Track and Field /John Ortega : Win America Coach, Meet Director Feud Over Disqualification

With sprinters Quincy Watts, Bryan Bridgewater and Angela Rolfe on its roster, The Win America Track and Athletics Club was a notable absentee in The Athletics Congress Youth Nationals at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut last week.

While the club’s absence was obvious, the reason is still not clear.

According to TAC meet director Ron Axtell, Win America was not allowed to compete because Coach Hilliard Sumner’s entry forms, without the required fees, were received four days after the entry deadline.

Sumner claimed that late entry forms had nothing to do with it, that Axtell’s actions were part of a conspiracy to keep the Canoga Park-based club out of the meet at any cost.

“He told me, ‘There is no way over my dead body that your team is running in this meet,’ � Sumner said. “He said, ‘You couldn’t buy your way into this meet.’ �

Sumner claimed that the problems arose when several coaches became annoyed that athletes who had competed for other clubs in previous years joined Win America this summer.

Axtell, operations director for The Time Machine track club of Mission Viejo, denied Sumner’s allegations.

“Hilliard didn’t comply with the rules, it’s that simple,� Axtell said. “I have nothing against him or his team.�

Sumner said he mailed the required entry forms and fees via Federal Express on June 13, well before the June 21 deadline, but they were lost. He gave a copy of the receipt from the mailing to Axtell.

But Axtell said he did not believe that the receipt was legitimate and says he did not receive the Win America entry forms until June 25.

“My rule is to accept no excuses,� Axtell said. “I don’t care what it is. He didn’t get the entries in on time. I turned down several other teams and individuals who tried to get in after Hilliard.�

Roger Lipkis, a coach for the West Valley Eagles, disputed Axtell’s claim.

“I know for a fact that several kids were let into the meet at the last moment,� Lipkis said.

Both coaches charged that several athletes ran out of their lanes in sprint races but were not disqualified.

And Sumner also claimed that an athlete from the West Coast Express club was allowed to compete in the Youth Division (athletes born in 1972 and ‘73) when he belonged in the Young Men’s Division (born in 70 and ‘71).

West Valley Eagles Coach Ken Bahr, a member of TAC Southern California Committee, contested Sumner’s and Lipkis’ claims.

“It was one of the best-run TAC meets in history,� Bahr said. “It started on time and ended on time. The kids didn’t have to run at 1 or 2 in the morning like they did the past two years. . . . I know for a fact that no one was allowed into the meet after the deadline.�

Sumner, however, was vehement in his criticism of Axtell and the meet.

“It was totally disorganized,� he said. “That’s one reason why West Coast track is held in such low esteem by the teams from the East.�

Double qualifier: Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge qualified for the U. S. Olympic Trials in the 3,000 meters when the trials’ qualifying standards recently were lowered in five events to fill out the fields.

Arreola’s personal best of 4 minutes, 15.35 seconds in the 1,500 meters met the original trials’ standard in that event (4:17:05), but her 3,000 best of 9:13.13 was just off the old mark of 9:10.72.

With the 3,000 standard revised to 9:13.54, however, Arreola also has qualified in that event.

Despite the change, Cal State Northridge Coach Don Strametz said Arreola will not compete in the 3,000 in the trials because she has been training for the shorter distance. The 3,000 meters will be contested first.

“If the change had been made a couple of months ago, we might have thought about doubling,� Strametz said. “But not now. It’s too late to start changing her workouts.�

Strametz said Arreola is capable of running 4:05 at the Olympic Trials, but he is not sure if that time will qualify her for the U. S. team.

“There are a lot of talented girls in the first 13 or 14,� he said. “So, it’s possible she could run 4:05 and not make it. It might take a 4:03 or 4:04 to finish in the top three.�

The Olympic Trials will be held in Indianapolis on July 15-23.

Signing: Crespi graduate Garrett Noel has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Northridge.

Noel, who won the javelin at TAC Youth Nationals last Saturday, has personal bests of 197 feet, 1 inch in the javelin, 48-10 in the shotput and 144-7 in the discus.

Upcoming events: Olympic Trials’ qualifying meets will be held at Cal State Northridge on Friday, Sunday and Monday.

The meets, which begin at 1 p.m., are sanctioned by TAC and give athletes a final chance to meet the qualifying standards for the U. S. Olympic Trials.

Monday is the last day that athletes can qualify for the trials.