Odd as it may seem, this weekend’s competition has very
little to do with best marks and first-place finishes. Instead, the
members of the UCLA men’s track and field team are only
concerned with qualifications.
During the NCAA West Regional track meet, the Bruins will
attempt to qualify as many athletes as possible for the upcoming
national meet. Held today and Saturday at Cal State Northridge, the
regional meet gives athletes with top-five finishes in their events
automatic tickets to Austin, Tex., where the NCAA Championships
will be held in two weeks.
Should an athlete fail to make the top five, provisional bids
will be distributed to holders of the six best times in the country
who didn’t qualify in their regional.
For some, the drive for peak performance is somewhat dulled as
simply making the cut assumes utmost importance. But while athletes
won’t be chasing the record books this weekend, strong
performances will be needed in order to stick with the strong
competition in the West region and make the top five.
“For those who haven’t proven themselves at the
All-American level yet, they’re going to have to be pursuing
excellence in order to qualify,” distance coach Eric Peterson
said.
The Bruins will also be looking to successfully defend their
regional team title from last year. Though a regional title holds
little value compared to a national title, it is still significant
for a rebuilding program such as UCLA.
“We want to win titles, and if we’re not a
legitimate contender at the national level, then the next best
thing is a regional title,” Peterson said.
Thrower Dan Ames will be a key contributor to the team’s
chances. Competing in all three throwing events, Ames should easily
qualify in all of them and legitimately contend for the individual
titles in both the shot put and the hammer throw.
Also significant for the Bruins’ team chances will be
jumper Juaune Armon. After struggling with injuries for most of the
outdoor season, Armon won the long jump at the Pac-10 Championships
and continues to make a comeback as a national-caliber jumper.
One of the more intriguing matchups will be in the pole vault,
because the region is heavily stacked in the event. UCLA will be
looking to qualify both Pat Luke and Yoo Kim, but the competition
is so strong that Luke may become a provisional qualifier.
On the track, the Bruins will have sprinter Craig Everhart and
hurdlers Brandon Johnson, Anthony Golston and Jonathan Williams all
looking favorable for a trip to nationals.
The middle distance corps of Ben Aragon and Jon Rankin will be
joined by top 800-meter runner Nick Thorton, who missed the Pac-10
meet due to an injury. Although Thorton will compete in the 800m,
he will not compete in the 4x400m relay.Â
The meet begins today at 8 a.m. with the women’s hammer
throw. The running events begin at 3 p.m.