TUESOAY
May 2®. 1996
MlunttMMMiatti
Records, crowd favorites
drop at Prefontaine meet
■ PREFONTAINE CLASSIC: Johnson
leads the way lor a memorable
day at Hayward Field
By Ryan Frank
flNAHwc* Sport* MtypQttP
The Profontaina got off to a alow
start Sunday morning.
But when Allen Johnson lined up for the
110 meter hurdles. nearly two hour* after
the meet * start. everything changed
Johnson blazed hi* way to a world-lead
ing 13 13 seconds to begin a record setting
second half of the meet in front of a Pre
record 13.804 fans.
I think it was message to the world that
I am on my way back.' Johnson said.
Prior to the 110 hurdles, the 22nd annu
al Pro Classic was plagued with mediocre
performance*, chilly weather and a mal
function in the automatic timing system
World-record holder Sergey Bubka and
American-record bolder Scott Huffman
highlighted the pole vault competition,
which opener! the meet at 9:30 a m
But both turned in disappointing per
formances. Bubka tied South African
Okkert Brits with a jump of 18-8 1/4. well
below bis world record of 20-1 1/4, and
Huffman tied with four other competitors
for h third place finish at 18 2 1/2
Following the 110 hurdle* was the
women's 1,500-meter run Local runner
Suey Hamilton began the 1.500 as one of
the favorites, hut Maria Mutola proved too
strong for her
Mutola broke away from the pack to
record a Prefuntaine Classic record with
a time of 4 minutes. 6.86 seconds
Despite finishing second. Hamilton
enjoyed running in front of the home
crowd
"ft is just so amazing to run on my home
track with the home crowd. " Hamilton said
“I felt malty comfortable anti rosily mined’
In the men s one mile run. David Kibet
(weed the pack with a time of 3.52.28 Ten
runners followed Kibet to finish under the
4 minute mark
High school standout Michael Steadier
finished ahead of 40-year-old Steve Scot!
with a time of 4 09.0
After running in her hometown of
Atlanta last weekend. 100 meter sprinter
Gwen Torrence set a meet and Hayward
Field record Sunday Torrence rat ed to the
first sub 11 second Hit (tutirrr dash in il«y
ward Field history with • tint* of to 96
"I am very pleased about my rim® and
lb® way I ran." Torrence Mid “It ««< vary
good for me knowing that I no under 11
wccmds and (hat 1 tan undot control
Torrence had a hard tiro® getting mult
vaied «ft<n running in front of *0 0on plu»
in Atlanta last weekend
"Last wank was such an emotional racn
fur m*. (t waa kind of bard to got back up."
Torrenc* said
In tha ha rumor throw, thrweuroo NCAA
national champion and currant Southern
< al Tropin Batata Kiss out tossed Unco
I >»*1 with a throw of 2620 tor tho win. Deal
finished second with a throw of 259 l
In th« womon'a J.000 motor run. Sonia
O'Sullivan recorded a lima of a 39 33. a
now moot and Bold record O'Sullivan, like
many of tho athletes in tho Pre, enjoyed rac •
ing in hoot of tho Eu$*»® crowd
'I really enjoyed it; it wa* great * O'Sul
livan said "I have never heard a crowd
*«> loud in iho last 100 motor* Thi* la one
of t ho boat tracks ever *
Racing againat O'Sullivan waa bead hero
and eg-Olympian Mary Slanev
"1 wanted to etay with Sonia, but the first
lap was a little faster than I should have
boon running at this point." Slanev said
Coming into the race. Slanev had been
hampered by a kidney infection.
“My Sega wore fine." Slanev laid, "The
biggest issue for m® those past couple of
week* ha* been this kidney infection that
I've had, and I waa on some real nasty
antibiotics "
Slanev finished fifth with a time of
8:91.14
Two of the Utter race* of the day were
saved for last
In the men's 200 meter dash. Caul lewis
was the sentimental favorite Hut it was tun
meant to he, as fon Drummond edged him
out.
