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News18 Apr 1999


Jones cruises to 400 victory while Boldon begins the season with a cautious start

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Mt SAC RelaysJones cruises to 400 victory while Boldon begins the season with a cautious start
Ken Peters (AP) and Rebecca Bryan (AFP)

Walnut, California - Marion Jones, who plans to go for four gold medals in this summer's World Championships and five in the 2000 Olympics, cruised to an easy 400-meter victory in the Mt. SAC Relays.

In a family sweep, C.J. Hunter, Jones' husband, upset World Champion and No. 1-ranked John Godina in the shot put. Not long after Hunter unleashed a lifetime best throw of 21.41m, to win his event on the Mt. San Antonio College infield, Jones won the 400 with a time of 50.79 seconds.

Jones, ranked top in the world last year in the 100, 200 and long jump, competes in the 400 mostly for training purposes.

"This is my last open 400m race of the year, but I hope to be selected for the U.S. 4x400m relay team for the World Championships in Spain this August,'' she said.

"I didn't run a personal best today, but I'm still happy with my time. I was hoping to run below 50 seconds because this is a homecoming meet for me. It's my only race in Southern California this year.''

Seeming to glide along effortlessly, Jones quickly moved in front and widened her lead to 27 meters with 90 meters to go. But, clearly in control, she slowed noticeably in the final strides, still winning easily but with a pedestrian - for her - time. LaDonna Antoine of Canada finished a distant second in 52.94.

Jones lost just once in 35 finals last year, her only defeat coming in the World Cup long jump won by Germany's Heike Drechsler. Jones hopes to compete in both sprints, the long jump and a relay in Spain, and hopes to add another relay for the Olympics.

"I think if I can stay healthy, I think I have a chance at five events in the Sydney Olympics,'' she said.

Trinidad's Ato Boldon, his sights set firmly on the World Championship 100m title that eluded him two years ago, won the 200m at the Mt. SAC Relays Sunday in a cautious 20.19sec.

Boldon, who finished a disappointing fifth in the 100m in Athens in 1997 and was frustrated in his bid for the 100m world record last season, said the 100m gold at Seville in August was his holy grail of 1999.

"Everything else is just details," Boldon said. "It's all about the world title."

Boldon, who launched a season-long chase for the 100m world record with HS International clubmate Maurice Greene at this meet last year, said he wouldn't worry about records this season.

"Nobody could possibly run as many 9.8s into the wind as I did last year," he said. "If I'm banging my head against a wall, maybe I'm focused on the wrong thing."

Although Boldon clearly wants to atone for his 100m failure in Athens, a failure he attributes to the mysterious disease of "finalitis," he acknowledged that the disappointment probably made his stellar 1998 season possible.

"I can't really complain," said Boldon, adding that he probably needs a few such lapses to keep him going.

"If I had won gold in the 100m in 1996, I'd be retired," the 25-year-old said. "I'm not really retirement age, but if I do what I'm supposed to do, I can call it a career."

Boldon purposely entered the 200m here to avoid running against Greene in the 100m, but Greene withdrew after feeling a twinge in the back of his left knee training earlier in the week.

HS International coach John Smith said the problem was minor, apparently due to the unseasonably cold weather in southern California last week. In Greene's absence, the 100m was won by Mike Marsh in 10.06.

Boldon himself, who attended the University of California at Los Angeles about 30 miles from Walnut, said he was nursing a sore toe as he adjusts to new footwear, but was satisfied to at least meet the mark of 20.2 that he and Smith were aiming for.

"I took the last three days off just to rest this toe," he said. "My race model was off. I just had to give what my foot gave me."

In the women's pole vault contest, 1997 World Indoor Champion Stacy Dragila established a new American record. Dragila cleared 4.46m improving her previous mark which dated back to 1997 by just 1 cm. Dragila became the first ever woman pole vault indoor champion in Paris '97 and has her sights set on becoming the first woman pole vault outdoor world champion this year, as the event is staged for the first time in an IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Seville '99.

In the men's 400m hurdles, 1996 Olympic champion Derrick Adkins, who had a disappointing 1997, won the 400m hurdles, in which 1992 Olympic gold medallist Kevin Young was relegated to seventh.

