TRACK AND FIELD : Santa Monica Club Ties 400 Relay Mark

Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell helped the Santa Monica Track Club to a world-record-tying time of 37.79 seconds in the 400-meter relay at the Herculios Grand Prix track and field meet Saturday night.

Lewis, Burrell, Mike Marsh and Floyd Heard combined to equal the mark set by the French national team last September in the European championships.

Burrell set the world record for 100 meters at 9.90 this year, topping Lewis’ mark of 9.92 from the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

“We chased this record all last year and all this year and we wanted it so bad,” Burrell said. “We have been saying all along we can do it, and it’s the fulfillment of a dream.”

Burrell ran the second leg after getting the handoff from the leadoff runner, Marsh.

Burrell handed off to Heard, who gave the baton to Lewis, who also anchored the world records for the United States at the 1984 Olympics (37.83) and 1983 world championships (37.86).

“Not only do we get the record, but we get it back to America before the world championships,” Lewis said.

The world championships will be held in Tokyo begining Aug. 23.

“We knew it was going to happen this year, it was just a matter of time,” Burrell said.

The French team competed with three members of its world-record squad. However the newcomer, Giles Queneherve, led off and did not connect with Daniel Sangouma, and the French failed to finish, leaving Jean-Charles Troubal and Bruno Marie-Rose waiting.

Still, their presence helped Lewis and his teammates.

“We didn’t know the French would be here until two days ago,” Lewis said. “That was the emotional thing that put us over the edge.”

“The best thing about it is that we can run a lot faster,” Lewis said. “We can run 36.”

Earlier, Dennis Mitchell won the 100 in 10.16. Mitchell beat Lewis and Ben Johnson in their celebrated rematch on July 1 in Villeneuve d’As, France.

The 1990 track and field athlete of the year, Michael Johnson, ran 20.05 in winning the 200. American NCAA champion Frankie Fredericks of Namibia was second in 20.13.

Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union cleared 19 feet 4 1/2 inches to win the pole vault but failed in an attempt to became the first to clear more than 20 feet outdoors.

He missed three times at 20-1/4.

Nourredine Morceli of Algeria beat an elite field in the 1,500 meters.

Morceli, the world’s top middle- distance runner last year, won in 3:32.04. Five-time world record-holder Said Aouita of Morocco, coming back from two leg operations, was second in 3:33.28.

After splits of 55.91, 1:54.34 and 2:51.87, Morceli and Aouita raced together in the final lap before the Algerian pulled away.

The field included mile world record-holder, Steve Cram of Britain (fourth in 3:34.96), 1988 Olympic champion Peter Rono of Kenya (fifth in 3:35.27) and 1987 world champion Abdi Bile of Somalia (eighth in 3:36.33).

Former world record-holder Renaldo Nehemiah won the 110 hurdles in 13.19. It was his best time since returning to track in 1986 after an NFL career. He set the world record of 12.93 in 1981.

Merlene Ottey of Jamaica ran 21.98, the fastest time in the women’s 200 this year. Danette Young was second in 22.24.