One not-so-innocent question seems to have altered the course of
Saturday’s USC-UCLA dual meet.
As Tuesday’s media luncheon came to a close, Trojan
sprinter Miya Edmonson asked why only three athletes per team would
be eligible to score in each event. A quick debate led to an
important scoring change ““ now there will be no limit to the
number of athletes in any event from either side that are eligible
to score points for their team.
“That’s exactly why I asked the question,”
Edmonson said. “I think the rule change benefits
us.”
Which side it benefits could lead to another debate, but what
both UCLA and USC do agree upon is that it places greater emphasis
on depth.
The meet will be scored with the traditional dual meet system:
five points for first place in an event, three for second, and one
for third. Consequently, the side that has more fourth and fifth
competitors in each event who are capable of cracking the top three
will be in position to take advantage of the ruling.
“It allows for a greater commitment from people who might
have been non-scorers,” UCLA distance coach Eric Peterson
said. “Where it will have an impact is the battle for second
and third place.”
The ruling seems to favor both USC and UCLA’s men’s
and women’s teams in different areas. The Trojan men and
women are teeming with top-notch sprinters, particularly in the
100-meters. The Bruin men are especially deep in the throwing
events while the women’s middle distance corps is chock-full
of talent.
Perhaps the only way one team could earn a true advantage is in
the running events. Since there are nine lanes on the track, a coin
flip before each race will determine which team gets five scoring
competitors and which gets four.
TROJAN GREAT HONORED: Former USC track and
field great Dave Nuttall will be honored in a ceremony prior to
Friday’s hammer throw.
Nuttall, affectionately known by friends as “Dr.
Dave,” was diagnosed with stomach cancer at the end of the
summer and died in late-March.
LEGENDS TO RUN: A special 400m race featuring
USC and UCLA legends will take place Saturday afternoon prior to
the men’s 400m. Each athlete expected to run is trained by
former UCLA coach Jim Bush.