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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1983)
Sports Myers wins Twilight Mile breaking Pre’s record By Doug Levy When it comes to the Twilight Meet, the Twilight Mile is usually the feature attraction. But this year, things were supposed to be different. The 3,000 meters — namely Jim Hill against Tom Byers on the men's side and Kathy Hayes versus Julie Brown for the women — got all the pre-meet headlines. The Twilight Mile was just going to be an outside attempt at a sub-four clocking by Dub Myers and a few others. Well, never underestimate Myers. It was the freshman who stole the show from Byers, Hayes and Co. by winning the mile in a swift 3:57:06 and laying the late Steve Prefontaine’s freshman record of 3:57.4 by the wayside. And it was his potent kick that propelled Myers to the victory. “My kick felt really powerful — like I could stretch out as much as I wanted,” said a tired but thrilled Myers. The Parkrose High product said he had no predetermined spot picked out to make his move, but he took off with about 300 meters to go in the final lap. “I didn’t have any planned spot," said Myers, "I just heard Jim (Hill) yell ing at me from the shed, and I decided to go. Jim’s run enough miles that he should know when to move.” “Dub was the only runner I timed through the first three laps because he was the only one who I thought had a chance at going under four,” said Oregon coach Bill Dellinger. “Dub looked real easy, and I’m pleased to see him run that fast.” Before the meet, Dellinger and assis tant coach John Gillespie worried that Myers, who likes to wait in the pack and kick at the bell lap, would fall off four-minute pace without someone to take him out fast. So Tom Smith of Athletics West became a rabbit, stringing Myers along on two 59-second laps, and the freshman did the rest, blowing the field away at the gun lap despite a stiff south wind. “I didn’t feel the wind at first because I was behind everybody," said Myers, “but I really felt it coming down the backstretch. I was very worried that someone would catch me, so I just kept looking at the tape." In fact, Larry Mangan of AW did make a bid to catch Myers with 150 meters to go, but Myers held him off. Mangan finished second in 3:57.46 and Ed Spinney of AW broke the magical four-minute barrier as well with a 3:58:02 clocking. Myers’ sub-four clocking made it 12 times out of the last 14 years that a runner has broken four minutes in the Twilight Mile. Unfortunately, the strong winds made record times an impossibility in the men’s 3,000. Meet forecasters an ticipated an American record-breaking confrontation between Hill and Byers (of Team Adidas), but they were disappointed. “Any chance of a record was over before the race started," said Del linger, surveying the never-ending wind in disbelief. The plan had been for Byers and Hill to alternate the lead on successive laps and run 61-second quarters, but the wind drove the times up to 63’s Lakers tarnish Spurs SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) — Earvin “Magic” Johnson scored 31 points as thb Los Angeles Lakers fought off a fourth-quarter rally by the San Antonio Spurs for a 129-121 victory Sunday and a 3-1 lead in the National Basketball Association Western Conference final playoff series. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will be Wednesday night at Los Angeles. The defending champion Lakers are trying to become the first team to win two straight NBA cham pionships since the Boston Celtics did it in 1968-69. The Spurs whittled a 12-point halftime deficit to two at the end of the third quarter with the help of 10 points by Mike Mitchell, the game's high scorer with 35, and 11 points from Artis Gilmore. San Antonio’s Billy Paultz tied the score 98-98 with a jump shot opening the final period. Los Angeles' Michael Cooper and the Spurs’ Gene Banks were ejected from the game for fighting with 11:01. The score was tied 102-102 before Los Angeles opened a four-point lead with 8:55 remaining on a layup by Kurt Rambis and two free throws by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who finished with 26 points. The Lakers stretched the advantage to nine points, 120-111, with the help of three baskets by Jamaal Wilkes. Mitchell hit a three-pointer, making it 120-114 with 2:10 remaining, but the Spurs got no closer the rest of the way. Los Angeles, with the help of 23 free throws, had led 71-59 at halftime. The Lakers had a 36-29 advantage