TRACK AND FIELD NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : USC’s Watts, Hannah Win Heats in 400

USC’s Quincy Watts, the favorite in the 400-meter run, had no trouble in his heat Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA track and field championships.

Watts had the fastest time of the day, 44.77 seconds, and teammate Travis Hannah also won his heat with a time of 45.81 seconds.

Deon Minor of Baylor was second fastest in the 400, winning his heat in 45.05 seconds.

“So far everything has gone according to my plan, but with three days left we have a long way to go,” USC Coach Jim Bush said.

“Our two quarter-milers (Watts and Hannah) are very focused right now. Quincy is in excellent shape. He ran the first 300 meters under 32 seconds--which meant he was on his way to a 44 flat. He eased up the last 100 meters, as he should. Otherwise he could have had the stadium record (44.70).”

A makeshift USC 400-meter relay team qualified for the finals when Alabama was disqualified. It includes Mark Crear, Curtis Conway, Martin Cannady and Jeff Laynes, and it ran a 39.52-second 400.

UCLA’s Marty Beck also won his heat in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 49.85 seconds, second fastest in the preliminaries to Derrick Adkins of Georgia Tech, who ran 49.39.

The Bruins also advanced two javelin throwers to Friday’s finals. David Bunevacz threw 237 feet 8 inches, fifth best in the competition, and Eric Smith threw 223-9, eighth best.

John Godina, a UCLA freshman who entered the meet with the fifth best mark in the discus throw, struggled with a throw of 184-5, missing the finals by two inches.

UCLA’s Dawn Dumble advanced in the women’s discus, throwing 174-1. USC’s Allison Franke also advanced, throwing 165-5.

USC sophomore Inger Miller won her heat in the 200 meters in 23.19 seconds.

The Trojans’ Michelle DeCoux had the seventh-fastest time of the day, 57.97 seconds, in advancing in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.

In the meet’s first finals, George Mason’s Kim Saddic won the women’s 10,000 in 34 minutes 39.92 seconds. Villanova’s Carole Zajac, collegiate record-holder, was slowed by a recent bout with flu and dropped out with about 1,800 meters left. It was the slowest winning time in meet history.