Oregon daily emerald., June 25, 1973, Page 9, Image 8

The
AAU
meet:
for
some
it’s
the
climax
and
for
others
it's
just
the
beginning
Ona Dobratz
The AAU Women’s National Track and Field Championships are
at the University of California Irvine. We leave on Thursday mor
ning after the Hayward Field Restoration Meet, nervous, caught on
that resonating wire between two excitements; between Wottle’s kick
and the anticipation of our own. In the seats next to us the UCLA guys
are winding down, tasting the French wines, recounting stories of
shootings in Cleveland, and planning for the AAU Tour to Europe.
The AAU Tour, not yet a fact for us.
LA. We approach a world of science fiction. A few scattered sky
scrapers — there is no center here, no downtown — and the city
spreads out forever, covered with a brown death dust. Scales of houses
creep over the hot land like ridges on a monster’s back and though it
seems there should be a never ending flow of people (who uses all
By ONA DOBRATZ
Of the Emerald
these buildings?) there is a dearth of them. At Newport giant blocks of
concrete rear up out of the fields, anemic trees stand in perfect
regiments. Riding in the car I feel as though there are no people
anywhere or that if I ventured into Newport Shopping Center, there,
among all those walls would be silent masses, arms dangling at their
sides and eyes sewn shut. I want desperately to get to the meet
headquarters, to see people of different colors, people laughing and
running and jumping, sweating and crying, wearing bright reds and
blues and yellows, lithe young women who feel life so much they want
to burst with it.
For many women, the national meet is the culmination of track
season. For others, it is the beginning. This summer the AAU will send
a women’s team (14 and over) on the European Tour and a Junior
National Team. They will be full and separate tours.
The Senior National Team will compete against West Germany
and Switzerland in Munich on July 11 and 12; in Turin, Italy, on July 17
and 18; and at Minsk, Russia, on July 23 and 24. The Junior Team will
compete against West Germany at Munich on July 14 and 15; in
Warsaw against Poland on July 20 and 21; against Russia at Odessa on
July 24 and 25 or July 27 and 28.
But those places are far away and now we are here and it is hot,
hotter than any of us are accustomed to (105 degrees when we landed).
The radio says it will stay hot for several days, the chauffeur tells us
there is no shade at the track, that our rooms are not air-conditioned;
that Julie Shea, the young distance protege from North Carolina,
suffered heat exhaustion on Tuesday in the Girls’ Division two-mile.
Why do they plan races in hot places at such times (two-mile finals run
at 4p.m.)? I am ready to shout discrimination but then remember the
men’s NCAA and hear again the dull rumble of politics that bubbles
beneath all the meets.
Oregon Track Club sent a team of six women: two in the Girls’
Division and four in the Women’s. Karen Marshall and Denise Briggs,
both of South Eugene, are field events women. Karen, who has a best
put of 41 ’2”, finished ninth. Denise, with a best discus throw of
125’5Vz”, finished 11th. Both went on to women’s competition. Shirley
Lagestee, high jumper, moved into women’s finals and finished 17th of
35 entrants. Julie Angal, discus thrower, placed 12th in women’s. The
distance runners (both University students) had poor luck and poor
times. Heat and a blundering official (who knocked her down in the
third lap) caused Maryl Barker a ninth place in the mile and Dobratz
ran llth place in the two-mile for her worst race of the season.
There were other Oregonians besides members of the Oregon
Track Club. Fran Sichting broke the American Record in the 220 in the
prelims; Jo Rassmussen of Portland TC participated in the hurdles,
Girls’ division, and Joni Huntly from Sheridan H.S. held the Girls’ high
jump record at 5’9” until it was passed back in the next round to Cindy
Gilbert. Huntly’s jumps were all good: she will go on the Junior Team
to Europe and Russia in July.
People add life to the sallow atmosphere of this Irvine campus.
Over 1500 girls and women have come to this week’s meet. The young
ones — it’s impossible to know them all — sometimes I think they are
the only ones capable of keeping this game in the perspective in which
it should be kept. They bound in with a fervor for the joy of com
petition, an irrefragable grin and an insatiable appetite. The older
ones, the veterans. These are the dedicated, the consistent, the ones
for whom track and field have become an integral part of their life
style: Francie Larrieu, American Record Holder in the mile and two
mile; World Record Holder in 440, Kathy Hammond; WRH for 400 m.,
Marylin Neufville and Munich 5th placer Mable Fergerson. Cheryl
Toussaint of the Atoms in the 880; Mamie Rawlins and Patty Johnson
in the 100 m. H; veteran Willie Whyte in the long jump and Kathy Sch
midt in the javelin. Distance runners Vicki Foltz and Train Hosmer.
This year for the first time in what six? or seven? or eight? years
Doris Brown of the Falcon Club, out with foot operation, is not here.
Her absence is felt.
Saturday evening. It’s over. After dinner the awards ceremony,
the formal announcement of the international teams. Screams of
excitement pierce the heavy afternoon air. Girls, big and little in
frenzy of relief gather stuff for the beach.
A faint tinge of disappointment mixes with the joys of success. But
disappointment is quiet. Some girls, exhausted, lay on the beds and
pretend to sleep.
(Dobratz is a distance runner on the University’s women’s track
team.)
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