Thursday, 6/5/97 Bruin men to compete in NCAA Outdoor
Championship M. TRACK Defending champs Arkansas expected to repeat,
UCLA projected in top five
By Emmanuelle Ejercito Daily Bruin Staff The UCLA men’s track
and field team sent 11 athletes to compete in 13 events in
Bloomington, Ind. for the 1997 NCAA Outdoor National Championship.
While Arkansas is the heavy favorite to win and successfully defend
last year’s national title, the Bruins are projected to place in at
least the top five. "Arkansas is a very strong team," UCLA head
coach Bob Larsen said. "After them it’s a little bit more open."
UCLA’s best bet for points is junior Mebrahtom Keflezighi.
Keflezighi leads the nation in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
However, Keflezighi won’t be the favorite to win the individual
national title in the 5,000. Keflezighi ran the 10,000 on Wednesday
and will follow the race up on Thursday with the qualifying heat
for the 5,000. Should Keflezighi advance into the finals, he will
have to run another 12 laps on Saturday. "If it’s hot and humid, it
will be a tough double to do. It’s a tough double to do anyway,"
Larsen said. "He’ll meet people in the 5,000 that are fresh." Not
that Keflezighi hasn’t run the 10,000 and the 5,000 in the same
competition before. In the 1996 Pac-10 championships, Keflezighi
finished third in the 10,000 then came back the next day to win the
Pac-10 crown in the 5,000. But at the NCAA championships Keflezighi
will have to compete with Colorado’s Adam Goucher. Keflezighi and
Goucher battled it out earlier this season at the Mt. SAC Relays.
Keflezighi barely edged out Goucher in the 5,000 crossing the line
at 13:33.97 while Goucher followed in at 13:34.13. Goucher is the
1997 NCAA Indoor National Champion in the 3,000. Another potential
source for points is pole vaulter Scott Slover. The junior has
cleared a height of 18 feet, 7 1/4 inches to lead the nation in the
event. However, at the Pac-10 championships two weeks ago, Slover
finished second with a jump of 17-4 1/2. Slover will get his chance
for his first national title on Saturday. UCLA has four athletes
entered in the discus which will be contested on Friday. David
Dumble, Luke Sullivan, Travis Haynes and Scott McPherren will
attempt to finish in the top eight and put some points on the board
for the Bruins. Last year, Dumble finished a surprising eighth in
the event. This year, Dumble is ranked fourth in the nation with a
season-best throw of 197-11 and will count on placing. "I’ve been
there before and I know what it’s about," Dumble said. "I expect to
get a top place. I should be able to handle the pressure now." With
only the top-eight finishers scoring for their team, many UCLA
athletes are ranked just below eighth. "All you can do is play the
percentages and work very hard if you’re on the bubble to score,"
Larsen said. "They will have to equal their best in the qualifying
rounds to get to the next level." One of those athletes on the
bubble is Mark Hauser. Hauser has the 17th fastest time of the
entrants in the 1,500. On Thursday, Hauser will have to better his
season-best by more than two seconds to keep pace with the top
eight. Previous Daily Bruin stories: Bruins rack up personal bests
in Palo Alto, San Diego meets, Apr 1, 1997