COLLEGE NOTEBOOK : McBride’s Potential Leaves CSUN Giddy

The track season is three months away but Don Strametz, coach at Cal State Northridge, is already predicting great things for freshman Erick McBride, who won the Southern Section 4-A Division title in the 800 meters last May.

“He’s the most talented runner I’ve coached since David Mack,” Strametz said of the former Palmdale High star. “He’s big, he’s strong, and he does exactly what you tell him to do. He doesn’t argue with you when you give him a workout, he just does it.”

Strametz coached Mack at Locke High from 1977 through 1979, and under his guidance, Mack won consecutive State titles in the 880-yard run in his junior and senior seasons.

A member of the 1983 World Championships team, Mack ran a personal best of 1 minute, 43.35 seconds in the 800 in 1985. He ranks second on the all-time U. S. list and ninth on the all-time World list, but Strametz said McBride has similar potential.

Vaughan Kastor set the Northridge 800 record of 1:49.21 in 1988, but Strametz said that McBride could substantially lower it before the season is over.

“I think Erick can run 1:47 or 1:48 this year,” Strametz said. “He ran 1:53 in a time trial and it’s only November.”

The time was doubly impressive because McBride--who has a personal best of 1:51.52--ran negative splits. That is, his second 400 meters (55.5) was faster than his first (58.0).

Honorary coaches: Moorpark’s surprisingly easy 17-0 football victory over L. A. Southwest on Saturday was partly due to strategic changes implemented for the game.

Credit Coach Jim Bittner with being a better listener than Oprah Winfrey. Athletic Director Paul Dunham suggested pooch kicking on kickoffs, and Bittner’s son, Jimmy, a fullback at Long Beach State, recommended using more swing passes.

Both tactics worked. The pooch kick was designed to keep the ball away from Ansel Littlejohn, Southwest’s dynamic wide receiver and kick returner. Southwest fumbled both times Moorpark used it, and Moorpark recovered the once.

Running back John Brown caught three swing passes for 36 yards, which helped unshackle a generally ineffective Moorpark passing game.

“I get help from all over,” Bittner said. “I’m not shy.”

Chilled Tigers: Occidental junior Laurie Schuster finished 71st Saturday in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Division III cross-country championships at Rock Island, Ill.

After enduring 90-degree temperatures at the West regionals two weeks earlier in Santa Cruz, Schuster started Saturday’s race with the mercury at 24 degrees.

She covered the 5,000-meter course in 18:53--third among West Coast qualifiers.

Occidental freshman Jose Garcia finished 132nd in the men’s race, covering the five-mile course in 26:13.

Transport trauma: The Cal State Northridge swimming teams were scheduled to swim Friday at UC Davis but didn’t make the trip after learning that the bus company could not deliver them on time for the meet.

“We’ll just meet next year,” Northridge Coach Pete Accardy said. “For what it was costing us, under the circumstances it wasn’t worth going.”

Northridge will run into Davis March 7-10 at the NCAA Division II championships. The Northridge women were national champions last season.

“We’re much stronger in the men. I would pick us probably third this year,” Accardy said. “The women are probably top three.”

Record spinner: With one game remaining in his San Diego State career, Taft graduate Monty Gilbreath has broken the school record for career receptions. He didn’t back into the record either, catching six passes last weekend against Miami to better Tim Delaney’s total of 180 set from 1968 to 1970.

Gilbreath has 181 receptions, which puts him ahead of such former Aztec stars as Haven Moses, Isaac Curtis and Webster Slaughter.

Gilbreath also holds San Diego State career records for punt return yardage, kickoff return yardage and all-purpose yardage.

With 74 receptions this season, he ranks fifth in the nation and second in the Western Athletic Conference. Gilbreath needs eight catches Saturday against Brigham Young to tie Slaughter for third on the school single-season reception list.

Turn of the century: It took more than a year, but a Stanford running back has finally gone over the century mark. Former Crespi star J. J. Lasley rushed for 101 yards against Cal to give the Cardinal its first 100-yard-plus effort in 14 games.

Lasley opened Big Game scoring with a three-yard run, the first touchdown of his Stanford career. He finished an injury-plagued season with 185 yards and was third on the team in rushing.

Statwatch: Cal State Northridge’s 4-1 loss Saturday to Cal State Hayward in the West regional soccer championship gave the Matadors a 10-5-4 record this season.

It was the first time since 1982 that Northridge has failed to win at least 12 matches.

Gary Klein and Staff Writers Brendan Healey and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.