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1981 Sunkist Indoor Invitational T&F Meet

A quarter century ago in the Sports Arena - a super show!!
by Doug Speck

January 30th, 1981

In a meet that prefaced what many felt was the best ever California State Track & Field Meet, the 1981 outdoor affair, that featured five National Records and twelve State Meet all-time bests, the Golden State's best gathered in mid-winter for the annual smokin' Sunkist Indoor affair at the LA Sports Arena.  The January 30th competition featured some great races on the 160 yard oval and infield that day, with some great names for the future in the sport making their mark.  Don and Al Franken and crew used to put on super meets!!

What follows is a summary of that competition and the marks achieved in that meet, again a quarter century ago!! (apologies if we did not catch all the scanning errors on the original story)

photo by Don Gosney
1981 State Champ 13.67 David Ashford (West Covina) took the Sunkist Hurdles race!!

 
photos by Don Gosney
Jon Butler eventually took the State 3200 at 8:46.78 with Polly Plumer
eventually setting the still standing National Mile Prep Record of 4:35.24 in 1982

 
photo by Don Gosney
Kenny Robinson led his Berkeley team to the 1981 State Title and took the Sunkist 50
he was 10.39 and 21.03 outdoors that spring

photo by Bill Leung
Regina Jacobs (Argyll Academy, North Hollywood) never raced against
preps except in this Sunkist meet during her prep career - she concentrated on
open races before a career at Stanford

SUNKIST INDOOR INVITATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD MEET
FRIDAY - JANUARY 30TH, 1981 - By Doug Speck (yes we were writing track stories in 1981!!)

The 22nd Annual Sunkist Invitational Indoor Track and Field Meet on Friday, January 30, again featured a fine high school division.

The high school fields are drawn up by Los Angeles Times Prep Expert Mike Kennedy and featured most of California's top returnees and a couple of Arizona's best.

The top high school mark, a National Record, came In an open event. Denean Howard (Kennedy, Granada Hills), competing unattached in the 500, was pressured all the way in her race by former Morgan State star, Paulette Clagon (LA Mercurettes)- Denean looked very powerful in recording a 1:04.1 (under Arlise Emerson's 1:04.5. for Westminster High in 1978). Denean's time is the fourth fastest in world history.

The top returning men's hurdler in California, David Ashford (West Covina), blasted out and then was nearly chased down by Chris Chrisman (Riversie Poly) and Ron McCoy (Edison, Fresno) during a 7.41-7.45-7.47 race. Ashford's winning time broke the meet record. Ashford (14.1) and Chrisman (14.4) have already churned excellent outdoor all comer efforts.

The other meet record fell to a lady who also has been active this winter. Regina Jacobs' (Argyll Academy, North Hollywood), better known for her LA Naturite performances, as she has never represented her school in interscholastic competition, romped away to a big 2:12.8 889 win over a field more conspicuous in its no-shows than those who ran--Jacobs had run 2:10.0m already outdoors this winter. .

The men's sprints. were quick and interesting. The open 60 featured State 200 champion Kenny Robinson (Berkeley) at 6.36 running down quick starting Kevin Shields (San Diego) 6.38 at the tape. A special Football Hero 60 for high schoolers featured the next fastest 60 time as Long Beach Millikan's Courtney Griffin blasted to a yard and a half win at 6.43 over Muir of Pasadena's Ron Mills 6.56. Walt Opp of Muir 'has among his best group of sprinters ever returning and they churned out a 1 :05.1 640 yard relay win over Riverside Poly's 1:06.6 in Heat I. Kennedy, Granada Hills with 1:06.4 nipped Pasadena (1:06.6) In Heat III.

A top group, fed by Polly Plumer (University, Irvine) and Vickie Cook (Alemany, Mission Hills) met in the Girls Seeded Mile. Lynbrook of San Jose's Tracy Weber led the pack through a leisurely 76.5 first quarter, while Plumer eased ahead past the half in 2:31.3. At the 1320 Polly barely led a huge pack at 3:47.0. During the last three 160 yard laps things gradually heated up and people fell off the pace one by one. Plumer led over Cook through the last lap, with Vickie's determined drive during the last 80 yards falling just short as the leading duo both posted 4:56.9 times.

