1971 Track: Clairemont’s Dale Fleet Sets State Record in Two-Mile Run
San Diego Section entries totaled only a combined 10 points in the state meet, but they set one individual state meet record and provided some excellence not seen on the scoreboard.
Clairemont’s Dale Fleet set a state meet record of 8:53.8 in the two-mile run and broke Tim Danielson’s County record of 8:55.7. Helix’ Ed Mendoza was fifth in the two-mile and third all-time in 9:00.8.
San Diego’s 440 relay team of Melvin Jones, Clark Neal, Charles Fenderson and Elijah Turner was fourth in :41.5 and tied Lincoln’s 1968 record. The 4:12.3 for fourth in the mile by Claremont’s David Harper was the sixth fastest ever.
Greg Gorsuch of Castle Park equaled a career best of 6-8 in the high jump although finishing sixth and Vista’s Ken Parrot long jumped 23-5 for a personal topper.
Shot putter Greg Norfleet of Morse improved from a regular-season best of 56-4 by qualifying 12th in the trials at 57-1/4 and improving to ninth in the finals at 58-8 ¾.
My favorite was Lincoln’s Donald Tyler, who couldn’t get a call in pre-meet dope sheets but came to compete in a loaded 440. Tyler, who won the San Diego section championship in :48.7, then surprised by advancing in the trials with a career best :48 flat.
Tyler was eighth in the finals but he tied the San Diego Section record of :47.3 and he had the same time as the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-place finishers. I wonder if the film review of close finishes included a good look at this sizzler.
Not many medals, but outstanding marks.
4/30/71
Greg Gorsuch cleared 6 feet, 8 inches, Steve See 6-6, and Bob Simas, 6-5 ¼, in the high jump, in the same meet, as Castle Park whipped Hilltop, 78-40, in the Metro League.
“Greg just ticked the bar at 6-9,” said Trojans coach Gray Elliott, “and he must have cleared 6-8 by three inches.”
Gorsuch also won the 120-yard high hurdles in :14.8.
—Patrick Henry won the Eastern League dual meet, 68-50, but Lincoln’s Donald Tyler ran the 220 in :21.4 on the Henry straightaway for the day’s best mark.
5/3/71
Patrick Henry defeated Clairemont, 76-42, ending a streak of 15 consecutive dual meet victories for the Chieftains, who had not been beaten since losing to Helix in the opening dual of the 1970 season.
Scott Hurst’s 1:57.9 victory in the 880, marked the first time he had gotten under two minutes this season and beat the Chiefs’ favored Randy McFarlane and David Harper.
5/7/71
EASTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM
The all-weather track at the stadium meant that running events would go but heavy rain made the jumping pits resemble swimming pools, so field events were postponed.
Lincoln led with 13 qualifiers with Donald Tyler’s :49.4 in the 440 pacing the Hornets. Morse sophomore James Milton (:22) edged Tyler (:22.1) in the 220.
Dual meet champion San Diego had 4 qualifiers, “but we got all our key guys in,” said Cavers coach Martin Pedigo.
GROSSMONT LEAGUE TRIALS, @El Capitan
El Capitan, dual-meet titlist Mount Miguel, and Granite Hills each qualified 17.
Winds were such that a :19.4 by Mount Miguel’s Milton Johnson in the 180-yard low hurdles disallowed a meet record.
Discus throwers, led by the 172-4 of Monte Vista’s Les Frank, took advantage of the eight m.p.h. breeze. El Capitan’s Jim Fulcher was second at 170-10.
5/11/71
WESTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @MISSION BAY
Rory Trup, who won the San Diego Section 880-yard run in 1:55.3, with a best of 1:55.1, in 1970, ran the fastest 440 of the day, :50.2. Point Loma’s John Willson won the second heat in :50.3.
Kearny led with 14 qualifiers. Clairemont had 12, Mission Bay and Madison nine each.
METROPOLITAN LEAGUE TRIALS, @CHULA VISTA
Greg Gorsuch of Castle Park won hurdles heats in :15.3 and :20.4 and took a rest from the high jump, in which all competitors were advanced to the finals.
