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Wednesday, June 28, 1995-- The Michigan Daily -17
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-It might be time for a new hobby
Wheatleyin overhisheadat
US Track Chamipionships
ACRAMENTO, Calif. - deciding that both athletes would be
Football is Tyrone placed in the semifinals, which would
Wheatley's job, a high-pressure, then have to be split up into three heats.
intense, brutally difficult, sometimes Johnson would go on to clock th
controversial job. Track is his hobby, fastest semifinal time of 13.00 seconds.
something he does to relax, to get away "Ijust said,'Y'all ain't starting this
from the pressure, to get away from the race withoutme, 'cause I'm supposed to
controversy. be in a semifinal.' That's all I knew,"
After the U.S. Outdoor Track and Johnson said. "They weren't running that
Field Championships this month, race without me. Ididn't care if Ihad to
Wheatley might, uh, want to find another go out and throw some hurdles down. 6
Mhobby. The other hurdlers might be mad, but
The former Michigan tailback was at too bad."
the centerof a firestorm of controversy So they ran the semifinals..4
surrounding the 110-meter high hurdles Wheatley did not make the finals, but .
competition. Wheatley, who flew in seemed relieved that the ordeal was
from New York over. <
to participate in It wasn't. Not even close.Four other
the event, wasn't hurdlersafiled protests, claiming that the
expected to splitting of heats and delays had affected
make a large their concentration and preparation, and "
impact on the that the semifinals should be run again
} proceedings. the next day.
As it turns To the hurdlers that didn't make the,
out, he made finals, Wheatley epitomized all that is ;.,
MICHAEL quite an impact, evil in the world. Let's just say he won't "x k .
ROSENBERG Wheatley was be invited to any oftheir dinner parties
Roses are running in lane this year.
Read eight in his heat, "Why did they push him into it?"IE PHT/aly
mmmmmmeright next to said patestsk DIff,n one ofe's thosea who
world indoor filed protests. "If's nothe h o Former Michigan tailback Tyrone Wheatley was held up by a hurdle at last week s U.S. Outdoor Track Championships
champion Allen Johnson, who was in world-class hurdler.
lane seven. Johnson inadvertently "Idon't want tobe a conspiracy
pfuocked his fourth hurdle into lane theorist, butlIbm sure the people 'P0 a career in A thletic A dm inistration?
eight, tripping up Wheatley. The New enjoyed having him back out there." PU IS"l a e rm At l tcA n ~ ~ ta l n
York Giants' first-round pick was not Defending national champion Mark
seriously injured -"justafew Crear was one ofthose who failed to G b j nm
scratches. I'llbe fine," he said-but makethe final. His manager, Roger by join ng
was forced to stop running the race. Lipkis, said that the two-heat format The Michigan Athletic Department's Student Volunteer Intern Program.
"If it hadn't been for me, that hurdle should have prevailed and meet officials (Development and Alumni Relations Office)
would have ended up in the stands," should have admitted either Johnson or
Wheatley said. Wheatley but not both. Donor Event
Wheatley filed a protest, saying he "If you un-disqualify someone, you
should not have been eliminated from the goback to the way it (was before Relations Management
lace. (He later said that meet officials disqualification)," Lipkis said. "We're
encouraged him to file the protest.) After saying they didn't follow the rule in the Athletic
some deliberations, the officials put first place." Department Sports
Wheatley in the semifinal field in place Besides Crear and Duffy, protests Office Work Marketing
of Johnson. were also filed later by Brian Amos
"I saw some of the guys giving me and Robert Reading. Amos and
looks and sneers," Wheatley said. "I Reading, like Duffy, complained that
don't understand. I had nothing to do the many changes and the long delay
with it. I was going to say, 'Just affected the outcome of the
forget it. This is the guy's livelihood semifinals. Even two-time Olympic Leadership Teamwork
- he can have it. Don't disqualify champion Roger Kingdom, who won
him." his semifinal heat in 13.22 seconds,
I If Wheatley had reservations about said he would agree to run the
running again, however, he didn't share semifinals again.
them with Dean Hayes, chairman of U.S. "I'm willing to stick with the others
men's track and field. Hayes says he as long as they let me know what's going Promoting
approached Wheatley just before the on," Kingdom said. "What it all boils Booster
semifinals began. down to, man, is you've got to be Clubs
"He didn't tell me that," Hayes said. prepared for the unexpected." Athletics
"If he would have said something that Ultimately, Kingdom won the final, Game Football
would have made it easier." just edging out Johnson. Wheatley was
Johnson, who stood to lose thousands on a plane back to New York, heading Management Recruiting
of endorsement dollars if he did not make back to Giants' training camp.
the U.S. World Championship team, was Needless to say, his fellow hurdlers Interested applicants should contact John Paul at 763-8054.
enraged and filed a protest of his own. were not at all impressed with his two- . .
Former OlympianTonie Campbell, sport prowess. Team Blue is a dedicated and enthusiastic group of student-leaders who desire the hands-on
Johnson's agent, loudly statedJohnson's Asoneofthem said, '"This is all involvement and responsibility of assisting the University of Michigan Athletic Department
case.The officials then huddled up and because of that football guy. What's his with the promotion and management of Michigan Athletics.
deliberated over that protest before name? Whitely?"