THE COLLEGES / JOHN ORTEGA : CS Northridge Track Coach Looking for More From Less in Recruiting

It comes as no surprise that of the seven track and field athletes who have signed national letters of intent with Cal State Northridge this season, none are distance runners.

Four of the signees specialize in the weight events, one is a javelin thrower/decathlete, one is a high jumper and one is a middle-distance runner.

The reason for the influx of weight people is obvious--Northridge has lacked depth in that area in recent years. But the lack of distance runners may be a little less understandable.

The scenario, however, is bound to continue.

With Coach Don Strametz intent on developing a respectable dual-meet team at the NCAA Division I level, at which Northridge will compete next season, athletes who can produce quality marks in two or more events will be more attractive than single-event performers.

While a good 5,000/10,000-meter runner can score a lot of points in a conference meet, he or she isn’t as valuable in a dual meet, in which the 5,000 is the longest race.

If Northridge had remained at the Division II level, Strametz probably wouldn’t be as concerned with dual meets. Because CSUN rarely finished out of the top 10 at the Division II national meet, the program placed its emphasis on the major championship meets.

But it probably will be several years before the CSUN men or women produce a top-10 team finish at the Division I nationals. But in the meantime, strong dual-meet performances can bring the program some prominence.

This doesn’t mean Strametz will shun an elite distance runner if he has a chance to land one, but it does mean that a comparable 100/200 sprinter who can run a relay, an 800/1,500 runner or a shotputter/discus thrower will be considered more valuable.

Mixed emotions: Although Strametz is excited about the challenge of competing in Division I, he does have reservations about leaving the Division II ranks.

“You can’t help but wonder how (the men’s team) would have done next year at Division II,” he said. “With Walt (Stewart) and Tyrone (Jeffries) coming back, and with most of this year’s team being underclassmen, we’d have a good shot at winning.”

Stewart, the 1989 Division II champion in the high jump, and Jeffries, a seven-time Division II All-American in the hurdles and relays, redshirted last season.

Northridge (60 points) was a distant second to St. Augustine’s (111) at this year’s Division II championships, but 28 1/2 of the Falcons’ points came from seniors. Only 15 of the Matadors’ points were provided by seniors.

Aussie standout: Former Cal Lutheran basketball star Steve deLaveaga has been hooping it up Down Under. His 39.8-point scoring average places him second in scoring in the 28-team Southeast Australian Basketball League, and he partially credits his Cal Lutheran background. “It’s funny, when you’re over here the small-college players tend to have more success because they’re the ones who have to score more in college,” deLaveaga said. “Going to Cal Lutheran had its advantages because I learned to be a scorer.”

DeLaveaga also is second in the conference in assists at 6.1 a game. He plays for the Nunawading Spectres, who are in playoff contention midway through the season. Nunawading is a suburb of Melbourne.

DeLaveaga said he plans to skip a free-agent tryout with the Boston Celtics in August in order to complete the Australian season and lay the groundwork for next season.

“I’m looking to return (to Australia),” deLaveaga said. “It’s nice to be an American here.”

Double duty: Lori Mertes, a two-sport star at Chatsworth High, will compete in women’s volleyball for Pierce College and in track and field for either Valley, Moorpark or Canyons during the upcoming school year.

Mertes, the City Section champion in the high jump, will attend classes at Pierce, but can compete for another college in track because Pierce does not have a team.

“I’m definitely going to Pierce,” Mertes said. “But I’m still not sure what school I’ll compete for in track.”

Add Mertes: She won her only City title in May, yet the 1990 track season was a disappointing one for Mertes, who cleared only 5 feet 4 inches after jumping 5-6 as a sophomore and 5-10 1/2 as a junior.

“I just had a lot of personal problems more than anything,” said Mertes, an All-City 4-A Division middle blocker in volleyball. “Plus I didn’t really have a coach. My dad had always coached me, but he was out of town for part of the season and then he was in the hospital. So I didn’t work out much.

“I won City, but I didn’t do much besides that.”

Fifth in the state championships as a junior, Mertes failed to qualify for the finals this year.

JC-bound: It won’t be official until September, but two of the area’s top high school distance runners, Obed Aguirre of San Fernando and Abe Valdez of Camarillo, apparently are headed for the junior college ranks.

Aguirre, seventh in the state Division I cross-country championships in November and fourth in the 3,200 meters at the state track meet last month, said he will attend Glendale or Pasadena.

Valdez, fourth in the Division I cross-country meet and sixth in the 3,200 at the state track championships, is expected to attend Moorpark, Ventura or Taft.

Nebraska offered Valdez a scholarship, according to Camarillo Coach Mike Smith, but it was contingent on his meeting Proposition 48 requirements.

When Valdez failed to meet Prop. 48 requirements for core-curriculum classes, Nebraska withdrew its offer.