5/14/71
EASTERN LEAGUE, @BALBOA STADIUM
San Diego scorched a :41.8 in the opening event 440 relay and went on to win the team championship with 57 points to Lincoln’s 49, Patrick Henry’s 39, and Crawford’s 38.
San Diego’s Melvin Jones won the 100-yard dash in 09.8 and teammate Elijah Turner the 220 in :21.8. Morse’s Greg Norfleet had a season-best 56-4 in the shot put. Donald Tyler of Lincoln ran :48.7 in the 440.
METROPOLITAN LEAGUE, @CHULA VISTA
The winning high jump height was 6-4 ¾. But the winner was not the favored Greg Gorsuch as unheralded Dave Stigen of Chula Vista out jumped Castle Park’s Steve See and Gorsuch, who was third, and their teammate Bob Simas.
Gorsuch interrupted his jumping to take part in the 440 relay. The bar was at 6-6 when Gorsuch returned to the high jump.
According to Logan Gray Elliott, Gorsuch’s coach, his ace cleared 6-9…after the competition.
Gorsuch affected the high jump flop but Stigen used the now-vintage Western roll.
Castle Park won the team title with 52 points. Hilltop was second with 31.
WESTERN LEAGUE, @MISSION BAY
Kearny’s Mike (Barney) Person cleared the 120 high hurdles in what was described as a wind-legal :14.4, bettering the :14.7 of Clairemont’s Steve Spiewak in 1970.
John Willson of Point Loma tied he 440 record of :49.7 by Clairemont’s Larry Godfrey in 1962.
Kim Downs of Kearny surprised the field, including defending champion Rory Trup of Mission Bay, with Downs’ 1:54.5 880, 13th fastest in County history, but short of Bob Hose’s league-record 1:52.1 in 1964.
Kearny also surprised Clairemont, 44 points to 43, and won the team championship.
GROSSMONT LEAGUE, @EL CAPITAN
Mount Miguel (47 points) won a battle with Helix (45 1/2), El Capitan (45 ½), and Monte Vista (45) for the team championship.
Rick Schultz of Helix set a pole vault record of 14 feet, 8 ½ inches. Jim Cochran of El Cajon Valley and Schultz each had cleared 14-7 ¼, Cochran in 1968, Schultz in 1970.
AVOCADO LEAGUE, @ESCONDIDO
Vista’s Stan Leonard ran 1:56.4 in the 880 to break the 1965 record of 1:56.8 by Oceanside’s Brett Rowlett.
The 440 time of :49.5 by John Davenport of Escondido erased the :50 by Coronado’s Scott Knox in 1961 and was the fastest-ever by a runner from a North County school.
5/21/71
SAN DIEGO SECTION TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM
Wesley Babcock of Lincoln tied the meet record of :14.2 in the 120-yard high hurdles, won his heat in the 180 lows :19.5, and anchored Lincoln’s mile relay, which ran 3:24.3 and qualified.
The inspired Babcock cited divine providence after the Hornets entered the race not one, but two men short. “It was a miracle,” he intoned.
Lincoln was third in its heat as Winston Sharp substituted for ill Willard Nickleberry and Donald Tyler could not run the long relay because he was in the 440 relay, plus the 220 and 440 and a CIF rule prohibited substitutions of relay personnel unless of injury or illness.
Babcock was timed in :49.5 for his leg, although one observer had him in :48.9.
San Diego was dominant in each relay, winning its heats in :41.9 and 3:19.5, respectively. Melvin Jones won a 100 heat in :09.7.
Three top pole vaulters did not qualify.
Helix’ Rick Schultz’ pole snapped and he was slowed by a pulled muscle. Glen Gunderson of Poway (13-11 ¼) was out with a back injury, and Monte Vista’s Max Gabaldon (14-4) could not find his step and was slowed by back problems.
Lincoln and Vista each qualified nine for the finals. San Diego, Patrick Henry, Escondido, Oceanside, and Clairemont had eight each.
5/27/71
SAN DIEGO SECTION FINALS, @BALBOA STADIUM
A see-saw battle for the team championship went to San Diego, with 31 ½ points to Lincoln’s 30. Clairemont followed with 28 in the closest team race since Granite Hills edged Lincoln, 26-23 in 1965.
