Wednesday, 5/21/97 Bruin discus throwers hope for strong winds
UCLA looks to soar to new distances, break personal records
By Emmanuelle Ejercito Daily Bruin Staff The UCLA track and
field team is hoping that the winds of fortune will carry the
discus throwers to new lengths at the Salinas Invitational today.
With the Pacific 10 Championships coming up this weekend, only the
discus throwers will travel to Salinas. Traditionally, the winds at
Salinas have helped the discus throwers achieve new personal bests.
Last year, throwers David Dumble, Luke Sullivan and Travis Haynes
set lifetime bests at this meet. "We are hoping for favorable
conditions that in the past have given us some wonderful lifetime
bests," UCLA throwing coach Art Venegas said. "But you never know
about the conditions … we are looking forward to seeing what
happens." Favorable winds may help junior Suzy Powell break the
American Collegiate record she set two weeks ago at the Modesto
Invitational. Her heave of 214 feet broke the previous record of
213-11. Freshman teammate Seilala Sua may make it three times this
season that she has broken her own American unior record. Also
during the meet at Modesto, Sua threw over 200 feet for the first
time in her career with a throw of 205-4. The mark places her fifth
on the all-time collegiate list. Other women throwers joining
Powell and Sua are juniors Nada Kawar and Rachelle Noble.
"Everybody is healthy and ready to go," Venegas said. "We’re hoping
for some big throws from David Dumble and of course Luke Sullivan."
Dumble, who has flirted with the 200-foot mark all season, will be
hoping for a big performance this year. Last year at Salinas,
Dumble threw for a then-personal best of 197 feet, which was an
improvement of over 5 feet over his previous personal record.
Sullivan, who heads the provisional qualifying list, will get his
chance to earn an automatic qualifying mark of 193-7. So far his
season-best is 192 feet set in late March, but had been hampered by
a back injury during the middle of the season. Previous Daily Bruin
stories: Men’s, women’s squads turn in solid performances at
invitational May 13, 1997