1977 - Thirty Years Ago California
State Meet

Pasadena HS (Boys) and Locke (LA) (Girls) Emerge Titlests!!

Link to 1977 State Meet Program (pdf file)

 
Sanford photo by Don Gosney
James Sanford (left - Pasadena HS 1977) & Valerie Brisco (Locke HS)
led their teams to victory in the 1977 State Meet!

1977 California State Meet - Drake Stadium, UCLA June 3rd-4th, 1977
(Thanks to Donn Kirk's great history of the state meet with David Cooper and Keith Conning's help and Hank Lawson)

UCLA’s Drake Stadium is a great setting for a big track and field meet, with the 1977 State affair at the site a great one on the track and in the field with an overflow crowd of 13,000 in attendance on a beautiful day!

It had to be called the “James Sanford” show, with the Pasadena HS senior and eventual USC sprint star who for a time holding on to the title of “world’s fastest human” with a 9.88w 100 meter clocking while a Trojan. Sanford attempted the same quadruple that will be competed in by Bryshon Nellum (LB Poly) in the 2007 meet, with Sanford one win short of pulling off the four wins in leading his team to the title. James took the 440 Yard event (yards still in those days) in 46.60, anchored the winning 4x110 (41.61) and 4x440 (3:13.7 James Sanford 46.3 anchor) Yard events, but was second to David Russell (Henry, San Diego) in the 220 20.97w to 21.22w. Sanford had blazed 20.80 in the prelims for 200 meters, but faced a lot of quality running over two days and fell one race short of the four gold medal status. Ivan Cleveland of PHS added a second in the 100 to go with the Relay wins and Sanford heroics to easily take the Boys’ team title with 26 points to the 13 of Gardena, and Russell’s 12 by himself in the 100-220. James Sanford’s daughter, Michelle, just completed her Collegiate track career at USC after a great prep one at Woodbridge of Irvine–time flies!!

   
Ann Regan (Camden) 880 winner in Nat'l Federation Record 2:08.0 - Centennial (Compton) with 100 winner
Jeanette Bolden (current UCLA Coach) to far right - Linda Goen (North Bakersfield) mile win and second 880

Valerie Brisco (Locke, LA), the hero of the 1984 Olympic Games down the street in the LA Coliseum, with gold medals in the 200-400 and 4x400, led her team to the title with 14 points. The Saints had Brisco fittingly win the 440 (55.14) and Mile Relay (3:52.1 the #2 mark in US Prep history up to that point) , with a 4th in the 440 Yard Relay to total 14. Super soph Linda Goen led North Bakersfield to second as a team with 13 points with a runner-up finish in the 880 (2:08.3 to Ann Regan of Camden (San Jose) 2:08.0, a National Federation Record), win in the mile at 4:47.8, and third in the mile relay (3:54.4). Goen would later run as a UCLA Bruin on this very track during her college career. Interestingly, current Bruin Coach Jeanette Bolden (then Centennial of Compton) would help her team to third place with 12 points off a win in the 100 yard dash (10.48w with +5.8 mph of wind), a fourth in the 220 (24.66), and help on the runner-up finishing 46.42 440 Relay group that raced prep history’s #3 time ever behind Crawford of San Diego’s National Prep All-Time Record of 46.14.

 
Phillip Johnson (Gardena) HH winner - Dokie Williams (El Camino, Oceanside)
Triple Jump Champ and Meet Record 51-00.5