Mt. San Antonio College Relays, Walnut California
Results 18 April 1999

Men
100m 1, Mike Marsh, Santa Monica TC, 10.06 (wind-aided). 2, Obadiah Cooper, unattached, 10.19. 3, Frank Nwampka, UCTC, 10.48.
200m 1, Ato Boldon, Adidas, 20.19 2, Ken Brokenburr, Atlantic CC, 20.30. 3, Tyree Washington, World Class AC, 20.34.
400m 1, Sandirla Parrela, Brazil, 44.72. 2, Jerome Davis, USC, 45.25. 3, Derek Mills, Vector Sports, 45.54.
800m 1, Khadevis Robinson, Santa Monica TC, 1:46.28. 2, Jeff Kuzma, Air Force, 1:46.50. 3, Al Royster, Santa Monica TC, 1:46.66.
110m hurdles 1, Larry Wade, Nike, 13.22. 2, Dominque Arnold, unattached, 13.31. 3, Eugene Swift, New Balance, 13.42.
4x400m relay 1, HSI (Ernest Greene, Gentry Bradley, Curtis Johnson, Ato Boldon), 38.90. 2, TC Management, 39.10. 3, Canada, 39.21.
400m hurdles 1, Derrick Adkins, Vector Sports, 48.71. 2, Kazuhiko Yamazaki, Japan Amateur Athletics, 49.35. 3, Kemel Thompson, Shore AC, 49.56.
Triple jump 1, Von Ware, Sheffield Elite, 16.355 meters. 2, Ivan Salcedo, Federacion Mexicana, 16.23m. 3, Samuel Okantey, Syracuse, 16.23m.
Shot put 1, C.J. Hunter, Vector Sports, 21.41m. 2, John Godina, Reebok Bruin TC, 21.02m. 3, Janus Robberts, SMU, 19.82m.
Discus 1, John Godina, Reebok Bruin, 65.0m.2, Jason Tunks, Canada, 64-72m. 3, Ian Winchester, New Zealand, 62.34m.
Javelin 1, Tom Petranoff, unattached, 76.42m. 2, Ty Sevin, Oklahoma St., 71.52m. 3, Daniel Gustafsson, SMU, 71.26m.
Hammer 1, Libor Charfreitag, SMU, 72.34m. 2, Adam Connolly, Stanford, 72.08m. 3, Bengt Johansson, Sweden, 70.06m.

Women
100m 1, Inger Miller, HSI, 10.92 (wind-aided). 2, Chandra Sturrup, Vector Sports, 10.95. 3, Angela Williams, USC, 11.08.
200m 1, Fali Ogunkoya, Nigeria, 22.77. 2, Fatima Yusuf, unattached, 22.82. 3, Maicel Malone, New Balance, 23.05.
400m 1, Marion Jones, Vector Sports, 50.79. 2, LaDonna Antoine, New Balance, 52.94. 3, Foy Williams, Canada, 52.95.
800m 1, Tina Paulino, Savannah Int'l, 2:00.59. 2, Jeanette Castro, Mexico, 2:01.51. 3, Michelle Ave, Asics, 2:02.24.
1,500m 1, Stephanie Best, Asics, 4:16.06. 2, Grazyna Penc, USC, 4:16.82. 3, Anna Lopaciuch, USC, 4:19.38.
4x400m relay 1, USC (Angela Williams, Torri Edwards, Malika Edmonson, Candice Young), 43.40. 2, HSI, 43.88. 3, TC Management, 44.28.
100m hurdles 1, Melissa Morrison, Reebok, 12.55 (wa). 2, Anjanette Kirkland, HSI, 12.68. 3, Miesha McKelvy, San Diego St., 12.93.
400m hurdles 1, Sandra Glover, unattached, 55.67. 2, Michelle Johnson, Vector Sports, 56.72. 3, Latanya Sheffield, Sheffield Elite, 57.81.
High jump 1, Tisha Waller, HSI, 1.98m 2, Amy Acuff, unattached, 1.95m. 3, Kajsa Berggvist, SMU, 1.90m.
Long jump 1, Adrien Sawyer, TC Management, 6.84m. 2, Lacena Golding, Nike TC, 6.82m (wind-aided). 3, Yuan Hunt, TC Management, 6.49m
Triple jump 1, Suzette Lee, TC Management, 13.80m. 2, Niambi Dennis, World Class, 13.60m. 3, Jackie Edwards, Vector Sports, 13.54m (wind-aided).
Shot put 1, Connie Price-Smith, Indiana Invader, 62 feet, 4 inches. 2, Teri Tunks, unattached, 61 feet, 5 inches. 3, Jessica Cross, unattached, 58 feet, 6 inches.
Discus 1, Kris Kuehl, unattached, 62.82m. 2, Aretha Hill, unattached, 58.86m.3, Dawn Dumble, Reebok Bruin, 58.80m.
Javelin 1, Erica Wheeler, unattached, 53.18m. 2, Cassie Morelock, Nebraska, 51.58m. 3, Liza Randjelovic, SMU, 50.12m.
Hammer 1, Lisa Misipeka, South Carolina Elite, 65.10m. 2, Windy Dean, NYAC, 64.28m. 3, Dawn Ellerbe, NYAC, 63.70m.

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