Talent Pool Gets Deeper

It would be an overstatement to call the open portion of the L.A. Invitational indoor track and field meet at the Sports Arena on Saturday a star-studded affair.

But the 42nd edition of the meet will have more world- and national-class athletes entrants than it has had since Sunkist dropped its sponsorship in 1995.

“We’ve got some depth in certain events this year,” said Don Franken, co-promoter of the meet with his father, Al. “That’s something we haven’t had in recent years.”

The meet, which wasn’t held in 1997 because of a lack of corporate sponsorship, appeared to be in serious jeopardy in October when the Amateur Athletic Foundation decided to discontinue its $20,000 sponsorship of the high school portion of the meet.

But several new sponsors have come on board since and coaches of several high-profile clubs such as Irvine-based HIS have entered athletes in the meet for “reasonable” appearance fees, according to Don Franken.

None of the new sponsors is putting up the kind of cash Sunkist did, but the Frankens have had a bit more money to work with this year.

Because the national indoor championships are being held at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City on March 1-2, many athletes are looking to get in one more competition before then.

Bernard Lagat of Kenya, the second-fastest 1,500-meter runner in history, is favored to win his fourth consecutive title in the men’s mile.

But the men’s high jump, the men’s and women’s pole vault and the men’s 50 could be the most talent-laden events.

The men’s high jump will include Charles Austin, Nathan Leeper, Shane Lavy and James Nieto.

Austin won the 1996 Olympic title and holds the U.S. record of 7 feet 101/2 inches.

Leeper was ranked first in the U.S. and 10th in the world last year and has a best of 7-81/2.

Lavy has an indoor best of 7-71/4 and Nieto has cleared 7-61/2.

Lawrence Johnson, the silver medalist in the men’s pole vault in the 2000 Olympic Games, heads the list of entrants in that event.

Johnson won the world indoor title last year and is the U.S. indoor record-holder at 19-61/2. He’ll be challenged by defending champion Ross Buller, who has a best of 19-3/4, and Jim Davis, who has cleared 19-1/4.

The women’s pole vault won’t have as much depth as the men’s event, but it will include 15-footers Mel Mueller and Mary Sauer.

Mueller became the sixth woman to break the 15-foot barrier last year when she vaulted 15-11/2 and Sauer equaled that height Saturday in an indoor meet at Northern Arizona.

The men’s 50 will include Jon Drummond, Christopher Williams of Jamaica and Mickey Grimes.

Drummond was slowed by injuries last year but has a best of 9.92 in the 100.

Williams was the silver medalist in the 200 in the world championships in Edmonton, Canada, last August and Grimes was a member of the U.S. team that won the 400 relay in that meet.