April 20, 1998
THIS WEEK: Sat.-Sun. Apr. 26-27 at California/Nevada State Championships, Fresno, CA 9:00 a.m.
BEARS AT STATE MEET: The Cal men's and women's track and field team travels to Fresno for the fifth annual California/Nevada State Championships Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27. The meet features athletes from more than 20 universities in California and Nevada, and athletes must qualify to compete in the meet.
MEET HISTORY: The Cal men won the State Meet in 1994, finished second in 1995 , third in 1996 and fifth last season. The Golden Bear women finished fifth in 1994, second in 1995, and third in both 1996 and 1997. Last year's meet was held in Northridge. The Cal men and women each won four events at last year's State Meet; and those returning to defend their titles are senior Donald Oliver (400m), junior Mike Blair (1500m), senior Travis Nutter (hammer) and junior Elissa Riedy (800m). Also returning to defend a pair of individual titles is junior Latasha Gilliam, a double winner in the 100m and 200m as a freshman in 1996. In addition, Riedy won the 1500m in 1996.
NEXT WEEK: The final home track and field meet of the season takes place at Edwards Stadium on Saturday, May 2, as the Bears host Stanford in the Big Meet. The meet will also celebrate the groundbreaking of the Goldman Field/Edwards Stadiumrenovation project. Actual construction is scheduled to begin in late May, with completion due in December, 1998. The $3.2 million renovation project includes a reconfigured 400-meter oval, installation of a top polyurethane all-weather surface, conversion of the infield into a regulation size soccer field, installation of lights and improved landscaping, concessions, ticketing and access/entry points. A leadership gift of $1.5 was given by Richard Goldman (Cal '41) and his late wife Rhoda (Cal '46), and the new field will be named Goldman Field in honor of Richard's father, Richard Samuel Goldman (Cal '09). The current Edwards Stadium, which seats 22,000, opened in 1932 as the only stadium in the world built for track and field use only. The facility has hosted eight NCAA Championships meets (more than any other site) and has witnessed 11 world records, 16 American records and 18 collegiate records.
RANKINGS: In the April 16 Division I team rankings released by the U.S. Track Coaches Association, the Cal men are ranked 8th nationally and the Golden Bear women are ranked 14th. The rankings are done with consideration to total team depth (2 athletes per event in each event) and quality of performance. The performances are assigned point values and then totaled as in a decathon, with the teams ranked on the basis of point totals.
HEAD COACH ERV HUNT: California head coach Erv Hunt is in his 27th season with the Golden Bears, 26th as head coach. Hunt served as head coach of the U.S. men's track and field team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, becoming the third Cal coach to hold that lofty title (Brutus Hamilton, 1952; Walter Christie, 1924). At Cal, Hunt owns a 194-60 (.764) men's dual meet record in 26 seasons, including 17-2 this season, and a 45-21 (.682) women's dual meet record in six seasons, including 13-6 this season. His coaching staff includes associate head coach Tony Sandoval and assistants Robyne Johnson, Joy Margerum, Ed Miller and Randy Ziraldo.
HAMMERING AWAY: Two-time All-American Travis Nutter turned in the Bears first NCAA automatic qualifying mark of the season, throwing a PR 221-8 to finish fourth in the hammer at the Mt. SAC Relays April 19. That throw, which was nearly five feet better than his previous best, ranks second on Cal's all-time performers list, behind school record holder Jari Matinolli (229-0 in 1986). Nutter has three victories in the hammer this season (Cal Invitational, UCLA Invitational, Mathis Invite), to go along with a second place finish at the USC Invitational and third place finishes at the Stanford Invite and Hamilton Invite. Senior Mark Davis threw a PR 174-9 to finish third at the Hamilton Invite, improving his Pac-10 qualifying mark. Junior transfer Jon Paxton threw a PR 51-8.25 to finish sixth in the shot put at the Hamilton Invite, and also posted a victory in the shot put at the Cal Invite (51-0.75). Junior Nadia Lopez broke her own school record in the hammer for the fourth time this season, throwing 172-8 to finish eighth at the Mt. SAC Relays April 19. This season, Lopez has wins in the hammer (Cal Invite), discus (Cal Invite, Mathis Invite) and shot put (USC Invite), and she is an NCAA provisional and Pac-10 qualifier in the hammer (172-8) and Pac-10 qualifier in the discus (155-8).
FULL SPEED AHEAD: Freshman Jason Manly won the 100m (10.7) and finished second in the 200m (21.84) at the Hamilton Invite, and is a Pac-10 qualifier in both events. Senior Anders Lustgarten, a graduate student from Oxford University, is a Pac-10 qualifier in the 400m (47.52) and owns a pair of victories at the Cal Invite and UCLA Invite. Junior Latasha Gilliam turned in season bests in the 100m (11.84) and 200m (24.17) last weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays, and is a Pac-10 qualifier in the 100m, 200m and 400m. Gilliam scored a sprint double in two meets this season, winning the 200m (24.60) and the 400m (54.49) at UCLA and the 100m (12.02) and 200m (24.21) at the Cal Invite. Freshman Zhauntel Holman won the 100m at the Hamilton Invite (11.94), improving her Pac-10 qualifying time.
