Jeff Nelson Burbank

Running Shots

(L) Chuck leads Frank (Rialto Road Runners)-The Assumma twins (11yrs).

(R) 10 year old Chuck rips a 5:07.3 mile. An age 10 best!

(L) At 11 years, Chuck became the first 11 year-old to break the five minute "barrier" as he ran 4:57.8! The two ran in tandem through laps of 70, 74, 78, before Chuck pulled away with a 75.8 last lap. Frank ran 5:02.3!!

Chuck also ran 10:05.7 for 2M - an all-time age best for 11 yrs.

Rod Berry (Redwood) ran 9:09.4 for 2 miles as a sophomore(76). Top CA., 3rd best soph nationaly behind Scharsu & Graves.

"77" California State 2 mile : (L-R) Rod Berry, Tim Holmes (Downey) Chuck & Frank Assumma, Dave Daniels (San Gorgonio). Frank Assumma (Soph) won over Rod Berry (Junior).

Frank Assumma (Eisenhower) won the CA state 2 mile(77), edging Berry(R) 8:52.9 to 8:53.4, Chuck was 6th. Chuck ran 8:55.4 to win sectionals! Both are Sophomores!!

In the beginning of that school year (76), a sophomore goes out for cross country & makes the Varsity team for Burbank high school.

That spring (77), the kid wins the CIF Sophomore 2M crown in 9:28.7. It's Jeff Nelson.

Nelson (Junior year)

Cross Country (77)

Jeff starts by winning 3 races in 6 days.

Next, he sets 2 course records!! Kenny Staub and Verdugo Park (Above Pic).

Then there are 2 set backs, Jeff sits out to nurse a sore hip and then his first loss @ Mt Sac (6th).

(Above) John Gerhardt (Costa Mesa) upsets Chuck Assumma to win Mt. Sac . / Frank was 12th.

Nelson roars back with 2 more course records before his season is cut short.

Griffith Park and Verdugo Park (again) @ the Foothill league finals(Above Pic) then the Doctor orders Jeff to stay home and nurse his bad back.

Chuck and Frank go 1&2 at Southern Section XC Finals -Large Schools 4A @ Mt. Sac.

Frank takes it (15:16), Chuck (15:24).

Track (Junior, 78)

Jeff runs a 9:16.5 despite a string of nagging hurts before a stress fracture in his right foot knocks him out of action in early April. Seemingly out for the season. Jeff rides a bike and lots of whirlpool baths.

Jeff does return to action for CIF. Above Sn Sect-Finals, Nelson is edged out by Steve Webb (Kennedy, La Palma), 9:09.67 to 9:09.87. It will be the final time Jeff would lose a two mile to a prep. Chuck Assumma (Eisenhower) did not run Sn Sect-Finals as he developed a stress fracture in prelims (9:07.47 in 4A prelims).

With Chuck Assumma unable to run state 2M because of a stress fracture in his foot, Rod Berry (above) was heavily favored.

Jeff Nelson (junior) wins the first of two CA state 2 mile titles over the favorite Rod Berry. Berry is runner up for the second time: 8:59.28 to 8:59.33! Last 880-2:10, last lap-61.5 for both!!

Nelson broke the school record by 3.5 seconds. It was also the first time Jeff went under 9 minutes. The next year Nelson won state by 8.3 seconds!!

Jeff Nelson finishing Kenny Staub Invite

Fun Run

Nelson (R) runs the 2.6-mile Glendale course in 11:21. (4:22 mile pace!)

Kenny Staub Invite. Jeff Nelson races a 15:05 for 3-miles to shatter his own course record of 15:36 set last year (77). Calif. state mile champ Paul Medvin (University) is 30 seconds behind in second place! The two will meet again at the end of the month @ Mt Sac.

Walnut - Mt. San Antonio Cross Country Invitational - Oct '78

An all star who's who -individuals and teams (Notably The Axemen from South Eugene and Mission San Jose from Northern CA) came to race on the famed CC layout at the Mt. Sac Invite that fall season.

Last year, Jeff Nelson started slow and was stuck behind the field and never able to pass on the narrow trails (Now widened) early on the course.

Not this time. The surprise 2-mile state champ over Rod Berry (Redwood) proved to be no fluke. Jeff went right to the fore -and then breaking away from defending CIF Champion Chuck Assumma (Eisenhower) and Paul Medvin (Above, University) just before two-miles. The 2,000 fans were spellbound as Nelson came down poop-out hill all alone to victory in 14:32.2 -smashing the course record of John Gerhardt (Costa Mesa) by 24 seconds! Medvin finished a distant 2nd at 14:58.4 while Chuck Assumma is third at 15:02.8 and Jeff Hess (South Eugene) is fourth with 15:15.

South Eugene (91) won the team title over Mission San Jose (125).

David Mack (Locke) races Mt. Sac (15:44).

Mack and Nelson took a recruiting trip to Oregon together.

11/25/78 - Rains forced the CIF Southern Section Finals to be run on a course other than Mt. Sac's regular championships course.

Chuck Assumma and Jeff Nelson are in seperate races. Up first, Assumma (4A) throws down the gauntlet- 15:18, a course record for the makeshift rain course (3M) at Mt. Sac.

Not able to run CIF Finals last year with a back injury, Nelson (3A) answers with a 15:01.4!!

January 6, 1979

(L-R) David Mack (Locke) took the Ali Indoor 1500 in 3:50.8 from Jeff Nelson (3rd-3:52.3), Medvin (4th-3:53.7), Jeff West (Crenshaw, 2nd-3:50.9) Chuck Assumma (behind Nelson, 5th-3:54.4) -Photo Don Chadez

Jan 20th -Sunkist Invite 2M

The start

In the mix: Downs, Nelson, Assumma & Ken Ernst (El Dorado, 9:02.2-2mi).

