Ryun home free in 800,
Winzenried going home
There are no sacred cows in the
Olympic Trials.
It was less than two minutes
after the start of the meet when
the first favorite was upset and
eliminated from consideration as
a potential member of the U.S.
track team that Bill Bowerman
will take to Munich this August.
In the very first heat of the
meet’s first event Mark Win
zenried and Jim Ryun were
supposed to have tuned up for
tonight’s semifinals. Instead,
Ryun found himself joined by
Pacific-8 champion Rick Brown,
Marcel Philippe and Ken Sparks
in the semis.
And Winzenried found himself
on the way home after spending
less than two minutes on the
track in a meet he’d been
building to for four years.
Winzenried told the Emerald
he’d be leaving Eugene “as soon
as possible.”
“I tore an achilles tendon two
weeks ago and lost a lot of
training because of it. The only
running I’ve been able to do was
jogging and 150 yard ac
celerations. The injury didn’t
hurt during the race, but the two
week lay-off did. During that
time I lost the edge I had been
building up all year.”
Winzenried was eliminated in a
race that Ryun controlled all the
way. The Kansas runner (now
wearing the insignia of Club
West) took the lead at the pole
and was never headed. Win
zenried kept just behind him for
the first 600 meters, but when he
tried to put on a kick Ryun left
him in the distance.
Ryun’s finishing time was
l:-*8.7, Brown 1:49.1, Phillipe
1:49.3 and Sparks 1:49.3. Win
zenried was eliminated with a
1:49.4 after being passed by the
other three qualifiers in the
stretch run.
Ryun said he felt “better than
I’ve ever felt.” He said his
allergy was not bothering him,
that he was “keeping my fingers
crossed and I have a couple of
things going for me—I’m doing a
lot of praying and I have a good
allergist.”
He said he was surprised about
Winzenried but that “the Trials
are marvelous because as much
as they’re exciting they’re also
sad.”
Is Young
coming?
No one is about to offer a
reward, but the middle and long
distance runners assembled in
Eugene for the Olympic Trials
are at least curious as to the
whereabouts of one George
Young.
Young, a 34-year-old 3-time
Olympian, was entered in three
events for the trials: the 1,500
meters, the 5,000 meters and the
10,000 meters. He wasn’t on hand
for Thursday’s 10,000 heats and
many of his fellow runners are
beginning to doubt whether he’ll
show up at all.
Young is most highly regarded
in the 5,000 where he is the second
fastest American ever.
One man who is particularly
concerned about Young’s plans is
Jack Bacheler, a finalist in the
10,000 this weekend who is trying
to decide whether his second
event will be the 5,000 or the
marathon. A missing George
Young could help swing
Bachelor’s thinking toward the
5,000.
In the race’s second heat,
Texas Southern’s Tom Fulton
turned in the fastest time of the
day (1:48.3) while finishing
ahead of the pack, but just ahead
of American record-holder Ken
Swenson. Swenson had caught up
to Fulton going into the stretch
but then eased up to finish second
in 1:48.6 after seeing that he
would qualify.
Fulton, who goes all out in
every race, could well be the
sleeper on the Olympic squad.
He turned in an astounding triple
at the NAIA championships in hot
and high Billings, Mont. He
merely won the 5000 meters
there, while finishing second in
the 800 and 1500.
The third heat saw the tightest
finish of the day. Five men (Dick
Wohlhuter, Steve Straub, Ron
Phillips, Tom Von Ruden and
Wilbur Hawkins) were spread out
side-by-side across the track
coming into the final stretch.
Each one looked over his
shoulders to see who would fade
and then the other four coasted in
when early leader Hawkins fell
oeni no
Wohlhuter’s winning time
(1:49.2) was only seven-tenths of
a second ahead of Hawkins's non
qualifying 1:49.9.
The fourth heat saw two more
highly touted middle distance
runners thwarted early in their
bids for membership on the
Olympic squad.
