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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 27, 1972)
For some9 Munich Xv i i gets closer... :X; 1 I B 1 Ask someone who the most dominating force in American track and field is, and you’ll probably get one of two answers. Many will say Rod Milburn—the world-record holder in the high hurdles. Others will point to Steve Prefontaine, the national leader in five different events, ranging from the 1,500 meters to the 5,000. Milburn is a sure thing to be on the team that travels to Munich in August say the experts. And Pre. who’ll concentrate on the 5,000 in the Olympic Trials which begin here Thursday, is right behind' in cer | tainty to make the squad. For others, like former Oregon State star Tim Vollmer, the road is a little tougher. But Vollmer thrust himself into the forefront in the discus last weekend when he flipped the platter 208-9 to win the Rose Festival title. He ranked by Track and Field News as the co-favorite to make the American team in the discus. The other man is Jay Silvester, the most feared entrant and the one with the most savvy in this event. “As far as I’m concerned Jay has the best form in the world,’’ Vollmer has said. Silvester has the world’s second longest throw this year—215-2. South Africa’s John Van Reenen, the world leader at 215-10, has been beaten head-to-head by Silvester. That’s when he threw 215-10. Van Reenen was second in that duel at 212-7, and Vollmer was third with a 201-9 heave. F'or Pre, indeed the dominant Oregon athlete in the Trials, the struggle to make the team in the 5,000 appears easy. F orm charts pick Pre as the winner in the 5,000. He’ll get his first race of the Trials July 6 at 5 p.m. Then the 5,000 final concludes the meet on Sunday, July 9. Before a packed house, it should be quite a finish. And expected to be around and possibly right at his heels are Greg Fredericks of Penn State and veteran George Young. Young was a bronze medalist in the steeplechase in the 1968 Olympics and Fredericks—the man who tailed Pte in the NCAA 5,000 for most of the race—set a new American record in the 10,000 at the AAU this year. Of Young, Pre says “I would feel fortunate to run against a man like that. It would be nice.” F'or those like Vollmer and Pre, making the Olympic squad is easily within reach. F'or almost 500 other American track and field stars, the years of sweat and waiting for the 1972 Olympics will prove fruitless. Uncle Sam’s only taking 68 on this trip—and more than 550 are trying for those spots. Pboto by JarrlM Link Pre after breaking 3,000 record at Rose meet Athletes pouring in for Trials Over 100 athletes hit town Sunday to compete in the U S Olympic Trials which begin at Hayward Field Thursday. And a good share of those performers were at Stevenson Track Monday to get the feel of the arena which will slash a 500-man field down to f>8 for the 1972 Olympic games in Munich The meet begins Thursday at 6 p.m with the first round of the 800 meters, followed by heats in the steeplechase and 10,000 There were some big-name hurdlers tuning up Monday: among those Ron Draper, considered a possibility to make the team in the 110-meter race; and Bruce Collins of Penn, the NCAA champion who flashed by Oklahoma State’s Jim Bolding on Hayward’s Urethane in the 400 meter hurdles UTEP’s Harrington "JJ” Jackson and Gerald Tinker, two contenders in the 100 and 200 meters, were running wind sprints And Oregon's Al Hearvey, fresh off a triumphant showing in the Rose Festival meet where he beat JJ ", Lennox Miller, and Leon Brown among others in the sprints was practicing his starts in the 100 “I've just learned recently that the start is everything in the 100,” said Al. "In the 200, I can make up ground if I get a bad jump but the short race is different You have to get a good start ” Hearvey took five or six gun shot starts then called it a day. The only other Duck tuning up Monday was Vince Buford, who’ll be idle until July 6, when the first round of the 400 meters is run Vince is a longshot at best in the face of men like Lee Evans, John Smith, and Vince Mathews. His best is a 46 6 and although he gave Smith a run for his money in the Pac-8, he by passed the open race in the NCAA Somebody at the track Monday asked Vince about his longshot try “I'm going to try and put it all together,” he smiled, “I have to.” Meanwhile the official entry list for the Trials hit 553 Monday and meet officials said they didn’t expect many more entries No less than 10 events will be concluded by Sunday, beginning with the 20 kilometer walk final at 5:15 p m on Sunday. Then comes finals in the Discus, triple jump, 100 meters, and 800 meters before Sunday F inals in the Pole vault, javelin, 400 meter hur dle's, 3,000 meter steeplechase, and 10,000 conclude the first week of the Trials
