Tuesday, April 1, 1997
TRACK:
Men’s, women’s teams have field day making qualifying marks for
NCAA championshipsBy Emmanuelle Ejercito
Daily Bruin Staff
The outdoor track season is in full swing, and the UCLA men’s
and women’s track and field teams are collecting personal bests
with each meet.
Last Saturday at the UC San Diego Invitational, three Bruins set
individual records.
Senior pole vaulter David Rynearson broke his personal best mark
of 17 feet 1 1/2 inches by vaulting 17-5. The mark was the best
amongst the invitational vaulters.
On the women’s side, the Bruin throwers had a field day in San
Diego.
Junior Suzy Powell destroyed her old personal best of 198-9, by
throwing 202-1 in the discus competition. Powell finished in first
place ahead of teammate Seilala Sua who not only set a new personal
record, but also set a new Junior American Record by throwing
199-2. Her throw was over 10 feet farther than her previous
personal best. Both marks were good enough to automatically qualify
the throwers for the NCAA Championships.
But success was not limited to the field.
The men’s 400-meter relay team met with success, despite losing
three of its legs that placed second in the NCAA Championships last
year.
Gone are two-time Olympic bronze medalist Ato Boldon who ran the
second leg, anchor Gentry Bradley and Erik Allen. Akil Davis who
ran the first leg suffered a knee injury during football
season.
And junior Ibrahim Hassan, who usually runs on both the 400 and
1600 relay teams for UCLA, injured his groin during a meet in
Berkeley two weeks ago.
The relay team of Randy Brookes, Damian Allen, Jim McElroy and
Brandon Thomas, who replaced Hassan on the team, still set a season
best of 40.51.
UCLA also competed in the Stanford Invitational on March 22, at
which junior Mebrahtom Keflezighi ran the second fastest time in
school history in the 10,000 meter. Keflezighi, who won the NCAA
Indoor Championship in the 5,000 meter earlier in the month, ran a
28:26.55. The junior finished second behind Alan Culpepper who
finished at 28:25.57.
"It was a great duel between Keflezighi and Culpepper the whole
way," UCLA men’s head coach Bob Larsen said.
The time easily qualifies Keflezighi for the NCAA Championships
in the 10,000 meter.
While Keflezighi was in Palo Alto, Bruin throwers were having a
good day at a meet held at Cal State Northridge earning provisional
and qualifying marks. Sophomore Wade Tift had a season-best 58-11
1/4 which is a provisional qualifying mark in the shot put.
In the women’s shot put, junior Nada Kawar had an automatic
qualifying mark of 52-9 1/2, her best throw this season.
In the Stanford Invitational … junior Mebrahtom Keflezighi ran
the second fastest time in school history in the 10,000 meter.