Track
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Atlanta, Ga.), Jon Mathiason (Ft. Madison, Ia.) and Noel Skidmore (Glens Falls, N.Y.). TWO-MILE RUN The finest distance· runner in the nation will unquestionably be Bill McChesney (South, Eugene, Ore.). Bill briefly held the national six-mile/ 10;000 meter records at 28:09.4/29:06.8, set class records at threemiles (13:44.4) and 5000-meters (14:13.2) and took his state two-mile at 8:51.0, equal third best ever by a junior. This season Bill could regain the 6M/ 10,000 records if he tries the distance, could lower Craig Virgin's two-mile record of 8:41.0 and might even approach Gerry Lindgren's venerable and very tough three-mile best of 13:17.0. Four others, junior Tom Graves (Sandburg, Orland Park, Ill.), Brent Hoffman (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Jon Mathiason (Ft. Madison, Ia.) and Tim Holmes· (Downey, Modesto, Calif.) return with sub-9:04 credentials. Graves was a .state champ with a 9:00.6 soph effort, Mathiason and state champ Hoffman went 9:01.8 and Holmes hit 9:02.4. Those back with 9:04 to 9: I 0 credentials are: Dave Bensema (Richards, Oak Lawn, Ill.), junior Rod Berry (Redwood, Larkspur, Calif.), Aran Collier (Tarnalpais, Mill Valley, Calif.), Jeff Creer (East, Salt Lake City, Utah), Bob Hicks (Sandburg, Orland Park, Ill.), junior Alan Scharsu (Fitch, Austintown, Ohio), Robert Siehl (Morris Hills, Rockaway, N.J.) and Mike Walterhouse (Mission Viejo, Ca1if.). Others under 9:12 are: Jim Van Blunk (Pennsbury, Fairless Hills, Pa.), Doug Diekema (North, Wheaton, Ill.), Ron Gale (Christian Brothers Acad., Lincroft, N.J.) and Daniel Henderson (Druid Hills, Atlanta, Ga.). 120 HIGH HURDLES Two years ago the national record was 13.4. Since that time this event has been revolutionized as three have clocked 13.2 and three more own l3.3's. The same could occur this year as three potential super stars return followed by a retinue of eleven others under 14.0 as Florida, New Jersey and Texas will have most of the talent. Quickest returnee is Eugene Miller (Dunedin, Fla.) with his state meet 13.5, just a tenth off the junior class record. Marshall Parks (Roth, Dayton, Ohio) and Renaldo Nehemiah (Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Scotch Plains, N.J.) both clocked 13.6's with Nehemiah also going 14.2m at the Junior AAU meet over the 42-inch hurdles. Central (Little Rock, Ark.) perenially turns out fine hurdlers and this year it is Barry Brown, the double state champ at 13.7, 18.7. The other 13.7 (13.6w) hurdler is Paul Lankford (Farmingdale, N.Y.). These 13.8-13.9 performers are also back: George Boutte (New Iberia, La.), Mike Erland (Goldendale, Wash.), Ron Johnson (Sumner, St. Louis, Mo.), Mike Mosley (Humble, Tex.), Mike Pahnestock
(Selinsgrove, Pa.), junior Terry Peel (Jefferson, Tex.), Dave Still (Pennsauken, N.J.), Gary White (Rockdale, Tex.) and junior Joe Winningham (Bordentown, N.J.). At 14.0 are junior. Gilbert Brunson (Brandon, Fla.), junior Sherman Davis (Boca Raton, Fla.), James Hickey (Apopka, Fla.), Leonard Lewis (Ball, Galveston, Tex.), Mike Spencer (Buchtel, Akron, Ohio), Andrew Walker (Northeast, St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Shulton Whitley (Nyack, N.Y.). LOW & INTERMEDIATES Less than a dozen of the top track states contest the 180 lows; but they