Veteran Art Sandison and
NCAA champion Willie Thomas
finished sixth and seventh in their
race, running behind qualifiers
Dave Wottle (1:49.8), Bob Mango
(1:49.9), Tom Bach (1:50.1) and
young Bob Smith (1:50.2). Also
finishing ahead of Sandison and
Thomas was Oregon freshman
Steve Bence, the first Oregon
competitor in Eugene’s version of
the Trials.
With the four leaders far ahead,
Bence put on a move for fifth and
seemed to have a lot of
everything—except someplace to
go—left when he crossed the
finish line.
While the event’s first heat
began with everyone in the
stands wondering about Jim
Ryun’s allergies and reaction to
pollen, the 800 ended for the day
with another man the victim of
stopped-up nasal passages.
Thomas, who won the NCAA
800 meters in Hayward Field
record 1:47.1 running in Eugene
in early June, said it was hay
g’nimiimmnin
E HUTCH’S
Z Bieyclt Ship z
i 960 CkanuKoa I
fever that kept him from the
semifinals in his race.
“I think I have a little hay
fever,, and if I think about it, it
definitely is a factor. I’m stopped
up at night and my breathing is
affected ”
The results of yesterday's
races leave 16 men still with a
chance at representing the U.S.
at 800 meters. That will be
narrowed to eight at 7 p.m.
In the first heat of the semi
finals Ryun and Wottle should be
favored to lead four qualifiers
into the finals. But the head-to
head confrontation between the
two—who will both also run the
1500 meters here—should be quite
interesting
It might prove to be the first of
many races between the two
during the next ten days.
And the second heat pits
veterans Luzins, Swenson and
Von Ruden against a field in
cluding Fulton Those four
should have good shots at being
around when the finals begin
Saturday night.
But then, nothing is certain.
Just ask Mark Winzenried—if he
hasn't already left town.
OAK STJ
7 p.m., 800 meters
Four qualify for finals
Heat I
1 (481) THOMAS BACH
2 ( 568) ROBERT SMITH
3 (54) MARCEL PHILIPPE
4 (479) KENNETH SPARKS
5 ( 208) JIM RYUN .U
6 ( 404) BOB MANGO *»
7 (204) GORDON BROWN
8 (114) DAVE WOTTLE
Heat 2
1 (389) RONNIE PHILLIPS
2 ( 285) JURIS LUfclNS
3 ( 238) JOHN MOCK
4 ( 253) STEPHEN STRAUB
5 ( 434) THOMAS FULTON
6 (62) KEN SWENSON
7 ( 483) RICHARD WOHLHUTER
8 ( 395) TOM VON RUDEN
E'uL? niiiiiWB —]
PUTT PAR
•ILF QIVRSE
This coupon and 30C good for
18 holes of Miniature golf.
HOURS:
NOON - 11 P.M. SUN - THURS
NOON -MIDNIGHT FRI & SAT
1500 Main, Springfield 746-4633
3^2D33B3£C°UPON Goad through July M>. -
The Eugene Hotel
PRESENTS 6 NIGHTS OF
NOSTALGIA
Then and Now
featuring
MUSIC WITH THE "BIG BAND SOUND"
As Played By The Band Of
RONNIE KEMPER
starts at 8:30
O D CO I A I ^ri- June 30 ■ S»*. July I - Sun. July 2
^ | Lvl ML Fri- J“*y 7 - Sat. July 8- Sun. July*
2 Floor Shows - 10 p.m. & Midnight
DINNER DANCE & SHOW
We suggest reservations
Call 344-1461
NOW Wi CAN 1 REPAIR '
‘JOGGING SHOES'
For a fraction of the new price your old jogging shoes
can be as good as new!
• We repair all types of
men's & women's shoes
e Factory materials used
• All work guaranteed i
e Re-sole & repair all types
men's & women's jogging
shoes
• Insoles available
JIM THE
SHOE DOCTOR
849 Olive |