Drummond recorded a time of 20 20. and
Uwis finished with a time of 20 22
“He ran a good rac®." Lewis said of
Drummond. "I didn't really get aggressive
in the turn, and that was the difference in
the rac®.*
Uwis wasn't too worried about his sac
ond place finish, however
"t>ne race donan't make a season," Lewis
Turn to CLASSIC P*Q® 16
ANUMrw MmMCMmnw
Bob Kennedy (right) led Paul BHok (cantor) and Oantal Komtn tor molt of I ho 5.000
motor run at tha Pratontafna Ctantc Bttofc ovartook Kannady and won tba raca In
ff-MJ*
Chicago comeback completes sweep
■ MBA EAST; The Bulls overcome an early drive
from Orlando to advance to the NBA Finals
OKI.ANDO. Fla, (API — !(*• sweep revenge fur Michael
Ionian and a return trip to the NBA Final* fur hi* (Chica
go Butt*.
The Bull* dethroned Orlando a* Eastern Conference
champion* Monday, defeat mg the wounded Magic It*
101 behind 45 point* hum Iordan
Wo mw a challenge and faced a challenge." Jordan
Mid, "In a every game a different guy *tepped up. Today
11 wa* my turn "
The final* will begin Friday In (Tat.ago if Seattle wraps
up it* Western Conference aerie* against Utah on Tues
day night.
Iordan, who led the Bull* to titles in 1M1 1092 and
1093 before retiring, returned last season only to make
numerous mistakes in a second-round loss to Orlando
He has Mid that memori** of that bitter defeat moti
vated him lor thi* Mason, when he won hi* eighth scar
ing crown and fourth MVP and led Chicago to an
NBA-record 72-vlctory season.
“Last year. I wasn't in a rhythm to do thal for this
team." Iordan Mid. “Thu year. I had a belter under
standing of the team, and they had a better understand
ing about myself."
After thru# below average this snriea. Jordan was
sensational Monday He w*» 1)1 of 23 from the flixx. kn|il
the Butt* In the game when they ‘ttuggled in the Brat half
and helped them overtake Orlando in I he third quarter
Now ht* Bull* are 11*1 In the playoff* and back in the
final* for the fourth time in six year* And they have beat*
en the Magic seven straight time*
The Magic became the first team since the Chicago
Stag* (1946 30) to be swept from the playoff* three
straight years. Orlando lost 3 0 to Indiana In the first
round in 1994 and 4-0 to Houston in last year's Anal*
But despite injuria* that sidelined starter* Nick Ander
son and Horace Grant as well as top reserve Brian Shaw,
the Magic played with heart and desire that many felt
they lacked
"They made this a very difficult series for us." said
Scott le Pi open, who had just 12 points but eight assists.
"But as a baliciub we stayed focused. We knew what we
wanted to do and who we wanted to shut down "
Lad by Shaquille O'Neal and Anfemee Hardaway, who
finished with 26 points apiece, the Magic opened with a
13-4 burst and were still up 73 63 with 3 1/2 minutes left
in the third quarter
But the Bulls then went on a 13-3 run. with Dennis
Turn to NBA EAST. Pag* 16
Payton proves value
in first four games
■ NBA WEST: Seattle's point guard has
gotten the better of his All-Star
counterpart thus far m the Western
Conference finals
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Through lour of
the Wninm Conference final*, on* thing ha*
bwuffl* chair John Stockton uui'l bn called the In!
point guard in the West anymore If* tiary Payton's
turn
Stockton missed the game winning shot Sunday
a* Seattle heat 1‘tah 8« ttti to take a ) | lead in the
best of-7 series, but it comes down to more than
just one shot
Payton has simply outplayed Stockton game after
game, play after play. HI* 27-year old teg* are
quicker and not aa broken down, and hi* shot baa
been sweeter, be it from 3-point range or from
underneath the basket
Turn to MSA WEST Page 16