Collegians Race to Fast 100 Victories : Houston’s Leroy Burrell Runs 9.94; Dawn Sowell of LSU Wins in 10.91

HOUSTON —  Dawn Sowell, dressed in the flashy style of Florence Griffith Joyner and running almost as fast, won the women’s 100-meter dash in the Mobil Outdoor Track and Field Championships Friday.

Wearing a metallic gold-and-black leotard over a white body suit, Sowell was timed in 10.91 seconds, the second-fastest clocking in the world this year and the second-fastest ever by a collegian.

Sowell, the newest member of the FloJo International track club--named for the 1988 Olympic heroine--had run the fastest collegiate time ever and the fastest time in the world this year two weeks ago, 10.78, in the NCAA Championships at Provo, Utah.

Joyner, who retired after her outstanding 1988 season, holds the world record of 10.49.

Sowell designed the outfit she wore Friday night after wearing a Joyner-designed bright red racing suit in Thursday night’s preliminaries.

While Sowell, a Louisiana State senior, was dazzling in the women’s 100, another collegian, Houston junior Leroy Burrell, was just as impressive in the men’s 100 meters.

Burrell, who trains with two-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis, won in 9.94, the sixth-fastest time ever and the fastest in the world this year.

Burrell’s time made him the No. 4 performer ever--behind Canadian Ben Johnson (9.83), Lewis (9.92) and Calvin Smith (9.93). Lewis also has run 9.93 twice, but the best he ever ran as a collegian at Houston was 9.99, a mark that Burrell broke.

Burrell, whose previous best was 10.03, was quick out of the blocks, took a decisive lead by about 70 meters and beat Dennis Mitchell, the fourth-place finisher in last year’s Olympics, by one meter. Mitchell took second in 10.03, just ahead of Andre Cason, who ran 10.04.

Burrell, the fifth-place finisher in the NCAA Championships, said, “I always felt I could do it (go under 10 seconds). I’ve just progressed. When you string races together, this is what can happen.”

Although Tom Tellez, who coaches Burrell, was impressed with his performance, he didn’t put him on Lewis’ level yet.

“He doesn’t have more (ability) than Carl,” Tellez said. “Carl was better--quicker.”

Lewis could only watch as one of his records was broken and one of his training partners performed brilliantly. Instead of running against Burrell, he chose to skip the meet.

Sowell trailed early before passing Sheila Echols at 30 meters and winning by two meters. Echols held on for second place in 11.12, just ahead of Sowell’s LSU teammate, Esther Jones (11.13) and Florida freshman Anita Howard (11.14).

Still another collegian, Lynda Tolbert of Arizona State, scored a convincing victory in the women’s 100-meter high hurdles, winning in 12.75, the fourth-fastest by an American.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Gail Devers-Roberts, the co-record-holders at 12.61, and NCAA champion Tananjalyn Stanley of LSU (12.70) are the only Americans who have run faster than Tolbert.

Tolbert, 1984 Olympic co-bronze medalist Kim McKenzie and Stanley were out quickly, but Stanley fell coming off the second hurdle. Stanley was carried off the track with a knee injury and taken to a hospital. But her injury was not serious and she was released.

McKenzie wound up second in 12.91, and Candy Young was third in 13.15.

Roger Kingdom, the two-time Olympic champion, overtook Olympic bronze medalist Tonie Campbell at the seventh hurdle and won the men’s 110-meter high hurdles in 13.22.

Renaldo Nehemiah, the world record-holder at 12.93, and two-time world champion Greg Foster, who last week handed Kingdom his first defeat in two years, were among the many athletes who skipped these championships.

Jack Pierce took second in 13.38, and Courtney Hawkins was third in 13.41.

Louise Ritter, the only other 1988 U.S. Olympic gold medalist competing in this meet, was upset in the women’s high jump by Jan Wohlschlag. Both cleared 6 feet 4 inches, but Wohlschlag won for the second straight year because she made it on her first attempt, while Ritter didn’t get over the bar until her second try.

Ritter, troubled by ankle and back injuries, said she thought about withdrawing.

“But I didn’t want to get caught up in the boycott talk (by Lewis and others),” she said. “I didn’t want to be a part of that.”

Randy Barnes, the Olympic silver medalist in the shotput who often saves his best throws for last, stuck to his dramatic script.

Fifth with a best throw of only 65-8 1/4 going into the final round, he uncorked a winning toss of 70-9 1/4.

“I didn’t care if I fouled, it was going to be over 70 feet,” Barnes said.

In spite of winning, he wasn’t happy.

“I’m so disgusted,” he said. “My consistency is nothing. I felt lost in the ring. I found myself in a tight situation. I need to stop doing that to myself.”