By J.P. Hoornstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
An interstate battle for western supremacy is going down
tomorrow, and the Bruin track teams are right in the thick of it.
In the first-ever California vs. Arizona Challenge, UCLA and
Stanford will combine scores against host Arizona and Northern
Arizona.
Heading into its fourth outdoor meet, the UCLA men’s
contingent has been weakened by injuries to sprinters Denye Versher
and Rodney Diggs, distance runner Jon Rankin and pole vaulter Yoo
Kim.
“We’ve been very fortunate in general, though. We
have a lot of healthy athletes,” UCLA men’s head coach
Art Venegas said. “Our vaulters that were not No. 1 and 2
(senior CJ Bell and sophomore Pat Luke) are now vaulting at the
levels where our No. 1 and 2 injured athletes were at
before.”
On the women’s side, Arizona’s Brianna Glenn is a
threat in multiple events ““ including current national titles
in the 200 meters and the long jump ““ and will try to bring
home a championship for the Grand Canyon State.
“She is one of those athletes that inspires other athletes
on her team; everyone rises to the occasion,” women’s
head coach Jeannette Bolden said.
Nonetheless, momentum is on the side of both UCLA squads.
The Bruin men are coming off a team victory at the Cal-Nevada
Championships in Fresno last Saturday, which saw the Bruins take
first place in nine events. The women’s team reunites for
competition in Arizona after splitting squads between Fresno and
Stanford, meets which produced postseason qualifying marks for
several athletes.
“Everything is going well,” Bolden said. “I
think we’re in great position.”
According to rankings released Tuesday by Trackwire, the Bruin
women are ranked third in the country, and the men 24th, in outdoor
competition. Rankings are based on Trackwire’s prediction of
how teams will finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships beginning
May 29 in Baton Rouge, La.
For the first time all year, they will be scored as
Californians. But the view remains the same on the track and in the
field for the Bruins, many of whom are still looking to secure
postseason qualifying marks.
“Yeah, I’m looking to win the shot, take out my
teammate (sophomore Dan Ames),” said junior shot putter Scott
Wiegand, “But I’m actually looking to automatic qualify
in the shot and get into the nationals.”
And any geography student can tell you the road to Louisiana
leads through Arizona.