COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHAMPS TAKE ON WORLD & OLYMPIC WINNERS AT SACRAMENTO CC ON SATURDAY
Fresh from their title-winning performances at one world record site in Lancaster, California’s top community college track and field athletes are ready to take on the world Saturday at another record-breaking location, in Sacramento.
The venerable California Relays are moving from their world record breaking Modesto JC facility to Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium for the their 68th relays on May 29.
Hughes Stadium has a special place in track history. It was at the 1968 AAU meet there that the existing world 100 meter record of 10.0 seconds was equaled or beaten 10 times in “the greatest feast of 100 meter sprinting yet seen,” as quoted from the record book of track and field’s international governing body.
Oakland’s Jim Hines received credit for the first official 9.9 second clocking, as well as producing the first 9.8 time (albeit wind-aided).
Throwers are in the Sacramento meet spotlight – including Olympic women’s discus champion Stephanie Brown Trafton (who trained at Hughes Stadium for her gold medal performance) and world men’s shot put champion Christian Cantwell -- meeting new world leader Cory Martin.
Field events start at noon and invitational track events at 4:20 p.m.
California Community College Athletic Association State Champions Entered
STEWART VS. WORLD LEADER & AR HOLDER: Two-time state men’s high hurdles champion Ray (Tamas) Stewart (13.95) of Oakland’s Merritt College is scheduled to face current world leader David Oliver, who ran 12.99 at last week’s Diamond League meet in Shanghai, and American record holder Dominique Arnold (12.90)
FIVE-TIME STATE CHAMP NEWSON MEETS OLYMPIC FINALIST: Lauryn Newson, who led Oakland’s Laney College to if first state women’s team championship last week at Antelope Valley, is entered in the 100 meters and the long jump. She has won double state titles in both events and leads USA JC/CC athletes in the long jump at 21 feet, 1 1/2 inches; also is the state leader in the 100 (11.60). Shanae Roach of Laney, who prevented Newson from repeating as state 200 champ, is also in the 100. Roach (11.61 best) is the Northern California champion in the short sprint. The 100 field features 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Muna Lee (10.85), who fifth in Olympic finals, and 2005 USA champion Lisa Barber (who has clocked a wind-aided 10.87).
Laney will also run its 4 x 100 meter relay team, which did not make it to the state finals because of a dropped baton at the NorCal meet. The Eagles rank No. 2 nationally at 44.72.
TWO CCCAA CHAMPS COMPETE AT HOME: Sacramento CC will have two state champions competing at home, in the women’s and men’s high jump, respectively: Susan Jackson, the USA JC/CC leader at 5-10 1/2, and Ray Nikzat (7-0 1/4).
Neighboring American River College also has a state champion entered, Ashley Frazier, in the women’s 400 meter hurdles
Three-time state champion Sarah Nichols of Butte is entered in the women’s high jump. She repeated as heptathlon champion and also won the javelin throw last week.
Fresno City College has a pair of men’s state champions entered, discus national leader Nate Moses (192-11) and hammer thrower Christian Millard (179-5).
TRACK NOTES: 33 WORLD RECORDS AT MODESTO:
There have been 33 world record performances over the past seven decades of California Relays, all at Modesto JC. They include the first 27-foot long jump, by Ralph Boston. The first meet, in 1942, featured a world pole vault record by Cornelius Warmerdam that lasted for 15 years. The last world record, in 2000, also came in the pole vault, by a woman – by Stacy Dragila (a former community college heptathlete at Yuba College).
CALIFORNIA CC’S
– THE HISTORIC SITES FOR WORLD RECORDS / 10 MEN’S VAULT MARKS AT 8 JC’S
Sacramento’s Hughes Stadium has seen an official world record pole vault, by John Pennel in 1969.
Their have been ten men ’s world record pole vault marks at eight different California JC/CC stadiums:
Fresno City College (Ratcliffe Stadium), Cornelius Warmerdam, 1940
Compton College, Cornelius Warmerdam, 1941
Modesto JC, Cornelius Warmerdam, 1942 (record stood for 15 years, until development of the aluminum pole).
Santa Barbara CC (La Playa Stadium), John Uelses, 1962.
Mt. San Antonio, Dave Tork, 1962.
Modesto JC, Brian Sternberg, 1963.
San Diego CC (Balboa Stadium), Fred Hansen, 1964.
Fresno CC (Ratcliffe Stadium), Bob Seagren, 1966.
San Diego CC (Balboa Stadium), Bob Seagren, 1967.
Sacramento CC (Hughes Stadium), John Pennel, 1969
CC alumni Notes:
--Seagren, a Mt. San Antonio College product, won the Olympic gold medal in 1968 and silver in 1972.
--Dan Ripley, out of Cypress College, set world indoor records in the pole vault and was a member of the 1980 Olympic team that did not compete in Moscow.
(Top pole vault entrant at Saturday’s relays is 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Derek Miles, who was fourth at the Beijing Olympics.)
AVC’S WORLD RECORD:
Antelope Valley College, the site of last week’s California Community College Athletic Association State Championships, was were Jay Silvester bettered his own world and American records in the discus throw by more than six feet on May 16, 1971. He became the first person to surpass 230 feet -- at 230-11; also the first over 70 meters (70.38).
