San Diego all-comers meet had top-notch spectator: Olympic champ

Last night I assigned myself to cover a winter all-comers meet at a Catholic school in north San Diego. I found it interesting that all these kids were running amid humble greatness. Joaquim Cruz, who coaches at the nearby Olympic Training Center, was a spectator on the infield. He’s still one of the handful of 800-meter guys to to sub-1:42. I asked him what he did to stay so fit. He says he still runs. But when he turns 50 next year, he won’t enter Senior Olympics. He insists his competition days are behind him. (He says his last elite meet was in 1996.) My story and photo gallery also include Kettrell Berry’s son Amaree, who is becoming a little superstar distance runner at age 8.