Tim Martin

Figuring something had to be wrong, San Clemente High School track and field Coach Bill Hartman stared down at his stopwatch last month and asked himself: Is this really happening? Could Tim Martin, his fast-improving sophomore sprinter, actually have just run the 100-meter dash in 10.6 seconds? On a dirt track? In practice? "The coaches and I just kept looking at our watches," Hartman said. "We thought maybe we had jumped the gun a bit. But he kept doing it."

School: San Clemente High Sport: Track and field Events: 100 and 200 meters Class: Senior Martinwas fast Friday--faster than any other high school sprinter in Orange County history. But that didn't help him get to his prom on time. The dance in La Jolla started at 7 p.m., about 40 minutes before Martin set the county 100-meter record at the Southern Section 4-A championships at Cerritos College. Finishing second to Ricky Carrigan of Compton, Martin's time of 10.56 seconds broke the record of 10.

School: San Clemente High Sport: Track and field Events: 100 and 200 meters Class: Senior Martinwas fast Friday--faster than any other high school sprinter in Orange County history. But that didn't help him get to his prom on time. The dance in La Jolla started at 7 p.m., about 40 minutes before Martin set the county 100-meter record at the Southern Section 4-A championships at Cerritos College. Finishing second to Ricky Carrigan of Compton, Martin's time of 10.56 seconds broke the record of 10.

More than anything, Tim Martin wanted his father to watch him run the boys' 50 meters at the Sunkist Invitational indoor track and field meet Friday at the Sports Arena. And Martin, a senior at San Clemente High School, wanted to watch Ben Johnson run the featured men's 50. Martin hadn't concerned himself with winning. Coming into the meet, his training had not been intense. Martin's father, George, is a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton.

More than anything, Tim Martin wanted his father to watch him run the boys' 50 meters at the Sunkist Invitational indoor track and field meet Friday at the Sports Arena. And Martin, a senior at San Clemente High School, wanted to watch Ben Johnson run the featured men's 50. Martin hadn't concerned himself with winning. Coming into the meet, his training had not been intense. Martin's father, George, is a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton.

Tim Martin dreams of the perfect track season. He mows lawns. He goes bowling. Anything to escape the worries of approaching war. Martin's father, George, is a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, based at Camp Pendleton. George Martin lives with Tim, a senior track standout at San Clemente High, in a three-bedroom house on the base in San Onofre. The base is quiet these days. The atmosphere is eerie.

Mater Dei girls' basketball Coach Mary Hauser predicted last week that her team would need to be 15 points better than Ventura Buena on Saturday because she expected a battle from a large partisan crowd, officials and the second-ranked Southern Section Division I team. She apparently knew what she was talking about. Buena beat Mater Dei--which was ranked No. 1 in Division I and in the state--for the second time in two years, 55-48, in front of about 1,500, most of them Bulldog fans.

Here's the good news: For once, people are getting their money's worth out of their presidential bumper stickers! TIM I. MARTIN Corona

Once again, both political parties will have a chance to demonstrate that "conventional wisdom" is an oxy-moron! TIM I. MARTIN Corona

Surprised at the White House being trashed? Why? Isn't that the real Clinton legacy? TIM I. MARTIN Corona

Tim Martin dreams of the perfect track season. He mows lawns. He goes bowling. Anything to escape the worries of approaching war. Martin's father, George, is a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, based at Camp Pendleton. George Martin lives with Tim, a senior track standout at San Clemente High, in a three-bedroom house on the base in San Onofre. The base is quiet these days. The atmosphere is eerie.

Figuring something had to be wrong, San Clemente High School track and field Coach Bill Hartman stared down at his stopwatch last month and asked himself: Is this really happening? Could Tim Martin, his fast-improving sophomore sprinter, actually have just run the 100-meter dash in 10.6 seconds? On a dirt track? In practice? "The coaches and I just kept looking at our watches," Hartman said. "We thought maybe we had jumped the gun a bit. But he kept doing it."

Tim Martin of San Clemente High School, the Orange County record-holder in the 100 meters (10.56 seconds), signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Washington in the fall, Martin said Friday. The three-year sprint finalist at the State meet also visited UCLA and Nevada-Reno.

Some of the nation's best swimmers will compete today through Sunday in the International Grand Challenge Swimming Invitational at Heritage Park Aquatics Complex.