NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Kyle Erickson
looks on while his teammates talk during the USC meet.
By Glen Worthington
Daily Bruin Contributor
It may not be the stuff championships are made of, but it is
definitely a step in that direction.
Five UCLA athletes will compete in the NCAA Men’s Track
and Field Championships that begin today and conclude Saturday in
Eugene, Ore., though only two are anticipated to score points.
“We’re ready to roll,” said Bruin Head Coach
Art Venegas. “You can’t ask more from the guys.
They’re healthy and they seem motivated. We’ll see what
happens.”
Throwers junior Scott Moser and redshirt freshman Dan Ames have
been the pride of UCLA track and field all year. They are expected
to produce NCAA points.
Moser has been nationally ranked almost since day one, and
Ames’ breakthrough performances quickly lifted him to the
same level. Going into the NCAAs, they hope to surpass their past
success in the last meet of the year.
Moser, the Pac-10 champion in the discus, is third overall in
the NCAA for the event. His season-best toss of 206-feet-8 inches
is only a few inches off the lead.
“If I don’t get in the top three I’ll be very
disappointed,” Moser said. “I’ve been relatively
consistent all year. I have a chance of winning if I have a big
throw and if some of the other guys freeze up a bit.”
The point is, he will not freeze up. He knows much is expected
of him and he is ready for the challenge.
Moser will also compete in the shot put. He is ranked 13th out
of 14 competitors, though he placed eighth in the NCAA indoor
championships in March.
The other half of the tandem, Ames, ranks eighth in both the
shot put and the discus.
Both athletes are performers. Moser’s veteran know-how and
Ames’ explosive talent may provide them what they need to
beat out tough competition.
The throws have provided UCLA with highlight-reel material all
season. Not only have the shot put and discus been phenomenal
successes, but sophomore Nate Marum quietly had an outstanding year
in the javelin.
Although Marum is in the middle of the NCAA pack, ranked 13th of
19, he can come up with the big throw when it’s needed most.
Take the USC meet. After a Trojan took the lead on his final throw,
Marum stepped up with his last throw to win the event by nearly 10
feet. He’ll need that kind of performance again in
Oregon.
“It’s been a good season,” Marum said.
“A little bit tough, kind of sporadic, off-and-on injuries,
but I’ve done a lot of learning. I think I’ll become a
much more consistent thrower next year and (throw) a lot
further.”
He may already be looking ahead to next year, but according to
Venegas, if Marum warms up intelligently, he has a real shot at
scoring points for the team this year.
A late-season surge by freshman pole vaulter Yoo Kim earned him
a trip to Oregon as well. In the last few weeks of the season, Kim
repeatedly broke his own personal record. He barely squeezed into
the NCAAs as one of seven vaulters tied for the 17th and final
spot.
Pole Vault Coach Anthony Curran has been pleased with this
year’s vaulting squad, which boasts five 17-footers for the
first time in UCLA history. Kim and sophomore Jared Drake both
scored Pac-10 points for the Bruins, but Kim’s stellar 17-4
1/4 vault at Modesto was the only vault big enough to qualify.
UCLA’s sole track competitor at NCAAs is sophomore Kyle
Erickson. Erickson just made the bubble for the 400-meter
hurdles.
Coming off two late-season disappointments ““ he fell on
the final hurdle at the USC meet then was disqualified in a
preliminary heat of the Pac-10 Championships ““ Erickson is
looking to end the season on a high note.
“I told him, “˜Prepare yourself to run two of the
best races that you’ve ever run in your life,'”
said Sprint Coach John Smith. “You go there with the
intention that you’re going to run your best race starting
off and then you’re going to come back with your best race
again (in the finals).”
Erickson is tough and capable. Don’t be surprised if he
runs a lifetime best to propel himself into the finals and a
position to score points.
“I’d like for the kids that have been doing well all
year to keep doing well,” Venegas said. “I’d like
the kids that are way overmatched underdogs to have a good meet and
maybe move up and beat some of the guys ranked ahead of them. I
think as long as the guys beat people ranked ahead of them that
makes it a good meet.”