Ed Grant's notes

[Ed Grant is "Mr. Track" in New Jersey.]

Netters:

A couple of comments on the Penn Relays

1) For the first time, I was able to catch the TV broadcast of the meet since circumstances beyond my control---mainly fogetting a bottle of pills for my :false gout" condition--forced me to drive home last night.

The broadcast was pretty fair in what it covered, but, of course, with a few exceptions, notably the college 1600M relays championships and the HS boys 400R, it was not really the Penn Relays that was shown, just those US vs. the World affairs which were tempered somewhat this time by the absence of Marion Jones, Gail Devers and a few others who dropped out at the last minute because of the adverse weather. (It would have been nice had they found time for the exciting boys' 1600R which featired a classic Easr vs West duel between Winslow Twp and Long Beach Poly. (I got the blow-by-blow on this one on the telephone from my son who was in the press box after handling his chores as "legman": for the TV crew.

2) About that race, it was a pity that Winslow, nee Edgewood, did not win to make up for the 1984 loss when Edgewood's Dennis Mitchell-anchored squad lost only because its third runner, even smaller than Dennis, was "mugged" as he was trying to take the baton (he wound up on the infield). Ironically, the Winslow time was almost exactly what Edgewood ran later that year for a state record at the Delaware Valley Meet of Champions. (Winslow will try to reclaim the record from Camden later this year in better climes).

There was more history in this race as Trention, 25 years after its history 1600/3200 double, finished third. The Tornadoes would have been in the 3200R final as well but for a fall in yesterday's trials. And, just like 1978, three boys doubled on these teams, though they would not have faced the arduous time schedule the early trio conquered.

3) And just who is John Richardson, winner of the boys; mile in a big upset. Well, he is hardly unknown in his home state as he has been one of NJ's top four-lappers since his sophomore year, but also an unlucky one.

John missed most of the recent indoor season because he needed an operation to correct a problem from another procedure which had sidelined him a while as a junior last year. (It was in the nasal aream, I believe). Last spring, he missed the 1600 in the state meet because he had collapsed the night before after running the 3200.

The cool weather and wind at Penn was no problem for him, however. Ocean City has a track which lies within 100 yards of the Atlantic Ocean, just the other side of that picturesque town's boardwalk. The wind blows fiercely there in April, a lot more briskly than anything thet might be encountered at the stadium-surrounded track at Franklin Field. While his winning time does not seem to compare with the recent developments in Texas (and elsewhere), a 4:11.83 at Penn on a day like that should be worth a 4:07 or better later in the season.

4) I had a strange feeling of deja vu watching our "Invisible Man," Bobby Papazian of Gill-St. Bernard's, running the 3K on Friday. He dropped back to last immediately, then began to work his way up, running even 70-second laps, while Brian Dalpiaz was pouring on a hot pace up front and dragging much of the field with him.

Bobby began passing runners on the next to last lap and was still doing so down the homestretch. Had this been a 2M (or that awful equivalent, the 3200) he would probably have been in the top six by the finish.

This is the way the late Charlie Kane used to coach his runners at Bayley-Ellard, including two-time NJ CC champ Ann Gladue. It has its good points and its bad; the runners certainly are strong in the latter half of the race, but they may give up several seconds needlessly on the first lap, It is certainly true that more runners these days err on the side of rashness iun their pace than caution, but there is a middle way.

Ed Grant

PS: While it has nothing to do with our sport, I feel it necessary to point out that our Ocean City bears nothing in common, except the name, with that place in Maryland, where so many-high-rise hotels, block the sun from the beach in the afternoon hours. Our Ocean City is still much as it was when our family spent two lovely vacations there in the 50s and 60s. And after all, if it was good enough for a priincess and her family, it should be good enough for us commoners. (Philadelphia members of our network will easily pick up that reference).