still do it well. The top returnees are high hurdle stars Barry Brown at 18.7, Marshall Parks at 18.8 and George Boutte and Ron Johnson at 19.0, the same time as Parks' teammate Mark Brown. Around a turn Randy Brooks (Creighton Prep, Omaha, Nebr.) set a junior class record with his 18.8. The best of the 330-hurdle returnees is Leonard Lewis (Ball, Galveston, Tex.) at 37.5 with a big jump up to the 38.0's for Lester Jefferson (Jones,' Orlando, Fla.) and Mike White (Washingtonville, N.Y.). Rourke Lowe (Aloha, Beaverton, Ore.), the frosh record holder at 38.2, hit 38.1 as -a soph. His frosh record was tied by Dexter Hawkins (West Fulton, Atlanta, Ga.) who also took .4-seconds off the highs record with a nifty 14.2. Others under 38.5 were Brian Burns (Pulaski, N.Y.), Paul Lankford (Farmingdale, N.Y.), Brian Jutting (Centereach, N.Y.) and Shulton Whitley (Nyack, N.Y.). California and Illinois run a hybrid 330-Iows event and Andre Phillips (Silver Creek, San Jose, Calif.) is the best off at 36.4. His closest rival· is Tim Chambers (Santa Monica, Calif.) at 36.8 while junior Willie Curran (Crespi Carmelite, Encino, Calif.) and Tony Warren (Proviso East, Maywood, Ill.) are the others back under 38.0. HIGH JUMP This may be the big event of the 1977 season. The 17 over 6-10 returning will provide the depth at 7-feet and the top jumper of 1976, soph Gail Olson (Sycamore, III.) has a chance at Reynaldo Brown's record of 7-3. Olson first claimed a class and age-15 record of 7-feet before producing an amazing 7-2 effort. This age16 mark ranks second best on the all-time list. In all, Gail topped 6-11 four times. Tops behind Olson were Jeff Woodard (New Albany, Ind.) at, 6-11 with state champ John Birch (Mainland, Daytona Beach, Fla.) and Penn Relays and Eastern States champ Chris Becton (Bensalem Township, Cornwells Heights, Pa.) close at 6-10¥.1. At 6-1014 and 6-!0Vz are Kelly Gordien (Claremont, Calif.), the son of exworld discus record holder Fortune Gor-
dien, Fred Mitchell (Kimball, Dallas, Tex.), Dennis Smith (Santa Monica, Calif.), Audrey Tarver (White, Jacksonville, Fla.) and Tom Tomasson (Upper Arlington, Columbus, Ohio). Crammed at 6-10 are Jeff Good (Rio Mesa, Oxnard, Calif.), John Kranz (Westchester, Houston, Tex.), junior Charles Pennington (Spring Branch Memorial, Houston, Tex.), Larry Meyer (Fremont, Nebr.), Gary Lawrence (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Jerry Sanders (Muir, Pasadena, Calif.), junior Manuel Toppins (Rogers, Newport, R.I.) and Michael White (Bartram, Philadelphia, Pa.). If that isn't enough there are six more returnees at 6-9.
Blg Sutherland of national powerhouse Shawnee Mission South, Kansas, heaved discus. 198-7 as a ;unior in 1976.
POLE VAULT The best underclassman in 1976 was soph Anthony Curran (Crespi Carmelite, Encino, Calif.) at 15-914. The third, and possibly the best, of the three vaulting brothers claimed a class record with his effort. With eight at 15-3 or better returning there could be a rash of 16-footers. Closest to Curran last season were Gary Lankford (Taylor, Tex.) at 15-9 and Jim Sidler (Villa Park, Calif.) at 15-8. The others over 15-3 are Ray Crook (Wooster, Reno, Nev.), Chris Duhon (Brenham, Tex:), Bill Pierce (Sanger, Calif.), Randy Raymond (Fremont, Nebr.) and Mike Sula (Lemoore, Calif.). continued PREP I FEBRUARY-MARCH 1977