It took all of one word for Arizona State coach Greg Kraft to
list which teams have a chance to upend the UCLA women’s
track and field team this weekend.
“Nobody.”
Not Stanford and its world-class stable of distance runners.
Not USC despite its dominance in the short sprints.
In fact, as this weekend’s Pac-10 Championships draw
nearer, Kraft and the rest of the coaches in the conference are
making it clear that their hopes of defeating the Bruins are beyond
bleak.
“We’re not a factor,” said USC coach Ron
Allice, even though his team is ranked No. 6 in the nation.
“We are going to be conservative in how we decide who to
enter in order to keep our athletes healthy and fresh for the NCAA
Regionals. If UCLA slips up, Stanford is the only team that could
capitalize.”
The No. 4 Bruins have won six straight conference championships,
and they appear to have more than enough talent to capture a
seventh. Five different Bruins have posted the top mark in their
respective events, and the squad appears ready for a break-out
meet.
“I think everybody could have a big weekend,” UCLA
head coach Jeanette Bolden said. “Our coaches have been very
cautious this whole year with our training and have played things
close to the vest. We want to try to have everyone prepared for
regionals and nationals.”
Among those poised to have a big weekend are sophomore Monique
Henderson and junior Lena Nilsson. The defending conference
champion in the 400-meters, Henderson again has the Pac-10’s
top mark in the event (52.23 seconds) and the second-best time in
the 200-meter run (23.49).
Nilsson, last year’s NCAA champion in the 1500-meter run,
has the third best mark in the event behind Stanford’s
Malindi Elmore and Washington’s Courtney Inman, but she is
probably the odds-on favorite coming into the race. Nilsson is also
entered in the 800-meter run along with freshman Ashley Caldwell,
but will likely only run if it appears to be necessary to win the
meet.
One event which promises to be compelling is the shot put where
the Bruin sophomore tandem of Jessica Cosby and Briona Reynolds
will have to contend with the nation’s No. 1 shot putter,
Stanford’s Jillian Camarena. Cosby, the defending NCAA
champion in the event, has struggled at times this season, and will
need to be at her best to have a chance to win.
“The UCLA throwers are wonderful athletes,” Stanford
coach Vin Lananna said. “This weekend will be a formidable
challenge for Jill, but we are expecting her to do well.”
Stanford will likely be the stiffest challenge for the Bruins
this weekend, but even the No. 7 Cardinals do not have the depth
and versatility to pose much of a threat. Barring a sluggish
performance from a number of athletes, UCLA appears to be poised
for another victory.
“People know we haven’t competed a lot, and that we
usually come on late in the season,” Bolden said. “On
the paper we have some holes to plug, but if we are hitting on all
cylinders, we should do very well.”