Columbus Ohio March 13-14, 1999
Nike Indoor Classic Previews
Kentucky Invitational Stars Choose NIC
Co-meet director Mike Byrnes announced:
The already loaded Nike Indoor Classic received more good news when
the nations two leading triple jumpers, JASON WARD and TRUAN SMITH entered the meet.
Ward turned in a stunning effort at last Saturdays Kentucky High School Invitational
when he launched a 15.81 (51-10.75) jump, the fourth best jump in history. It looked like
the tall senior was on a roll but he slightly injured his knee and retired for the day.
Earlier, hed won the LJ with a leap of 7.39 (24-3.25.) But dont count Smith
out. Im playing basketball right now but I intend on being in triple jump
shape for Columbus, he commented. Smith is the nations leading returnee with a
98 effort of 15.52 (50-11) a mere centimeter ahead of Wards springtime
performance. It looks like another super mano a mano matchup for the Nike
event.
Other NIC entrants who performed admirably in UKs Nutter Hall, CHRISTINA ESTRICT.
The tall, very personable youngster took over the USL in the HJ with a 1.80 (5-11)
clearance. She had a very close miss at 1.83 (6-0) when she knocked the bar off with
her heel, exulted Collinwood Coach Lou Slotnick. Estrict arrived in Lexington at
3:30AM having played in the Cleveland city basketball championships earlier. I
scored 16 but we lost, Estrict said.
BRETT TIPTON bested a formidable field racing to a USLing 1:51.89! I
could have gone faster but coach yelled they were fading and I eased up, commented
the tall Indiana youngster. Coach Brad Peterson thinks his ultra-talented senior will
triple in Columbus. Were thinking about it. The toughest race, the mile comes
first, then the 800m and hell anchor the 4x800mR.
The mile matchup between Tipton and DYLAN WELSH, who took the measure of Tipton in
the Millrose Games will be another super race.
Perhaps the best race of the Kentucky meet was also the shortest as CASEY COMBEST
continued his spectacularly successful season with two, or is it three?, victories. First
he took the 60m in 6.70, the nations fastest and #4-AT. Then came the fun run. The
Nutter track is oversized, 291m, and houses a practice football facility. Meet Director
Frank Miklavcic decided to put in a special event, We thought it would be a good
idea to run an indoor 100m, he commented. There are no official records for that
event but there is one for the 100y distance. A visitor convinced Kentucky coach Don Weber
to place an FAT setup at 100yds in the hope Combest would challenge Gene Pouncys
1970 mark of 9.5. Combest, blessed with an amazingly good start, came out of the
blocks low and fast, quickly separated from the field, and sped to a 10.55 100m clocking
and a brilliant 9.71 100y effort. That is technically faster than Pouncys mark,
converting to a 9.47 but since no one knows what the Texans actual handtime was, it
will probably be counted as a tie.
Combest will be severely challenged by Mike Newell in Columbus. The pair rank 1-2
nationally and Newell has been smarting from his defeat last year and aching for another
shot at the diminutive
Kentuckian.
Currently 19 National leaders will converge on Columbus to compete in the Nike
Indoor Classic. In several events the USL is either undecided or has been forced to
withdraw. Such is the case with Texan JERMAINE COOPER. Cooper was headed for the Nike meet
but his trip was stopped cold by a local conference rule that prevented him, and his
teammates, from making the trip.