Friday, 4/25/97 Women’s track to defend title Bruins to battle
30 other college teams, but focuses more on next week’s meet
against USC
By Donald Morrison Daily Bruin Contributor The second-ranked
UCLA women’s track and field team will be traveling up the freeway
this weekend, competing in the fourth annual Cal-Nevada
Championships in Northridge. Over 30 colleges and universities will
compete from California along with the University of Nevada at
Reno. The Bruins are three-time defending champions and are looking
to perform well before they take on USC in their annual crosstown
showdown May 3. "The USC meet is more important so I’m going to
rest some people," head coach Jeanette Bolden said. "I’m going to
run people in different events so they can get some more training."
The Bruins received some strong performances at the Mt. SAC Relays
last weekend from Joanna Hayes, Suzy Powell and Amy Acuff. All are
scheduled to compete on Saturday and Sunday, but might get the
weekend off to rest before the USC meet. Hayes has the leading time
in the Pac-10 in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.20
seconds. Powell is the nation’s leader in the discus with a throw
of 61-60 and Acuff has the second-best outdoor mark in the country
with a leap of 6-2 3/4. Another athlete expected to compete is
Seilala Sua, who earlier in the season, set a National Junior
Record in the shot put with a shot of 57-3 1/2 while indoors.
Jordanian Olympian Nada Kawar will contend for a Cal-Nevada title
in the shot put and the discus. Distance team members Christina
Bowen and Melinda George will try to improve their times in the
1,500 and senior Katherina Kechris, who ran a personal best 9:35.11
in the 3,000 at Mt. SAC, will probably run the 1,500- or 800-meter
runs. Kechris’ time is the 16th-best outdoor time in the nation and
has already made the NCAA provisional time. "Now (Kechris) has the
freedom to run in some other events outside of the 3,000 meters and
not get stale running the 3,000 meter time after time," UCLA
assistant coach Eric Peterson said. Jumpers Deanna Simmons and
Kelly O’Connor will have the opportunity over the weekend to move
up in the Pac-10 standings in the long and triple jumps. Simmons
has the fourth best mark in the Pac-10 in the long jump with a leap
of 19-10 1/4. She is second in the Pac-10 in the triple jump with a
mark of 41-11 1/2. O’Connor ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in the
triple jump with a leap of 39-6 1/2 and is seventh in the long jump
with a mark of 19-6 1/4.