Mark Everett (above) won the 800-meter dash in a time of 1:44.99, nearly a second in front of Vincent Malakwen, the next closest competitor. In the opening event, Laban Rotich led 11 runners under the 4-minute mark in the mile run. Rotich clocked a world leading 3:52.68. Photos by Mark McTyre Classic: Lewis pays last respects ■ Continued from Page 1 televised nationally on CBS, is an example of that, Olympian Gail Devers said after win ning the 100 with an 11.24-second effort. “My goal and my wish is to have an Amer ican circuit,” Devers said. “I believe it can happen — I know it can happen. The Pre fontaine is a testimony the fans are interest ed in track and field and that they will come out. Field of Dreams, the movie, said ‘If you build it, they will come?’ Well, that’s us. We just need somebody to open the gates and say it’s okay for us to come in and compete and we will do that.” Billed as the greatest invitational track and field meet ever by promoter Tom Jor dan, the Prefontaine Classic didn’t disap point, as four performances were the best in the world this year. Laban Rotich clocked the first of Sunday’s top performances with a 3-minutes, 52.68 second performance in the men’s mile. Mark Crear was next with a time of 13.18 in the 110 hurdles, followed by Maria Muto la’s 1:57.57 performance in the 800-meter race, good for the meet record. Bob Kennedy then shattered the meet record in the 3,000-meter run — Steve Pre fontaine’s race — with a 7:39.22 clocking. “That’s how I race. I’m aggressive,” Kennedy said. “I know that that tempo is fast — 4:04 in the mile — but I’ve been through in 3:58 so it’s not that quick forme. I take pride in it, but it’s just keeping pace with the rest of the world. ” Four other performances were the best U.S. marks recorded this year: Mark Everett’s 1:44.99 effort in the 800, Connie Price-Smith’s 62-11 shot put, Amy Rudolph’s 8:59.95 mark in the 3,000 and In ger Miller’s 22.73 clocking in the 200. Johnson easily captured the 200 with a 20.17 performance, not enough for even a meet record — which he set in 1995 — but over two-tenths of a second better than Jon Drummond. “I needed to run a race to get tuned up,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t like I needed to come in here and run any particular time or any particular kind of race. I just needed to get a race in.” Lewis, whose ailing Achilles tendon caused him to pull out of the meet at the last minute, was happy to at least make an ap pearance in Eugene. “Of course I didn’t get the chance to run here ... but the fact that I was able to come and see the people was worth it,” Lewis said. “They are the ones that really make our career ... so I feel very happy that I could come and at least share myself with them one last time.” Many athletes agreed, regardless of the state of track in the United States. “It’s good to be appreciated,” Johnson said. “This is a great place to run because it’s a group of people who love track. ” “I know that if I run here, I will be loved so much and I will get all the power I need to keep going,” said Mutola, who has lived in Eugene since high school. “So, the fans help me a lot in Eugene.” “It’s always a great honor to come here — the fans are very loud,” Devers said. “Y’all said, ‘Ooh, it’s cold this morning,’ but peo ple are filling the stands. And that’s a good thing. I mean, we have to be here; they don’t have to be here.” “This track is good to me,” Crear said, re calling his Pacific-10 Conference Champi onship in 1992. “I love this track, I love the people and I think it is good for the sport. ” i Indeed, many athletes think meets like the Pre Classic are needed now more than ever. “The atmosphere here is great,” said John Godina, who won the discus. “You can’t get this many people that care this much about the sport and not have a great track meet. This used to be the scene everywhere in the country, but this is one of the cities that did n’t let it get away. They staked their claim as Track Town and they wouldn’t let go of it.” “This is a big turnout,” sprinter Zundra Feagin said, “and that is something you don’t see at track and field meets in the U.S.” join the PEER HEALTH EDUCATION team EDPM 407/507 Strengthen your resume through experience Interested in the Health Profession? Start your health related experience by becoming a Peer Health Educator. • Learn About Health • Educate Others • Make Presentations • Organize Events • Create Workshops • Get Published • Two term commitment, 4 Credit Hours • Class Meets Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30-10:50 • Pick up an application at the Peer Health Education Office in the Health Center or call 346-4456 for more information. Hurry, space is limited for Fall ’97 HEALTH CENTER • 13TH & AGATE • 346-2770 http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/ UOSHC/