AFTER SLOW START, HE'S UP TO SPEED; BUSSEY LEARNS VALUE OF WORK.Byline: KAREN CROUSE Blaine Bussey took his own sweet time finding his stride. Those cheering the loudest for him wondered at times if he'd get lapped by the field. Not to worry. Bussey says he's finally up to speed on the most important lesson he'll take with him from Taft High two weeks hence: If you're going to chase your dreams, you've got to get out of the blocks fast. At the high school state meet last year, Bussey dawdled at the start of the 400 meters and wasn't able to make up the ground he gave away in the first part of the race. He learned a lot from that third-place finish Noun 1. third-place finish - a finish in third place (as in a race) finish - designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race); "excitement grew as the finish neared"; "my horse was several lengths behind at the finish"; "the winner is the team with the , namely not to let himself fall behind early. It would take a little while longer for Bussey to realize the strategy for success in the classroom was the same as on the track. At the start of his senior year of classes, Bussey dallied and couldn't make up the ground he lost. He learned a lot from being academically ineligible at the start of the track season, namely not to let himself lag behind in his studies. Hey, that's what high school is for, to learn Newton's Third Law of Motion Noun 1. Newton's third law of motion - action and reaction are equal and opposite law of action and reaction, Newton's third law, third law of motion law of motion, Newton's law, Newton's law of motion - one of three basic laws of classical mechanics as it relates to daily life (``to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'') and the Pythagorean theorem Pythagorean theorem Rule relating the lengths of the sides of a right triangle. It says that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs is equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle). and the Truman Doctrine Truman Doctrine Pronouncement by Pres. Harry Truman. On March 12, 1947, he called for immediate economic and military aid to Greece, which was threatened by a communist insurrection, and to Turkey, which was under pressure from Soviet expansion in the Mediterranean. , too. Bussey is bright enough to have made all the right adjustments, in the classroom and on the track. He's keeping pace with his studies and setting the pace in the quarter-mile. Indeed, if Bussey were circling the oval any faster, he'd have his own pit crew. He recently was hand-timed in the 400 meters in 46.3 seconds, which surpassed by .37 the 11-year-old all-time area record set by another Taft runner, Quincy Watts Quincy D. Watts (born June 19, 1970) is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Quincy Watts attended the University of Southern California where he excelled not only as an athlete but also as a wide . Four years after establishing that mark, Watts would win the 400 meters at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Shocking the world like Watts did can wait. Bussey would be content to send a few tremors up and down California. He'll get his chance Saturday, during the state meet in Sacramento. The way Bussey has been running, the quaking quake intr.v. quaked, quak·ing, quakes 1. To shake or tremble, as from instability or shock. 2. To shiver, as with cold or from strong emotion. See Synonyms at shake. n. 1. he causes could register as far away as Boise, Idaho “Boise” redirects here. For other uses, see Boise (disambiguation). Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the county seat of Ada County and the principal city of the Boise metropolitan area. , where the men's and women's Pacific-10 Championships are taking place this week. Bussey, the leading state performer in the 400, would figure to give the top college runners all they could handle. He was recruited by just about every four-year university with a track scholarship to offer, but his inattention in·at·ten·tion n. Lack of attention, notice, or regard. Noun 1. inattention - lack of attention basic cognitive process - cognitive processes involved in obtaining and storing knowledge to his academics left him a couple of classes short of the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association requirements. ``So now they're going to have to wait on me for two years,'' Bussey said Thursday with a sigh of resignation. He was standing on school grounds, with his back against the wall of the gymnasium gymnasium In Germany, a state-maintained secondary school that prepares pupils for higher academic education. This type of nine-year school originated in Strasbourg in 1537. . It was a fitting pose, given his recent travails. Bussey's brain processes information like last year's computer, which can be frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: at times. Especially for someone possessing his vast intellect. His career counselor at Taft said Bussey is quite capable of excelling at whatever he sets his mind to. When he falls short, it's for a lack of trying. ``I'm lazy,'' Bussey conceded. ``If it's not fun to me, I tend to put it off. I started slacking off on my schoolwork last fall. When I found out I was ineligible, I knew it was my fault. I shouldn't have messed up. I should have stuck to doing my schoolwork. Once you get out of the habit, it's hard to change.'' His teachers have noticed a difference in Bussey the past few months. As his grades have risen and his 200 and 400 times on the track have fallen, he has started carrying himself with more and more confidence. His career counselor can tell he is proud of his progress, even if he does try hard not to show it. ``I like all the attention, but I try not to let it get to me,'' the soft-spoken Bussey said. ``I don't want people to think I'm big-headed.'' The slender 6-foot-3 sprinter has been turning heads since he started chasing girls on the playground in the seventh grade. A teacher took one look at Bussey's gazelle-like strides and promptly directed him to the West Valley Eagles summer program. From chasing girls to catching a Valley legend, it has been quite a run for Bussey. It'll be a cinch cinch a saddle girth on an American stock saddle. Tightens with a knot on a ring instead of with straps and buckles. picking him out of the 400 field on Saturday. Just look for the runner who flies out of the blocks as if he were shot from a sling sling (sling) a bandage or suspensory for supporting a part. mandibular sling a structure suspending the mandible, formed by the medial pterygoid and masseter muscles and aiding in . CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--Color) Blaine Bussey, two-time City champion, is the area's all-time record holder in the 400 meters. Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News (2) ``I started slacking off on my schoolwork last fall. When I found out I was ineligible, I knew it was my fault. I shouldn't have messed up.'' - Taft runner Blaine Bussey on his classroom struggles |
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