Dreams become reality … “When I was a kid, I would run down the hallway of my house, plant my lead foot just outside of the kitchen, and jump through the dining room, into the den, over the green shag carpeting, and I would land somewhere in front of my

Dreams become reality … “When I was a kid, I would run down the hallway of my house, plant my lead foot just outside of the kitchen, and jump through the dining room, into the den, over the green shag carpeting, and I would land somewhere in front of my mom’s red leather easy chair. It was on these occasions as I danced around the room, imagining that I had just broken the world record that my mom would usually point out that I had scratched on my take-off, or that my jump was wind-aided. My mom was a real comedian.”
–Mike Powell, current long jump world record-holder at 29-4 ½”; Olympic silver medalist in ’88, ’92; World Champion in ’91,’93; 1991 Sullivan Award winner; now serving as UCLA’s jump coach
–Nike advertisement, Sports Illustrated, July 22, 1992

Salute the Champions

Giovani Lanaro

Ex-swimmer becomes world-class vaulter

iovani Lanaro (Mexico/CS Fullerton/Mt. SAC) … Lanaro was Mt. SAC’s 2000 state pole vault champion at 16-7 and runner-up in 2001. He has since jumped into the elite group of the world’s best vaulters.
     Lanaro placed 4th at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships and won the silver medal at the 2007 Pan American games. In 2007, he jumped 5.70 meters or higher nine times, including three meets over 19’ ¼ (5.80 meters). The year also included wins at the Mt. SAC Relays, Road to Eugene, Reebok New York Grand Prix, Nike Prefontaine classic, and the Padua International Athletics Meet.
    In the Nike Prefontaine Classic meet Lanaro easily (by 20 centimeters) beat an elite field including all three 2004 Olympic medalists, the American record-holder, the Japanese record-holder, and the American champion.
    Lanaro was a 3-time All-American while at Cal State Fullerton (he holds both citizenships) under current Mt. SAC Coach Ron Kamaka. His PR was 17-6 in community college.
     Lanaro only vaulted 11-6 his freshman year in high school and then swam for the next 3 years at West Covina High School.
    He is the Mexican Indoor, Outdoor and Central American Record Holder.
-Brian Yokoyama, Mt. SAC Asst. Coach

Chris Johnson Stancliffe
From her Bakersfield javelin days to the Olympic Trials

*At BC Stancliffe set school records in the discus (133-7),shot put (41-11 1/2"), javelin (153-3), and heptathlon(4055). She was third in the state meet.

*In 1989 she threw 172-2 and then placed 10th in the AAU/USA at 164-0. Commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy she became the throws coach at the Naval Academy and improved up to 183-2 for second place in the USA/Britain dual meet. That throw qualified her for the Olympic Trials in 1996, but she failed to make the team.

*In 1995 and 1997 she was named US Navy Woman Athlete of the Year.

-Research by Bob Covey, BC's track and field and cross country coach, 1963-2005

SPRINTS

Coach Bud Winter-“Speed City G

(coached at Salinas JC-now Hartnell CC/ San Jose State)

    An internationally acclaimed and respected coach, Winter deserves pages of accolades. The world came to know San Jose as “Speed City” under Bud Winter’s watch. He was head track and field coach at SJS from 1940-1971.
    To the end Winter said that Hal Davis (Salinas JC-now Hartnell CC) was one of his greatest sprinters among a group that includes Olympic Champions Tommy Smith, Lee Evans (San Jose CC), Ronnie Ray Smith (LACC) and Olympians and/or world record holders John Carlos, Dennis Johnson (Bakersfield CC), Bill Gaines, and Kirk Clayton.
   *Winter developed 27 Olympians and 107 All-Americans at San Jose during his tenure, and 31 world and 38 American records were set by his San Jose athletes.
   * From 1958 to 1966 his Spartan teams finished in the top eight at the NCAA Finals.   His1969 Spartan team won the NCAA Championship and in 1964 and 1959 San Jose finished second.
   * Winter served twice as USA Olympic team assistant or adviser.
   * He helped inaugurate the first International Coaches Clinic, wrote a handful of how-to-track books, lectured internationally, served as consultant to several countries, and was forever inventing new ways to train and coach.
    *A large number of California high school and community college coaches competed for Winter (“Boys of Winter” they call themselves).
    *He is a member of the USATF Hall of Fame.
-San Jose T&F media guides/USATF web site

Steeplechase
Dick Krenser (LA Valley CC)
First CC steepler under 9 minutes

     As far a records tell us Krenzer was the first California community college runner to break 9 minutes in the steeplechase. At the conclusion of the 1963 LA Valley track season Krenzer won the SPAAU steeplechase in 8:57.8. There was no community college national steeplechase record at the time. (it was added to the state program in '73)
    Krenzer’s talent and competitiveness showed through during the ’63 track season as he dueled San Diego Mesa’s Sterling Jenkins in the Metro Conference meet mile-Krenzer lost to Jenkins 4:07.7 to 4:08. In the two mile that day they went at it again with Krenzer winning 9:04.9 to Jenkins’ 9:05 (national record then was 9:05.1). Two talented and tough community college competitors.
   Krenzer ended up winning the ’63 state two-mile run in 9:04.9-meet record.

-LA 84 Library; T&F News, June 1963