REDLANDS — It was a race worth waiting for, but only few people really knew about it. That race took place after a lengthy schedule of track & field events. Of all places to launch an Olympic showdown. Check that: A pre-Olympic showdown.
It took place in the spring of 1983 at the University of Redlands, its annual T&F invitational attracting a number of small college squads, though a couple of interesting programs showed up.
Azusa Pacific, coached by legendary Terry Franson, would win that year’s NAIA team championship in June, was on site. So was the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The meet, which featured men’s and women’s events – jumping, all throws, pole vault, every conceivable distance race, sprints, plus relays – took over eight hours to complete.
By the time both finishing relays took place, the hour was close to 9 p.m.
There they were, Azusa Pacific University squaring against the U.S. Air Force Academy team in a 4 x 400 men’s finale.
It would be memorable, especially since 1980 Nigerian Olympian Innocent Egbunike would be racing the anchor lap for APU. His opponent for that lap was senior Alonzo Babers, already a lieutenant in the USAF. Babers still holds his school’s indoor 400 (46.86) record from 1982.
Throw this in: In that 1983 season, Babers ran 45.36, still the school’s outdoor mark. He took fourth (45.51) at the NCAA Division I finals later that June.
Against much easier competition at the NAIA finals, Egbunike sprinted to national championship wins in the 100 (10.34), 200 (20.94) and anchored the winning 4 x 400 relay – John Shalongo, Doug Laisel and Ted Campbell, plus the Nigerian, in 3:09.77.
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At the Redlands Invite, Egbunike’s Azusa Pacific teammate Mike Barnett, a future Olympian, ripped off a winning 275-foot javelin mark – still the Ted Runner Stadium record – on that day. Oregon State’s Mark Fricker, from nearby Hemet, posted a still-existing 5,000 record of 14:09.30 on that 1983 date.
USAF’s Bret Hyde, a winner at Redlands, still holds his school’s mark over 3,000 meter steeplechase (8:31.87). Hyde, incidentally, also placed at the 1984 L.A. Games.
For good measure, APU sent discus and hammer competitor Christian Okoye, the future NFL “Nigerian Nightmare” with Kansas City. In this same stadium, Okoye would terrorize the University of Redlands’ football team.
There was even a Redlander on the USAF women’s squad, NCAA Division II All-American Laureli Mazik, who won that day and stands on the school’s indoor mile (4:53.9) all-time list at No. 9. She’s No. 16 outdoors (4:32.09).
All of which is a reminder how relevant the Redlands Invitational seemed at the time.
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By race time, hardly anyone remained inside Ted Runner Stadium’s grandstand. It was late, after 9 p.m. Interest had long since waned when most events were finalized. Most participating teams departed for their Southern California campuses.
A few teams remained, including Azusa Pacific and Air Force.
When the batons were exchanged for that memorable anchor 4 x 400 lap, Egbunike and Babers were in full stride. That duo raced side by side for their entire 400-meter run. At the midway mark, Egbunike and Babers were seen bumping in their one-on-one duel.
The APU sprinter edged the USAF officer, though both runners had plenty of season left – Egbunike in the lower level NAIA ranks while Babers had top NCAA runners like Bert Cameron and Antonio McKay to square off against later that season.
It was that very season that Babers ran the third leg with Ted Holloway and Todd Scott with Rick Goddard anchoring, setting the school record (3:10.11) – currently the school’s eighth best.
Babers? The dude still holds the school mark over 500-meters, a discontinued event in which he posted a 1:01.7.
All of which was just preparation for the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He’d come across Egbunike again.
At Redlands, the Nigerian Olympian, escorted to the final handoff by Shalongo, Laisel and Campbell, got his triumph over Babers that night. The real race was over a year away.
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In fact, there were two events in L.A.
At the L.A. Coliseum, both wound up in the open 400-meter finals. There was plenty of buildup, much of the spotlight falling on Antonio McKay, that year’s NCAA champion. Babers prevailed over McKay. Egbunike finished last in the seven-man finale.
As for the 4 x 400 relay, Babers needed McKay’s help. The two were mixed in with a lineup that included Ray Armstead and Sunder Nix. The USA won the gold ahead of Great Britain (silver) and Nigeria’s bronze medal finish behind Egbunike and his three running mates, Rotimi Peters, Moses Ugbusien and Sunday Uti.
Unlike that Redlands finale, it was Egbunike against McKay in the final lap. Babers had taken a 7-meter lead after his portion of the relay, handing off to McKay.
Beyond the bronze medal, Nigeria got another consolation – the African continent record.
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While training for and competing in the 1984 Olympics, Babers held the rank of lieutenant. Just one month after his double-gold performance in Los Angeles, Babers reported to flight training school and began his career as a pilot. His athletic career was over. He was an active duty officer in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1991, continuing to serve as a member of the Air Force Reserves. As of 2019, he was a 777 pilot for United Airlines.
Egbunike? He’s currently the track coach at Pasadena City College – a campus just a few miles from those Azusa Pacific digs. As head coach of the 2008 Nigerian Olympic team (coaching also in 1996 and 2000), Egbunike appeared in the winner’s circle again, having coached gold medalist Angelo Taylor.
These two world-class speedsters brought an Olympic showcase to Redlands in March 1983.
