nike INDOOR CLASSIC

2/14/00 -- With a great many of the nation's Elite athletes already committed to the Nike Indoor Classic, it may be time to discuss the fields that will toe the mark in the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse. Indeed, a word about the fieldhouse is in order. A new Mondo Super-X 200m track was installed in 1996. This is the same surface that was used in Atlanta for the Olympic Games. 

Considered one of the nation's premier indoor facilities, many of this country's Olympians have raced and set records there. Three-time Olympian Jim Spivey holds the mile mark of 3:56.17 while Bob Kennedy sped a 7:55.93 3000m. Gwen Torrance established the fieldhouse record over the 55m distance with a splendid 6.65. Two great Olympians, LaVonna Martin and Benita Fitzgerald share the 55mH record of 7.76. Couple a lightening fast surface with some truly super fields and more than a few high school records will be in jeopardy.

We won't try and discuss every field in this article but will take them one or two at a time to give you a preview of what you'll see and read about at the nation's finest indoor competition, the Nike Indoor Classic.

The Men's and Women's 400m will be phenomenal. 

The Men's field includes AARON LUSTER, Ribault HS, Jacksonville FL. Luster clocked 47.01 last spring and is the nation's #2 returnee. But a win by Luster is far from guaranteed. ANTHONY EWERS, Lawrence HS, Cedarhurst, NY is the current US leader (USL) in both the 300m (33.27) and the 400m (48.0.) His 300m time ranks #2 in history! He reportedly raced to a 46.5 anchor leg in a recent 4x400mR. So Ewers should be the winner, right? Not so fast. What about California's TRAVON WALTON? Walton, out of Chino, ran 47.09 in '99 and running on a very old and slow San Diego 160m indoor oval clocked a USL'ing 500y time of 59.5! If you count him out you made a mistake. But, the famed "MB Sleeper" comes from Stephenson HS in Stone Mountain GA in the person of one OBRA HOGANS. Hogans zipped a 48.99 way back in January when he won the LSU Invitational. There will be other entrants I'm sure but as of now, 2/15/00 these are the Fearsome Foursome of the 400.

How's this lineup? LaSHINDA DEMUS, Long Beach Wilson, CA (54.44-USL); CHRISTY FAIRLEY, Lucedale, MS (55.93-#2-US); NATASHA STATEN, Wm Penn, Philadelphia (56.36-#3-US); ALYSSA AIKEN, Chantilly, VA (300m: 38.92, #2-US); HENRIETTA GEORGE, Stephenson, Stone Mtn, GA (57.11-#9-US). Now that's got to be one of the finest 400m fields ever. What's that PGA ad? "These guys are good!" Well, "These gals are good!" How good? The National record in this event is 53.45 set back in 1985. Running on the very fast IU track, don't be surprised if Demus shatters it. AND SHE MAY NOT WIN!!!

That's it for now. I'll be back later with the rundown of some more of the truly superior fields entered in the NIKE INDOOR CLASSIC. mb