It took 37 years to catch up to Cliff Branch and his friends. Now they've been caught twice in one month.

The former University of Colorado sprinter and wide receiver made a little magic with three of his teammates on a track in Albuquerque, N.M., in 1971 when they set a school record in the 4x100 relay, finishing that day in 39.6 seconds.

Branch, George Daniels, Larry Brunson and Marcus Walker were proud of their accomplishment, even though it was a bit of an afterthought at the time. They had no idea it would eventually become one of the longest standing records in the CU men's track recordbook, until it was broken last month by an unlikely foursome.

Hugh Charles, Ryan Campbell, Nate Terry and Jeremy Dodson nipped the record by one one-hundredth of a second at the Big 12 Championships at Potts Field, and then beat it again in more convincing fashion in Lincoln, Neb., at the NCAA regional meet, finishing in 39.49 seconds.

The Buffs hope to take a little more time off the mark this weekend at the NCAA Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, where Texas A&M, Tennessee and Louisiana State will be the favorites.

Dodson, who runs the anchor leg and also will compete in the 200-meter run at the championships, said the Buffs are hoping to qualify for the finals, but they probably don't have a legitimate shot at winning.

"I wish we could say we could go for the win, but you've got to be realistic," he said.

There were only two records older than the 4x100 meter mark Branch used to hold. The oldest is a javelin throw of 241 feet, 4.50 inches by Dick Clark in 1962. The other was set by Walker in the 110-meter hurdles in 1970, when he finished in 13.3 seconds.

"I'm very proud that the record stood for as long as it did, 37 years is a long time," Branch said last week in a telephone interview. "To have it go down the way it went down in Boulder and for them to accomplish the championship makes it very, very special."

The two 4x100 teams are separated by 37 years and a micro-second, but there are parallels between them. When Branch and his buddies set the record, they did so with Walker running the anchor leg. It was only the second time that season Walker was able to participate because of various injuries.

Hugh Charles runs the opening leg this year, and when he and his teammates broke the record at the Big 12 meet, it was the first time he had run all season. When Branch learned of that fact last week, he predicted the Buffs will improve on their time once again because they will be more familiar and comfortable with one another.

"They took us out of the books, but I was very, very proud," Branch said. "That was an incredible thing they did for the University of Colorado.

"In the end, I think they will run faster. I think they will break the school record again."

Dodson is quietly having one of the best years by a CU sprinter in recent memory. He set a personal best and a CU record in the 200 meters at the Big 12 meet with a second-place run of 20.39 seconds.

He is a rarity in Boulder as a sprinter on a full scholarship that isn't being paid for by the football program. His performance this spring has demonstrated why coaches chose to reward him when he transferred from the University of Arkansas. He initially planned to transfer to Texas A&M or Souther Cal but Arkansas withheld a release to those schools

"I feel like somehow, something, fate led me here," Dodson said. "I feel real good. I'm close to home and it's a better environment."

Running personal-best times and contributing to team success has been a rewarding experience for Dodson after last year when he felt like he was a disappointment battling injuries all season. Coaches believe he can eventually break the 20-second mark and run the 200 meters in 19.9 or less. He says his goal is 20.1.

"At first I felt the pressure," Dodson said of having a scholarship. "But now I'm feeling a little guilty I'm not dropping world records yet."