TRACK AND FIELD INVITATIONAL AT UCLA : Barnes Wants Spotlight on Shotput-Record Try

If it were possible to erect a neon sign in the shotput area during the Jack in the Box Invitational meet at UCLA’s Drake Stadium today, Randy Barnes would welcome the attention.

“If I was ever ready to break the world record, it would be right now,” said Barnes, the silver medalist in the 1988 Olympic Games.

East Germany’s Ulf Timmermann, the gold medalist at Seoul, is the world record-holder at 75 feet 8 inches. Barnes, 23, says he has been throwing in the 76- and 77-foot range during practice in Fallbrook.

He has been a guest of Brent Noon’s family. Noon is the Fallbrook High School shotputter who has the second best prep throw of all time, 76-2 with the 12-pound ball.

Barnes, who formerly competed for Texas A&M;, said he is like “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” adding: “I showed up there for three days and ended up staying four weeks.”

Barnes is so confident of breaking the world record that he persuaded meet promoter Al Franken to take out a $50,000 insurance policy in the event it happens.

It’s much like hole-in-one insurance in a golf tournament. Moreover, Barnes said he’ll pay the premium of $5,200 if he gets the record.

“It’s an opportunity most track athletes don’t get, much less the shotputters,” Barnes said. “I’m excited because I’ll do anything to glamorize the shotput.”

Barnes said the UCLA landing area is long enough for a record throw. “I’d like to show off the line at the world record with bright lights, so there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind,” Barnes said.

Bright lights might not be appropriate in a daytime meet, but Franken said assorted flags, balloons and other identifying gimmicks will be available.

Asked about his practice throws in Fallbrook, Barnes said: “I really let one go that blew my mind. I won’t tell you what it was because I don’t want to put pressure on myself.”

He already has. He has a personal best outdoor mark of 73-6 3/4 and is the indoor world record-holder at 74-4 1/4. In his only previous outdoor appearance this year, he had a 73-1 1/4 last month at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut.

Barnes is setting the stage for a record effort. He said that his mother, father, brother and sister will be here from Charleston, W. Va.

“I have another sister in Florida, and she would be here if she could,” he said. “How many times in your life do you have an opportunity like this? If it happens, I don’t want anyone to miss it.”

Barnes also said that with his family in attendance, he can save the time of phoning them if he breaks the record.

The 6-foot 4-inch, 290-pounder with the spinning technique is aware that shotputters are often viewed as grunt-and-groan behemoths, sort of a sideshow at a track and field meet.

“Some people think it’s just a sweaty kind of sport,” Barnes said. “And some people thrive on that part of it. But I personally don’t care for that particular image.”

The image he wants most to project is that of a world record-holder.

Other events of interest in the meet, which begins at 11:30 a.m. and will be televised by ESPN at noon:

--110-meter hurdles: Roger Kingdom, the world record-holder at 12.92 seconds and a two-time Olympic champion, will make his outdoor debut. He’ll be primarily challenged by Tonie Campbell and Arthur Blake.

--Mile: Steve Scott, the American record-holder, will be opposed by veterans Doug Padilla, Jeff Atkinson and Joe Falcon. Algeria’s Nourredine Morceli, who represents Riverside City College, might surprise all of them.

--Women’s mile: Romania’s Paula Ivan, the 1988 Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500 meters and world record-holder in the mile at 4:15.61, is the class of the field. PattiSue Plumer, the American record-holder in the 5,000 meters, will try to stay with Ivan.

--Women’s 100 meters: Dawn Sowell has a best time of 10.78 seconds. Only Florence Griffith Joyner, at 10.49, and Evelyn Ashford, at 10.76, have run faster.

Track and Field Notes

Changing times: In other years, the Romanian Track Federation would not have permitted just one athlete to compete in the United States. Meet promoters had to accept a package that included less-skilled athletes. However, Paula Ivan is here by herself, with no red tape. It only took one phone call. Ivan had to drop out of the Sunkist Invitational mile last January when she made the mistake of wearing shoes that weren’t suited to indoor boards.