U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL ROUNDUP : Devers, Miller Exhibit Record-Breaking Style

L.A. Times Archives

July 31, 1993 12 AM PT

From Staff and Wire Reports

SAN ANTONIO — Gail Devers and Shannon Miller performed like Olympians Friday night at the U.S. Olympic Festival.

Devers, the gold medalist in the 100-meter dash at Barcelona, set a festival record in winning the 100 high hurdles and anchored the winning 400 relay.

Miller, winner of five medals at Barcelona, set a festival record in coasting to the all-around gold medal and helping lead the East squad to the gymnastics team championship.

Devers won the hurdles in 12.76 seconds, eclipsing the mark of 13.01 set by Lynda Tolbert of Washington in 1982. It was the fastest time in the United States and the second-fastest in the world this year.

“There were a lot of mistakes I could feel myself making,” Devers said of the hurdles. “But this is just my second race (the other was the U.S. Championships). I know what I need to work on. We’re just getting started back on my hurdle technique.”

The relay team’s time of 43.79 seconds was the second-fastest in the United States and 10th-best in the world this year.

Another 1992 Olympian, decathlete Dave Johnson, finished fourth in the javelin with a throw of 232 feet 8 inches. The gold medal went to Ed Kaminski of Shawnee, Kan., who threw 246-9.

Connie Price Smith, 31, set a festival record in winning the discus with a throw of 206-7. Four of her six throws bettered the record of 199-9, set in 1985 by Carol Cady of Stanford.

Miller, of Edmond, Okla., had a score of 39.375 in all-around gymnastics. Training partners Kerri Strug of Tucson and Marianna Webster of Joplin, Mo., won the silver and bronze medals with scores of 38.825 and 38.325.

Miller’s score bettered the previous record of 39.025, set by Brandy Johnson in 1990.

The 16-year-old has been bothered by a sore lower back. “Actually, it wasn’t hurting as bad tonight as it has been,” Miller said. “I just went out and tried to do my routines.”

In boxing, David Diaz, a 17-year-old from Chicago, outpointed Yagim Abdullah, 26-16, at 139 pounds. Abdullah won the silver medal at the U.S. Championships.

The baseball gold medal went to the North, which scored eight runs in the fifth inning and beat the South, 13-7. Kelly Dransfeldt of Morris, Ill., had a two-run homer for the North.

In the bronze-medal game, Marcus Jones of Yorba Linda pitched six shutout innings and drove in two runs as the West beat the East, 8-5.