Running Backwards…. Believe-it-or-not the world record for running backwards for 100 yards is 13.0 seconds set by Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, noted dancer and actor of vaudeville and movie fame. Robinson, who danced in movies with film star Shirley Temple, developed and popularized tap dancing up on the toes as opposed to early flat footed style.

-Conversation with Al Feola, longtime Fullerton CC assistant track and football coach and 20-years now a hurdler in USA masters meets, who wrote the foreword to the book Running Backwards.

Women of ’79…Wow!!

Ruth Caldwell Wysocki…two-time Olympian

Azusa HS / Citrus College

1500, 800 State MRs: 4:34.44, 2:12.97

Still holds American CC 800-meter record-2:03.9

First female to win two state meet events in consecutive years

Easily won SoCal, State XC titles

Wysocki upset Mary Decker Slaney to win ’84 Trials 1500 

Phyllis Bluntson…National HJ record-holder 6-0

LA Creshaw HS / El Camino HS / CS Bakersfield

SoCal, State HJ Champ-still shares *national HJ record

NCAA D-II Champion; USA tours

Dorothy Kaiser (Bakersfield), Deanne Neff (Santa Rosa) also broke

the state HJ meet record with 5-8 ¾ jumps to place second and third

respectively.

Yvette Evans…’79 State LJMR 19-7½

Morningside HS / El Camino

Led EC to ’79 state title: 100m-1^st; 200-2^nd, relays

Julie Flynn…state shot put title, two SoCal records

Glendale CC

State discus-2^nd*broke state MR

Bonnie Dasse…two-time Olympian-shot put

Costa Mesa HS/Orange Coast/ San Diego State

’88, ’92 USA Olympian

Top 10 USA ranking-10 years

Cecilia Sandoval…State Discus MR 144-9

Modesto

Pam Bowers…Two-time state runner-up

West Valley

Two 2nds: 1500-4:35.42*under MR; 800-2:13.58

Member of WVC State XC Champions

Donna Mayhew…Two-time javelin Olympian

Cresecenta Valley HS/ Glendale/ Arizona

1980 State Champion 167-6 *state meet, national record

Five USA titles; ’88,’92 Olympian