TRACK AND FIELD NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : Hudson Sets U.S. Record; Lewis Wins 400

California’s Sheila Hudson fulfilled a promise by smashing her American record in the triple jump and Wisconsin’s Suzy Favor capped an illustrious career by winning a record ninth NCAA track title Saturday night.

Hudson, in her final college meet, leaped 46 feet, three-quarters of an inch in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

After winning the long jump Friday night, Hudson had said that she would take a serious shot at breaking her triple jump mark of 45-5 1/4 set in 1987 at San Jose. She made good on her promise twice. On her second attempt, she sailed 45-7 3/4, improving the record by 2 1/2 inches.

Hudson said she didn’t think she would receive credit for that record, because event officials raked the pit too quickly. The officials said later there was no problem with the measurement.

Hudson made it a moot point when, on the fifth of six jumps, she became the first American to jump 46 feet. It was the best jump in the world this year.

“I knew I had the capability to break the American record,” Hudson said. “I didn’t think of it as going out on a limb.”

The record jump tied Hudson for fourth on the all-time outdoor performance list. The world record of 47-7 3/4 was set last year by Galina Chistyakova of the Soviet Union.

The triple jump title was Hudson’s third in the outdoor championships. She redshirted last year to concentrate on her studies and graduated last month with a degree in architecture.

Hudson also swept the triple jump and long jump titles in the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, when she set an American indoor mark of 45-9.

She won the long jump title Friday night at 22-1, best by an American this year and her career best.

Favor, a senior with a cross-country season of eligibility remaining, swept to an unprecedented fourth straight title in the outdoor 1,500 meters. She pulled away down the final straightaway for a seven-meter victory over Tennessee’s Jasmin Jones in 4 minutes, 8.26 seconds, the fastest by a collegian this year.

The remarkable Favor, who never has lost in the NCAA Championships, won her first outdoor 800-meter title Friday night. She also has won three NCAA indoor titles in the mile and one at 3,000 meters.

In four years at Wisconsin she won 54 of 56 races against college competition, including the last 40.

In the 1,500, Favor, normally a front-runner, was content to let George Mason’s Lauretta Miller set the pace for 800 meters. Favor took over then and held off a strong challenge by Jones for the next 600 meters before running away in the final 100.

“I’m a little sad that this is my last collegiate race,” Favor said. “It’s a big relief that it’s over.”

Meanwhile, 1988 Olympic 400-meter gold medalist Steve Lewis of UCLA won his first NCAA title in 45.19, and Houston’s Leroy Burrell took the 100 meters in a wind-aided 9.94.

It was the third time Burrell was clocked in 9.94. The first was a legal clocking last year in the national championships, the other was wind-aided two weeks ago in the Southwest Conference championships.

The women’s 100-meter high hurdles also was wind-aided, as 1988 champion Lynda Tolbert regained the title in 12.84.

Louisiana State collected 19 points in the hurdles, as Cinnamon Sheffield finished second, 1989 winner Tananjalyn Stanley was third, Dawn Bokowles sixth and Mary Cobb seventh.

LSU got 10 more points in the women’s 100, as Esther Jones, taking advantage when co-favorite Carlette Guidry of Texas was disqualified for a false start, won in a wind-aided 11.14.

Arizona State got a victory from Maicel Malone, the indoor 400-meter champion, in the outdoor version in 51.13, fastest by a collegian this year.

UCLA’s Tracie Millett completed a field event double, winning the women’s shot put title with the worst winning throw in meet history, 53-7. On Friday, Millett, a junior from Auburn, Wash., won the discus throw at 183-9.

Charles Austin of Southwest Texas State won the men’s high jump at 7-7 3/4, then missed three attempts at an American-record 7-10 1/2.

It was the second time in as many weeks that Austin attempted to break Hollis Conway’s American record of 7-10. On this occasion, he didn’t come close to clearing the record height, after narrowly missing it during the Southland Conference meet.

“I didn’t think I would get the record today, but I had to try it before I left,” Austin said. “Things started clicking for me out there, so I decided to try.”

Austin, Southwest Texas’ first NCAA champion, has been bothered by a ligament injury in his left knee.

“The knee problem will not go away until I take some time off, which I can’t afford right now,” he said. “So I did not come prepared to jump the record. I didn’t come focused on winning, either.”

Oregon’s Scott McGee, the favorite, rallied to win the hammer title with the worst winning throw in 20 years, 217-8. It was the shortest winning throw since Oregon State’s Steve DeAutremont won at 203-9 in 1970.