College Notebook / Rick Hazeltine : Robinson Stops Traveling to Start Running for SDSU

SAN DIEGO —  Mike Robinson has been on the run. Now, he can finally do his running in one place.

Robinson, a sophomore, runs the 400 meters for the San Diego State track and field team. He recently recorded a personal best of 47.60 against USC and currently has the No. 2 time for the 400 in the Western Athletic Conference behind Texas-El Paso’s Michael Lawson (47.28).

Robinson transferred to SDSU from Nebraska, where he tried to become a walk-on member of the Cornhusker football team and run track.

Robinson’s father was in the Marines, so he never stayed in one place too long. He attended three high schools, graduating from Fallbrook High--where he was an All-Palomar League safety--in 1985.

Before Fallbrook, Robinson attended a high school in Virginia his freshman year and another in Tacoma, Wash., his sophomore and junior years.

Robinson was never in one place long enough for college recruiters to get a good look at him. When he graduated from Fallbrook, he did not receive any scholarship offers for football or track.

Robinson said he was influenced to attend Nebraska because of a next-door neighbor in Tacoma.

His neighbor was Charles Green, a bronze medalist in the 100 meters and a member of the U.S. gold-medal-winning 4 x 100 meter relay team in the 1968 Olympics.

Green, who attended Nebraska, also helped influence Robinson’s running career.

“He helped me out, directing me,” Robinson said.

Robinson lasted a semester at Nebraska. Recurring ankle problems from stretched ligaments hampered his attempt to make the football team. And after a few months, Robinson decided Lincoln was not for him.

“The school is what Lincoln revolves around,” Robinson said. “It’s a small town and there just wasn’t a whole lot to do.”

Robinson also said the inclement weather helped him to decide to return to San Diego.

Aztec Coach Dixon Farmer recruited Robinson for track when he was at Fallbrook. So, Robinson decided to run at SDSU.

This is the first time Robinson has been able to devote a full season to running.

His semester at Nebraska interrupted his fall training program, and in his senior season at Fallbrook he had strepped throat. Despite the illness, Robinson finished second in the San Diego Section 400 final.

Robinson said he is now thinking of switching from the 400 to the 800.

“I’m thinking that--in the long run--the 800 may be my main event,” he said. “The 800 takes more endurance. I’ve got good leg speed to be competitive in college.

“But I want to get the best out of my ability. I don’t just want to be competitive. I want to be the best I can be.”

The United States International University hockey team has received verbal commitments from three players for next season.

Brent Mowery of Nelson, British Columbia; Darrin Sheehan from Thunder Bay, Ontario and Matt Atkinson of Dubuque, Iowa, have committed to USIU.

Mowery was a seventh-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 1985. A sophomore center, he transferred from Northern Arizona after hockey was dropped from the athletic program.

Injuries hurt a promising season for the Gulls this season. USIU finished 17-17-1, which included a victory over North Dakota, eventual NCAA champion.

The UC San Diego men’s swimming team, for the second straight year, finished third in the NCAA Division III championships at Canton, Ohio.

Kenyon College of Ohio was first with 450 points and Denison University of Ohio was second at 328. UCSD finished with 286 points.

The Tritons were led by senior Bill Kazmierowicz, who won the 200 individual medley in 1:50.18 and missed qualifying for the Division I championships by two-tenths of a second. Kazmierowicz also had two second-place finishes: 1:39.07 in the 200 freestyle and 1:52.04 in the 200 backstroke. His time in the 200 IM would have won the NCAA Division II title.

Derron Frederick finished third in the 100 breaststroke at 58.09 for UCSD.

Next season, Triton Coach Bill Morgan returns 27 of the 29 men and women swimmers that advanced to nationals.