Thursday, 5/29/97 Track Notes
McElroy knows track and football Jim McElroy knows what it’s
like to juggle tasks. While most people are resigned to excelling
in one sport, McElroy is accomplished in two sports – football and
track. Last fall in football, McElroy the receiver led the team
with 527 receiving yards. And this season on the track, McElroy the
sprinter has improved with every meet. McElroy is also the
most-called-upon athlete on the UCLA men’s track and field team,
competing in four events for the Bruins. Last weekend at the
Pacific 10 Conference Championships in Seattle, McElroy raced in
four events for a total of six races including preliminary heats.
Despite, being stretched in many events, McElroy’s results were
anything but mediocre. McElroy individually scored nine points for
the Bruins, and as the anchor for both relay teams helped score an
additional 16 points. In the 100 meters, McElroy finished in sixth
place with a time of 10.72. In the 200, the junior was the third to
cross the line at 21.12. In the last event of the meet, the 1600
meter relay, McElroy had his best split on the anchor leg at 45.9.
"After all those races, McElroy was still competitive," UCLA head
coach Bob Larsen said. "It was a great effort for him. He’s really
improved as a track runner. "Overall, he’s just a tenacious
competitor." Washington wind hampers Bruins Seattle may be known
for rain, but last weekend, it was the wind which hampered a few of
the Bruin jumpers. "A lot of the vaulters didn’t jump real well
with the conditions," Larsen said. Scott Slover, who won the Pac-10
pole vault title last year, struggled with the headwind and
finished second, clearing 17- 4 1/2. Slover’s best vault this
season is a national leading vault of 18- 7 1/4. A surprise placer
for the Bruins was Travis Calkins. Calkins cleared 16 3/4 to take
fifth place. Although he is a senior, it was the first time Calkins
has tallied points for UCLA. Ritch Pitchford also had to deal with
adverse conditions in the high jump. Last year’s Pac-10 champion,
Pitchford who ranked third in the conference cleared 6- 8 3/4.
Overall in the meet, Pitchford finished in fifth place, while
fellow Bruin Ed Barnett took third by clearing 6- 10 3/4.
Meanwhile, the field events team accounted for 80 of the team’s 138
points. The most points came from the discus, where although a
Bruin did not win the title, UCLA placed four athletes. Senior
David Dumble led the Bruin throwers, finishing second with a throw
of 189- 2. Previous Daily Bruin Stories: Bruins hope to run
conference streak to six, May 23, 1997