14 --The Michigan Daily -Monday, June 15 1998
Sullivan's fall just a
pothfole on r1oado life

Dady Sports Editor
At first it looked like a dream had fallen to
earth, along with Kevin Sullivan.
From the gasps of the crowd to the way he
walked across the finish, at first, it appeared as
though a minor apocalypse had descended upon
~the track world. Or at least Sullivan's track world.
But track, of course, is a sport, and merely that.
And one quick little tumble cannot just scrub out
four years of solid running. It's just a quick little
scrape, like the one on the fallen Sullivan's elbow.
It will heal.
Ihere will be no scar, unless, of course, he
picks at it, as countless children are advised
against from their first summer skinned-knee. But
it hurt at first. A lot.
After he finished - last - he went into the
finish tent with everyone else, except Seneca
---------___ Lassiter, the champion. The
Track national cameras were wait-
C ing to dispense Lassiter's 15
ommentaiy minutes. The 15 that were
.--- ------ Sullivan's in the indoor
1,500, when he nosed out Lassiter at the finish.
Sullivan left after gathering his warmups,
brushed aside condolences with an upraised palm
and hurried nods, and strode offto be alone behind
the east stands.
Ie kicked angrily at his warmups, thrashing at
air and the fate that curdled his last moment of
glory.
His coach and friend, Ron Warhurst, came by
to offer consolation. Sullivan nodded that he was
"OK."
And he would be.
He said his fall would probably bother him the
rest of the night, but not after that.
He has bigger plans, like his wedding on Aug.
8 to former Wolverine Karen Harvey. He might
have healed enough by then to maybe even make a
passing joke about it. But why bother? Even if one

of his ushers saw the fill happen right in front of
him. John Mortimer wouldn't waste time bringing
it up at his friend and former teammate's wedding.
It's over. Bigger and better things are happening.
Warhurst, always ready with a laugh, might say
something about it as well. But what he says when
he reads a bible passage picked out by Sullivan's
future wife will probably stay with Sullivan longer
than any memories of a face-to-face encounter
with the UB Stadium track.
Kind of like the memories Warhurst will have
of Sullivan after this season's Big Ten meet.
Warhurst put his arm around his star runner and
friend and said, "What am I going to do without
you?"
Sullivan: "Better get (Jay) Cantin ready,"
Warhurst could laugh at that one. Sullivan might
be the one who gets Cantin ready to fill his old
long-distance shoes. Warhust hopes to have
Sullivan by his side next year, as a volunteer
coach.
"It would be a shock to me if he left," Warhurst
said.
Sullivan has a running career to continue, only
now he needs a sponsor, a shoe company to
finance his career. Volunteer coaching doesn't pay
the bills, and neither does training. There's a good-
sized track meetin Sydney about two years from
now, in addition to the other races Sullivan hopes
to run.
And then there's his life outside running.
Sullivan will be a husband, maybe a father. He's a
college graduate, a "real person" now. One colle-
giate race - so what if it was his last? - doesn't
matter that much in the small scheme of track, let
alone the grand scheme of things.
When Sullivan fell, he didn't waste time brush-
ing himself off, swearing, crying or letting himself
feel hurt. He just got up as fast as he could, and
chased the rapidly receding pack to the finish.
Pretty soon, he won't even be able to tell where
those scratches were.

Here Kevin Sullivan beats out Seneca Lassiter for the national title in the indoor 1,500 meters. In the outdoor
race, Sullivan fell and finished last. Fans gasped in horror, but Sullivan kept the mishap in perspective.

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