Callin Gets Medal With Less Luster

Dennis Callin predicted he would return to Simi Valley with an Olympic Festival medal.

But it was supposed to be gold, not bronze.

And it was supposed to come in team dressage, not the individual competition.

Callin, 37, believed that his horse, Dynamisch, was not experienced enough in the event to be a medal contender.

He received a surprise Tuesday night at Freeman Coliseum.

Dynamisch made four technical errors, but the first half of his routine was strong enough to earn Callin 765 points and third place, three points behind silver medal-winner Elizabeth Ball and her horse, Bolshoj.

The runaway winner of the event was Nancy Lewis, riding Izaiah, a horse she rescued from starvation less than four years ago. Lewis, from Detroit, Mich., had 800 points.

Leslie Morse of Glendale, who had the top individual score of Monday’s team competition, placed fifth with 758 points.

Morse, riding Juvel, was the event’s final competitor. That left Callin, her close friend and business partner, nervously watching from the sideline.

A medal would go only to one of them.

“Really, I would have been happy either way,” Callin said. “It was a win-win situation.”

He wasn’t simply being a good sport. Callin and Morse train horses together. He has ridden Juvel in competition himself.

“I’m happy for Dennis,” Morse said. “And I’m happy for myself, too.”

Morse was still riding high from her previous day’s performance, which helped the South team win a gold medal in the team competition.

Ironically, the team gold is what Callin expected to take home. Except he never had a chance when half of his team withdrew because their horses were lame.

“That was very disappointing,” Callin said. “But I think I’m over it.”

Morse knew she was in for a rough ride before Juvel entered the competition ring.

“The horse was a little tired today, and a little nervous,” she said. “That’s what’s different about working with two athletes. It takes both of you.”

In the race for the U.S. Equestrian Team National Intermediare I Championship, Morse and Callin finished in a second-place tie behind Lewis.

The USET title was calculated by adding the points from individual competition to those earned in the competition.

RACQUETBALL

Tony Jelso won his gold-medal match the easy way.

By default.

Jelso, from Ventura, was leading Chris Cole, of Flint, Mich., 14-11, in the first game of the gold medal singles match when Cole quit.

Cole had aggravated a shoulder injury while diving for a loose ball on the previous play.

“I was hoping on winning by playing,” Jelso said. “Unfortunately, this is the way it worked out.”

Jelso, 23, ranked eighth in the nation, earned his way to the final by defeating 10th-ranked Vince Kelley of Portland, 15-3, 15-8, in the semifinals.

“I knew I was going to win,” Jelso said of the final. “I was playing real well. I was very confident.”

ARCHERY

Mike Hainline of Simi Valley fell in the quarterfinal round to Jay Barrs of Mesa, Ariz., 109-106.

Hainline, 19, was an upset winner over four-time Olympian Rick McKinney on Monday. Barrs went on to win a silver medal.

FIELD HOCKEY

An extraordinary effort by goalie Tom Vano was not enough for the West, which dropped a 2-1 decision to the East in overtime. Vano, from Simi Valley, made 11 saves.

Ahmed Elmaghraby scored both goals for the East, including the game-winner at the 78-minute mark on a penalty stroke.

Binh Hoang of Westlake Village scored the West’s only goal, temporarily staking his team to the lead 55 minutes into the game.

The East will meet the North in today’s gold-medal game. The North defeated the South, 2-1. Davinder Plaha of Northridge scored the South’s only goal.

The bronze medal game between the South and the West will feature 22 players from the Ventura/Valley region.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Christi Tucay of Burbank is in fourth place with 17.25 points after two rounds. Tucay, 15, is two places ahead of Carmit Bachar, 19, of Encino, who has 17 points.

ROWING

Chris Palmquist participated in a pair of fourth-place finishes for the South. In the 1,000-meter open quadruple sculls, the South finished in 3:06.69, more than 14 seconds behind the gold medal-winning West team. In the 1,000-meter eight with coxswain, the South was last again in 2:47.13, almost 10 seconds behind the first-place East.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Ania Bleszynski and Julie Scott beat Dawn Buth and Michelle O to win the bronze medal in women’s doubles. Bleszynski, of Thousand Oaks, will meet Katie Schlukebir of Kalamazoo, Mich., today for the bronze medal in singles.

Bleszynski, 16, lost in the semifinals to Pam Trump of Arcadia, 6-4, 6-3.

VOLLEYBALL

The North team, guided by Cal State Northridge Coach John Price, downed the South, 15-12, 13-15, 15-8, 15-4. Kevin Hambly, a former Royal High standout, had 10 blocks for the North.

TEAM HANDBALL

James Hop had four goals but the West fell to the North, 15-13, in the bronze medal game.

Denny Fercho had three goals and Kurt Stone also scored for the West. Hop, Fercho and Stone live in Camarillo.