The team race came down to the mile relay, last event. Without Willard Nickleberry and Donald Tyler, Lincoln was fifth in 3:24.3. San Diego won in 3:19.4 and also edged Lincoln in the short relay in :42.2, same time as for the Hornets.
David Harper and Dale Fleet kept Clairemont in the running.
Harper ran the mile in a season-best 4:12.4, beating teammate Rick Lord, who ran 4:18.8. and Fleet outran Helix’ Ed Mendoza in the two mile, 9:02 to 9:10.4.
Castle Park’s Greg Gorsuch flopped 6 feet, 6 inches, in the high jump and Chula Vista’s Dave Stigen, using the Western roll technique, also cleared 6-6, but Gorsuch won on fewer misses.
Stan Leonard of Vista won a competitive 880-yard run in 1:54.2, ahead of Mission Bay’s Kim Downs (1:54.3) and Rory Trup (1:54.4), Helix’ Bob Bishop (1:54.5), and Patrick Henry’s Scott Hurst (1:55.3).
6/5/71
53RD STATE TRACK TRIALS, @UCLA
FIRST 3 IN EACH HEAT, TOP 12 IN FIELD EVENTS QUALIFIED
| EVENT | NAME | SCHOOL | RESULTS | PLACE |
| 100 | James Milton | Morse | :09.8 | 3rd |
| Melvin Jones | San Diego | :09.9 | 9th | |
| 220 | Milton | :21.5 | 4th | |
| Elijah Turner | San Diego | :21.8 | 5th | |
| 440 | Donald Tyler | Lincoln | :48.0 | 3rd |
| John Davenport | Escondido | —- | 9th | |
| 880 | Kim Downs | Mission Bay | 1:55.3 | 4th |
| Stan Leonard | Vista | 1:55.7 | 6th | |
| Mile | David Harper | Clairemont | 4:14.0 | 2nd |
| Mark Novak | Clairemont | 4:19.8 | 6th | |
| 120HH | Barney Person | Kearny | —- | 6th |
| Wesley Babcock | Lincoln | —- | Scratched | |
| 180LH | David Watson | Crawford | :19.5 | 6th |
| Bill Haynie | :19.6 | 7th | ||
| 440 Relay | San Diego | :42.1 | 3rd | |
| Lincoln | :42.3 | 4th | ||
| Mile Relay | Patrick Henry | 3:18.9 | 3rd | |
| San Diego | —- | Scratched | ||
| High Jump | Greg Gorsuch | Castle Park | 6-6 | 3rd |
| Dave Stigen | Chula Vista | 6-4 | —- | |
| Long Jump | Ken Parrot | Vista | 23-0 | T-6th |
| David Crouch | Crawford | 22-11 | 10th | |
| Shot Put | Greg Norfleet | Morse | 57-1/4 | 12th |
| Kurt Nelson | Madison | 50-6 | —- | |
| Pole Vault | Steve Field | Escondido | No Height | |
| Francisco Zepeda | San Diego | Scratched | ||
| Discus | Jim Fulcher | El Capitan | 155-11 | —- |
| Les Frank | Monte Vista | 148-1 | —- |
6/6/71
53RD STATE TRACK FINALS, @UCLA
| EVENT | NAME | SCHOOL | RESULTS | PLACE |
| 100 | Milton | —- | 7th | |
| 440 | Tyler | :47.3 | 8th | |
| Mile | Harper | 4:12.3 | 4th | |
| Two-Mile | Dale Fleet | Clairemont | 8:53.8 | 1st |
| Ed Mendoza | Helix | 9:00.8 | 5th | |
| 440 Relay | San Diego | :41.5 | 4th | |
| Mile Relay | Patrick Henry | —- | 8th | |
| High Jump | Gorsuch | 6-8 | 6th | |
| Long Jump | Parrot | 23-5 | 7th | |
| Crouch | 22-11 ¾ | 8th | ||
| Shot Put | Norfleet | 58-8 3/4 | 9th |