TUCSON, Ariz. “”mdash; The drought is finally over.
After a seven-year dry spell, the UCLA men’s track and
field team finally found their way back to a Pac-10 title, in the
desert of all places.
Highlighted by their sweep of the throws and a series of
magnificent performances on the track, the Bruins edged out a
strong Oregon team to win 146-130.
“It feels great,” coach Art Venegas said. “We
have the people, and when we have the people and they believe in
themselves, that’s great. I can see it coming.”
What Venegas sees is a Bruin squad that comes closer to becoming
an elite team with each meet. This season, the Bruins have
certainly demonstrated a renewed spirit, which was showcased this
weekend in Tucson, as team unity and cohesiveness seems to be at an
all-time high.
“I’m more happy that we are finally able to grow as
a team and mature enough to put a big enough score out
there,” assistant coach Eric Peterson said. “This is
really big for our program.”
Winning the conference title can only benefit the team.
Obviously, a newfound edge on the recruiting game won’t hurt,
especially if the Bruins want to compete at the national level with
the likes of
Arkansas and Florida.
For the Bruins, winning the Pac-10 title is the first step on
that journey.
“We’ve got to start bringing titles back,”
sprinter Craig Everhart said. “When it comes, be
ready.”
But still, some are just happy to finally hold the title
again.
“You want to have the feeling that you’re the guys
who finally were able to do it,” thrower Dan Ames said.
“(The throwers) wanted to do as much as we could. We wanted
to do our part.”
Ames certainly did that.
It was his 30-point supremacy that helped the Bruins clinch it.
By easily winning the shot put, discus and hammer, Ames becomes the
first Pac-10 thrower to ever win all three events.
“Its tough for a team to compete against us knowing that
30 points are just about in the bag because of the way Danny (Ames)
competes,” Venegas said.
For Ames, the trifecta was just what he needed before the
upcoming NCAA regionals. Though he’s had a tremendous season
““ sweeping all three events at the USC-UCLA dual meet and
even grabbing two All-American titles at the Indoor Championships
““ Ames is just beginning to understand how successful he is
on the field.
Now, with a confidence boost that understandably coincides with
his increased performances, Ames is right where he needs to be in
order to compete at the higher level.
“I’m excited for having accomplished it,” he
said. “I’m just starting to understand how important it
was for the team, which makes it feel more special. But I feel more
confident. I’m starting to believe more and more in
myself.”
Another performance that clinched the victory for UCLA came from
freshman hurdler Brandon Johnson. He won the 400-meter hurdles with
a blistering time of 48.85 seconds, the fastest time in the world
this year.
The other winner on the track was Ben Aragon in the 800-meter.
Aragon ran a personal best of 1:48.45, with teammate Jon Rankin
finishing a close second 1:48.77, also a personal best. On the
field, jumper Juaune Armon easily won the long jump with a
season-best 25 feet, 11.75 inches. He rounded out the four
individual Bruins who won.
“I feel that our seniors, in particular, had an awesome
meet,” Venegas said. “Also, our middle-distance crew
showed that they belong amongst the top of the
conference.”