On a typical day, 75-year-old Sumi Omodera-Leonard does what any retired former university professor her age might do.

She enjoys tending her garden, where she grows bananas, avocados, oranges, and "even an apple (tree) that bears fruit here in this warm Southern California climate.'

Sometimes, Omodera-Leonard, a Huntington Beach resident, handles business matters relating to the apartment buildings she and her husband of 14 years, Bob Leonard, own.

And, in her "spare' time, she trains for international track events, where she has established herself as one of the best athletes in her age group (75-79).

At the recent biannual World Masters Athletic Championships, held July 1-13 in Puerto Rico, Omodera-Leonard won five medals, including gold in the 800 meters (half a lap ahead of her closest competitor) and as a member of the victorious 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. She also took second in the 400 meters and third in the 100.

Omodera-Leonard's rise to be among the best athletes her age has come quickly for the former Cal State Los Angeles home economics professor. She took up running at the age of 58, shortly after her first husband, Ben Omodera, died.

"Someone said something about 'Master's Track,' so I said, "what's that?'' Omodera-Leonard said. "I was invited to participate in one at UC Irvine (in 1989), and that was my first experience with track; I didn't really like it. I ran the 300 meters the first time, and people said, 'Oh, you're great; you should continue and work out at UCLA.' I said, 'What?''

Omodera-Leonard's performance in her sixth World Masters meet was not her primary goal for this year, but a key step along the way.

She missed the 2002 competition because of a problem with a vertebra in her lower back. Omodera-Leonard spent the year concentrating on strengthening the muscles around the vertebra.

She began training in February, with the goal of being in the best possible condition for the Masters National Championships Meet on August 7-10 in Eugene, Ore.

"My accomplishments (in Puerto Rico) were pretty good, but I wasn't happy with my own time at all,' Omodera-Leonard said. "Part of that was I didn't quite feel I'm at the peak of my training right now. I feel that my peak will be at the nationals.'

PTSUBU George Mehale

Omodera-Leonard trains on the campus at Long Beach State, under the tutelage of coach George Mehale, who has guided her for a decade. Mehale was an assistant on the college level for 15 years at Oklahoma State, USC and Long Beach State before retiring in 1992. He owns Cardio Beat Fitness Center in Long Beach.

Mehale also coaches 50-year- old Tina Bowman, a lecturer in the English department at Long Beach State. Though hampered by a bad right hamstring, which kept her from competing in the 300-meter hurdles, Bowman earned a bronze medal in the heptathlon at the World Masters meet.

"If I would have been healthy, I would have given second place a good competition,' said Bowman, who competes in the 50-54 age group. "I was disappointed, because I didn't score well, because I couldn't do my events very well.'

Bowman has been competing in track and field events since she was 13, but only began competing in the heptathlon eight years ago. Though she was previously a distance runner (800 meters), Bowman nevertheless says that now the javelin is her best event.

"I like challenges, plus I wanted to learn the new events,' Bowman said. "I thought, 'Oh, the heptathlon, that's quite a challenge, to survive two days and be sort of all-around. Maybe not stellar in a lot of events, but OK, to survive.''

Bowman has done more than survive. In addition to her World Masters bronze medal, she set a national record for the javelin in her age group with a throw of 33.51 meters in May.

Omodera-Leonard successfully overcame her injury by sitting out a season, but Bowman said her own recovery will have to wait until after the national meet. Then, she will take a month off and start conditioning work on it.

"I'm not very patient when I'm injured,' Bowman said. "I try to do what I'm supposed to do, but it's awfully hard; I save my patience for teaching and other things. I want to get going; I want to hurt it in the good way out here, instead of the bad way.'

PTSUBU Team effort

Both women credit their success to great support both at home and on the track. Omodera-Leonard's husband, Bob, and Bowman's husband, Tom, have been involved, as Tom Bowman even trains in the javelin with his wife.

In addition, Bowman has three coaches other than Mehale for her other events, including Long Beach State assistants Todd Riech (javelin) and Dave Rodda (jumps). But when she and Omodera-Leonard train together, it is the voice of Mehale that spurs them on.

"It's just so rewarding to see them doing so well. Both ladies are fantastic," Mehale said. "To coach them and knowing that they're the best in the world at that age group, and the work you put together, it's just rewarding. And it transcends the whole society, that you can still do things at any age.'