Other great events abounded during the weekend!! Jim Walters (Estancia) and David Kingsland (El Modena) used to really take it out aggressively in the 880 and were rewarded with the seasonal US #2 (1:49.4) and #3 (1:50.0) times of the year in their 1-2 finish in that event. Mark Stillman (Willow Glen, San Jose) won an exciting mile with a 58.1 final 440 at 4:06.9 (worth 4:05.4 for 1600 meters) with three others at 4:10.0 or better! 4:11.8 from one heat did not make the Boys Mile final that year (that's 4:10.4 for 1600 meters equivalent).  Soph Frank Assuma was an exciting Two mile winner at 8:52.9 over Redwood of Larkspur’s Rod Berry 8:53.4, with the top half dozen running the equivalent of under 9:00 for 3200 meters! Gardena’s Phillip Johnson raced to the nation’s top auto-time of the year nationally in the 120 Yard Highs at 13.66 (wind legal +3.1 mph), but someone named Renaldo Nehemiah from New Jersey had raced 12.9 earlier in the season and had five 13.2's or better handtimed that spring. Andre Phillips (Silver Creek, San Jose) took the 330 Yard Lows, as the state transitioned from the 180 Yard Lows to eventually the 300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles, with the San Jose star another who would follow up his 36.43 win here (that led the nation that year in that event–though Nehemiah had run 35.8 for the full Intermediate height barriers), with attendance at UCLA and finally a win over nemesis Edwin Moses in the 1988 Olympics for a Gold Medal in a super 47.19! In the Boys’ field it was eventual USC and NFL defensive back star Dennis Smith (Santa Monica) with a 7-02 High Jump win (8 over 6-10), with UCLA and Oakland Raider Receiver Dokie Williams (El Camino, Oceanside) a 51-00.5 Triple Jump Meet Record win. Anthony Curran (Crespi, Encino) continued the family success in the Pole Vault with a 16-00 win, with Kurt Durham (Oakland) a fine 25-00.75 win in the Long Jump over Fremont of LA’s Donnie Butler (24-11.25). Craig Polley (Sunny Hills, Fullerton) led five over 60 feet in the Shot with his 62-06.5 win, and David Thomson (Santa Ynez), who was the nation’s #5 thrower than spring at 194-10, won here at 190-00.

Kris Costello - Natonal Record 110 Yard Low Hurdles 13.97

On the Girls’ side it was record city, with the competition only the fourth ever for the Girls after competitions at Bakersfield (1974), Balboa Stadium (San Diego 1975), and Edwards Stadium (UC Berkeley 1976). Ten Meet Records fell with two National Federation Bests with one of them, Crawford’s Girls 4x100 relay of 46.14 the National Prep All-Time Best! Roxanne Bier (Independence, San Jose), one of the stars of current San Jose State Coach Augie Augabright’s San Jose Cindergals, took the first year two mile event at 10:39.7. Kris Costello (Lynbrook, San Jose) won the first ever 110 Yard Low Hurdles event (previous three years had been 80 yard Lows) in 13.97, with the prep lists in those days kind of an abomination, with national lists having 80 yards at federation and international spacing, and a combined 110 yard and 100 meter barrier event with the same spacings, which obviously were different and which made the four listings a statisticians nightmare! Anyway, Costello’s 13.97 was the fastest prep time ever run for the 110 Yard or 100 Meter Low Hurdles (110 yards is 100.58 meters so her run counted for the shorter international distance record if you get the drift)! Kari Gosswiller (Upland), another winner here who would go on to UCLA for collegiate jumping, took the High Jumpa at 5-09, with Lisa Gourdine (El Toro) the Long Jump champ in a Meet Record 19-09. No Pole Vault or Triple Jump for Girls in those days, with the weights finishing it out, as Debra Thorntana (Sacramento) took the Shot Put at 43-09 and Karen Stampfil (Lassen) a Discus winner from the Northern Section at 137-00.