after the first period, as the Spurs got into early foul trouble. #**■*•* % H It was intense when Dub Myers ran away to a 3:57:06 clocking in the Twilight Mile Saturday, but the meet had it’s lighter side for Tom Byers as he laughs with his coach Bill Dellinger, below left, after winning the 3,000. following a 59-second first lap. "That wind was like a brick wall,” said Hill. "We were running 65’s and it felt like 61.” Byers and Hill seesawed back and forth until the final lap, when Byers took his cue and raced through a blistering 56-second final lap to win the race in 7:48.85. Chris Fox of AW was second in 7:49.82 and Hill, running for the Oregon Track Club, was third in 7:51.63. “We hate to blame the wind, but it definitely ruined any chance at a record,” said Byers. “I thought it af fected Jimmy more than me, because I outweigh him by 20 pounds and I think I’m stronger than he is." “I didn’t run my race," said Hill. “I tried to run everybody else’s race but my own. Maybe I should go back to the 10,000." Luckily, the wind died down a bit for the women’s 3,000, and Hayes was able to race to a meet and field record time with an 8:59.76 win over Brown. "I was worried because all the men talked about the wind," said Hayes, "but it wasn’t that bad for our race." Hayes took the lead in the first lap and never trailed, finishing comfor tably ahead of Brown, the 1980 Olym pian who was expected to challenge but labored home in 9:07.89. "She’s been road running and she isn’t track sharp,” said Hayes, “but I was worried. I could hear her breathing for the first few laps, and I thought she might start kicking at any moment." "Kathy was really scared before the race," confirmed Oregon women's coach Tom Heinonen. “It was clearly going to be a cat-and-mouse game un til the last couple of laps, with Kathy at a disadvantage because Brown is an 800 specialist.” Instead, it was Hayes with the advan tage the whole way. The sophomore even stretched her lead over Brown with a 69-second final lap. “She can go faster,” said Heinonen confidently, “when the wind’s not blowing, or if she could run with someone or sprint to the tape against someone.” In other events on the women’s side, Lisa Nicholson barely missed an NCAA qualifying mark with a 1:00.20 win in the 400 hurdles; Claudette Groenendaal took the 1,500 in 4:21.05; Ranza Clark was a victor in the 800 at 2:09.17; and heptathlete Cindy Greiner completed a busy day with wins in the high jump (5-10%), 200 (25.17) and long jump (20-1) to go along with a second in the 100 hurdles (won by Nicholson in 14.2). The other highlights for the men were wins in the 110 hurdles by Lamar Hurd (14.1) and in the 200 by George Walcott (21.49). Meanwhile, Dean Crouser made his presence felt at the prestigious Modesto Relays, finishing third in the shotput with a toss of 67-4V!;. Lexie Miller Beck and Roz Rouse gave strong perfoimances at the UCLA Pepsi Invitational in Los Angles Sun day. Miller nabbed third place and a school record in the 400 meter hurdles while Rouse finished second in the javelin with a personal best of 180 meters. 76ers drop first playoff game MILWAUKEE (AP) - Marques Johnson scored 19 points and team ed with Bob Lanier to spark a fourth quarter surge, leading Milwaukee to a 100-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday as the Bucks stayed alive in the National Basketball Association Eastern Conference playoff finals. The 76ers, beaten for the first time in eight playoff games this season, lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can clinch with a vic tory in Philadelphia Wed. night. Sidney Moncrief, Junior Bridgeman and Lanier scored 17 points each for the Bucks. Andrew Toney led the 76ers with 24. Toney poured in nine points in the third quarter as Philadelphia built a 73-66 advantage. But Moncrief made a three-point play and Charlie Criss a layup to pull the Bucks within 73-71 at the end of the period. Criss missed a long shot as the shot clock was about to expire, but Philadelphia's Clint Richardson let the rebound roll off him and out of bounds with 28 seconds left. Lanier sank one of two free throws with 24 seconds left. Toney sank two free throws with 17 seconds left to pull the 76ers within 98-94. But the Bucks spread their of fense and Criss, fouled with 11 seconds left, dropped in two free throws for a 98-94 Milwaukee lead. Erving missed a three-point goal and Criss was fouled as he grabbed the rebound with six seconds to play. Criss sank two free throws for the final margin, 100-94.
