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Running Shots |
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(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. |
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In front as usual, Frank & Chuck Assumma. |
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Faces In The Crowd -Sports Illustrated - March 31, 1975... Freshman, Rod Berry joins the Redwood HS cross country team. By the end of the season, Rod is moved up to varsity (finishing as Redwoods 3rd man). Soon after, 1/8/75, Rod breaks the 3M record for 14-year-olds with 15:03.8! |
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Spring - 1976 |
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The Assumma's as ninth graders -(L) Chuck ran 9:23.0 for 2M and (R) Frank raced to a 9:16.0 2M. |
Rod Berry (Redwood) ran 9:09.4 for 2 miles as a sophomore(76). Top CA., 3rd best Soph Nationaly behind Scharsu & Graves. *Rod was 10th @ CA state meet in 9:14.8!! |
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Fall 1967 Fall - 1976 |
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In the beginning of the school year (76), a sophomore goes out for cross country & makes the Varsity team for Burbank high school. His name is Jeff Nelson. |
Nov. 76 Rod Berry, the nation's best soph 3-Miler last fall/spring (14:35.0), came back to win the 2-Mile postal outright with a 9:04.6. Tim Holmes (Downey) was the top 3M postal junior last fall with 14:12.2, (McChesney was tops outdoors in the spring). |
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12/4/1976 - 3-Mile National Postal Meet The top CA returnees & 14yr-old 3M rcd setters duelled @ West Valley College. 1) Holmes (Downey, Sr) .... 13:59.9 |
Saturday - Jan 15, 1977 - Sunkist Indoor Track Meet - Los Angeles Sports Arena - Seeded Two-Mile 1) Rod Berry (Redwood) .............. 9:08.4 -- -- -- -- *Chuck Assumma (Eisenhower) was a close 3rd in the Two-Mile (Second Race) clocking 9:20.9. |
1977 - Spring - Track |
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Pre Season - Outdoor Debut Fri., Feb., 18, - Dual - Burbank vs Servite Mile *Senior, Greg Parks is Burbanks top returning distance man (3rd man last year) |
Fri., Feb., 25, - Dual - Burbank vs Notre Dame @ Notre Dame
-- -- -- -- Sat., March 5, - Long Beach Relays -- -- -- -- Season Opener Thur., March 10, - Dual - Burbank vs Hart @ Burbank - **Outbreak of the Flu put 8 Bulldogs out of action. -- -- -- -- Thur., March 17, - Dual -Burbank vs Canyon @ College of the Canyons -- -- -- -- Thur., March 24, - Dual - Burbank vs Crescenta Valley - *Nelson - ? - -- -- -- -- Sat., March 26, - Locke Invitational -- -- -- -- Thur., March 31, - Dual - Burbank vs Hoover @ Burbank - Bulldog Track -- -- -- -- Sat April 2, Burbank Invitational - Bulldog Track - *Nelson - ? - |
Sat., April 9, - San Jose Relays Mile: Rod Berry was 3rd in 4:12.2 behind Mark Stillman (Willow Glen) who won in 4:11.54. Stillman went on to become the CA state mile champion with his 4:06.9 (R). (Three laps of race - LINK) San Jose Relays Two-Mile |
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Thurs. April 14, - Dual - Burbank vs Blair @ Blair - *Nelson - ? - -- -- -- -- ** Coach Dave Kemp decides to drop his top varsity sophomores down.** Thur. April 21, - Dual - Burbank vs Glendale -- -- -- -- Thur. April 28 - Dual - Burbank vs Burroughs @ Burroughs -- -- -- -- Tues., May 3, - Foothill League Prelims @ Burbank -- -- -- -- Fri., May 6, - Foothill League Finals @ Burroughs -- -- -- -- Fri May 13, - CIF Prelims @ Cerritos - Soph Division |
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Fri May 20, - CIF Finals @ Cerritos - Soph Division Jeff Nelson wins the sophomore two-mile in a PB 9:28.7. Nelson pulled away in the stretch to defeat runner-up Ray Harrington (L) of Santa Monica who clocked 9:29.4. End of season for Soph Division... |
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Fri May 20, - CIF Finals - Varsity 2M |
5/27- CIF Southern Section - Qualifying to State Meet - Varsity |
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6/4/77 - California State Meet - Drake Stadium (UCLA) 2 Mile: (L-R) Felix Elieff (Highland), Rod Berry, Tim Holmes (Downey) Chuck & Frank Assumma, Dave Daniels (San Gorgonio), Steve Ortiz (Kennedy), Steve Alvarez (Coachella Valley). |
