BOISE, Idaho -- Each year since he was a junior in high school, Derrick Brew has clipped about one second per year off his 400-meter time.
Should Brew do it again this season and dip under 44 seconds, he would move into some heady company. Only seven Americans have broken the 44-second barrier, led by world record-holder and 1988 Olympic silver medalist Butch Reynolds' 43.29.The others are 1996 Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, 1992 Olympic champion Quincy Watts, 1992 Olympic trials winner Danny Everett, former world record-holder and 1968 Olympic winner Lee Evans, 1988 Olympic gold medalist Steve Lewis and 1968 Olympic silver medalist Larry James.
Brew had his sights set on Watts' NCAA meet record of 44.00 set in 1992, when he was competing for Southern California, in the national collegiate championships, which began Wednesday at Boise State's Bronco Field. The 400 final is Saturday.
"If I go in with the same mind-set as in the SEC championships . . . and if I get a good push and hold my line, I think I have a good shot at Watts' record," Brew said.
Although Brew is a junior at LSU, this is his first NCAA outdoor championship meet. He spent the past two years at Barton County Community College in Kansas. There, he won the 1998 national junior college outdoor championship in a record 44.53, a time that was eighth-best in the world last year. He also was the JUCO indoor champion and was ranked eighth in the United States.
In 1997, as a college freshman, he ran 45.21 and was the JUCO runner-up in the 400. In his final two scholastic years at Klein Forest High in Houston, he ran 47.40 and 46.63. As a senior, he won the Texas state championship and the national scholastic title.
This year, he owns the second-fastest time in the world, a career-best 44.29, in winning the Southeastern Conference title at Athens, Ga.
He's not going into the NCAA meet overconfident, however.
"The 400 is hot this year," Brew said. "In the SEC meet, there was one 44 (clocking) and five in the 45s."
Brew calls Johnson not only his idol, "but the idol of all 400 runners."
"I like his style," Brew said. "He impresses me. His 400, he's strong and he has lots of speed. He kills people in the final 200. He goes out the first 200 in 21.1 and it doesn't look like he's running hard because he's run 19.32 for the 200.
"He runs upright, he has those short legs and he has lots of turnover."
The Tigers haven't had an NCAA quarter-mile champion since 1934, when Glen Hardin won his second consecutive 440-yard title.
LSU is not favored to win the men's title but with Brew's help could finish in the top five. Last year, the Tigers tied for fourth with Arizona, behind Arkansas, Stanford and TCU.
Arkansas is heavily favored to win its eighth consecutive championship. The women's title is expected to be a battle among defending champion Texas; LSU, which won 11 straight years before the Longhorns broke the streak last season; and UCLA.