ABSOLUTE LOWEST PRICES ON DESIGNER EYEVVEAR. ROBERT LA ROCHE JEAN LAFONT • ALAIN MIKLI LUNETTE BADA NEOSTYLE • CAZAL OPTICAL AFFAIRS GIORGIO ARMANI ITALIAN GRAFITTI JEAN PAUL GAULTIER NO EXCEPTIONS! • We prove it everyday! Your designer eyewear will cost you less! In the Old Orchard Mall Orchard Lake & Maple • 626-9590 Eye Examinations Available! OUTSIDE RX'S WELCOME 1ST" OPTOMETRY) ae . 56 FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1990 SAME DAY CONTACTS on most prescriptions SPORTS Track Philosopher Eastern Michigan's second-generation Mifsud is a proponent of deep thinking and fast running. NEAL D. ZIPSER Special to The Jewish News W hen Jeff Mifsud was young, he had dreams and wanted to be just like his father. While growing up in Allen Park, Mifsud used to go to Cobo Arena to watch the Na- tional Collegiate Athletic Association Indoor Track Championships with his father, Tony, a former six-time track All-American at Eastern Michigan and Arizona State. "I've been around track all my life," said Jeff, now 22, the oldest of three Mifsud children and a convert to Judaism. "I remember going to Cobo and getting the autographs of the runners. I looked up to them, but never thought I could be in that same calibre." But this past March 10, Mifsud found himself in the NCAA Indoor in the In- dianapolis Hoosierdome, about to run the second leg on Eastern Michigan's 3,200-meter relay. Once a far- fetched vision was now reality. lb qualify for the champion- ships, Eastern had to run the race in the time set by the NCAA — and did so with a vengeance at a Feb. 24 invita- tional at Notre Dame. The Hurons, who always dominate the Mid-American Conference in track, shat- tered the old EMU record with a 7:18.51, the third fastest time ever in the 3,200. "When I received the baton, we were next to last place," Mifsud said of that dramatic day. "I thought we were run- ning slow and all I wanted to do was stay close. On my last lap, I passed two guys and decided to make a move. On the last turn, I broke out to lane five and passed a few more. "When I handed it off, we were in third place. The next guy, John Griffiths, from England, took the lead and Mark Dailey, from Ohio, brought it home. We shocked everybody." That brought Mifsud and his mates to the Nationals against such powers as 1989 champion Clemson plus Georgetown, Villanova, Dart- mouth, Arkansas, Iona (N.Y.) and Florida State. Being 5-foot-8, Mifsud wasn't intimidated by facing the "big boys." "I'm used to being the shortest one out there," Mif- sud said. "I wasn't nervous — I never get nervous, just anx- ious. I've always loved to com- pete and my intensity has come with maturity." Mifsud, whose specialty is running the 800-meter, got to the Hoosierdome track 1 1/2 hours early — his usual time. "I visualize the race over and over for the first half- hour and go through every aspect of it," he said. "You have to race on instinct, make decisions quickly and then act on those decisions." He follows visualizing with stret- ching and a two-mile warm-up. The race began, but something Mifsud never visualized happened: the Hurons' first runner stayed in the middle of the pack and when Mifsud took the baton, he turned right into another runner who had already made his handoff. "I slammed right into him and we danced awhile," Mif- sud said, still in disbelief. "I looked up and saw the pack getting further away. I shov- ed him out of the way, but there was no chance of me catching them." Mifsud ran his second-best time ever, but the Hurons finished a disappointing seventh with a time of 7:27.75. "It was so frustrating," Mif- sud said. "A lot of people there were rooting for us, but we were down in the race and it was evident we were tired. I was in shock and felt total- ly numb." Mifsud had taken two years off to catch up on his studies and this was to have been his comeback year. He had set high goals, wanting a school record, his senior ring and to be an All-American, the lat- ter requiring that a runner place in the top six nationally. "I felt I would be fulfilled if I achieved those," Mifsud said. "I got the record, will get a ring, but placed seventh. I wanted to match my dad, who was my inspiration." "Usually, you don't do well when you take a couple of years off," said EMU track coach Bob Parks. "He has been a real surprise this year I'm hoping he will do as well during the outdoor season. "Jeff and his father look Jeff Mifsud: Huron speedster. alike," continued Parks, who also coached Ibny at Eastern. "But that's all that they have in common. Jeff has speed while Tony was a good distance runner and had good endurance." Parks shouldn't worry. This past weekend at the Dogwood Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., Mifsud, who is ranked third in the Mid-American Con- ference in the 800-meter run, finished seventh out of 60 runners in the 800 with a time of 1:52 — his best-ever outdoor time. If it were not for a low line- drive, Mifsud might be in baseball instead of track. "Baseball was my first love," Mifsud said. "I was playing third base and mis- judged a line drive and it hit me in the face," just under his nose. "I never had the same agressiveness again and never was a great fielder." Now Mifsud concentrates on the outdoor track season and graduating from Eastern. He also works at Sears and has found time to help his father coach track at Allen Park High School, Jeff's alma mater. Mifsud plans to attend graduate school in September at Wayne State, studying business and industrial an- thropology. He hopes to earn a doctorate and teach social science in a university. "I keep a journal and I discovered that most of the things I wrote about dealt with social issues," Mifsud said. "I love studying people and cities. I also love to ask