Bob Frey and Len Van Hofwegen

                   

Bob Frey (left) and Lee Van Hofwegen were both star quarter milers at Cerritos College before they went on to stellar careers for the UCLA Bruins.

The Big-time Relay Dudes from Cerritos 

   World record relays and Bob Frey went hand-in-hand (Cerritos CC/ UCLA) …   

·        Frey was a two-time All-American at the 1966 NCAA Championships running on the  winning mile relay and 440-yard relay teams to help pace the Bruins to the 1966 PAC-8 and NCAA team titles. The same year he won the  PAC-8 440-yard title in 46.4. 

·        Frey  was a member of the Bruin world record distance medley that ran 9:33.9 at the West Coast Relay in Fresno in 1965. 

·        In the 1966 Los Angeles Times International Games held in the Coliseum Frey joined a talented USA team including future Olympic gold medalists Lee Evans (San Jose CC/San Jose State) and Tommy Smith to set a world record in the 1600-meter relay-2:59.6. The record relay splits: Frey-46.3, Evans-44.5, Smith-43.8, fastest ever recorded at that time, Thereon, Lewis anchored in 45.0. It was a remarkable performance in track history as the second place Australian team (3:13.5) provided no competition.

·        Frey was ranked fourth in 1966 USA 400-meter rankings with a 46.0 mark.

·        At Cerritos his best 440 was 48.6 in ’64.

-UCLA T&F media guide / USATF web site / LA 84 Library 

     A “Burner” with the stick in his hand … Len Van Hofwegen (Valley Christ HS/ Cerritos CC/ UCLA) … 

·        It was Van Hofwegen’s 44.7 relay leg that was a major reason UCLA ran 3:03.4 to set the NCAA record in winning the1969 NCAA Championship mile relay. The big, strong Dutchman ran torrid relay legs for the Bruins, he also won the PAC-8 440-yard title at 46.4 and had a personal best at UCLA of 45.8.

·        He was a co-captain of the 1969 UCLA team. His USA 400-meter career rankings are 8th in ’69; 10th in ’70; and 9th in ’71. His post-collegiate best for one lap 45.9 in ’71.

·        At Cerritos Van Hofwegen was the 1967 state meet runner-up at 440-yards (48.0) and had a season best time of 47.54-currently fourth on Cerritos’ best marks list.

-UCLA T&F media guides / CIF-SS Record book / 2007 cc state meet program / research by Gary Gaudet

DISTANCES

Emibet Shiferaw (Ethiopia/ RiversideCC/ USC)

·        In l993-94 at Riverside CC Shiferaw won back-to-back 5000 state titles and consecutive cross country state titles as well.

·        She holds USC school records at 3000 and 5000 meters and was NCAA runner-up in 1996 at 3000-meters. The following year she finished fourth. Shiferaw is the USC school record-holder at 3000 (9:11.78n) and at 5000 (16:16.27).

·        She also was a two-time cross country NCAA All-American.

         -Tom Walsh, USC distance coach

 

Joey Bunch-“the Hawaiian Punch”

     Joey Bunch (Hawaii /Taft CC/ USC) …two-time state cc 800 champ-1:47.47

·        A three-time Hawaii state high school champion at 800 and 1500 meters Bunch was a key contributor on Taft CC’s great ’84 and ’85 (state title) track teams.

·        He won consecutive cc state titles at 800-meters highlighted by a 1:47.47 in 1985.

·        In 1984 he won both the Junior National 800 and the Junior Pan-American Games (Bahamas) 800.

·        In 1986 was was the PAC-10 800-meter champion.

·        At USC he was a 1986 NCAA All-American with a fourth place1:47.42. His USC PR was 1:46.8 and he was a member of the Trojan’s school record metric distance medley and 3200-meter relays that won at the West Coast Relays-‘ 88.

·        Bunch is currently in Hawaii teaching and coaching.

-USC media guide

Sprints

Olympian … Natasha Mayers (Jamaica/ LA Southwest CC/ USC) …

·        The 2000 State CC 200-meter Champion (23.79) for LA Southwest CC.

·        Mayers, a two-time Jamaican Olympian (2000, 2004) and the 2002 NCAA 200-meter Champion (22.93) and 100-meter NCAA runner-up to USC teammate Angela Willliams, four-time NCAA 100-meter Champion.

NEXT WEEK: Giovanni Lanaro, Mt. SAC’s world class vaulter/ “Speed City” Coach Bud Winter / Christine Stancliff-from BC javelin days  to the Olympic Trials


Attention: We will pay tribute to our Olympic medalists this summer during the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games.

A little humor…
    

 A flying duck…Oregon’s John McArdle told Track & Field News (August 1977) about his first experience in throwing the hammer. “It went 40 feet one way and I went 60 feet on my rear the other way.”            

Running indoors-what was it like?
     

    For those who have never experienced running indoors here is an experienced comment: “yeah, I ran that night (the last indoor meet ever held at the Forum in Inglewood-the former home of the Lakers) … funny story actually ... right at the start I got pushed and almost went off the outer lane of the track, about a 5-foot drop (steep, banked turns) ...somehow I kept my balance and ended up 15-meters back right at the start ...  then, I sprinted to catch the pack and shortly after I stepped off the inside curb- I was so out of it on the last lap ...... only beat one guy, thankfully the guy who pushed me.”
-Dan Fitzpatrick, former Long Beach CC runner-member of the 1990 Viking state championship cross country team, currently the head track and cross country coach at West LA CC

                                         
    Odd events in the first championships… New York City’s Madison Square Garden hosted the first American indoor championships in 1906 with the following unusual events conducted: 75 and 150 yard dashes, the 5-mile run and standing broad and high jumps. In addition, there was a pole vault for distance and three standing jump events. The shot put had two different competitions: the eight pound and 24 pound throwing events.
-“A History of Indoor Track & Field” by Wally Donovan, Edward Jules Co., 1976

                                                                                           
    Indoor News: The Visa Indoor meet that Fresno State’s Bob Fraley directed in the on campus Save Mart Center (January 21) turned out to be a success highlighted by three-time Olympian Amy Acuff who won the women's high jump with her clearance of 1.95 meters/6 feet 4.75 inches. After three near misses at the Indoor American record, Acuff was named Visa Athlete of the Meet for her efforts. 2005 NCAA Outdoor champion Sharon Day (Costa Mesa HS alum) was second with her clearance of 1.90m/6-2.75. -USATF website
 

 

                  From the Stands                                                                                                                                                                                       Coach Knuth fields questions from his readers

Baseball in a Track Stadium?

                                    

Question: How was it that the Dodgers could have the track removed and fit a baseball field inside the LA Coliseum?
Knuth: Home plate was near the tunnel and it was 251-feet down the left field line, 440- feet to centerfield and a temporary fence in the grass, and 300-feet down the right field line. The bizarre part of the set-up was the 42-foot high fence in left field that was 140-feet long from the left field line pole toward centerfield.  During the 1959 World Series held there over 92,000 came for three games-still the largest crowds to ever watch major league baseball in this country. When Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine was completed the track was returned to its former state.

If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or contributions to Knuth's Corner, we encourage you to email Coach Knuth at: knuthfam@hotmail.com
 

Indoor news flash: Alicia Williams ... opened the indoor season with the fastest 400 in the world with a  53.33 in the New Balance Games in New York's famed Armory track.  In the meet's high school mile Robby Andrews ran a 4:12.48 mile.