Wednesday, April 23,1980
THE CLARION
page?
South African^ Mark Kennardy Ineligible But Competing
By Mike McFarland
One of B.C.’s potentially best
athletes has gained wide-spread
recognition and is not even a
member of a varsity team. Mark
Kennard, a second semester
transfer student from South
Africa, has apparently un
dergone a successful transition
from Ranger College to Brevard.
The move has one drawback.
Kennard has been ineligible to be
a member of the B.C. track team
for the entire spring. However, in
all-comers events and in-
vitationals, Mark has run
unattached and done very well.
The major obstacle in Kennard’s
way is obtaining a waiver for
eligibility from Ranger, a two-
year school. He transferred from
a four-year school to Ranger,
complicating the eligibility
stipulations. According to Mark,
there is a slight “chance that I
could be eligible next fall.” A full
year’s wait is more likely. Mark
says that “at a junior college
level, being ineligible probably
hasn’t hurt my development. ”
Even with the ineligibility
status the season has still been
good. Mark has unlimited
potential. He has a 3:59.5 mile
run to his credit already. This
ability has carried over. There
has been a note of bitter irony
added in. In an early season meet
at UT-Knoxville, Kennard posted
a 9:03 time and won the two-mile
race. At a later meet at Virginia
Tech, Kennard posted a 9:03 time
and won the two-mile race. These
are significant because the
winning times in the NCJAA
nationals were slower. The
winning time in the indoor mile
was a 4:14. Mark definitely feels
he had a “good chance for win
ning the two events in the
nationals. Missing nationals hurt
the most (with regard to being
ineligible). I had the times but
just wasn’t able to go.”
Some of the other quality
distance runners on the team
such as Jeff Wentworth and John
George are sophomores. Mark
feels they helped him in adjusting
to B.C. It wasn’t really that hard
for him to move in and work with
the team, they more or less
“accepted me,” says Mark.
Wentworth’s and George’s
departure will leave some empty
slots. Mark is confident of Coach
Norman Witek’s ability as a
recruiter to fill the voids.
Witek has toiled diligently to
build B.C. up as a junior college
track power. All-American
performances by Wilbert Carter,
John George, and Jeff Wentworth
illustrate that fact well. When
asked how Witek handled his
Mark Kennard
particular situation since he was
not officially on the team, Ken
nard quickly replied that he was
“approached like an athlete. It
was just different in that some
meets I just couldn’t go.” Ken
nard calls Witek, “a real good
coach. For a junior college with
limited money resources, Witek
does an outstanding job. ’ ’
The members of the track team
respect Kennard a great deal.
John George even goes so far as
to say, “Mark is definitely world-
class material. In a few years
after he really matures, he will
do well against stiff com
petition.” George adds that Mark
possesses the “basic talent. He
needs to keep working and
developing.” John also points out
the paradoxical situation that
Mark is in. Says George,
“Coming to B.C. and working
with Coach Witek is probably the
best thing for him right now.
Witek, as far as East Coast
schools go, probably has the best
program around for a school of
•this size. Despite all the com
plications, George feels Mark has
“adjusted very well overall.”
Jeff Wentworth also agrees
that Mark has adapted. Went
worth offers an interesting ex
planation of Kennard’s situation.
Said Jeff, “Mark had a lot of
troubles at Ranger. It did him
good to get into a more relaxed
atmosphere.” Wentworth adds
that, “mentally, it probably
helped Mark more than it hurt
him. Next year when he is at
tached, it will make him want to
run better.”
Chuck Daughton agrees with
Wentworth. Daughton cites
pressure as a key factor.
Daughton feels Mark will feel a
lot more pressure and as a result
it will “cause him to be more
motivated.” Chuck adds that
Mark probably doesn’t need a
whole lot more incentive because
he “practices just as hard as if it
were a race.” The pressure will
intensify Kennard’s practice
style “even more sq next year,”
says Daughton.
Even with his status still
somewhat questionable, Kennard
remains very optimistic con
cerning next year. As far as the
team goes, Mark says that
depends on the recruits. In
dividually, Mark says that he is
“shooting for the nationals. I
hope to be working towards a
definite peak when nationals
come up.” Kennard is also quick
to say, “that I’m definitely
looking forward to next year.”
Whether eligible or not, Kennard
will still be in a good position to
make an impression on the rest of
the track world.
Sportsline: Animals Trample Man’s Feats
by Bobby Hayes
As the 1980 Summer Olympic
Games are just around the
corner, the United States’ par-
Animal Kingdom Olympic
Games open. Let the Games
begin!
HIGH JUMP - Man leads off
ticipation in the Games remains the competition by clearing 7’7”.
very much in question. However, The flea follows and can only
when looking at the Olympics clear 12 inches, which makes
from a totally different per- man laugh just a bit. Man is then
spective, it matters little if the informed by the AKOC that if the
U.S. participates or not. Why not flea had the size of man, he could
make the Olympics truly “world- jump 350 feet. End of laughter,
wide” and invite the total animal The dolphin jumps 20 feet to win
kingdom to participate in the the gold medal, the puma clears
Games? According to in- 15 feet to claim the silver, and the
formation given to me by Coach salmon manages to jump 12 feet
Norm Witek, if this did indeed to salvage a bronze medal. No
happen, man would become a medal for man.
much more humble creature LONG JUMP - Bob Beaman
when it came to athletic en- (human world record holder in
deavors. this event), jumps 29 2 to give
Man has become a relatively man a chance to win this event,
weak animal. He has not always The other animals snicker as
been weak, he has become that man falls short again. The im-
way because of the modern pala claims the gold with a jump
conveniences he has created for of 42 feet, followed closely by the
himself to make his life easier, kangaroo, which managed 40
Unfortunately easier also means feet. The cheetah edges man for
lazier and weaker. Man has the bronze medal by jumping 30
learned to depend on his mental feet.
capacities while the rest of the 200 Meter Run - Man is timed in
animal kingdom relies on 19.2 seconds and then goes in
physical prowess. hiding as he is being humiliated.
