Monday, May 4, 1998
Bruins barely breeze by USC, BYU to win dual meet
MEN’S TRACK: Team’s outstanding performance, personal bests help
UCLA continue winning streak
By Donald Morrison
Daily Bruin Contributor
When 5,000-meter runner Will Bernaldo crossed the finish line,
it was over. Another dual meet, another win for the No. 7 UCLA
men’s track and field team over its cross-town rival USC. However,
Saturday’s meet at Drake Stadium produced the closest and most
exciting UCLA-USC dual meet in the past 20 years with UCLA winning
84-74.
The Bruins’ win was their closest margin of victory over the
Trojans since 1980, when UCLA won 83-71. Bernaldo’s fourth-place
finish in the race officially gave the Bruins enough points to win
the meet and extend its winning streak to 20 over USC. UCLA also
defeated Brigham Young University (BYU) in dual-meet competition,
89-70.
"It’s an emotional victory," UCLA head coach Bob Larsen, now
14-0 against USC, said. "The guys worked so hard and when two guys
get injured like that for the team to perform like they did was
just outstanding."
Outstanding performances happened on all areas of the track, as
athletes stepped up their level of performance to take on USC,
knowing the team was without sprinters Damian Allen and Bryan
Harrison. Allen, third in the Pac-10 in the 200 meters, was injured
from spring football practice and Harrison pulled a hamstring
running the second leg of the 400-meter relay.
One of the Bruins who stepped up was sophomore Jess Strutzel.
Strutzel, running the 800 meters, automatically qualified for the
NCAA Championships in Buffalo, N.Y., with a personal best
performance. Strutzel led practically the whole way en route to
winning in 1 minute, 47.29 seconds.
"I was ready to run a 1:47," Strutzel said. "I kept saying it
and kept thinking about it and came out and did what I was supposed
to do. I’ve been looking forward to this meet for months now."
Strutzel’s performance was by no means the only memorable one at
this meet. Running in the last home meet of his UCLA career,
Mebrahtom Keflezighi went out a winner.
Keflezighi cruised to a victory in the 5,000 meters in 14:24.53.
His win gave UCLA the five points they needed to clinch the win
over BYU in the dual meet.
Keflezighi finished second in the 1,500 meters to teammate Mark
Hauser and set a personal record at 3:42.29. Hauser won in 3:41.97,
and set the UCLA-USC meet record previously held by Bruin Alex
Gonzalez at 3:43.7. Keflezighi led the race until the last 200
meters, when Hauser took off and passed him with 50 meters to go.
Hauser was not the only Bruin on the men’s side to set a meet
record.
Scott Slover wrapped up another victory in the pole vault with a
towering mark of 18 feet, 1 inch. Slover’s vault broke the old meet
record of 18-0 1/2, set by Eric White of UCLA in 1987.
A key field performer was senior Mel Moultry. With the meet
winding down and three events left, Moultry’s second-place finish
in the triple jump earned UCLA three points and cut USC’s dual-meet
lead over the Bruins to 71-69. Moultry set a personal record of
53-1 1/4. His clutch effort places him second overall in the
Pac-10.
"It’s a great big come through," assistant coach Monte Rucker
said. "Right on time. Couldn’t ask for a better performance at the
right time. We geared a lot of our training toward this meet, the
Pac-10 and NCAA Championships so (Moultry) arrived right on
time."
Also arriving right on time was high jumper Rich Pitchford.
Pitchford came back after being ill and injured for most of the
season and finished second in the high jump to BYU’s Marc
Chenn.
Pitchford’s leap of 6-11 3/4 helped UCLA earn nine points out of
nine points against USC in the high jump as Lester DeRaad and
Giovanni Morales finished ahead of Trojan Casey Thompson.
Thrower Luke Sullivan had a huge meet for UCLA. Sullivan won the
discus, finished third in the hammer throw and third in the shot
put. Sullivan putted 57-0 1/4, a personal best in an event he
hadn’t attempted all year until Saturday.
Travis Haynes wrapped up a victory in the shot put with a mark
of 58-11 1/2. Josh Johnson, a proven javelin thrower, won that
event with a mark of 224-6 and Joe Franklin set a personal record
in the javelin, finishing third with a throw of 215-10.
"I was pleased all the way around," assistant coach Art Venegas
said. "The throwers picked up the points where they needed to get
them."
Matt Olin won the 3,000-meter steeple chase with a personal
record of 9:07.25 while USC gave the Bruin sprinters fits. The
Trojans put two runners ahead of the Bruins in the 100, 200, 400
and 110-meter hurdles.
USC also won the 400-meter relay in 39.78 seconds after Harrison
hurt his hamstring. Senior Jim McElroy, who has never lost to USC
in football or track, finished fifth in the 100 meters in 10.58
seconds and fifth in the 200 meters in 21.24 seconds.
"It’s been 20 years in a row in track and seven in football,"
McElroy said. "I feel almost invincible against them."
With the wins over USC and BYU, the Bruins close out another
season undefeated in dual-meet competition. UCLA finished 10-0 this
season and has won 55 consecutive dual meets. The win over Southern
Cal, as Keflezighi summed up, was a team effort.
"The whole day wasn’t about individuals; it was about the team,"
Keflezighi said. "UCLA takes pride in beating USC. Not only this
team, but also ex-Bruins that come here to watch this meet."
MARY CIECEK
Devin Elizando and the Bruins hurdle past USC and BYU in
Saturday’s dual meet.