Photo: Steve Ernst

Sunkist cont'd

Mid-race

Chuck Assumma tries to hang on.

Sunkist

Finish.

Jeff Nelson was told at the gun lap he had 2 laps to go. Jeff then put on a tremendous kick only to have his kick cut short, his 8:55.1 won by 35 yards over Assumma.

Next Places:
2. Chuck Assumma 9:06.0
3. Tom Downs 9:09.3
4. Ken Ernst 9:09.5

Paul Medvin (University,LA) 2 time Calif. State mile champ & #1 miler in 79(4:05.3) second to Nelson at Mt. Sac./ Tom Downs (Skyline, Oakland) 2nd to Nelson state 2mile in "79" with 8:55.7.

Feb 3, 1979 - National Jr. X-Country Championships and International Team Trials(4.9m)............ Photos courtesy of Ken Ernst

Jeff Nelson and Dave Kemp, Burbank coach at Gainesville, FL for the race.This will be the last race in which Jeff would be in relative anynominity.

13 days later, Jeff would move up among the prep greats with the spectacular 8:42.7 for 2miles indoors.

The Start:

John Gregorek (Georgetown, frosh) uses his miler's speed to bolt to the front, running the first mile in 4:30, 10 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Close of start, angle on

Jeff Nelson (29)

Alan Scharsu (Penn State, frosh) leads the chase pack behind Gregorek. Never far behind is Herb Wills (Florida State). Wills was a 9:03.3 2-miler from Tallahassee, Leon HS in 78 ( 9:00.9 as a Jr)

Rod Berry (L, WVTC, Stanford, frosh) 2nd to Byrne in the trials last year and top American in the international race(10th) placed 18th behind Ken Ernst (R, #12, El Dorado HS) in 17th.

Florida State frosh, Herb Wills took control from Gregorek with surprising Virginia prep Jim Hill (Oakton). The trio pulled away... With ½ mile left, Hill surged into the lead; however, Wills makes a counter-move with ¼ left totally breaking Hill.

1) Wills 23:27(4:47 pace!) (2) Hill 23:33

36th last year, Gregorek finishes strong for 3rd (23:36).

The next year, Gregorek will make the "80" Olympic team for the steeple.

Nelson nails 4th (23:39.1) ahead of Scharsu(23:39.4).

@ the International XC race in Limerick, Ireland (March 25). Nelson will finish 4th (First American), 20 seconds behind the winner.

Wills' time is 19 seconds faster than Kevin Byrne's winning time from last year but conditions this day( Sunny, 68°), are much better than the 39° / 25 MPH winds and wet course of "78."

The start of the Junior race in Limerick, 79.

Gregorek leads the international field with the eventual winner, Belgium's Eddie De Pauw (14) nearby. Runner-up Steve Binns (31, Eng) is on the left. De Pauw was the top returnee (9th) and ran a 13:39.77 for 5000m in 79 and Binns went 13:27.04 for same. Nelson was 4th and led the U.S. team, 7th.-Scoring team: 12) Hill, 24) Wills, 66) Gregorek.

*36) Steve Cram (Eng, above, R, Link to Cram Highlights).

Jeff Nelson

Jack in the Box meet Feb. 16, 1979.

Prefaced his stunning outdoor record with a superfine 8:42.7 indoors!!

Nelson leads Jeff West (Crenshaw) past a "Nelson banner."

Jeff Nelson and teammate Linn Whatcott.

Whatcott ran 4:16.9 / 9:01.9(mile/2mile).

Burbank Invite April 7

Nelson runs an 8:58 2-mile and then anchors the distance medley with a 4:13 mile.

Jeff runs 880/mile doubles in duel meets prior Pepsi, usually running 1:55/4:18 for the two races.

Pepsi Two-Mile

Pepsi 2Mile -Starting off into history.

Jeff (Obscurred) is with the leaders.

One lap to go - Jeff moves wide to pass.

Nelson vs Assumma

Nelson might have challenged his recent 2-mile HSR if the early pace not been so slow(4:30.66, for record purposes). Nelson sped a 4:18.4 second mile with Chuck Assumma dogging him. On the final lap, Assumma tried to pass on the backstretch but Nelson held him off and then Jeff kicked away to victory, 110 yards out. 8:49.06 to 8:52.4.

PEPSI Invitational

Nelson chops a huge 4.6 seconds off Craig Virgin's 6 year-old, 8:40.9 mark (73) and finally surpasses Gerry Lindgren's indoor 8:40.0 of 1964.

Nelson stayed near the back of the field through the mile(4:17.8). His pace dropped a bit(66.2, 66.8). With a half-mile to go, Jeff stepped up the tempo to 64.4 and was 6th at the bell. A 61.1 last lap gave him 3rd place and the record (8:36.3).

Nelson did it all in the fall.

He ran 14 cross country races...won them all and set 14 course records !!

That includes the famed Mt Sac Invite(14:32). Nelson's quickest victory was 14:01 on a 3 mile course through and around Monrovia High School.

Jim Hill (Oakton, VA) & Jeff Nelson go to Oregon. Both were two of the most widely recruited prep distance runners in the nation (79). Hill ran an 8:47.8 for 2-miles & 4:11.4 for the mile.

Art Boileau (1) & Nelson (8)

Photo: Joe Volk

Nelson settles behind

Sam Kimombwa (WSU): WR holder for 10,000m(27:30.5) in 77 before Rono smashed it in 78 with his 27:22.5.

Jeff Nelson (8) moves out to pass Greg Erwin (4) & Kimombwa (WSU).

Photo: Joe Volk