Scott Puts Age, Experience to Use : Track: Coming off a down period in training, he follows young guys through brisk wind early, then rolls to 1,500 victory in track-record time at UCSD meet.

Steve Scott might have been feeling the call of duty when he stepped on the all-weather track at UC San Diego to compete in the Greater San Diego Sports Assn. UC San Diego Open Saturday. He had both a home crowd to please and a family to think about.

The circumstances were a far cry from those of the summer of 1982, when he set two American records in front of foreign audiences.

He was 26 then; he turns 35 today. He’s older, and he’s a little slower. The past couple weeks, he hasn’t felt too well. It was a fairly low-key local meet. But to satisfy spectators who had come to watch him in the featured 1,500 meters, Scott, who lives in Fallbrook, figured he needed to put on a good show.

That he did.

Scott blew by race favorite Jose Luis Barbosa on the final lap and breezed to victory in 3 minutes 42.43 seconds, breaking the Triton Stadium record of 3:44.71 he set a year ago.

Afterward, Scott didn’t warm down. He didn’t chat with the other racers or sign autographs. Still out of breath, he started to put his warm-ups on and explained that he had to leave immediately to get to his son Corey’s baseball game in Leucadia.

“I’m the assistant coach,” Scott said. “I’ve got to be there, you know.”

Times have changed.

In 1982, Scott went to Europe and set the current American records in the mile (3:47.69 on July 7 in Oslo, Norway) and 2,000 meters (4:54.71 in Inglehelm, West Germany). He still has his sights set on the 1991 world championships and the 1992 Olympics, but for now, local races such as the one at UCSD are important stepping stones. Victories aren’t coming as easily as they used to.

Scott recently discovered that overtraining caused a drop-off in his times during the indoor season. He said he didn’t know what to expect from Barbosa, 29, who is in the prime of his career.

“It’s been a number things . . . chronic problems with overtraining,” said Scott, who explained that he made a mistake by combining speed and strength workouts. “When I was younger I could get away with it, but it’s been a struggle.”

Scott, again as the hometown favorite, was a disappointing 11th in the Carlsbad 5,000 on April 14. He cut back on his workouts and stayed away from races. Then, after he found himself battling a chest cold last week and noticed he was running slower with each interval, he stopped training altogether.

“That wasn’t exactly a confidence booster,” he said. “Going into this (race), I didn’t know what to expect. I could have finished first or last. Now I’ve got some confidence. I’m feeling good about it.”

Age and experienced proved to be Scott’s ally against the Brazilian Barbosa and the rest of the 11-man field. The race was run in a strong wind, so Scott allowed Barbosa to take the early lead, let Edgar De Oliveira have second and ran in their draft. Barbosa, a 1988 Olympic finalist and ranked ninth in the world in the 1,500 last year, ran a fast 56 seconds on the first lap, setting himself up for an early burnout.

By the third lap, Barbosa had drawn 10 yards clear of everybody except Scott, who was on his heels. Scott made his move heading into the backstretch of the final lap, passing Barbosa as if he were standing still.

“I could hear him as I was going by him,” said Scott, who won by 20 yards. “He was working; his breathing was really rough. I felt sorry for him, he was doing all the work. I was surprised he went out so fast. It was way too windy out there.”

“I must have taken it all,” said Barbosa of the wind. “It was a problem, and when you’re leading, you take it all. But that was my best strategy against him, with his experience. I set the pace. I knew he was the only one who could run with me.

“It’s experience. I’m learning. I’m happy with the race. I lost to a world-class athlete.”

Barbosa finished second in 3:45.11, with De Oliveira was third in 3:45.68. Both Scott and Barbosa said they would have preferred to run the race around 6:30 p.m., when wind and heat are usually not much of a factor.

“This is a fast track for sprints,” Scott said. “For distance it’s hard, and it’s open. This event needs to be run at dusk.”

That would be perfect for Scott. He could coach his baseball game, then run his race and have time afterward to enjoy a victory.