TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1999

Track teams excel

By Rory Barnett

On-Line Forty-Niner

The Long Beach State track and field team competed in Eagle Rock last weekend for the Occidential Invitational and walked away with outstanding results.

Both the men's and the women's 4x100-meter relay team burned up the track against a competitive field.

The women's 4x100-meter relay team won the event with a record breaking time of 45.86.

The team broke the university record of 45.89 set in 1993, the last time the 49ers were conference champs. Marisha Bedford, Amaris Buchanan, Marion Reneau, and Shawn Knighten broke the six-year-old school record.

The men's 4x100-meter relay team lit up the track against a tight field. The team placed second behind Iowa with a time of 40.10, as they moved to No. 4 on the all-time list at CSULB. However, the team has not yet qualified for this month's Nationals.

"This year, we have high expectations for the men's 4x100 team," said track coach Andy Sythe. "The team knows they have to keep being tested to set a qualified time for the Nationals."

Another record-breaking performance was produced in the men's 400-meters by Lewis Young, who won the event with a time of 45.75. Young's national record time broke the 1978 CSULB record of 45.87 set by Long Beach State Hall of Famer, Harold Beasley.

Great performances were also achieved by Marion Reneau, who won the javelin throw with a mark of 140 feet, which placed her ninth on the all-time list. Johann Appell finished fourth in the steeplechase after a strong performance, which placed him among the top three in the conference.

The Beach will travel to Los Angeles for the L.A. Invitational this Saturday for their final meet before the Big West conference championships on May 19-22.

While the 49ers were in Eagle Rock for the Occidental Invite, the Masters track and field team competed in its annual Southern California Striders Meet at Long Beach State. All age groups competed and produced outstanding results in every event.

Bert Morrow, world record holder in the 80 years and over division recorded a time of 23.15 seconds in the men's 200-meters.

Morrow, 86, finished second in the event behind 89-year-old Tony Castro, who had a time of 18.91. Morrow also competed in the 200 hurdles and finished third with 24.16.

The Masters will be in Visalia for the Visalia Classic Masters Meet on May 15.