for the rest of the season.

Bernard, who had high school bests of 10.8 in the 100, 21.9 in the 200 and 48.25 in the 400, said that the injury still bothered him when he ventured overseas in June. He said it is nearly healed now.

“I’m still getting it worked on,” said Bernard, whose parents moved to England from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1954. “But it’s feeling much better. I’m in shape to run some good times. I wasn’t when I first came over here.”

Bernard, who was born in a suburb of London, had no intention of moving to the United States, but his father encouraged him to remain here during a six-week vacation in the summer of 1982 when he was 13.

“I was all set to go back, but he told me to stay here,” said Bernard, who was visiting his grandmother and aunt. “He thought it would be best for me. I really didn’t have much say in the matter.”

At Thousand Oaks, Bernard led the Lancers to a share of the Marmonte League title during his senior season, won the league title in the 400 and placed sixth in the Southern Section 4-A Division championships.

He then came under the tutelage of Green, who guided Simi Valley High to eight consecutive Marmonte titles before coming to Cal Lutheran in the summer of 1986 to coach alongside his father, Don.

Doni Green was pleased to learn of Bernard’s selection to the British team, but he is worried that his protege might race too much this summer, especially in light of the hamstring injury.

“He’s having fun over there and getting some experience,” Green said, “But I’m going to make sure that he takes a nice, long rest once he gets back here. He’s been training steadily for a year now without a rest.”

After the required R & R, Bernard’s winter training will be geared more toward the 800 than the 400 with the expectation that he will compete at varying distances this season.

“I’ll probably run him in both the 800 and 100 in the early part of the season,” Green said. “That way, he’ll get work on his endurance, strength and speed.”

Those qualities are vital ingredients in the makeup of a successful 400 runner, but Green has another motive: He expects Bernard to move up to the 800 in the future.

“Eventually, that may be his best race,” Green said, “because he just doesn’t have that blazing flat speed that you need to be a world-class 400 runner. At least, not yet.

“Most of the top 400 runners can run 20.5 or 20.6 in the 200 and 10.4 or 10.5 in the 100, while Darren has 21.6 or 21.7 200 speed and 10.9 or 11.0 100 speed.”

Realizing that he may ultimately lack the speed required of an elite 400 man, Bernard has contemplated a switch to the 800 but not without reservation.

“I’ve definitely thought about it,” he said. “If I don’t get down to 45, I’m not going to be able to run in the big meets in the 400. But it (the 800) hurts a lot more.

“I think I have the speed for the 800. It’s just a matter of getting the endurance background.”

Perhaps lacking the proper base work last season, Bernard had some nightmarish experiences in the 800. Green recalled one meet in which Bernard ran the first 400 in 54 seconds--1:48 pace--only to slow to a 68 second lap for a final time of 2:02.

“I’ve never hurt like that,” Bernard recalled. “I remember saying ‘Oh, my God,’ it hurt so much. But I think the pain will get less as I get more experience in the 800.”

The 800 will not become Bernard’s primary race for at least a couple of years, however. Green wants to wait until the 5-foot-9, 140-pound athlete has matured physically before assessing his future.

“Someday, I think he’s going to have to go to the 800,” Green said. “But it’s hard to tell right now. If you look at him, he’s still a kid. When he develops into a man--which should happen in the next couple of years--we’ll have a better idea where we stand.”

Bernard, who is expected to return to Cal Lutheran next month, will tune up for the World University Games by running in local meets for the Herne Hill Harriers, a London-based track club.

“I just want to run a good first leg at the games,” Bernard said. “I want to open up with a 46 and then see what happens.”