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Republished with permission granted by The Washington Newspaper Publishing Co. LLC d/b/a MediaDC. Back to Montgomery Journal articles
Cuff Runs His Best Mile Ever at CYO
By Katy Williams
Special to the Journal
When his Seneca Valley teammates came late to watch the CYO high school track meet at Maryland's Cole Field House Friday, Tom Cuff had already changed from his track uniform. He was sitting in the stands, resting from the meet's pressure, not saying anything.
Coach Steve Roberson greeted the other runners. "Guess what Tom ran in the mile?"
They guessed 4:30, 4:25, 4:20. Cuff shook his head each time.
"4:13.8," teammate Luke Rowe mouthed from behind. "Good for second."
Cuff's teammates were amazed, as were scattered spectators that had watched him come within a stride of winner Karsten Shultz (4:13.5) at the wire.
The last time that Shultz, from Westminster, Md., ran against a Montgomery County strength was mid-November, when he had an easy win over Springbrook's Bill Kovach in the Maryland AA cross country championship at the Naval Academy.
And the last time that the Virginia distance powers faced Montgomery teams was mid-October, when nine teams placed ahead of Churchill, the first county team, in the Georgetown Prep Invitational.
Seventy-two teams qualified individuals for the 11th annual CYO high school invitational, the meet that traditionally opens the indoor season. But 19 of the 72 teams were unrepresented, as bad weather kept some competitors at home.
Montgomery County had three winners - Dave Saunders of Georgetown Prep in the 600, Ruth Drengwitz of Northwood in the mile, and Beth Gruppenhoff of Churchill in the shot put.
Saunders, who won his race in 1:13.9, was the fastest of the 16 qualifiers, first seeded with a 1:17.3 trial time from three weeks ago on a slower Reckord Armory track.
Drengwitz won her mile event easily over Coolidge's Jackie Kelly and Hammond's Verna Wyatt. Also the fastest qualifier in her event, Drengwitz had expected competition from Woodbridge's Val Hardin, who, along with three other milers, did not show because of the bad weather outside.
Gruppenhoff also lost competition to the weather. Chantilly's Louise Thomas was the only other shot putter to show, but the Churchill junior turned back her competition to heave her best throw ever, 42-3 1/2.
In the boys shot put, Gaithersburg's Jim Joyce and Blair's George Saah took second and third with throws differing by 5 1/2 inches. The winner was Dan Krueger of Bayside (southern Virginia), who had been on the field house floor since nine that morning, measuring, pacing, and practicing for his throw.
Walter Johnson's Bob Charette was an impressive thrid in the 600, clocking 1:14.5, less than a second behind Saunders. Prep's Pat Haley, the county's only qualifier for the high jump, cleared 6-2.
Springbrook's Kevin Tracey was fourth in the 1000 with 2:20.4, down nine seconds from his trials qualifying time. Frank Hum of Whitman also ran the 1000, but did not place.
Landon's Bo Parker was fifth in the two mile in 9:33.5, moving from last position at the half mile mark. Luke Rowe and Bill Kovach also ran the two mile.
Churchill's two-mile relay team of Junior McDonald, Mark Lutterman, Tom Hall and Eric Allgier were fifth with 8:14.5. Teammate Ward Wilson took sixth in the 60 yard dash in 6.5.
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In the CYO National Invitational Indoor meet, that draws club, collegiate and world class athletes, 9000 spectators showed up to watch world record boken in the 60-yard hurdles, men and women, the mile run, and the high jump.
Greg Joy, the Olympic silver medalist high jumper from Canada, set his world record 7-7 leap around 11 p.m. Franklin Jacobs, Fairleigh Dickenson sophomore, didn't take any more jumps after Joy, finishing at 7-6.
"When the bar gets that high, it's tough to come back and take a jump," Joy said. "Maybe it was too much for Jacobs after I cleared, but I don't know. "There's a lot of pressure that follows a jump like mine, and you can't blame him for not jumping. It's been a long night, and I'm tired, and I'm sure he is." Olympian Dick Buerkle set the world indoor record in the mile, with 3:54.8, shaving two tenths off Tony Waldrop's 1974 time.
"When it's only a five-man field," he said after the race, "it's easy to get away from the four and win."
And one of those four was Georgetown University's Jim Peterson, running on a bad ankle that kept him from training four days last week. He clocked 4:13.8, finishing almost a lap behind Buerkly, and "when Buerkle took out the pace at 55 seconds the first quarter, I knew I couldn't handle it," he said. "I had hoped the pace would be slower and more even."
Peterson, who has done only one speed workout since cross country season, will sit out the next two invitational miles in Philadelphia and Madison Square Garden.
"Now I know I need more work for races that go under four minutes. I'm going to train hard until I can help out and contribute to the race," he said.
His dog, Charles, [The Journal, Jan 13,] has contributed to the team, Peterson's teammates and coach say. "When Jimmy was in the whirlpool for his ankle one day last week," Georgetown coach Joe Lang said, "the dog wasn't allowed in the lockerroom. So he sat and waited in the office with us. He's become the mascot."
Charles has a team and owner that care about him, but he didn't care much about his owner's (Peterson's) race.
"He didn't really give a damn about how I ran. He didn't even come see me. He just wanted me to take him out when I got home. I've had to clean up after him a couple of times," Peterson said.
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