Track uses weekend off for tune-up competition
By Tim Costner
and Scott Yamaguchi
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
While most members of the UCLA track and field program will use
this weekend to train for next week’s Penn Relays, a handful of
athletes will compete in meets around Southern California.
UCLA sprinter Ato Boldon, who has already qualified for the NCAA
Championships in the men’s100-meters, will focus on the 200 at the
Meet of Champions in Azusa on Saturday.
Having already run the 100 in a wind-aided 10.01 seconds, Boldon
can approach that race  and the UCLA record  with a
degree of patience.
"He’s gotten that out of the way," UCLA sprinting coach John
Smith said of Boldon and the 100. "I didn’t want him going around
chasing records. I didn’t want to be bothered with chasing stuff. I
felt it was best for us to wait and work on his 200 time. The
training for that will help his 100 anyway."
UCLA’s Ibrahim Hassan will also run the 200 at Azusa, and both
sprinters will run in the 4×100 relay along with Gentry Bradley and
Thomas Ganda.
For the women, who will train through this weekend in
anticipation of next week’s California-Nevada State Championships
in Fresno, six athletes will make the trip to Azusa.
Sophomore Amy Acuff will compete in the high jump, as will
senior Shelia Burrell and sophomore Darlene Malco. Burrell and
Malco, both of whom competed in their first heptathlon of the
season last weekend, will also throw the javelin and run the
100-meter hurdles and both relays Saturday.
Joining them on the relay teams will be sophomore Cicely Scott
and junior Camille Noel. Scott and Noel might compete in the 400,
and freshman Mame Twamasi will open her season in the 100 and
200.
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At a meet in Point Loma, UCLA’s John Godina will compete in the
men’s discus, while UCLA’s Dawn Dumble and Suzy Powell will compete
in the women’s discus.
"Obviously our emphasis is on the Penn Relays next week," UCLA
throwing coach Art Venegas said. "It’s a major meet  there
will be 45,000 people screaming and yelling. Even with the meet
this weekend, we’ll definitely be training hard through the
week."