Buena of Ventura's Michele Mason was in the wrong race as she led by wide margins through 70.5-2:26.6-3:43.9 splits on the way to a 4:59.9 rated heat win.

A Manual Arts (LA) Women's Mile Relay group raced to a fine 3:56.1 time in an open event as the Spikettes TC to place third. A couple of men's groups raced to quick times in the same event. Berkeley (led by Pete Richardson's 49.8) cranked 3:26.2 in its Heat I win over Crenshaw (LA) 3:32.0. Pasadena (without Troy Delemar) won Heat II at 3:31.1, while Muir took Heat III at 3:26.9 over Centennial (Compton) 3:30.4.

The men's distance races featured a winning athlete who picked three quarters of the way through their race to put the pressure on. Jon Butler (Edison, Huntington Beach) led the pack through 64.7, 2:09.2 quarter splits, then put it to the floor with a 63.1 third 440, and finished with an unpressed 61.1 to record an excellent 4:13.9 in the mile. Arizona star Jeff Thoenes (Santa Rita, Tucson) at 4:18.8 was second.  In the two mile, Barasa Thomas (Santa Barbara) led Monroe (Van Nuys) star Cesario Marquez through 67.1-2:13.4-3:21.4-4:32.1 quarter splits. By the fifth quarter post Santa Rita's Tom Ansberry and Mira Costa's Jeff Atkinson joined them to make a foursome at 5:43.5 and 6:55.4 splits. At the beginning of the seventh quarter Ansberry surged ahead and his 69 second seventh quarter put him 15 yards ahead of the opposition. A 67 final quarter resulted in a 9:12.1 victory over Atkinson's 9:13,3 and Marquez' 9:14.1. It would be nice if Ansberry, Butler, and Mission San Jose's star Jay Marden could get together for a two mile during the outdoor season.

A flock of super returnees in the half mile resulted in three races for the men in the meet.  Brendan Saunders of Bellarmine (San Jose) took Heat I at 1:56.5 over MacArthur Osborne (Crenshaw, LA) 1:57.0. Chris Monroe (LA Baptist) ran away with Heat II in 1:57.5. A special seeded race featured three of the nation's best in Pete Richardson (Berkeley) 1:50.19, Tony Davis (Gulfport, Mississippi) 1:50.34, and Scott Cox (Wilson, Long Beach) 1:51.50. Hawthorne's David King, who had raced to a 1:53.9m this winter, led the tight group through a relaxed 57.5 440. With two of the 160 yard laps to go Cox moved to the lead with Richardson close behind. The Berkeley athlete made his big move off the final turn but could not get past Cox at the tape as both recorded 1:56.2's. Cox had burned a 1:51.6m the previous weekend outdoors.

Octavio Morales took a rated mile race by a wide margin at 4:23.2. University of Irvine's Brad Meyer kicked away on the bell lap to take a rated two mile race at 9:25.2 over La Jolla's Mike Oleata at 9:27.2.

In the women's 500 Tina Howard (Kennedy, Granada Hills) won an exciting first heat at 1:08.3 over Manual Arts' Carla Johnson (1:08.8) and fast closlng Debbie Marsino (Cypress) 1:08.9. Margaret Demerast (Buscher, Santa Clara) took Heat II In 1:10.3. Smooth striding Erwin Hickman (Jefferson, LA) edged Chris Prietto (DelaSalle, Concord) 58.9-59.2 in the quickest men's 500 heat. Hickman blazed 22.3m outdoors the previous weekend and has an 800m best of 1:55.05. Leonard Graham (Centennial, Compton) who has blazed 21.1m ana-47.8m outdoor marks already took Heat I at 59.4, and Norco's Darrel Willis was the Heat II victor at 59.0.

Ron McCoy (Edison, Fresno) nipped Paul Jones (Kennedy, Granada Hllls) 23-2 3/4 - 23-00 3/4 in the long jump, whlle Mission of San Francisco's Ken Frazier rebounded from a long jump last place to win the triple jump over Jones 48-7 1/4 to 47-10 1/2. Rio Mesa of Oxnard's Matt Ross took Steve Sutherland (Monroe, Van Nuys) at 6-08 on misses in the high jump. Marc Anderson (Buscher, Santa Clara) was the only vaulter to clear a height, winning at 14-0. Dos Pueblos of Goleta took the first two mile relay heat In 8:08.2 with anchor Willie Rossow slipping under 2:00 at 1:58.2. Lakewood won by a wide margin in its 8:10.7.

