Former Bruin sets U.S. record
Former UCLA men’s track and field standout Mebrahtom
Keflezighi (’98) has gone onto bigger and better things.
Judging from his past achievements, that’s quite an
accomplishment.
Keflezighi was a four-time NCAA 10,000-meter champion and was a
member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team.
Now he has another accolade to add to his already prestigious
list: American record holder.
On May 4, Keflezighi finished fourth in a field of 17
Olympic-caliber athletes with a time of 27 minutes, 13.98
seconds.
The former record was held by Mark Nenow who ran 27:20.56 in
1986 in Brussels.
A legacy
Jackie Joyner-Kersee was voted “Top Woman Collegiate
Athlete of the Past 25 Years” on April 25 in New York. Those
who voted included 976 NCAA member schools.
All former Honda Award recipients of the last 25 years were
eligible for the honor. Each year, the Honda-Broderick Cup is
presented to the Woman Collegiate Athlete of the Year.
Joyner-Kersee received the Honda Award in 1984.
Joyner-Kersee is the UCLA record holder in the heptathlon and
long jump and was also a four-year starter for the UCLA
women’s basketball team. Joyner-Kersee went on to win six
Olympic medals.
Solid foundation
Senior Michelle Perry was named the Pac-10 track athlete of the
week for the week of May 7-11.
Perry competed in five events in the UCLA-USC dual meet on
Saturday, including running the anchor on the Bruins’ winning
4 x 400m relay in an NCAA automatic qualifying and season-best time
of 3:32.76.
Perry also won the 100m hurdles (13.18) and the 400m hurdles
with a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 56.23. Perry ran the third
leg on the Bruins’ 4 x 100m relay team that placed second in
an automatic NCAA automatic time of 44.19, and she finished fourth
in the long jump with a mark of 19-6 1/4 inches.
A promising future
High school senior Monique Henderson, Track and Field
News’ Athlete of the Year, has signed a letter of intent with
UCLA.
Henderson, of Morse HS in San Diego, placed first in the 400m
race with a time of 50.74, a national high school and
American Junior record (under 19 years of age).
Henderson also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in August and
placed eighth (51.79), earning her a spot in the U.S. Olympic 4 x
400m relay pool.
Henderson, who is only the second non-senior since Marion Jones
to be named Gatorade National HS Women’s Track & Field
Athlete of the Year, was listed as the No. 2 200m performer on the
women’s prep chart and No. 8 in the 100m on last year’s
national high school list.
Other incoming female Bruins are All-American distance runner
Alejandra Barrientos from San Lorenzo Valley in Felton, jumper
Candice Baucham and pole vaulter Jamie Kolar from Long Beach Poly
HS, distance runner Lori Mann from Santa Margarita High in Coto De
Caza and All-American thrower Briona Reynolds from Red River High
in Grand Forks, N.D.
On the men’s side, the Bruins are hoping to continue to
build with the next wave of recruits. Last year, UCLA had the No.4
recruiting class in the nation according to Track and Field
News.
Distance runner Daniel Clements, sprinter Robert Hambleton,
hurdler Jonathan Williams, high jumper Chadd Smith and shot put
thrower Jake Knight will add depth and punch to the Bruin
squad.
Notes compiled by Christina Teller and Glen Worthington, Daily
Bruin Senior Staff.