Barnes Is So Confident He Calls His Shot : Track and field: Shotputter summoned his family and friends to Los Angeles to witness his world record.

Randy Barnes paced incessantly, prowling the grassy infield near the shotput area at UCLA’s Drake Stadium Sunday. High in the stands, Ralph Barnes was also pacing. Mary Lou Barnes was fidgeting in her seat, and Debbie Barnes Maxwell was tapping a rolled-up program against her leg. Lee Barnes watched quietly but intently.

Randy Barnes, America’s best shotputter, had summoned his family to Los Angeles Sunday to watch him in the Jack in the Box Invitational. He had told them he was ready to throw a world record and wanted them to witness it. And so they came: his parents, Ralph and Mary Lou from South Charleston, West Va., his brother Lee from Charleston and his sister Debbie from Houston. Sister Cindy couldn’t make it but was waiting by the phone in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Barnes kept them waiting only until his second throw. As good as his word, he set a world record with a throw of 75 feet 10 1/4 inches, more than two feet farther then he had ever thrown. Barnes broke East German Ulf Timmermann’s world record of 75-8. Timmermann, on his last throw, beat Barnes for the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics.

Barnes also broke the American record of 73-10 3/4, held by John Brenner, formerly of UCLA.

There was no other thrower there Sunday to push Barnes, but he did not lack for encouragement. Rarely does the shotput receive such attention. Because Barnes had so boldly predicted the record, meet officials placed a large sign in the shot landing area at 75-8 to signify the world record distance. Undulating in the wind at the back of the area was a rainbow of balloons.

In the midst of this setting was Barnes, who appeared intent but calm during the competition. His first throw was 71-10, what Barnes called a “safe throw” but what actually was the farthest Barnes had ever thrown on his first attempt.

If he had hoped for more, he didn’t show it. Nothing would bother Barnes on this day. Not even the insistence of ESPN that he throw only when they gave him the go ahead--the cable network televised the meet live and wanted to get all his throws on the air.

Barnes resumed his pacing, then before he was up for his second throw he looked at his coach from Texas A&M;, Robert Parker, and said, “Get reckless.” Parker nodded in agreement. He, too, had been summoned by Barnes to the meet. Parker’s Aggie team competed in the conference championships Saturday. He left College Station at 4 a.m. Sunday.

The world record throw was not a thing of technical beauty. Parker rated it “mediocre,” but the 16-pound steel shot flew out of Barnes’ right hand and traced an arc higher and farther than seemed possible. When the shot landed and kicked up chalk from beyond the world record line, the crowd of 5,672 voiced its approval.

Barnes leaped out of the ring and flashed a smile that was made even more brilliant by two rows of silver braces. He sheepishly acknowledged the sustained applause with a wave of a hand and several fist pumps.

In the cheering crowd, too, because Barnes had asked, was the Noon family of Fallbrook. Brent Noon is one of the best high school shotputters ever, and the family has followed Barnes’ career. In an effort to rededicate himself to his event, Barnes has lived with the Noons for a month and lived the event, too. Barnes and Brent Noon lift weights in the garage and talk throwing until the wee hours. The old Barnes would have been hoisting beers with friends all night.

After the record throw, he said he considered not taking any more throws so he could enjoy the record. But Barnes, who had had warmup throws of more than 77 feet, thought he could do better. His remaining four throws all exceeded 73 feet, with no fouls, giving him the best shot put series ever.

Mary Lou Barnes, who overcame her fear of flying so she could attend, said it was all worth it, all of her son’s years of work.

“How many people in the world ever get to be an Olympian?” she said.

“Or a world record-holder?” Ralph Barnes added.

“That’s right, or a world record-holder,” Mary Lou said.