Burrell Barely Qualifies In 100

World record-holder Leroy Burrell cut it close Saturday but earned the qualifying time he needed to compete in the 100 meters at the Olympic Trials later this month.

Burrell was timed in 10.18 seconds and outfinished Wendell Gaskin and Diarra Ousmane of Mali to win the 100 at the Bruce Jenner Classic in San Jose, Calif. It is one of the last major meets before U.S. athletes head to the trials to be held June 14-24 in Atlanta, where the Summer Games also will be held.

The time just beat the qualifying standard of 10.20.

“I ran within myself today. I held my composure and it worked out well,” said Burrell, who has three of the five fastest legal 100 times, including the world record of 9.85.

But he has been limited in the past two years by a series of nagging leg injuries. In last week’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., he ran 10.26 after his starting blocks slipped, leaving him short of the qualifying standard.

The field was to have included Jon Drummond, the U.S.’s top-ranked 100 runner last year, but he pulled out after meet organizers declined to pay for his manager’s airline ticket.

Former Stanford star Chryste Gaines, the 1992 NCAA champion in the 100, took the women’s version in a wind-aided 11.17. Cheryl Taplin finished second and Denise Ball was third.

In the shot put, C.J Hunter upset defending world champion John Godina. Hunter threw 69 feet, 5-1/2 inches to edge Godina, the runner-up with a throw of 68-3-3/4, in a reversal of last week’s finish at the Prefontaine.

Charles Austin, top-ranked in the world this year in the high jump, cleared 7-8 to win the event. He then moved the bar up in an attempt to become the second person to clear 8-0, but he missed on three tries. Javier Sotomayor of Cuba holds the world record at 8-0.

Brenneman qualifies in cycling

Fulfilling the dream she had nurtured for a year and a half, Linda Brenneman of Dana Point, Calif., won a place on the U.S. Olympic cycling team.

At Boiling Spring, N.C., Brenneman completed the five-event trials competition that started on May 22 when she came home a bike length behind Jeanne Golay of Glenwood Springs, Colo., in a 61.2-mile road race that started fast and generally stayed that way.

Softball team blisters foes

Team USA extended its softball shutout string to 30 games with a pair of 8-0 victories over Illinois teams in Schaumburg.

Team USA (31-1) beat the Illinois Illusions and the Schaumburg All-Stars, a group of local college and high school players, without allowing a hit.

Former UCLA star Lisa Fernandez pitched a perfect game in the five-inning opener with 14 strikeouts in 15 at-bats. In the nightcap, left-hander Michele Smith pitched a no-hitter, striking out seven.

Own goal damages U-23 team

The United States under-23 men’s soccer team allowed an own goal with 27 minutes to play and lost 1-0 to Ireland in an Olympic preparation match at Davidson, N.C.

U.S. coach Bruce Arena must cut his 30-man roster to 18 players and four alternates by June 19.

Rhythmic gymnast defends

Jessica Davis finished with a two-day total of 74.663 points in the all-around at the U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics National Championships at Athens, Ga., to defend her national title and advance to the Olympic trials.

Natalie Lacuesta, the 1995 junior national champion, literally dropped the ball in her first routine, scoring a 8.733 in the ball routine. She finished the competition with a two-day score of 73.413, despite her second-day 36.316.

Christie, Cacho on schedule

At Madrid, Britain’s Linford Christie set a European Cup record in the 100, and Fermin Cacho of Spain scored another victory as he prepared to defend his Olympic 1,500 title.

Christie, the British team captain, won the 100 in 10.04, one hundredth of a second better than his European Cup record performance last year. Cacho, who will run in Atlanta next month, won the 1,500 in 3:40:24, to edge Britain’s Anthony Whireman (3:41:21).

Russian Marina Tradenkova won the women’s 100 in 11:14, beating Germany’s Melanie Paschke and Ukraine’s Irina Poukha in 11:25.

Clark aims for No. 3

Two-time Olympian Joetta Clark won the women’s 400 in the Metropolitan Athletic Congress championships in New York to lead six qualifiers into the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Clark, 33, running for the Foot Locker Track Club, competed in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics. She finished in 52.37 at Downing Stadium to become eligible for the trials.

Lou Chisari of the New York Athletic Club advanced in the hammer throw with a heave of 225-7 inches. Jeff Napolitano of the Westchester Track Club also advanced with a throw of 218-10.

Dan Dillon of the America Boys TC won the discus with a toss of 182-8.

Zuniga earns berth

David Zuniga, overcoming a right-hand injury that kept him out of last weekend’s national championships, earned a berth in the finals of the U.S. Olympic GrecoRoman wrestling trials in Concord, Calif.

Zuniga, of New Brighton, Minn., the No. 1-ranked U.S. wrestler at 136.5 pounds, beat Kevin Bracken 4-1 in overtime in the finals of the wrestle-in tournament Saturday to earn a berth against national champion Shon Lewis today.

Zuniga was one of 10 weight-class qualifiers to earn a berth in the finals after enduring a 12-hour wrestling day in the cramped, steamy Ygnacio Valley High School gym.