Arreola Edged Out of Berth on Team

It won’t be official for two more weeks, but it appears that Gina Procaccio of the Sallie Mae Track Club--not Alisa Harvey of Athletics West or Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge--has qualified for the World University Games as the women’s No. 2 representative in the 1,500 meters.

Carol Stevenson, the coach of the women’s national team, said that Suzy Favor of Wisconsin, runner-up in the 1,500 at The Athletics Congress championships in Houston two weeks ago, and Procaccio, who placed fourth, would represent the United States in the meet in Duisburg, West Germany, on Aug. 22-30.

“The USOC still has to verify all the forms,” Stevenson said, “but it’s my understanding that Procaccio will be the second member of the team and Harvey will be the first alternate.”

Stevenson’s announcement ended two weeks of speculation about who would be the No. 2 representative for the U. S. women’s team in the 1,500.

Arreola, who recently has completed her junior track season, appeared to have placed second among collegians--ostensibly qualifying for the World University Games team--when she finished seventh in the TAC meet, but the U. S. Olympic Committee has a broad interpretation of what constitutes a collegian.

According to Stevenson, anyone born between Jan. 1, 1961, and Dec. 31, 1971, who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program is eligible for the World University Games team. Athletes who will enter an undergraduate or graduate program in the fall, or who graduated in 1988, are also eligible.

Therefore, Procaccio, a graduate student at Villanova, and Harvey, a 1988 graduate of Tennessee who placed sixth in the TAC meet, are eligible for the team ahead of Arreola.

“If that’s their decision, that’s fine,” Northridge Coach Don Strametz said when informed of Stevenson’s comments. “Our attitude until now has been to just wait and see what happens.”

Strametz added that Procaccio’s selection might be a blessing in disguise because Arreola needs to get her wisdom teeth extracted before cross-country season starts in the fall.

“It’s something that needs to be done and that might be the perfect time to do it,” he said.