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IRVINE ELITE TRACK MEET : Nordquist’s Leap of 7-8 1/2 Sets Record

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The conditions were right for Doug Nordquist in the men’s high jump at the second Irvine Elite Track and Field Classic. He cleared 7 feet 8 1/2 inches, breaking the meet and stadium records Sunday at UC Irvine.

The leap makes Nordquist, who was fifth in the event at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, the fifth-best high jumper in U.S. history. Hollis Conway holds the American record (7-10).

That record appeared to be in jeopardy Sunday when Nordquist, competing for the Asics track and field club, cleared 7-8 1/2 on his third attempt, and then asked to have the bar raised to 7-10. Nordquist made three attempts at the record, but knocked off the bar each time.

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Jake Jacoby of the Reebok track club finished second in the competition (7-7) and Zon Thompson was third (7-1).

Nordquist and Jacoby both cleared 7-7 on their first attempts, breaking the meet record of 7-0 3/4 and the 1988 stadium record of 7-3 1/4 held by Leo Williams.

At 7-8 1/2, Jacoby and Nordquist missed twice, with Nordquist nicking the bar with his heels on his second attempt. After Jacoby failed on his third attempt, Nordquist flew over the bar, brushing it slightly, and landed in the pit. He then bounded up and pumped both fists into the air after clearing his career-best. His previous best was 7-8.

Nordquist, who lives in La Habra and teaches at Santa Fe High School, said he was beginning to have doubts after jumping only 7-1 at the Bruce Jenner Invitational in San Jose last week.

“I had a bad meet last week and I started questioning my ability to jump,” said Nordquist, 31. “Basically, I was feeling like I couldn’t jump very high, but I changed my approach, moving it away from the bar so I could get up more speed, and it really made all the difference in the world.”

Nordquist moved into a new house three weeks ago, which didn’t help his preparations for the meet.

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“I just bought a house and that disrupted my training,” Nordquist said. “I maintained pretty consistent training, but I kind of lost my focus worrying about mortgages and paper work.”

Nordquist said the competition was a good warm-up for the USA/Mobil Championships, scheduled for June 16 at Cerritos College.

“This was a good place to prepare for Cerritos because they also have a grass infield,” said Nordquist, who will attempt to qualify for the upcoming Goodwill Games in Seattle by placing among the top two performers.

In other events Sunday, Alisa Hill, competing unattached, won the women’s 800 meters in a meet and stadium record of 2 minutes 2.05 seconds. That broke the stadium record of 2:02.87 set in 1988 by Kim Gallagher, and Hill’s own meet record of 2:03.95.

Hill set an early pace, flying through the 400 meters in 57 seconds, as she tried to take some of the kick out of Michelle Taylor, who competed for USC in the 400 and 800. The strategy worked as Taylor faded to third in the closing stages of the race, but Brazil’s Elba Barboza pushed Hill all the way.

“I wanted to get out fast because I was afraid of Michelle Taylor, but 57 was a bit too fast,” said Hill, who didn’t know it was Barboza, not Taylor, behind her.

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In the women’s discus, Lacy Barnes of Nike, who won the U.S. Championship in 1988, broke Peggy Pollock’s meet record of 170-6 with her throw of 196-3. Two-time Olympian Ramona Pagel was second at 186-6. Pagel also won the shotput at 60-3.

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