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They'll go the distance for this new track meet By Don Hunt Mail Tribune Southern Oregon has been the home of many standout high school distance runners over the years. Former Klamath Union stars Tracy Garrison (1983) and Ian Dobson (2000) rank among the top four runners in state history over 3,000 meters, and no one at the Class 2A level has ever run a faster 800 time than the 1:52.5 Mike Wisnovsky posted for St. Mary's in 1986. On the girls side, Glendale's Rosa Gutierrez (1981), Klamath Union's Marnie Mason (1985) and Ashland's Sara Brandy (1994) are among the best ever in the 1,500 and 3,000. Carrying the long-distance torch these days are Klamath Union's Lauren Jespersen, who set a class state record over 800 meters last year when, as a sophomore, he clocked 1:52.4, and senior Jacob Gomez, who blazed to a time of 8:19.73 in the 3,000 at the Centennial Invitational this past Saturday - the sixth-fastest clocking in state history and only 11.73 seconds behind the all-time mark set by the legendary Steve Prefontaine in 1969. Wouldn't it be nice to honor such extraordinary distance runners with a special meet in the Rogue Valley? Phoenix High track coach Hans Voskes and former Ashland High coach Bob Julian Sr. were thinking those very thoughts the other day. And now they're going to make it reality. The inaugural meet is likely to be held during the first week of April in 2003 at Jack Woodward Stadium - Phoenix's home track. "Bob and I were thinking what great runners these Klamath kids (Jespersen and Gomez) are and how neat it would be to create a distance meet where we could bring in the exceptional runners from Oregon and California," Voskes says. "Let's put them on their own stage and see what they can do." The meet would feature runs of varying distances, along with relays. The crown jewel, Voskes says, would be a mile event. "There would certainly be other distances, but we think the mile would be the perfect carrot for a lot of these distance kids," Voskes says. "It's an event that isn't run too much these days (it's taken a back seat to the 1,500, its metric cousin) but a lot of the parents of these kids remember when it was a part of every dual meet and would really relate to it." It might be too much to ask for something to break the magical 4-minute barrier, Voskes admits, although Jespersen and Gomez have run the 1,500 in 3:53.92 and 3:54.36, respectively, this spring, which equate to mile times of 4:10 and 4:11. Other events might include a 4x800 relay and a distance medley, Voskes says, adding that the meet will likely be held in the evening. The meet would ideally occur two or three weeks before the state meet, when runners are nearing their peaks. But Voskes and Julian don't want to interfere with any of the present marquee meets such as the Crater Classic, the Centennial Invitational or the Grants Pass Rotary Classic, and that would likely push the meet back to the first week of April. "But that's OK," Voskes says, "because a lot of the distance kids train pretty hard over the winter and are going to run good times no matter when you hold it." A REPORTER FROM the Oregonian called Roseburg track coach Mike Bober last Thursday night, just to make sure. Was the mammoth discus throw of 193 feet, 8 inches by Indians star Joe Newton in a dual meet against Grants Pass earlier that day legit? Indeed it was. Newton's epic toss is the fifth-best in state history, and he's within striking distance of former Sprague High thrower Brent Patera, who set the all-time Oregon high school mark of 197-11 in 1985. And there's reason to think the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Newton will get it. After all, he's reached personal records in each of his last four meets. "He's freakish," Roseburg throwing coach Jeff Church says of Newton, who is headed to Oregon State on a football scholarship. "He's gotten into a rhythm these past few meets and it just seems like the sky's the limit for him." Newton has the size, strength and athleticism to be a great college thrower, but his track and field days will likely end at the Class 4A state meet on May 25 because OSU doesn't have a track program. And Newton, who shattered Heath Howington's school record with his big throw last week, won't be satisfied with anything less than a state championship. He finished third last season and fifth in 2000. PHOENIX HIGH WRESTLING coach Harry Mondale is home resting following a five-hour surgery last Wednesday to remove an aneurysm from the aorta in his heart. Mondale, 70, expects a full recovery and plans to return to the Phoenix coaching helm, which he has held for 33 years. "They cut me from one side to the other," says Mondale, who spent five days at Rogue Valley Medical Center. "But I feel lucky. For 90 percent of the people in my shoes, they find out the problem during the autopsy." Mondale's doctors have urged him to change his diet and reduce his intake of salt, sugars and fats. BEGINNING NEXT SEASON , high school basketball players will no longer be forced to leave a game for blood or injury if the problem can be corrected by the end of a timeout. The new rule was passed by the National Federation of High School Sports rules committee at its annual meeting April 7-9 in Indianapolis. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.