Tuesday, May 12, 1998
Bruins’ success in Modesto puts team even closer to an NCAA
title
WOMEN’S TRACK: Strong showings garner throwing records for
Outdoor-bound UCLA
By Alvin Cadman
Daily Bruin Contributor
With the lures of summer around the corner and major movie
blockbuster trailers being shown throughout TV commercial breaks,
it seems the UCLA women’s track and field team have been paying
close attention. In the City of Angels, doors have been sliding
open for the No. 1 ranked women’s track and field program in the
country.
The Bruins are becoming a Big Hit, and making fans that watch
the sport revel and Woo. After defeating USC and BYU – both ranked
in the top five in the nation last weekend – the Bruins had been
enjoying the last six days and seven nights coming into their
evening showdown at the Modesto Invitational.
Sophomore Seilala Sua won the women’s invitational discus on
Saturday evening with a throw of 212-2. This a personal best for
Sua, the 1997 NCAA Outdoor women’s discus champion. Her throw this
past weekend is the fourth longest throw in collegiate history, and
the sixth longest throw in United States history.
"She handled the field (of competitors) beautifully,"said Art
Vanegas of his pupil’s phenomenal performance in the discus event.
"It was one of the best throws ever by an American."
This ranks Sua third in the nation in the women’s discus, and
solidifies her hold on an automatic berth in the 1998 Outdoor Track
and Field Championships. The Cooper City, Fla., native has already
earned automatic qualifying marks in the women’s shot put and
hammer throw, and a provisional berth in the women’s javelin.
Suzy Powell, competing in her hometown of Modesto, placed second
in the women’s discus with a throw of 197-0. She set the American
collegiate record in the discus with a monstrous toss of 214 feet
at this meet last year. She is currently ranked second in the
country in this event behind American record holder Aretha Hill of
Washington, who beat the previous mark of 214-0 by Powell with a
throw of 215-3 in San Diego on March 28 of this year.
In the women’s invitational shot put, former Bruin Valyeta
Althouse of Reebok had a winning mark of 59-3. Sua placed second
with a throw of 57-2. Rachelle Noble placed sixth with a throw of
51-7. Noble is currently ranked 10th in the NCAA, which assures her
of an automatic spot at the NCAA Outdoors in Buffalo, N.Y.
In the women’s javelin, Noble stood victorious with a throw of
167-1, a personal best for the Show Low, Ariz., senior.
The meet was another prime example of UCLA’s dominance in the
throwing events that will play a vital role on the road to a
national championship for head coach Jeannette Bolden’s women’s
track and field squad.
* * *
UCLA freshman Shakedia Jones announced her arrival to NCAA track
and field with breakout performances of phenomenal proportions in
the 100 and 200-meter sprints at last Saturday’s home triangular
meet with USC and BYU.
This has earned Jones the TrackWire Athlete of the Week honor
for the competitive weekend of May 1 through May 3. Her victories
in the 100-meters in 11.11 seconds and 200-meters in 22.84 seconds
helped the Bruins move into the No. 1 spot in the TrackWire Top 25
Collegiate Rankings. Her 200 time is a national dual meet record,
and she ran on the winning Bruin 4×100-meter relay team that also
set a national dual meet record. After all that, Jones ran on
UCLA’s winning 4×400-relay that afternoon.
Jones expressed shock and surprise at her quick development and
early success in her Bruin career under the constant supervision of
UCLA women’s head coach Jeanette Bolden.
"Coach Bolden told me not to expect to run fast this early,"
Jones said after her two outstanding races, against the University
of Second Choice no less.
"She said that at the Pac-10 (Championships), I would start to
run fast and peak at the NCAA (Outdoor Championships). So I was
surprised to run this fast, this early."
Yet, coach Bolden wasn’t completely surprised.
"I wasn’t surprised at her 200 time," said Bolden, reflecting on
Jones’ performance. "She was getting those marks in her training
runs. But she hasn’t been doing a lot of acceleration work, and she
was having trouble with the middle part of the 100 (meters), so I
was happily surprised at her 100 time."DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin
All-American Deana Simmons competes for UCLA in long jump.