By Christina Teller
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The Bruins have two visitors coming to town this weekend. No. 25
Nebraska and Cal State Northridge will join the UCLA women’s
track and field team at Drake Stadium for a triangular meet.
Just one week away from the Mt. SAC Invitational, the Bruins are
well into the outdoor season and ready to make their mark at their
last home meet of the year.
“Hopefully we can get into a good rhythm with the home
meet this weekend,” said Throwing Coach Art Venegas.
The UCLA throwers seem to have established a comfortable rhythm
thus far and should be dominant in the shot put, discus and hammer
throws against both Nebraska and Northridge.
UCLA senior shot putter and hammer thrower Christina Tolson has
the clear advantage in both her events, as she carries into the
meet seasonal bests of 56 feet, 1 1/4 inches in the shot put and
207-11 in the hammer. She was this week’s Pac-10 Athlete of
the Week.
Junior Chaniqua Ross should have no problem in the discus, with
her seasonal best at 160-11. She will be followed by freshman Lara
Saye (157-4).
“I’m pleased with where they’re at right
now,” Venegas said. “As long as they stay healthy, they
can use the last home meet to give a good run.”
As Ross and Tolson have already automatically qualified for the
outdoor national meet, they will use remaining meets of the season
to build up for the finish.
“I’m going to try to use every meet for stepping
stone for nationals,” Ross said. “I hope can meet my
own expectations because I’m below what should be my average
performance right now.
“There’s room for growth for me to meet,” Ross
added.
The meet should also feature big performances from Bruin pole
vaulters. UCLA has three potential national scorers on the team
““ juniors Tracy O’Hara and Heather Sickler and senior
Erika Hoernig.
“Erika looks to be running better than ever,” Pole
Vault Coach Anthony Curran said. “She’s had big jumps
at lower heights, and now we’re looking to get the big jumps
at higher heights too.”
The meet this weekend may be where the girls hit the big mark
after working through early season transitions, with the closest
competition coming from Allyson Crosby and Jennifer Capehart of
Northridge, whose seasonal bests sit at 11-8.
At least on paper, the high jump event looks to be a close
competition. Junior Darnesha Griffith leads the Bruins with a
seasonal best of 6-0, followed by senior Heather Newlin at 5-7.
Nebraska features Carrie Barnes as their leading jumper at 6-0
followed by Jessica Thompson at 5-8 3/4.
“Our goal this weekend is that the jumpers get closer to
Pac-10 and national marks,” Jumps Coach Al Joyner said.
“We really get prepared, and there’s the USC meet soon
too.
“The key is to jump well not every time but to jump at the
right time,” he added.
The Bruins also look to dominate on the track, led by senior
Michelle Perry in the hurdles, senior Shakedia Jones in the 100-
and 200-meter sprints and middle distance runners freshman Lena
Nilsson, sophomores Jessica Marr and Tiffany Burgess, junior Ysanne
Williams and senior Bridie Hatch in the 800.
The triangular meet on Saturday will be another opportunity for
the Bruins to get qualifying marks for the championship meets at
the end of the season.