LEAPS AND BOUNDS: Freshman Reynda King jumped a season-best 17-8.75 to finish 10th in the long jump at the Mt. SAC Relays. She is a Pac-10 qualifier in the triple jump (39-1.75), including a victory in the event at the Mathis Invite (37-10.50). Redshirt junior Anissa Tan won the long jump at the Mathis Invite (16-9.25) and also finished third in the 100m (12.77) and eighth in the 200m (26.60). Sophomore Chris Ferreira, the Pac-10 long jump champion in 1996, won the men's long jump at the UCLA Invitational (23-9).
GOING THE DISTANCE: Junior Simon Mudd ran a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 14:00.27 to finish fifth at the Mt. SAC Relays April 19. His time ranks fourth on the Cal all-time performers list in the event. Mudd has victories in the 5000m (UCLA Invite) and the 1500m (3:56.95, Cal Invite) this season. Sophomore Steve Immel won the 5000m at the Mathis Invitational (14:45.75). For the Golden Bear women, junior Elissa Riedy ran a season-best 4:20.55 to finish seventh in the 1500m at the Stanford Invite, lowering her NCAA provisional and Pac-10 qualifying times. Riedy posted victories in both the 800m (2:09.33) and the 1500m (4:25.92) at the UCLA Invitatational March 21, and is also a Pac-10 qualifier in the 800m. Junior Lori Riedy ran a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 9:36.45 to finish 14th in the 3000m at the Mt. SAC Relays. A Pac-10 qualifier at 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, L. Riedy has victories this season in the 3000m (9:43.34, UCLA) and the 5,000 (17:15.62, Cal Invite).
MULTI-EVENT MATTERS: Four Cal athletes dominated the competition at the UC Multi-Event Meet April 3-4 at UC Davis. Freshman Lori Nolte won the heptathlon, scoring a PR and Pac-10 qualifying 4,479 points. In the men's Group A decathlon (7,000 point qualifying standard), sophomore Bevan Hart finished third, scoring a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying 7,351 points. That score ranks Hart seventh on the Cal all-time performers list. In the men's Group B decathlon, sophomore Pat Leonard won the competition with a PR 6,669 points, and senior Cameron Cleeton took third place (6,253 points).
HURDLERS HEAT UP: Junior Coke Edmon ran a season-best 52.83 to finish third in the Hamilton Invite and improve on his Pac-10 qualifying time. Senior Cameron Cleeton finished second in the 110m hurdles at the Hamilton Invite running a season-best 14.66 and improving his Pac-10 qualifying mark.
UP, UP AND AWAY: In what has become a weekly event, sophomore Maria Lopez broke her own school record in the pole vault, going 10-8 to win the event at the Johnny Mathis Invitational April 4. On the men's side, sophomore Bevan Hart is a Pac-10 qualifier with a 17-1.50 season best set at the MPSF Indoor meet. In the men's high jump, Pac-10 qualifier Pat Leonard won the event at the USC Invite (6-9.75) and at the Hamilton Invite (6-6.75), and owns a season-best of 6-11.75 (MPSF indoors). Sophomore Greg Wright posted a Pac-10 qualifying mark of 6-8.75 to finish sixth at the Mt. SAC Relays.
CAL'S NCAA QUALIFERS: WOMEN (3 marks, 3 athletes) - Elissa Riedy (1500m, provisional), Lori Riedy (3000m, provisional), Nadia Lopez (hammer, provisional). MEN (3 marks, 3 athletes) - Simon Mudd (5,000m, provisional), Travis Nutter (hammer, automatic), Bevan Hart (decathlon, provisional).
CAL'S PAC-10 QUALIFIERS: WOMEN (15 marks, 8 athletes) - Latasha Gilliam (100m, 200m, 400m), Zhauntel Holman (100m), Elissa Riedy (800m, 1500m), Ally Lombardi (800m), Genevieve DeBose (1500m), Lori Riedy (1500m, 3000m, 5000m), Reynda King (triple jump), Nadia Lopez (hammer, discus), Lori Nolte (heptathlon). MEN - (13 marks, 11 athletes) - Jason Manly (100m,200m), Anders Lustgarten (400m), Cameron Cleeton (110mH), Coke Edmon (400mH), Simon Mudd (5000m), Bolota Asmerom (5000m), Bevan Hart (PV, decathlon), Pat Leonard (HJ), Greg Wright (HJ), Travis Nutter (Hammer), Mark Davis (discus).
SCHOOL RECORDS:
WOMEN - Nadia Lopez (Hammer, 168-11), Maria Lopez (Pole Vault, 10-8).
