Bernard Takes 5th at NAIA Meet

It seemed that everyone offered Darren Bernard of Cal Lutheran advice on how to win the 400-meter final at the NAIA track championships Saturday at Azusa Pacific.

His dad told him to eat corn porridge. Coach Don Green also advised Bernard but not about his stomach.

Green told him to get a quick start and accelerate through the first 200 meters.

Bernard took Green’s advice and finished in fifth place in a school-record time of 46.65 seconds, earning NAIA All-American honors for placing among the top six.

He opted to ignore his father’s advice, however. Bernard’s father, a native of Jamaica, considers corn porridge a strength-building food.

“He used to ride a bike, but he doesn’t know much about track,” Bernard said.

The freshman from Thousand Oaks High has learned a lot about track since emigrating from Croydon, England, six years ago.

Indeed Bernard, the District 3 champion in the 400, also ran the 200 and participated on two relay teams for Cal Lutheran.

But Green wanted his top runner to focus on the 400--his best event.

“He doesn’t really have the blinding speed for the 100, but he has the stamina, brains and strength for the 400,” Green said.

Green said Bernard, who has retained his British citizenship, is the best 400 runner in Cal Lutheran history and also considers him a future Olympic prospect.

Bernard began fulfilling his potential Saturday. He led for the first 250 meters before faltering down the stretch.

Nonetheless, Bernard shaved four-tenths of a second off his previous best of 47.05.

“I thought he ran a super race,” Green said. “This was one of the best 400-meter races I’ve seen.”

Green told Bernard that he would have to improve on his semifinal time of 47.35 to be competitive. Green never doubted that the runner could make the adjustment.

“We didn’t feel that he ran his race in the semifinals,” Green said. “Our plan today was for him to get out of the blocks as fast as he could and try and get over the 200-meter mark in first.”

Bernard, who was the lone Cal Lutheran athlete to qualify for the finals, was just glad to finish among the top six.

“I thought I would be fighting for second to last,” Bernard said. “They took me out fast and took me in fast.”

An elated Bernard fell after crossing the finish line but quickly rose and congratulated the seven other runners.

For Bernard, finishing fifth was especially gratifying because of the strong field.

“I was actually scared of how fast these guys are,” Bernard said. “I don’t usually go into a race scared, but I was scared of this competition.”

Bernard had reason to be nervous. The field included Wayland Baptist’s Devon Morris, who set the NAIA record of 45.07 in 1986. Morris, who has won the 400 the past three years, successfully defended his title in 45.45.

Cal Lutheran was represented in the discus by Vicki Gurney and Torii Lehr, neither of whom qualified for the finals.

Gurney’s best throw was 117 feet, 10 inches, well off her school-record throw of 124 feet. Lehr’s throw of 139-9 was more than 20 feet off his school record (162 feet).

Cal Lutheran senior Lori Zackula was named an NAIA scholar-athlete. Zackula, who competes in the 3,000 meters, has a grade-point average of 3.72.