TRACK AND FIELD NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : Lewis, Back in Form, Wins in Qualifying Heat

Steve Lewis, 1988 Olympic gold medalist at 400 meters, seems back on track.

At Seoul, the 19-year-old freshman at UCLA scored a surprising upset in the 400, beating world-record holder Butch Reynolds.

For the past two years, he has been hampered by injuries to his right hamstring. He missed the 1989 NCAA Championships with an inside pull and has been slowed this year with an outside pull.

Wednesday, he began his quest for his first NCAA title in the four-day meet at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium, winning his preliminary heat in 45.60 seconds, his fastest time of the year.

“The race felt fine,” Lewis said. “I pushed a little harder to see how it would go. That’s about what we wanted--just to win and be comfortable. The time wasn’t important. All is well--no twinges.”

However, Houston’s Larry Burrell, among the favorites to win the long jump, failed to qualify.

Burrell jumped only 24 feet 9 1/4 inches and missed the 12-man final by one centimeter. Burrell set the meet record of 27-5 1/2 last year.

UCLA’s women, favored along with LSU and Texas to win the team title, received a scare when the 400-meter relay team barely advanced. The Bruins finished fourth in their heat in 45.13 after Janeene Vickers and Angela Burnham bobbled the first baton pass.

Tracie Millett led all discus qualifiers with a throw of 178-6. Vickers, defending champion in the 400-meter hurdles, won her heat in 57.10. Burnham was second in her 200 heat at 23.75.

Mike Stevenson advanced with Lewis in the 400 in 46.50.

Brian Blutreich, with a throw of 188-8, and Peter Thompson, at 175-9, advanced to the discus final.

USC’s Dietmar Haaf reached the final with a 25-8 long jump. Other Trojans advancing were George Porter in the 400-meter hurdles (51.02), Quincy Watts in the 200 (20.76) and Travis Hannah in the 400 (46.29).