CMC75 Moments: Leba Wins National Title for 1997 Men's Track and Field
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1997 Men's Track and Field: Quang Leba wins National Title
The CMS men's track and field team was smack in the middle of its reign of SCIAC dominance in 1997, winning its sixth of 19 straight league championships. The program added another great honor as well, as Quang Leba took first place in the javelin and become the fourth individual national champion in program history (joining hammer throwers Carl Giles in 1986 and Mike Susank in 1994, and 800-meter runner Jason Rhodes in 1994).
Leba, who was named the SCIAC Athlete of the Year and the NCAA West Region Athlete of the Year, became the first person to break 200 feet at CMS since the redesign of the javelin in 1986 and still ranks second in program history in the event. In 1997 at the California/Nevada Track Meet, which included athletes from each of the NCAA's divisions, he finished in third place in the javelin. In addition to being a track and field athlete, Leba spent the fall season in the pool as a contributor for the Stags water polo team, which won three SCIAC championships in his four seasons, and was inducted into the CMS Hall of Fame.
Leba wasn't the only member of the Class of 1997 to achieve a significant milestone. Eric Jones cleared seven feet in the high jump, a rarity in NCAA Division III level. Fewer than 20 had accomplished that feat in NCAA Division III history at the time, and he remains the only Stag to ever clear a 7-foot bar (nobody else has high-jumped 6-10 in CMS history). In 1997, Jones added a fourth-place finish in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America honors in a second event.
In addition, Brett Comfort (100m, 200m), Sepehr Sharifi (discus), Greg Arcenio (hammer) and Ryan Grover (800m) qualified for nationals, as CMS earned a 16th place team finish. Walter Voegtli earned SCIAC Championships in the 5000 meters and the steeplechase, along with Leba, Jones, Sharifi and Arcenio.
Quang Leba:
Winning the national title was something I never planned on doing. It was definitely one way to cap off my college experience!
The championship represented four years of hard work in the gym and on the track. It represented the hard work and dedication of a dual sport athlete and dual major student at Claremont McKenna College. But what people didn't see is that it also represented the beginnings of a lifelong friendship that started out as a simple recruitment telephone call based solely on potential.
After seeing me shoot a water polo ball, outside his office window, he suggested that I try throwing the javelin. From that day forward, I was the first athlete on the track and the last one to leave. Coach Goldhammer was there with me every step of the way!
Bringing home a championship was a special and unpredicted way of thanking Coach Goldhammer for believing in me, investing in me, and making time for me throughout those four memorable years.
1997 Men's Track and Field Roster
Head Coach: John Goldhammer
Assistant Coaches: Kelly Beck, Lisa Spievak
Steve Alves (Fr., Distance, HMC)
Dan Anderson (So., Distance, HMC)
Greg Arcenio (Sr., Hammer, HMC)
David Beydler (Fr., Middle Distance, HMC)
Gianpaulo Carosi (Fr., Middle Distance, HMC)
Richard Chisholm (So., Distance, CMC)
Brett Comfort (Jr., Sprints, CMC)
Sean Elsbend (Sr., Throws, CMC)
Jon Engel (So., Throws, HMC)
Ryan Grover (Sr., Middle Distance, CMC)
Brandon Hadland (Jr., Distance, HMC)
Ryan Haight (Fr., Middle Distance, CMC)
Chris Harris (Jr., Distance, CMC)
Tony Hawkins (Fr., Pole Vault/Hammer/Triple Jump, CMC)
Ton Heberlein (Fr., Sprints, HMC)
Eric Jones (Sr., Jumps, HMC)
Irfan Kathiriya (Sr., Sprints/Hurdles, CMC)
Caleb Kelly (Fr., Javelin/Pole Vault, CMC)
Sean Kenna (Fr., Sprints/Middle Distance, CMC)
Andrew Kubasak (Fr., Sprints, CMC)
Quang Leba (Sr., Jumps/Hurdles/Javelin, CMC)
Jeff Liebert (So., Distance, HMC)
Matt Long (Fr., Middle Distance, CMC)
Philip Martin (Fr., Throws, HMC)
Brian Maul (Fr., Distance, HMC)
Eric Neuman (Jr., Distance, CMC)
Ryan Ogliore (Fr., Middle Distance, CMC)
Elisha Peterson (Fr., Distance, HMC)
Carl Russell (Fr., Hurdles, HMC)
Tim Struse (So., Throws, CMC)
Sepehr Sharifi (So., Throws, CMC)
Jason Umhoefer (So., Hurdles, HMC)
Walter Voegtli (Sr., Distance, HMC)
Dennis Wong (So., Middle Distance, CMC)
Damion Wright (So., Sprints, CMC)