Friday, 5/2/97 Women’s track hopes to sprint past USC, BYU in
triple meet No. 2 Bruins renew last year’s fierce duel against
Trojans
By Donald Morrison Daily Bruin Contributor The annual crosstown
showdown is here. The No. 2-ranked Bruins will take on the USC
Trojans and the BYU Cougars on Saturday at Cromwell field on the
USC campus. The meet will mark the 14th time that the UCLA and USC
women’s teams square off in a meet. "For women’s track and field,
the UCLA-USC rivalry has now become as great as the great rivalry
on the men’s side," head coach Jeanette Bolden said. "Now it’s
become something to watch, not in some events but in all events."
The Bruins lead the series 10-3 and have won four consecutive dual
meets against the Trojan women. Last year, the meet came down to
the 1,600-meter relay, with UCLA edging USC out in the race and in
the meet, 74-70. USC, which is 8-0 this season in dual-meet
competition, is the defending Pac-10 champion. Its biggest win was
an impressive 79-66 victory over No. 1 ranked, 10-time defending
NCAA champion Louisiana State on March 29. The Cougars are the
defending Western Athletic Conference champions and are coming off
an easy team victory in their own Robinson Invitational, which they
won by 133 points. The Bruins are 8-0 in dual-meet competition this
year and have won 41 consecutive dual meets since 1993. Their last
loss came at the hands of USC in 1992, when the Women of Troy
handed the Bruins a crushing 80-30 defeat. "It’s going to be a
challenge this weekend," Bolden said. "I’m looking forward to it
because I’ve always liked challenges." Challenges from USC and BYU
will come in almost every event. The 100-meter hurdle race will
include the national leader in the event, Tiffany Lott of BYU. Lott
leads the nation with a time of 12.72 seconds. Bruin Joanna Hayes
leads the Pac-10 in the same event with a time of 13.20 and Trojan
Myriam Tschomba is third in the Pac-10 with a time of 13.35. The
high jump features Amy Acuff of UCLA and Emelie Fardigh of USC.
Acuff is a five-time NCAA champion in the event and currently has
the third-best outdoor mark in the country with 6 feet, 3 1/4
inches. Fardigh is fifth in the country with a leap of 6-2. "This
is one of my top five surfaces in the world that I like to jump
on," said Acuff, referring to Cromwell Field. "I’m really looking
forward to competing." The distance races will include Grazyna Penc
of USC in the 800 and 1,500 meters and Katherina Kechris in the
3,000 and possibly the 1,500. Penc is the national leader in both
the 800- and 1,500-meter runs, and Kechris has set personal bests
this year in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. Kechris has also achieved
the NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 3,000. BYU runner
Ashley Monahan is also strong in the 1,500 and the 800, running
solid times of 4:23 and 2:08, respectively. Pamela Simpson of USC,
BYU’s Lott and Deana Simmons will battle in the long jump. Simpson
and Lott have jumped 20-3 this year and Simmons has leaped 19-10
1/4. Simmons and O’Connor will have to face Kristal Berendsen of
BYU in the triple jump. Simmons and O’Connor are among the top five
leaders in the Pac-10, but Berendsen has the best mark among the
three, leaping 43-1 3/4. UCLA is expected to dominate in the
throwing events. Suzy Powell is favored to win the discus and
javelin throws. Seilala Sua and Nada Kawar will most likely
dominate the shot put event, as the two are among the national
leaders in the event. Rachelle Noble should get stiff competition
in the hammer throw from Carrie Martin of USC. Noble has thrown
188-1 this year and Martin has a mark of 181-9.