A group of scientists recently The cheetah and the antelope
researched the subject on how far finish in a tie and share the gold
man has really fallen physically medal with a time of 8 seconds
in comparison to other animals (that’s a clip of 60 miles an hour,
and Coach Witek passed along folks). The jackrabbit takes the
their findings. The results were bronze with a time of 10.2. Man is
astounding. Even with man using accused by the animals of not
his most outstanding athletes trying. All man can say is, “Give
while the animals were selected me another beer.’
at random, man became a 1500 METER RUN - Man sends
spectator rather than a par- Jim Ryun (famous miler) and he
ticipant at most of the medal makes quite a gallant effort,
ceremonies. Now, as chairman of turning in a time of 3:45, but
the AKOC (Animal Kingdom nevertheless is soundly beateir
Olympic Committee), I hereby The gazelle outdistances the fiem
1:12.0. The Asiatic wild ass (a
local favorite) claims the silver
by running 1:42.6, while the
coyote and reindeer split the
bronze medal by both running
2:10.8. ^ .
MARATHON - After bemg
embarassed throughout the
Games by their poor showing,
man sends Bill Rodgers (Boston
Marathon winner) to try to
salvage some recognition of
man’s ability. Bill runs the 26.2
mile race in a time of 2 hrs. 10
min. 48 secs. Good enough to win?
Not even close. The antelope and
gazelle blaze the trail in 25
minutes to share the gold medal.
The reindeer (Sorry, Santa)
could do no better than a time of 1
hr. 2 min. 52.8 secs.
100 MILE RUN - To keep man
from being completely shut out,
this event was created to give
man one last, chance. Finally,
man comes through to win his
first and only medal in claiming
the gold by narrowly outlasting
the camel and the racehorse.
After seeing this unusual
perspective, it can sure make one
think about how sports heroes are
idolized and paid. The next time
you’re watching a sporting event
and see a great individual play by
a player who makes an
astronomical salary, just ask
yourself if a camel might could
do the job better and cheaper.
Speaking of the Olympics, did
you hear the story the trainer of
the 1980 Soviet Olympic hockey
team told as to why the Russians
didn’t win the gold medal? Ac
cording to him, there is a shor
tage of hockey sticks in the Soviet
Union which makes their hockey
sticks and not being able to find
another. This in turn made their
players timid about fighting for
the puck and caused them to play
unagressively and lose the gold
medal to the United States. If the
Russian public swallows that
story, it will open up a new line of
excuses that can be made for
their athletic losses. For
example, basketball players can
claim that they didn’t make their
shots for fearing of breaking the
net and skiers can counter that
they didn’t ski fast enough
because they were afraid of
breaking their skis if they fell.
Before long, the excuses may
become more fun than the
competition itself.
This being the final issue of The
Clarion for this year, I would like
to thank the editor of The Clarion,
Debi Crane, and the advisor, Ken
Chamlee, for making my job a
most enjoyable one. Through this
column, I have attempted to show
that sports is much more than
just scores and statistics. Sports
are nothing more than the people
who play them and to me, their
reactions and feelings while
participating in their games is
what makes sports such an en
joyable release for so many
people. If I have captured just a
piece of this belief, I am indeed
grateful.
Track Team Scores High
by Mark Kennara
The Brevard College Track
Team competed in one of the top
relay meets in the nation. The
Dogwood Relays, held in
Knoxville during the past
weekend.
Jeff Wentworth placed in the
10,000 meter run with a time of 30
min. 46.9 sec. which qualifies him
for the NJCAA nationals to be
held in Texas in May. Jeff also
ran in the open 3,000 meter
steeple-chase, winning in 9 min. 9
S0C.
John George ran in the 5,000m
placing 5th in a time of 14 min.
26.9 sec. which is a new school
record and also qualifies him for
the nationals.
Ronnie Treadway also
qualified for the nationals by
running 13 min. 51.48 sec. m the
5,000. He. however, did not place.
Daughton who also ran the open
10,000 metres, having a time of 33
min. 30 sec.
Andy Manlove threw close to
196 feet in the javelin which
would better the school record,
but unfortunately the standard of
the meet was so high that all
throws under 200 feet were not
measured.
Wilbert Carter withdrew from
the shot due to a nagging hand
injury which has been bothering
him for over a month.
Olympic Committee), I hereby The gazelle ouiaisidiices u.c niavers afraid of breaking thejir
declatC' the..'First 'Hypothetical to win the gold with a time of -
Saltyman, who ran 33 min. 39 sec.
in= the 10,000 metres and Chuck
The distance medley relay
team failed to achieve their goal
of breaking the school record, but
two members, John George and
Ron Treadway had both run hard
races the day before. The team of
George Fox, Rob Craig, Ronnie
Treadway and John George ran
lO min. I8.7,sec. but did not place..
•-V’