I Sunkist High School Results (ALL ATHLETES COMPETED UNATTACHED WITH SCHOOLS LISTED FOR PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION ONLY)
High School Boys:
60 Yard Dash: 1. Robinson (Berkeley) 6.36; 2. Shields (San Diego) 6.36; 3. Crittendon (Crenshaw, LA) 6.46; 4. Delemar (Pasadena) 6.47; 5. White (McClymonds, Oakland) 6:50; 6. Todd (Serra, Gardena) 6.53.

Football Hero 60 Yard Dash: 1. Griffin (Millikan, Long Beach) 6.43; 2. Mills (Muir, Pasadena) 6.56; 3. P. Jones (Kennedy, Granada Hills) 6.64; 4. Wilhite (Cordova, Rancho Cordova) 6.64.

500 Yard Dash Heat 1: 1. Graham (Centennial, Compton) 59.4; 2. Johnson (Bakersfleld) 59.9; 3. Cooper (Washington, LA) 61.3; 4. Thomas (Riverside Poly) 61.5. Heat 2: 1.Willis (Norco) 59.0; 2. Townsend (Poly, Long Beach) 59.7; 3. Flint (Crescenta Valley, La Crescenta) 61.1. Heat 3: 1. Hickman (Jefferson, LA) 56.9; 2. Prietto (De La Salle, Concord) 59.2; 3. Ware (Centennial, Compton) 59.7; 4. Walker (Berkeley) 60.0.

880 Yard Run (rated) Heat 1: 1. Seunders (Bellarmlne, San- Jose) 1:56.5; 2. Osborne (Crenshaw, LA) 1:57.0; 3. Wells (Santa Ana Valley) 1:59.2. Heat 2: 1. Monroe (LA Baptist) 1:57.5; 2. Cummings (Palos Verdes) 1:59.9.,
880 Yard Run (seeded): 1. Cox (Long Beach Wilson) 1:56.2; 2. Richardson (Betkeley) 1:56.2; 3. King (Hawthorne) 2:01.4.

One Mile Run (rated): 1. O. Morales (Camarillo) 4:23.2; 2. Parker (Tustin) 4:27.6; 3. Morris (Barstow) 4:27.8; 4. McGaha (Orange) 4:33.9; 5. Artaaga (Banning, Wilmington) 4:36.3.

One Mile Run (seeded): 1. Butler (Edison, Huntington Beach) 4:13.9; 2. Thoenes (Santa Rita, Tucson) 4:18.0; 3. Valen (EI Modena, Orange) 4:20.8; 4. Hartford (Corona del Mar) 4:21.5; 5. Smallwood (Corcoran) 4:22.3; 6. Lacrosse (Costa Mesa) 4:21.2; 7. Gallagher Corona del Mar) 4:26.0.

Two Mile Run (rated): 1. Meyer (University, Irvine) 9:25.2; 2. Oleata (La Jolla) 9:27.2; 3. Grewe (Carpenteria) 9.28.3; 4. Bowlus (Rolling Hills) 9:31.6; 5. Schweikart (Barstow) 9:33.0.

Two Mile Run (seeded): l. Ansberry (Santa Rita, Tucson) 9:12.1; 2. Atkinson (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach) 9:13.3; 3. Marquez (Monroe, Van Nuys) 9:14.1; 4. Thomas (Santa Barbara) 9:19.1; 5. Bernal (Westmont, Campbell) 9:19.3; 6. Carlton (Northvlew, Covina) 9:30.4.

60 Yard High Hurdles: 1. Ashford (West Covina) 7.41; 2. McCoy (Edison, Fresno) 7.47; 3..White (Lynwood) 7.54; 4. Kerho (Mission Viejo) 7.62.

640 Relay (heat 1) Muir 1:05.1, Riverside Poly 1:06.6, (Heat 2) Washington (LA) 1:06.9, 2. Serra, Gardena 1:08.1; 3. Long Beach Poly 1:09.4; 4. Santa Ana Valley 1:09.5. Heat 3: 1. Kennedy, Granada Hills 1:06.4; 2. Pasadena 1:06.6; 3: Banning, Wilmington 1:07.6; 4. Mlltikan (Long Beach) 1:09.4.

