Carson Hopes to Start on Right Track

Can a track and field meet featuring some of the top competitors in the world establish itself as a viable event in the highly competitive Southern California sports market?

The answer to that question could come as early as today when the Home Depot Track & Field Invitational is held at the Home Depot Center on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson.

The meet, which will feature world- and national-class competitors in 14 events, will be the inaugural event at the $140-million, 85-acre sports center. The opening ceremony will begin at noon, with the women’s pole vault starting competition at 12:15.

The Anschutz Entertainment Group that owns the Home Depot Center hopes today’s meet will be the start of an annual affair.

So do such athletes as pole vaulters Mary Sauer and Mel Mueller.

“It’s really great to be able to have my parents and friends come and watch me compete in a meet like this,” said Sauer, who lives in San Dimas. “Usually, they’d have to fly somewhere in the States or go over to Europe to watch me compete in a meet of this caliber.”

Mueller, the No. 3-ranked women’s vaulter in the U.S. behind 2000 Olympic champion Stacy Dragila and Sauer last year, says she expects the Home Depot meet to be around “until the end of time” and that the new facility is conducive to producing high-quality performances in the pole vault.

“The runway is fast and there’s usually a tail wind behind you,” she said. “The direction of the wind can make all the difference in the pole vault. A wind in your face can mean everyone [failing to clear a height], but a tail wind could mean a world record.”

Today’s meet, which will be held in the stadium that will host the 2006 World Cup of track and field, will feature 37 Olympians from nine nations, 24 performers who were ranked among the top 10 athletes in the world in their respective events last year, three Olympic champions and one athlete who was ranked first in the world last year.

The Olympic gold medalists are Americans Maurice Greene, winner of the men’s 100 meters in Sydney in 2000, Allen Johnson, winner of the men’s 110 high hurdles in Atlanta in 1996, and Dragila.

Ana Guevara is the entrant who was ranked first in the world last year. Guevara has become a national hero in soccer-mad Mexico after being ranked first in the world in the women’s 400 the last two years and meet director Rich Perelman attributes a surge in ticket sales in recent days to the fact that Guevara was featured on the sports segments of several Spanish-language television stations Wednesday.

“Ana-mania is taking over,” Perelman said. “We’re expecting a Mexican fiesta out here.”

Americans Kevin Toth, David Krummenacker and Tyree Washington are some of the other leading entrants in the meet.

Toth has the best shotput effort in the world this year at 74 feet 4 1/2 inches.

Krummenacker is favored to win the 1,500 after winning the 800 in the World Indoor championships in Birmingham, England, in March.

Washington won the 400 in the World Indoor championships and has the fastest time in the world this year at 44.70 seconds.

Allyson Felix of Los Angeles Baptist High in North Hills, whose world junior (age 19 and under) record of 22.11 in the 200 is the fastest women’s time in the world this year, will run in the 100 against a field that includes yearly world leader Kelli White of the U.S.

Perelman said Friday that he expects the 10,094-seat stadium to be sold out.

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Today’s Track and Field Meet

*--* * What: Home Depot Track & Field Invitational * Where: Home Depot Center on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson * When: Opening ceremony at noon, competition starts at 12:15 * TV: ESPN2, 12:30-2 p.m * Fast facts: Olympic champions Maurice Greene, Allen Johnson and Stacy Dragila are among the 37 Olympians from nine nations who will compete in the inaugural event at the $140-million, 85-acre sports center

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