Prefontaine Has Star Power

Stacy Dragila, winner of the first women’s Olympic pole vault title two years ago at Sydney, believes a female pole vaulter will some day clear 17 feet. And Dragila, who set a world outdoor record of 15 feet, 9 1/4 inches last September, wants to be the first woman to clear 16 feet.

But as the outdoor track and field season heats up, she’s focusing on one foot. She has a sore left arch, which idled her four weeks before the indoor season and remains tender.

Hampered because of the injury and a bout with flu, Dragila lost her world indoor record to Svetlana Feofanova of Russia, who set five world records in 29 days and cleared 15-7 in March. But Dragila is optimistic she can bear the pain and continue to blaze a trail in the sport.

“Things are going better now, but I’m still in a little bit of pain, so I don’t know what’s going on,” said Dragila, who attributed the problem to unsuitable shoes she got from a new sponsor.

“I struggled with the idea of, ‘Do I take off the outdoor season?’ But there are so many women jumping well, I could be left in the dust.”

Dragila hoped to re-establish her supremacy over Feofanova at today’s Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, but the Russian withdrew because of a fever, organizers said. Nonetheless, the 28th Prefontaine meet--named for the late and legendary distance runner Steve Prefontaine--will have impressive fields in every event.

The meet, the second of four on USA Track and Field’s Outdoor Golden Spike Tour and an IAAF Grand Prix event, will feature quintuple Sydney medalist Marion Jones in the 100. Jones has never lost a competition at the Prefontaine Classic, having won the 100, 200 and long jump twice each in four appearances.

Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, the world mile record holder and world champion and record holder in the 1,500, will defend his mile title against a field that includes world 1,500 runner-up Bernard Lagat of Kenya. Competing in other events are three-time 100-meter hurdles world champion Allen Johnson, 110-meter hurdles world champion Anjanette Kirkland, men’s world pole vault champion Jeff Hartwig and men’s Olympic pole vault gold medalist Nick Hysong.

In the women’s discus, UCLA alum and U.S. record holder Suzy Powell will be challenged by another former Bruin, four-time U.S. champ Seilala Sua, and Kris Kuehl.

There’s show-stealing potential in the men’s 100, which has four of the five fastest sprinters in the world this season--Tim Montgomery (9.94), Shawn Crawford (9.94), J.J. Johnson (9.95) and Coby Miller (9.98).

Montgomery’s car bears a license plate reading “Track 9.75,” the time he dreams of running to break Maurice Greene’s world record of 9.79 seconds. Although he believes it’s too early in the season for a record, he anticipates a fast time today.

“I know I can go 9.8-something,” said Montgomery, who won last year’s U.S. title in 9.95 seconds and was second to Greene at the World Championships, 9.85 to Greene’s 9.82. “I know I can go faster than anybody’s run on American soil, which is 9.84 [by Canada’s Donovan Bailey at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics]....

“My main thing now is to go out there and put myself in the class Maurice has put himself. This weekend is very important for me.”

His only regret is that Greene, hampered by a pulled calf muscle, won’t run here. Montgomery outraced his rival when each anchored 400-meter relay teams at the Penn Relays last month, a moment Montgomery called his first breakthrough because he saw fear on Greene’s face.

“If he’s not ready, I don’t want to run against him,” said Montgomery, who considers Greene the best 100-meter runner in history but admires Carl Lewis’ strong finishes. “I want Maurice when he’s at his best. For him not to be racing is very, very painful.”