Mile Relay Heat 1: 1. Berkeley 3:26.2; 2. Crenshaw, LA 3:32.0; 3. Katella, Anaheim 3:38.8. Heat 2: 1. Pasadena 3:31.1; 2. Poly, Long Beach 3:34.0; 3. Manual Arts, LA 3:36.8. Heat 3: 1. Muir, Pasadena 3:26.9; 2. Centennial 3:30.4; 3. Serra, Gardena 3:32.7. Heat 4: 1. Riverside Poly 3:36.2; 2. Arcadia 3:37.1; 3. Nogales, La Puente 3:39.3.

Two Mile Relay Heal 1: 1. Dos, Pueblos, Goleta 8:06.2; 2. Upland 8:14.3; 3. Camarillo 8:15.1. Heat 2: 1. Lakewood 8:10.7; 2. Unlversity (Irvine) 8:22.5; 3. Thousand Oaks 8:25.0.

High Jump: 1. Ross (Rio Mesa, Oxnard) 6-8; 2. Sutherland (Monroe, Van Nuys) 6-8; 3. Hart (Servite, Anaheim) 6-06, 4. tie Yamamoto (Japan) & Wicker (Millikan, Long Beach) 6-06

Long Jump: 1. McCoy (Edison, Fresno) 23-2 3/4; 2. P: Jones (Kennedy, GH) 23-0 3/4; 3. Tave (Muir, Pasadena) 22.2 1/4; 4. Frazier (Mission, San Francisco) 20-3 1/2

Triple Jump: 1. Frazier (Mission, SF) 48-07 1/4; 2. P. Jones (Kennedy, GH) 47.10 1/2; 3. Tave (Muir, Pasadena) 46-07 1/2, 4. Anderson (Fremont, LA) 46-4.

Pole Vaull: 1. Alexander (Bucser, Santa Clara) 14-0.

High School Girls:

500 Yard Dash' Heal 1: 1. Howard (Kennedy, GH) 68.3; 2. C. Johnson (Manual Arts, LA) 68.8; 3. Marsino (Cypress) 68.9. Heat 2: 1. Demarest (Buchser, Santa Clara) 70.3;. 2. Churchman (Rio Mesa, Oxnard) 71.9; 3. Fiorda (Costa Mesa) 72.0.

880 Yard Run (rated): 1. Stoughton (Corona del Mar 2:14.8; 2. Dunn (Camarllto) 2:15.7; 3. Pratt (Edison, HB) 2:20.2; 4. Cooper (Fontana) 2:20.3.

880 Yard Run (seeded): 1. R. Jacobs (Argyll Academy, North Hoilywood) 2:12.8; 2. King (Milpltas) 2:14.8; 3. Spies (Livermore) 2:15.0.

One Mile Run (rated): 1. Mason (Buena, Ventura) 4:59.9; 2. Manriquez (Burbank) 5:06.9; 3. Gaffield (El Cerrito) 5:08.5; 4. Anderson (Tucson) 5:10.2; 5. Ball (Newbury Park) 5:10.2; 6. Villanueva (Fountain Valley) 5:10.4.

One Mile Run (seeded): 1. Plumer (University, Irvine) 4:56.9; 2. Cook (Alemany, Mission Hills) 4:56.9; 3. Weber (Lynbrook, San Jose) 4:59.8; 4. Hazlett (Saugus) 5:03.5; 5. McGlinchey (Fountain Vailey) 5:04.9; 6. Spotts (Redondo) 5:08.7; 7. Walther (Chatsworth) 5:09.4; 8. Barrios (University, Irvine) 5:15.4.

640 Relay Heal 1: 1. Fremont, LA 1:16.5; 2. Crenshaw, LA 1:17.4; 3. Kennedy, GH 1:17.6; 4. I West Torrance 1:18.6. Heat 2: 1. Ganesha 1:15.7; 2. Manual-Arts, LA 1:15.8; 3. Monrovia 1:19.3. Heat 3: 1. Poly, Long Beach 1:17.8; 2. Dorsey, LA 1:19.1; 3. Muir, Pasadena 1:20.6; 4. Thousand Oaks 1 :23.2.