Coaches are responsible for building and nurturing relationships with their athletes.
And Joanna Hayes has embraced an athlete-first approach throughout her new stint in Westwood.
The UCLA track and field director helped lead 11 athletes to the NCAA outdoor championships, which will span from Wednesday to Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene.
Although the Bruins’ final meet marks the pinnacle of their 2026 campaign, Hayes said she has not changed the individualized approach that has defined her first two years with the Bruins.
“I don’t change my approach,” Hayes said. “I might adjust how I prepare different people because they may be ready for different things. Some are ready to win. Some are ready to make finals. My approach doesn’t change, but individualizing, it does, and each individual, you have different conversations with them directly.
Junior sprinter Gabriel Clement II, who clocked a 45.22-second performance at the NCAA West Regionals to clinch a spot in the national championship meet, said Hayes fosters open communication with her athletes, which has contributed to personal and collective success.
Clement added that Hayes has built a program that empowers athletes to voice their concerns, particularly when it comes to working through injuries. The 2025 First Team Outdoor All-American dealt with a hamstring injury last indoor season, limiting him to just three meet outings and the start of this year’s outdoor slate.
“If I weren’t at this institution, if I were at another school, they wouldn’t see me as a person – they would see me as points, and they wouldn’t hear me whenever I’m telling them that my hamstring hurts,” Clement said. “Them hearing me and actually listening to me is huge in my success, because without them, I don’t think I’d be able to even be competing.”
Junior sprinter Taylor Snaer is slated to compete in the women’s 200-meter dash along with the 4×100-meter relay, marking her second consecutive appearance at the championship competition after she transferred from Modesto Junior College ahead of the 2025 season. The Manteca, California, local placed 18th in the 200-meter dash last year with a 22.91-second outing.
And the junior said UCLA’s coaching staff gives its athletes the resources to balance their athletic and academic workloads.
“We have to reschedule a lot of things when it comes to our meets and our classes, so they’re (the coaching staff) very supportive and very understanding when it comes to that side of things, and they know what it takes to be a UCLA student and athlete,” Snaer said after the Big Ten championships May 19. “It definitely can be challenging, but we have all the pieces to be able to manage that.”
Senior sprinter/hurdler Tamaal Myers will also return to Hayward Field track in the men’s 400-meter hurdles after crossing the finish line in 49.67 seconds at the West regionals, placing 10th while setting a new personal best.
And Myers boasts a unique relationship with Hayes.
The Detroit local said the former USC sprints and hurdles assistant coach recruited him to join the Trojan squad, where Hayes directly trained him for two years. When Hayes took the track and field director role at UCLA, Myers followed her to Westwood.
Sophomore sprinter/hurdler Celeste Polzonetti will race in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, clinching a spot in the Eugene showcase for the second straight year after placing third with a personal-best 12.79-second performance in the regional round. Last year, the Desio, Italy, local finished 16th in her first championship trip to Hayward.
Fellow sophomore jumper Valentina Fakrogha is also seeded to compete in her second NCAA outdoor championship in as many years. Fakrogha, a 2025 First Team Outdoor All-American in the women’s high jump, placed first in the same event at the Big Ten Outdoor championships before jumping 1.87 meters in the regional competition to earn a championship-qualifying seventh-place finish.
Hayes said UCLA’s primary goal is to improve upon what they accomplished at last year’s outdoor championships.
“You want to take from what you did the year before and grow from that and prepare for it,” Hayes said. “So they’re (the NCAA outdoor championship qualifiers) all doing a really good job of that.”
Joining Fakrogha in the field competition is senior thrower Xaver Hastenrath, who joined the Bruins at the start of the outdoor season. Hastenrath will compete in the shot put at Hayward Field after recording a 19.31-meter throw at the West regionals.
Two Bruin relays – the women’s 4×100- and 4×400-meter squads – clinched national championship bids for the second straight year, with Snaer, senior sprinter Naomi Johnson and sophomore sprinter Kayla McBride representing the relays’ sole returners.
The Bruins’ mile relay reached the 4×400-meter final last year for the first time since 2021, which sealed four First Team All-American selections at last year’s outdoor national championships.
Despite UCLA securing five fewer championship tickets than last year, when 16 Bruins competed, Hayes said her athletes have started to internalize her tutelage as she continues to rebuild the Westwood program.
“It’s a journey to rebuild … to get kids that are already here to buy into the culture,” Hayes said. “There’s a lot of balance that needs to be done, but these performances have gotten better across the board in every event area, and people really want to be proud Bruins.”
Comments are closed.