TRACK AND FIELD : UCLA’s Godina Proves a Master of Spin Control

John Godina’s head was spinning.

Godina, the defending Pac-10 shotput and discus champion, had difficulty mastering his spin technique in the shotput competition at the California-Nevada track championships at UCLA on Sunday.

“I just wasn’t throwing with technique,” said Godina, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound UCLA junior, “I was trying to push it out, just using power only. That isn’t going to work if you’re spinning. I’ve been spinning for three years and I’m still learning.

“So I had to settle myself down and just do some dry spins on the side just to try and get the feel of the technique. I finally got it.”

Godina, who fouled on three of his first five throws, put the shot 64-feet 6 1/2 inches on his last trip to the ring to win. It’s the second-best collegiate outdoor shotput mark in the country this season, behind national leader Brent Noon of Georgia (67-7), but Godina, who threw a personal best 65-8 3/4 to win the NCAA indoor title last March, was disappointed.

“I was looking for more,” Godina said. “I came out with the intent of hitting around 67 feet and I hit around 66-6 in warm-ups, but unfortunately, I started trying a little too hard in the competition.”

UCLA’s Valeyta Althouse set a Pac-10 and school record of 57-9 to win the women’s shotput. Althouse, a 5-8, 260-pound sophomore, broke the conference and school record of 56-11 1/2 set by Dawn Dumble last season. Dumble, the defending conference shotput and discus champion, is redshirting this season.

Althouse, who was voted the meet’s outstanding women’s field event performer, also recorded a personal best of 161-0 in the discus to finish fifth.

The only school in the nation with four 60-foot shotputters, UCLA swept the first three places in the men’s event and also placed first, fifth, sixth and seventh in the women’s shotput.

Senior Joe Bailey was second (61-4 3/4) and sophomore Mark Parlin was third (59-11) in the shotput. Sophomore Jonathan Ogden, who has been struggling, was sixth (57-8 1/2).

UCLA also dominated the discus as senior Jamie Presser won the men’s discus (185-11) and Ogden finished third (174-9).

The Bruins also were first, fourth and fifth in the women’s discus as senior Candy Roberts finished first (175-3), and senior Sarah Andrews was fourth (164-10), followed by Althouse.

There were some other outstanding performances in this meet, which featured 21 schools.

--USC sophomore Paul Greene, the Pac-10 leader, won the 400 meters (45.82) and also ran a 45.1 anchor leg to help the Trojans win the 1,600-meter relay (3:05.78).

--Fresno State senior Todd Riech, the national collegiate leader in the javelin, won his event with a toss of 246-4 to beat UCLA’s Greg Johnson (225-7). Riech, whose winning throw is the No. 2 collegiate mark in the nation this season behind his 258-5, was voted the outstanding men’s field event performer.

--USC sophomore Balazs Kiss, a member of Hungary’s 1992 Olympic team, won the hammer throw with a distance of 239-3.

--UCLA senior distance runner Beth Bartholomew won the 1,500 (4:24.46) and 3,000 (9:44.22) en route to being voted the meet’s outstanding female track performer. Junior Karleen Shields of USC was also a double winner, finishing first in the long jump (19-2 3/4) and triple jump (40-0).

--UCLA senior hurdler Keisha Marvin won the women’s 400 hurdles (57.7) and ran a 53.1 anchor leg to help the Bruin women win the 1,600-meter relay (3:37.71).

--USC junior sprinter-hurdler Sau Ying Chan, who competed in the 1992 Olympics for Hong Kong, won the women’s 100-meter hurdles (13.62) and was second in the 100 (12.01) behind Ali McKnight of Nevada (11.75).

The men’s team race went down to the final event, the 1,600-meter relay. Cal, which needed to finish eighth to clinch the championship, finished fifth and won with 132 points. UCLA and Fresno State tied for second with 124 points, followed by USC with 109 points.

The Bruins won the women’s title with 168 points, followed by Fresno State (93).