Top Athletes Eager to Try Fast Track at UCSD
What started out as a “last chance” track and field meet for college athletes to gain national qualifying times is turning into an international gathering of world-class talent.
UC San Diego is host for the meet at 10 a.m. Saturday.
It was designed as an opportunity for college athletes to qualify for their national meets. But word got around to some top-notch talent that UCSD’s new state-of-the-art track was again going to be made available.
Soon, Brazilian Joaquim Cruz and American Ocky Clark wanted in on the 800-meter run. Likewise, Steve Scott, the American record-holder in the mile, and Dub Myers, the former NCAA champion from Oregon, wanted to run the 1,500.
Canadians Ray Lazdins and Rob McManus, conveniently training in the area, decided to enter the discus.
But the kicker might be a small contingent of Estonian javelin throwers, who came to California to begin training for the European season. Sulev Lepik, Meelis Jaarv, Toivo Moorast and Donald Sild will compete in the their specialty.
They will also be holding a javelin clinic this afternoon at 1:30 at UCSD.
Juri Tamm, bronze medalist for the USSR in the hammer throw in Seoul, will also be on hand today. He and world-renowned coach Anatoli Bondartchouk conducted a hammer clinic Monday.
“These guys (Soviets) are the lords of hammer throwing,” said Tony Salerno, UCSD throwing coach.
Last week, Point Loma Nazarene freshman Ronnie Skold won six events--the 100, 200, long jump and triple jump, the 100 hurdles and 400 relay--at the first City Collegiate Championships at UCSD. He could conceivably enter eight--adding the 400 hurdles and 1,600 relay--in the NAIA District III meet but probably will not enter the sprints.
San Diego State junior Mike Magruder had just two at-bats with one single and a run batted in heading into his first start in Saturday’s opening game of a doubleheader against Wyoming.
Magruder responded by going two for four with a double and a home run--rare because of the way it happened.
In the sixth inning with two on, Magruder was instructed to bunt to move the runners over, but Wyoming was thinking the same the thing and had both the first baseman and third baseman charging.
Magruder squared to bunt, noticed what was going on and pulled his bat back. The result was a three-run homer over the left center field fence.
What are the odds of such an occurence? Ask Magruder. He’s an engineering major who graduated first in his class at both Ellensburg High in Washington and Taft Community College.
Ed Collins of the University of San Diego was named the District VIII coach of the year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Assn. Collins is under consideration for national coach of the year.
In 12 years at USD, Collins is 262-119, including 21-5 this year. The Toreros, champions of the West Coast Conference, are ranked 17th and should be selected for the NCAA Tournament next week.
The women’s tennis teams at SDSU (ranked 12th) and USD (14th) are expected to receive NCAA bids this week.
SDSU won the Big West Conference title for the fifth year in a row last week in Ojai. Carol Plunkett was chosen the Big West coach of the year.
USD finished second in the WCC tournament, but not until Pepperdine’s Ginger Helgeson defeated USD’s Sakolwan Kacharoen, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in the singles final Sunday at the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club.
The tournament was held two weekends ago at St. Mary’s, but rain caused the delay of the singles and doubles finals. Kacharoen, a sophomore from Bangkok and seeded seventh, could have given USD a tie if she had upset top-seeded Helgeson, who is ranked fourth in the nation.
In the two-year existence of the Pacific Coast Volleyball Conference, Nate Brown of UCSD has been selected the player of the year twice. And Brown is just a sophomore. UCSD went undefeated for the second year in a row and won the PCVC Tournament Saturday at Santa Clara.
UCSD’s women’s water polo team is No. 1 ranked and seeded first heading into the USA National Tournament this weekend at Brown University. UCSD is 21-0-1.