When Randy Barnes and John Godina compete against each other it's hard to decide who gets top billing.
Barnes, 30, has been America's and the world's top shot putter for the last decade. The 6-4, 320-pound veteran holds the world records both outdoors (75-10 1/4 in 1990) and indoors (74-4 1/4). The undercover mark was recorded at the 1989 L.A. Invitational meet.
Godina emerged as the event's new star in 1995. The 6-4, 270-pound UCLA grad had a banner season, winning the NCAA title and the World Championships in Goeteborg (complete with a brand new Mercedes) to dominate the world ranking. His best mark, 72-2 1/4 (at the NCAA meet) was the world's first 72-footer in nearly four years and topped the world list by almost 20 inches. Godina also captured the NCAA discus title, the first thrower to do so since fellow former Bruin John Brenner did it in 1984.
Also joining the clash of titans at the L.A. Invitational is Brett Noon, the world's #4-ranked specialist in 1995. Noon was second to Godina at the NCAA championships, but defeated both Godina and Barnes to win the USATF national championships.
Rounding up this tremendous field are Jonathan Ogden, UCLA's 6-8, 315-pound tackle who won the Outland trophy as college football's top lineman, and Mark Parlin, another protégé of coach Art Venegas at UCLA. Ogden was a Pac-10 runner-up in the shot put last year and was ranked 9th in the country. Parlin was ranked #7 in the U.S. and has the potential, according to Venegas, to reach 68 feet this season.
High school events start at 10 a.m., the Invitational at 5 p.m. Reserved tickets are on sale at the Sports Arena Box Office (213) 748-6131, and Ticketmaster outlets. For additional information about the meet including entry information, schedule of events, group sales, etc.) call 310-535-9230 or dial in to L.A. Invitational web site at http://home.earthlink.net/~worldsports/