1977 State Meet Results

Boys
100 Yards
1 David Russell Henry SD 09.61 w+4.4
2 Ivan Cleveland Pasadena S 09.74 w+4.4
3 Willie Jackson Franklin SJ 09.74 w+4.4
4 Chris Dailey Kennedy SJ 09.78 w+4.4
5 Don Hill Barstow Kennedy S 09.79 w+4.4
220 Yards
1 David Russell Henry SD 20.97 w+4.8
2 James Sanford Pasadena S 21.22 w+4.8
3 Jim Burrell Piner NC 21.45 w+4.8
4 Mike Washington Burbank SJ 21.46 w+4.8
5 Mike Kruthers San Clemente S 21.75 w+4.8
6 Ronald Williams Chatswroth LA 22.47 w+4.8
440 Yards
1 James Sanford Pasadena S # 46.60
2 Ronald Williams Chatsworth LA 47.06
3 Rod Bethany Fontana S 47.90
4 James Bradley Fremont LA 48.32
5 Mike White Richmond NC 48.36
6 Danny Stewart San Diego SD 48.77
880 Yards
1 Jim Walters Estancia S 1:49.4
2 Dave Kingsland El Modena S 1:50.0
3 Mike White Richmond NC 1:51.8
4 Ddan Navarro Oakmont SJ 1:51.9
5 Vernon Sallaz San Leandro NC 1:52.6
6 Bruce Jensen Buchser CC 1:52.9
7 Jeff Maxwell Westmoor CC 1:52.9
Mile
1 Mark Stillman Willow Glen CC 4:06.9
2 Mark Fricker Hemet S 4:07.9
3 Charlie Christensen Edison S 4:08.5
4 Ron Cornell San Pedro LA 4:10.0
5 Larry Greer Paradise N 4:10.7
6 Stan Ross Serra CC 4:12.9
2 Mile
1 Frank Assumma Eisenhower S 8:52.9
2 Rod Berry Redwood NC 8:53.4
3 Felix Elieff Highland C 8:55.7
4 Steve Alvarez Coachella Valley S 8:56.4
5 Steve Ortiz Barstow Kennedy S 8:57.8
6 Chuck Assumma Eisenhower S 9:01.5
7 Dave Daniels San Gorgonio S 9:04.0
8 Rick Perez Kearny SD 9:10.7
9 Ken Holladay Gilroy CC 9:11.6
10 Doug Avrit Chico N 9:11.6
11 Bob Love Carlmont CC 9:14.0
120 Yard High Hurdles
1 Philip Johnson Gardena LA 13.66w +3.1
2 Ken Margerum Fountain Valley S 13.78w
3 Curtis Perry Banning LA 14.00w
4 Chuck Gangness Cublin NC 14.40w
5 Milan Stewart West Covina S 14.41w
330 Yard Low Hurdles
1 Andre Phillips Silver Creek CC # 36.43
2 Curtis Perry Banning LA 36.79
3 Ramon Grubbs Blair S 37.17
4 Willie Stapleton Lincoln SF 37.20
5 Chuck Gangnuss Dublin NC 37.42
440 Yard Relay
1 Pasadena S 41.61
2 Gardena LA 41.63
3 Edison C 41.90
4 Fremont LA 41.95
5 Santa Ana Valley S 42.00
Mile Relay
1 Pasadena S 3:13.7
2 Muir S 3:14.9
3 Banning LA 3:15.1
4 Rich Kennedy NC 3:15.4
5 Fremont LA 3:16.3
6 Morse SD 3:16.6
High Jump
1 Dennis Smith Santa Monica S # 7-02
2 Bill Hice Oakland O 7-00
3-T Rob Olson El Camino Real LA 6-10
3-T Kelly Gordien Claremont S 6-10
3-T Doug Nordquist Sonora S 6-10
6-T James Frazier Fremont LA 6-10
Pole Vault
1 Anthony Curran Crespi S 16-00
2 Billy Pierce Sanger C 15-06
3 Bert Johnson Gardena LA 15-06
4 Scot Foss Santa Ynez S 15-02
5 Greg Ernst El Dorado S 15-02
6 Blake Fearnside Del Mar CC 15-02
Long Jump
1 Kurt Durham Oakland O 25-00.75
2 Donnie Butler Fremont LA 24-11.25
3 Willie Alexander Roosevelt C 24-04
4 Tony Scott Los Angeles LA 24-04
5 Larry Jones Barstow Kennedy S 24-00.5
6 Chip Benson LA Lutheran S 23-10.5
Triple Jump
1 Dokie Williams El Camino SD # 51-00.5
2 Cary Tyler Washington LA 49-05.75
3 Chip Benson LA Lutheran S 48-11.25
4 Loren Lebherz Serramonte CC 48-07
5 Kurt Durham Oakland O 48-07
6 James Frazier Fremont LA 48-02.5
Shot Put
1 Craig Polley Sunny Hills S 62-06.5
2 Kevin Messenger Highland SJ 62-04
3 Pat Graham Leland CC 62-01.25
4 Steve Defforest Katella S 60-06
5 Ricky Fairman Pomona S 60-02.25
Discus
1 David Thomson Santa Ynez S 190-00
2 Dave Porath Atwater SJ 189-07
3 Mark Bryant Antelope Valley S 185-08
4 Pat Graham Leland CC 178-02
5 Paul Mardinger St Mary's SJ 176-03

