Competing against the nation’s best last weekend, three
UCLA shot putters showed why they could be Olympic contenders with
senior Scott Wiegand, junior Dan Ames and junior Jessica Cosby all
placing in the top 10 at the 2003 U.S.A. Indoor Track and Field
Championships held in Boston.
Wiegand, an outdoor All-American last season, finishedÂ
fourth and was the top collegiate athlete, while Ames, also an
All-American last year in both the outdoor and indoor seasons, tied
for sixth place. In the women’s division, Cosby also took
fourth place.
“It was really a big step up for the three,” said
Art Venegas, who coaches the throwers and also serves as the
men’s track and field coach. “They are just really
developing and definitely have world class potential.”
That coming from Venegas, who is considered the premier
collegiate throwing coach, means a lot.
“Coach has told me that before,” Ames said
diplomatically when asked about his, Wiegand’s and
Cosby’s Olympic potential. “And he really knows his
stuff, so when he talks, you know there is some truth behind what
he says.”
With the meet in Boston, the three athletes and coach were
unable to participate at the Bruins’ opening outdoor meet,
held in Drake Stadium last Saturday. For the rest of the team the
home field served as a nice break from the heavy traveling
they’ve had to endure to compete in the Indoor Division
throughout the country.
But once again, a portion of the team will be uprooted to
Seattle this weekend to compete in a last chance indoor meet at the
University of Washington.
Of the 22 athletes going, about half have provisional qualifying
marks and are close to reaching the marks needed to send them to
Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the NCAA Indoor Championships will be
held next weekend.
This meet will give the 22 athletes on the bubble one more
chance to qualify for Arkansas.