(R) Frank Assumma (Eisenhower) is the first sophomore to win the CA state 2 Mile ('77), edging Rod Berry (Redwood, a junior, Obscurred) 8:52.9 to 8:53.4. / Chuck was 6th. **Chuck ran 8:55.4 at the sectionals! |
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Fall - 1977 |
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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. |
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Chuck and Frank go 1 & 2 at Southern Section XC Finals -Large Schools 4A @ Mt. Sac. Frank takes it (15:16), Chuck (15:24). |
1978 - Indoors |
The Assumma's and Berry tangle indoors at the Two Mile. Building to a possible climactic showdown outdoors at the state meet... |
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Jan 21, 1978 - Sunkist - Los Angeles - Invitational Seeded Two-Mile Frank carried the pace (Mile 4:36.2) for 1½ M before fading (4th -9:12.4) while Chuck swept past Rod Berry in the last quarter to win. 1) Chuck Assumma ... 9:01.3 |
- - - - - - Sunkist - Rated Prep 2M - 2nd Heat - - - - - - 1) Dave Cangelosi (Villa Park) ........ 9:26.2 |
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Feb 18, 1978 - Examiner Indoor - Daly City - 2M Rod Berry turned the tables on Sunkist conqueror Chuck Assumma in a slow race, 9:11.6 to 9:14.6. (Frank was 5th in 9:26.2). |
Outdoors - Spring - Track - Junior Year '78 |
Pre Season - Outdoor Debut
-- -- -- -- Sat., Feb 25 - Burbank Mall Run - 5 Miles more than 900 runners -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Thurs., March 9 - Dual - Burbank vs La Canada @ La Canada -- --- -- -- *Sat., March 11 - Long Beach Relays -- -- -- -- Sat., March 18 - Burbank Invite @ Burbank -- -- -- -- Foothill League Opener -- -- -- -- Thurs., April 6 - Dual - Burbank vs Monrovia -- -- -- -- Sat., April 8 - Locke Invite - DNC - Jeff Rests (Strained Knee compounding back pain). -- -- -- -- Thurs., April 13 - Dual - Burbank vs Glendale @ Glendale - DNC *Jeff Out -- -- -- April 20 -Dual - Burbank vs Blair - DNC -- -- -- -- April 22 - Glendale Relays - DNC - Seemingly out for the season... |
| Jeff does return to action for CIF. | Jeff's Road to the State Meet - 2M. |
Thurs., April 27, Dual - Burbank vs Burroughs - Mile Despite injury, Jeff Nelson (Burbank) runs mile only - wins in 4:27.1! |
Fri., May 5, Foothill league finals - Mile & Two Mile Jeff Nelson (Burbank) pulls off the distance double .... 4:26.5 & 9:33!! |
Fri., May 12, CIF Prelims - Two Mile Heat #1 |
Fri., May 19, CIF Southern Section Finals - Two Mile - In 94° heat. 1) Steve Webb (Kennedy) ....... 9:09.67 * 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 after doubling a 4:16.2 & 9:07.47 in the 4A prelims. |
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Fri., May 26, Southern Section Masters Meet - Two Mile - State Qualifying 1) Jeff Nelson (Burbank) .............. 9:06.5 (PB) * * * * * * * * * * May 30 - Jeff Nelson is Healthy * * |
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With Chuck Assumma unable to run state 2M because of a stress fracture in his foot, Rod Berry (R, Redwood) was heavily favored. |  |
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6/3/78 - CA State Meet - Two Mile 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!! 3) Steve Webb .. 9:06.97 Photo: Bill Leung, Jr. |
Nelson broke the school record by 3.5 seconds. Kevin Burkin (above) ran 9:02.8 in '76. It was also the first time Jeff went under 9 minutes. |
6/17/78, Naperville, Ill., Berry dominated the International Prep Invite 2M. He led early and was never challenged. He cruised in 9:12.7. |
April 24, 1988, Jersey City, N.J. Mark Conover, in his second marathon, scored a stunning victory in the U.S. Olympic Men's Marathon trials earning $50,000 & a ticket to the Seoul Games. Conover won the 10,000 meters Division II title in 1981 and followed that up with the individual cross country title that fall for Humboldt State. The $50,000 for first was (then) the largest cash prize in marathon history! |
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FULLERTON, Calif. (July 9, 2011) -33 years after their epic CA State 2M battle, Rod Berry & Jeff Nelson reunite.
