Drossin Doubles Chances to Make U.S. Olympic Team

Better safe than sorry.

That was Deena Drossin’s reason for entering the women’s 5,000 and 10,000 meters in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials that start today and end July 23 at Cal State Sacramento.

Drossin, a 1991 graduate of Agoura High, has accomplished more in the 5,000 than in the 10,000, but she will run in the final of the longer event tonight before running a qualifying heat of the 5,000 on Monday and--if things go as expected--in the final July 21.

“I just feel like I can compete at the world level in the 5,000 more so than I can in the 10,000,” Drossin said. “But I can’t assume that I’m going to make the team in the 5,000. I figured it would be better to try and make it in the 10,000 first.”

If Drossin qualifies for the U.S. team by finishing among the top three in either event, she would probably run only the 5,000 in the Olympic Games in Sydney in September. But she’s trying not to get ahead of herself.

She knows the unexpected can befall a distance runner during a race.

Take the World cross-country championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, in March.

Drossin, 27, was expected to finish among the leaders in the women’s 8,000 meters but finished a disappointing 12th after she was stung in the throat by a bee that flew into her mouth in the first 100 meters.

Drossin was not adversely affected by the sting for the first 4,000 meters, running among the lead pack of 12. But her throat began to swell--making breathing difficult--and she blacked out before falling around the 5,000-meter mark.

Scraped and bruised, she was jarred back to her senses and got up to finish 12th and lead the U.S. team to a gratifying third-place finish behind Ethiopia and Kenya.

“I was really upset crossing the finish line because I had been unable to accomplish what I set out to do because of something totally beyond my control,” Drossin said.

“But when I found out that we won the bronze medal, all the disappointment went away.”

Drossin, who ranks fourth on the all-time U.S. performer list in the 5,000 at 14:56.84 and 11th in the 10,000 at 32:00.72, will be disappointed if she fails to make her first Olympic team.

But she will continue to train under distance guru Joe Vigil in Alamosa, Colo., no matter what happens.

“I’ve had this dream [of making the Olympic team] since I was a kid,” Drossin said. “I’m really excited about it, but it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t make it. . . . I would definitely be disappointed . . . but I plan to keep running until it’s no longer fun for me or the sport tells me to retire.”

Marion Jones, two-time defending World champion in the women’s 100 and a 1993 graduate of Thousand Oaks High, will begin her quest to make the U.S. team in three individual events.

She will run in a first-round heat of the 100 and compete in long jump qualifying.

Regina Jacobs, a 1981 graduate of what is now Campbell Hall, will run in a qualifying heat of the women’s 1,500, as will Marla Runyan, a 1986 graduate of Camarillo.

Jacobs was the silver medalist in the 1,500 last year in the World championships in Seville, Spain, and former heptathlete Runyan finished a surprising 10th in her first year of distance running.

Peter de la Cerda, a 1989 graduate of Granada Hills and a part-time training partner of Drossin in Alamosa, will run in the men’s 10,000.

More than 1,200 athletes will compete in 39 events in the trials, consisting of eight days of competition over 10 days.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

OLYMPIC HOPEFULS

The following athletes from the region will compete in the U.S. Olympic trials in track and field at Cal State Sacramento beginning today through July 23.

Men

*--*

Name Affiliation Event Career Best Avery Anderson CSUN assistant coach Decathlon 7,952 Dominique Arnold CSUN assistant coach 110 High Hurdles 13.21 Peter de la Cerda Granada Hills ’89 10,000 28:47.25 Jeremy Fischer Camarillo ’94 High Jump 7-6 Derek Kite Camarillo ’90 Steeplechase 8:36.9 Sean McKeown Newbury Park ’92 Discus 208-6 Garrett Noel Crespi ‘88, CSUN ’93 Javelin 242-0 Ryan Wilson Agoura ’93 5,000 13:19.60

*--*

*

Women

Name: Deena Drossin

Affiliation: Agoura ’91

Event: 5,000, 10,000

Career Best: 14:56.84, 32:00.72

*

*

Name: Kristin Dunn

Affiliation: CSUN ’95

Event: Javelin

Career Best: 176-4

*

Name: Cheree Hicks

Affiliation: Littlerock ’96

Event: Shotput, Discus

Career Best: 56-6, 199-8

*

Name: Regina Jacobs

Affiliation: *Argyll Academy ’81

Event: 1,500, 5,000

Career Best: 4:00.35, +14:52.49

*

Name: Marion Jones

Affiliation: Thousand Oaks ’93

Event: 100, 200, Long Jump

Career Best: 10.65, 21.62, 23-11 3/4

*

Name: Vanitta Kinard

Affiliation: El Camino Real ’93

Event: Triple Jump

Career Best: 45-1 3/4

*

Name: Michelle Perry

Affiliation: Quartz Hill ’97

Event: 400 Low Hurdles

Career Best: 56.50

*

Name: Brandi Prieto

Affiliation: CSUN

Event: Triple Jump

Career Best: 44-3 1/4

*

Name: Marla Runyan

Affiliation: Camarillo ’86

Event: 1,500, 5,000

Career Best: 4:05.27, 15:07.66

*

Name: Frances Santin

Affiliation: Taft ‘98, CSUN

Event: 400 Low Hurdles

Career Best: 57.24

*

Name: Heather Sickler

Affiliation: Camarillo ’98

Event: Pole vault

Career Best: 13-3

*Later became Campbell Hall High, +U.S. record.