Girls
100 Yard Dash
1 Jeanette Bolden Centennial S 10.48 w+5.8
2 Kim Robinson Westchester LA 10.56 w+5.8
3 Deandra Carney San Fernando LA 10.77 w+5.8
4 Gwen Loud LA Lutheran S 10.80 w+5.8
5 Danita Young Crawford SD 10.84 w+5.8
220 Yard Dash
1 Kim Robinson Westchester LA # 23.97 w+0.4
2 Danita McKinley Palisades LA 24.26 w+0.4
3 Gwen Loud LA Lutheran S 24.44 w+0.4
4 Jeanette Bolden Centennial S 24.66 w+0.4
5 Vicky Belser Vista SD 24.67 w+0.4
6 Deandra Carney San Fernando LA 24.97 w+0.4
440 Yard Dash
1 Valerie Brisco Locke LA # 55.14
2 Arlise Emerson Westminster S 55.20
3 Gwen Gardner Crenshaw LA 56.04
4 Marquita Belk Silver Creek CC 56.21
5 Kim Law Santa Ana Valley S 56.51
6 Molly Miller Santa Barbara S 57.05
7 Carral Pomona S 57.5
880 Yard Run
1 Ann Regan Camden CC ## 2:08.0
2 Linda Goen N Bakersfield C 2:08.3
3 Michelle Bush Rolling Hills S 2:12.4
4 Lauri Mullins Chatsworth LA 2:12.4
5 Cynthia Warner Beverly Hills S 2:12.5
6 Sandra Anderson Beverly Hills S 2:15.0
Mile Run
1 Linda Goen N Bakersfield C # 4:47.8
2 Vicky Bray Los Altos CC 4:52.8
3 Cheryl Flowers Valhalla SD 4:55.7
4 Sarah Sweeney Marin Catholic NC 4:55.8
5 Sheila Ralston Polytechnic LA 5:03.7
2 Mile Run
1 Roxanne Bier Independence CC # 10:39.7
2 Kathy Adams San Juan SJ 10:42.0
3 Carol Keller Helix SD 10:44.6
4 Karen Nachbar San Juan SJ 10:46.6
5 Deloria Hobson Canoga Park LA 10:46.8
100 Meter Hurdles
1 Kris Costello Lynbrook CC 13.97 w+2.7
2 Lisa Gourdine El Toro S 14.09 w+2.7
3 Kim Costello El Camino CC 14.21 w+2.7
4 Jennifer Mann Barstow Kennedy S 14.45 w+2.7
5 Julia Haynes Ventura S 14.47 w+2.7
440 Yard Relay
1 Crawford SD # 46.14
2 Centennial S 46.42
3 Morse SD 47.88
4 Locke LA 48.22
5 Silver Creek CC 48.29
Mile Relay
1 Locke LA # 3:52.1
2 Crawford SD 3:53.6
3 N Bakersfield C 3:54.4
4 Rolling Hills S 3:55.0
5 Santa Barbara S 3:55.3
6 Dos Pueblos S 3:55.3
High Jump
1 Kari Gosswiller Upland S 5-09
2 Anne Erpenbeck Huntington Beach S 5-09
3 Tonya Alston Chico N 5-07
4 Sonja Harrigfeld Beyer SJ 5-07
5 Suzi Boehner Clayton Valley NC 5-07
Long Jump
1 Lisa Gourdine El Toro S # 19-09
2 Dorthea Gaffney Lemoore C 19-02.75
3 Kathy Haynes Madera C 19-01.75
4 Gwen Loud LA Lutheran S 19-00
5 Kim Moran Monroe LA 18-08.25
6 Debbie Wilford Castle Park SD 18-06.75
Shot Put
1 Debra Thorntana Sacramento SJ 43-09
2 Kendis Warren San Pedro LA 43-03
3 Bonnie Dasse Costa Mesa S 42-04
4 Susan Springer Salinas CC 41-11
5 Donna Erickson Mt Shasta N 41-00
Discus
1 Karen Stampfli Lassen N 137-00
2 Susan Springer Salinas CC 133-11
3 Gale Zaphiropolous Homestead CC 131-08
4 Bonnie Dasse Costa Mesa S 130-04
5 Cecilia Sandoval Riverbank SJ 128-11

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