European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 12, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 12 2007 stars and stripes Page 27 Home team a weekly look at local sports track still picking up Speed budget constraints remain High hurdle for far East meet by Dave Ornauer stars and stripes Camp Foster continues to be the hallmark of the Alva w Mike Petty memorial track and Field meet but track still cant get out of the blocks where its chances of becoming a full fledged  far East sport Are concerned in its fifth year the Petty meet featured 325 athletes from 12 teams representing a meet record 15 schools last weekend at Kubasak High schools Mike Petty stadium still not every Dodds Pacific school Fields a track team Okinawa Kadena and Kubasa i High schools have competed since 1990 and Guam High formed a team this year but Only four of Dodd japans seven schools have one Dodds Oreas three schools have none indeed Camp cases Schoonover bowl has the Only regulation 400meter track on a base in All of South Korea All that coupled with budget cuts that department of defense dependents schools officials say have hit nearly every aspect of its Pacific operation leaves track and Field on the outside looking in tracks chief proponent on Okinawa Long time Kubasak coach Charles Burns has sent proposals to every Dodds Pacific far East activities Council meeting since 2004 All of which have been tabled the main culprit Money or Lack thereof we would love to have track and Field As a far East event said fear chair Don Hobbs but its just not practical feasible or Realis tic in the current budget climate even with the Seoul track club Guam High and Robert d Edgren of Northern Japan coming on Board with programs this year including track As a far East sport is now far ther away than Hobbs said Burns understands that the budget cavalry int coming but he refuses to be dissuaded were Long beyond the Point of showing we can do said Burns of the Petty meet which coupled with next months kanto Plain invitational in Tokyo will give the sport two Pacific wide open meets for the first time since Dodds Pacific disbanded track As a far East sport in 1979 were not going to Stop Well keep this growing and growing and make it the Best Dave and stripes la Monti left of Kubasak and Sarah Wilson of Zion Christian Academy Lead the Way with Kadenas Lorien Mckinney and Jasmine Spruill and Polar a Cobb of John f Kennedy of Guam trailing during the 200meter final in the Petty memorial track and Field meet meet in the Region were not going to be discouraged by Lack of Dodds action were self sufficient its fun for the kids the parents the the sports growth Burns said should Lead to the logical conclusion that far East status would follow once the budget strings Are Loos ened six times since 2004 Burns has proposed holding a far East meet Over two Days at a kanto Plain location such As Yokota High school Burns proposal would Cost per meet no officials would be required Burns said coaches and volunteers would do the Tim ing and measuring Hobbs acknowledges that Burn proposal has Merit but the Lack of funding precludes adding any new far East activity for the time being it would be Nice to Only Deal with the Logis tics of adding far East track and Field and softball and he said but until the Money is there in not even considering Dodds Pacific has made Progress in other sports adding a far East football playoff in 2005 and making Cross country and Tennis tournaments annual events starting in 2004 but that was before the budget crunch be came a serious Issue and it is a serious Hobbs said whether Dodds does the funding or other athletes of the week Wise my goal is to give a Good meet for kids from All Over the far Burns said they deserve something like this i dont care who doing though Burns has accepted the realities others apparently Haven Kevin Madden an army colonel assigned to joint military assistance group Korea who serves As Seoul track clubs Volunteer coach Calls track and Field the Core of the entire olympic movement and the Lack of a far East meet and a track program in South Korea a Quality life Seoul american senior sprinter David Smalls who ran previously in Connecticut said he was heartbroken when he transferred to South Korea in 2005 and found there was no track program i think it would bring More people Ogeth he said look at the diversity Middle Long Short distance throwing theres a myriad of opportunities for said Josephine Pinto an Andersen elementary school educator on Guam and a level 2 International Amateur athletic federation official whose been scor ing and timing Pacific meets since 1985 track offers such a Burns says he realizes that Money is tight but the budget crunch wont last forever All were saying is when Money does come along dont forget about email Dave Ornauer at  Manuel Duran track and Field Kadena High school Okinawa last week broke his own Lon jump record and anchored the panthers relay teams to two record breaking runs As Kadena won its fourth straight boys title in the 5th Alva w Mike Petty memorial track and Reid meet Duran a senior leaped 21 feet inches on Friday top Ping his own Petty record set last year by 113a inches on sat urday he ran the fourth leg As the panthers won the 400 relay in seconds better than last years record run and the relay in nearly two seconds faster than Kadenas set in 2004 coach Sergio Mendoza said of Duran we knew this was the meet when he had to step up when we needed leadership in the absence of two other top performers he gave us that leadership Hes a great Model for the rest of the selected by stars and stripes staff lakes Mcclain track and Field Kubasak High school Okinawa last week shattered the Twoy Earold meet record in the discus throw and earned a Silver medal in the shot put lifting the dragons to their third team title in four years at the Petty meet Mcclain a freshman who transferred from san Diego last year threw the discus 115 feet 7 inches Topping the meet Mark of 995 set in 2005 in meters her throw measured to breaking the Japan area record of set in kanto Plain association of secondary schools Competition in 1995 its always exciting when you have a freshman performing at such a High Kubasak assistant coach Paul Campbell said we knew she was going to be doing Good things this year she will be a real asset to the team she already is a real asset to the selected by stars and stripes staff this weeks schedule Japan boys soccer saturday april 14 Christian Academy in Japan at St Maur 10 tuesday april 27 Zama american at Christian Academy in Japan 5 girls soccer saturday april 14 sacred heart at american school in Japan sacred heart is St Mauri at Mustang Valley american school in Japan Tokyo noon tuesday april 17 Seissen at Zama american 5 baseball saturday april 14 St marys is american school in Japan 2 at Fuchu civic stadium Tokyo 10 softball tuesday april 17 Kinnick is Zama american 2 at ram Bler Field Camp Zama track and Field saturday april 14 Christian Academy n Japan St Maur Yokohama Seissen St marys american school in Japan and sacred heart at site to be determined 9 South Korea soccer division i Friday april 13 Seoul International at Seoul foreign saturday april 14 Taejon Christian at Seoul International 9 Yon san International Seoul at Seoul foreign 9 wednesday april 18 Seoul american at Taejon Christian division ii Friday april 13 India head at Centennial Christian Korea International at Korea Kent for eign saturday april 14 Korea Kent foreign at International Christianus Jongsu 9 inter division wednesday april 18 International Christian Yongtaek at Osan american Okinawa boys soccer tuesday april 17 Okinawa Christian at Kubasak 5 girls soccer wednesday april 18 Okinawa Christian at Kubasak 5 Guam girls soccer thursday april 12 our lady of Guam is notre Dame at Talofofo Field Southern at George Washington St Johns at John f Kennedy saturday april 14 Guam High is our lady of Guam at Talofofo Field Harvest Christian at St Johns George Washington is notre Dame at Talofofo Field monday april 16 our lady of Guam at Harvest Chris Tian St Johns is notre Dame at Talofofo Field Guam High at John f Kennedy Simon Sanchez at George Washington boys volleyball Friday april 13 John f Kennedy at Guam High George Washington at Simon Sanchez notre Dame at St Johns Southern at St Paul Christian saturday april 14 Simon Sanchez is Harvest Christian site to be determined St Paul Christian at John f Kennedy father Duenas at George Washington Southern at notre Dame tuesday april 17 John f Kennedy is Harvest Christian at Guam sports Complex Harmon St Johns at St Paul Christian Southern at father Duenas Guam High at George Washington