TRACK AND FIELD / STATE JUNIOR COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS : Nelson, Beck Intent on Pushing Pace in Steeplechase, Hurdles

Robert Nelson of Glendale College and Kyle Beck of Valley compete in vastly different events, yet they plan to use similar strategies during the state junior college track and field championships at Shasta College in Redding this weekend.

The meet will start today with the first day of the decathlon and the heptathlon and includes the finals of the men’s 10,000 and the women’s 5,000 meters. It will conclude Saturday with the second day of the decathlon and heptathlon and with finals in the remaining 35 events.

Nelson--second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase--and Beck--third in the 400 intermediate hurdles--benefited from pushing the pace in Saturday’s Southern California championships at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. Neither is expected to alter his tactics this week.

“Last week, (Valley Coach James Harvey) just told me to go as fast as I could for as far as I could and he would pick me up if I fell down,” Beck said. “That really helped me relax.”

It nearly helped Beck pull off a big upset. He led for eight of the 10 hurdles before favored Frank Guialdo of Long Beach City passed him entering the homestretch and Ryan Renz of Bakersfield outleaned him at the finish.

“I’m hoping to do basically what I did at the Southern Cal meet, except out of a better lane,” said Beck, who timed 52.41 while running in lane nine. “I just need to have a better view of the field.”

Beck, who signed a letter of intent with USC on Wednesday, should get his wish. His qualifying time is the third fastest in the field and should put him in either lane three or five. As the top qualifier, Guialdo will be in lane four.

“Lane three would be ideal because I could see (Guialdo) all the way,” Beck said. “He is a hell of a competitor, but I think I can give him a run for his money.”

Beck also will compete in the 110 high hurdles and as a member of Valley’s 400-meter relay team. He also might run a leg in the 1,600 relay if he feels fresh enough after competing in three events.

Nelson, who placed third in the steeplechase in last year’s state championships, pushed the early pace in last week’s race to get clear of Riverside’s Muchapiwa Mazano and Gray Mavhera, who had jostled and bumped Nelson in the preliminaries the previous week.

Although Passmore Furusa of Riverside successfully defended his Southern California title with a winning time of 9 minutes 1.5 seconds, Nelson (9:03.9) managed to break up an expected Riverside sweep of the first three places.

“I just wanted to push the pace hard from the start,” Nelson said. “I seem to run my best races when I do that.”

Ken Teasley of Moorpark, Kevin Maxie of Valley and Ventura teammates Donyhel Johnson and Mark Aucutt also are expected to contend for top-four finishes in their respective events.

Teasley, who placed seventh in the javelin in the 1991 state meet, is seeded third and Maxie has the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the 200.

Johnson, the No. 2 qualifier in the long jump, placed fourth last year.

Aucutt, a freshman from Santa Clara High who has the third-highest qualifying score in the decathlon (6,107 points), will renew his rivalry with former high school teammate Isaiah Mustafa of Moorpark (5,882).

Jennifer Stewart of Valley, the 1991 state champion in the women’s high jump, is one of four competitors to have cleared 5-6.

Today’s meet will start at 10 a.m. with the first event of the men’s decathlon, the 100 meters.

Events will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday with the decathlon 110 high hurdles. The first field event, the men’s long jump, will start at 1 p.m. and the first running event, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, will start at 4.