Track and Field Roundup : Dasse Barely Misses U.S. Record in Women’s Shot

Bonnie Dasse of Costa Mesa put the shot 62 feet 7 inches, the second-best distance in history for an American woman, Saturday in the New Balance Women’s Invitational track and field meet at UC Irvine.

Dasse, who competes for Coast Athletics, was three-quarters of an inch off the U.S. record set by Maren Seidler in 1979.

Another highlight was the 51.72 turned in by Pam Marshall in the 400 meters. Marshall, of the Los Angeles Track Club, has just moved up from the sprints and outran LATC teammate and Olympian Kim Gallagher, who finished in 52.55.

Another Olympian, Ruth Wysocki, won the 1,500 meters in 4:14.31.

University of Texas freshman Dag Wennlund recorded the best javelin throw by a collegian this year, 302 feet 5 inches, in the Texas Invitational at Austin, Tex.

The Swede became the second collegiate athlete to better 300 feet. The collegiate record is 303-2 set by Texas’ Einar Vilhjalmsson at the 1984 Texas Relays.

Wennlund’s previous best was 274-8.

Baylor pole vaulter Todd Cooper soared 18-5 to defeat Joe Dial of Oklahoma State. It was a personal best for Cooper, a senior, and the best-ever mark by a Southwest Conference vaulter.