Photo: Rebecca Smith-Serna |
---------------------------- Senior Year ----------------------------
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Jeff Nelson is ready for cross country. |
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9/30 -Fun Run Nelson (R) runs the 2.6-mile Glendale course in 11:21. (4:22 mile pace!) |
10/7 @ Crescenta Valley Park, 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. *Jeff would crush his own record again at CV Park... to 14:49!! (11/9 - Foothill League Finals). |
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Walnut - Mt. San Antonio Cross Country Invitational - October 28, '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, at Pierce College) 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 3rd at 15:02.8 & Jeff Hess (South Eugene) is 4th with 15:15. South Eugene (91) won the team title over Mission San Jose (125). |
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Steve Strangio tracks Rob Wentworth (Livermore). Strangio led the Mission San Jose distance corps. Wentworth would finish 3rd in the two-mile @ '79 CA state meet. |
| Jeff Nelson (R) & teammate Linn Whatcott (L) |  |
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David Mack (Locke) ran 15:44 at Mt. Sac. (Shown here winning L.A. City Champs @ Pierce CC) Mack and Nelson took a recruiting trip to Oregon together. |
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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!! |
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Indoors
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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 |
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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: |
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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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). Nelson qualifies for the International XC race in Limerick, Ireland (March 25). |
| 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." |  |
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Feb.16, 1979 - Jack in the Box meet Nelson prefaced his stunning outdoor record with a superfine 8:42.7 indoors!! 1) S. Nyambui' (UTEP) .......... 8:21.2 |
Gerry Lindgren He set the indoor mark 8:40.0 in 1964. |
Outdoors
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March 8, Duel Meet - Burbank VS La Canada @ Burbank - Present and future CA state 2M Champs tangle over half the distance. Whatcott and Nelson are shadowed by Andy DiConti (La Canada) during the mile. At the end it was Nelson (R) stopping the clock at 4:20. Whatcott edged DiConti for second as both came in at 4:23. Earlier, Nelson won the 880 with little competition in 1:58.9. |
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The 3 Laps |
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March 25, 1979 - IAAF World Cross Country Championships @ Limerick, Ireland - Junior Men - 22,000 Spectators. Limerick Photos Courtesy: Fionnbar Callanan -(Link) |
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| The eventual winner, Belgium's Eddy de Pauw (14) and runner-up Steve Binns (31, Eng) have broken away from the field. 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. | After a bad start, Jeff Nelson (133) works his way up through the international field, with Jim Hill in close attendance. Here, Nelson and Hill near the top five in the chase pack. |
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| Steve Cram (33, Eng) is in the race. Steve has progressivley introduced double days after he ran 3:57.42 for the mile, breaking Jim Ryun's world age-17 record, last year! | Steve Cram (33, Eng) would eventually peg 36th place in 24:08. |
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150 yards to go, Nelson has worked his way to 3rd place but is out-mudded down the stretch by Ildar Denikeyev (143, USSR). Nelson's 4th place led the U.S. team for 7th place. |
Jim Hill finishes in 12th |
Distance: 7.36km (= 4.57329 mi. OR 4 mi. and 1008.9 yd) 1) E. de Pauw (Belgium) ..... 23:02 (5:02 mile pace) The rest of the scoring USA team: Non scoring USA team: 90 finishers. |
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Glasgow, Scotland, March 25, 1978 .. Distance 7.36km Eddy de Pauw (14, Belgium) was the top returnee placing 9th one second ahead of Rod Berry (USA) in 10th who led the American juniors. Kevin Dillon (R, Canada) kicked ahead of both to place 8th one second in front of de Pauw. (Partial) RESULTS ***It was de Pauw's third progressive appearance at WJXC, he was 25th at Düsseldorf in '77 (won by Thom Hunt). |
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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. |
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Westwood, May 6, 1979 - Pepsi Two-Mile |
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Pepsi 2Mile -Starting off into history. |
Jeff (Obscurred) is with the leaders. |
Approaching the bell lap, Jeff moves wide to pass. (He moved into 2nd place before falling back to 3rd) |
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Bill Leung's iconic shot capturing Jeff Nelson in full flight during his 2M record race. |
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Sacramento, June 2, 1979 - CA State Meet Jeff Nelson just prior start of 2M. |
The race begins... | Finish: 1) Jeff Nelson (Burbank) ............. 8:47.35 |
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| 8th last year, Tom Downs joins the sub-9:00 club in finishing second at the CA state 2-Mile. | Downs (Cal Berkeley) thwarts an Oregon sweep @ 5,000m, '82. |
Downs (402, Cal Berkeley) at the '84 Olympic trials (5,000m). |
8/25/79 - SPAAU Jr vs Japan Jr @ Westwood - 5,000 meters 1) Jeff Nelson (USA, Burbank) ... 14:15.5 **(Teammate Linn Whatcott (Burbank) was a non-scoring 2nd in the race). |
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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. |
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| 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 |
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Jeff Nelson @ Pac 10 |
PEPSI Invitational Westwood, May 6, 1979 Nelson rips an eye-opening 8:36.3 for a full 2 miles!! Photo: Bill Leung, Jr. |
Stats: 4:17.8 & 4:18.5. Slowest lap-6th-66.8, fastest- last lap 61.1! Jeff's previous best was 8:58 @ Burbank Invite. (Although, Jeff ran 8:42.7 indoors in Feb.) |
Nelson (Glendale) Cross Country & Track |
November 1980 - Junior College Cross Country CA State Meet - Griffith Park |
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Glendale Community College sensation Jeff Nelson is just getting started. |
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Jeff is all alone at the end to win the individual title (small-schools race). Nelson led the Vaqueros to the state cross-country team title. |
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