NORTHRIDGE “”mdash; Isn’t it great when a plan comes
together?
For the UCLA men’s track and field team, the answer is an
unequivocal yes.
This weekend everything at the NCAA West Regionals went as
planned for the Bruins, who qualified almost every athlete they
hoped to for the upcoming NCAA Championships en route to a
convincing victory in the team competition.
Fifteen Bruins earned berths for Nationals as UCLA amassed 141
points, almost 60 more than second-place USC (82).
More importantly, though, the team qualified at least one
athlete in every event it competed in and will be sending the
largest delegation of Bruins to Nationals in the program’s
history.
“I’m thrilled that so many of our kids have the
opportunity to go to Austin for the NCAA Championships,”
coach Art Venegas said. “It’s good to see our
athletes be a team and have each other’s backs.
“People say that track is such an individual sport.
I’ve tried to get away from that way of thinking with this
team. Our success is due to coming together as a team.”
The Bruin athletes showcased a well-rounded performance
throughout both the field and track events this weekend, helping
them win the team title. They will be well-represented in nearly
every unit, save the 200-meter sprint, long distances, high jump
and triple jump, for which they had no athletes competing. By
having so many athletes qualify, UCLA appears to be in contention
for a top-10 spot at Nationals. The team’s national standing
marks a definite progression for the program.
“I feel the rankings are fairly accurate,” Venegas
said of his No. 7 team. “We have some upside and we have some
downside. But that seventh ranking is fairly accurate.”
“I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get a top-10
finish,” he added.
Leading the team as expected was senior thrower Dan Ames. For
the second meet in a row, Ames won the trifecta of throwing events
with a mark of 64 feet, 3.25 inches in the shot put, 189-4 in the
discus, and 206-5 in the hammer. His teammate Jeremy Silverman also
qualified in the shot put, finishing second with a personal best
64-0.50.
On the track, sprinter Craig Everhart and hurdler Brandon
Johnson continued to impress with their individual wins.
Everhart’s winning time of 44.89 seconds in the 400-meter
dash was not only a new personal best but also an automatic Olympic
trial qualifying standard.
Meanwhile, Johnson’s 49.64 time in 400m hurdles proved his
electrifying 48.85 performance at the Pac-10 Championship was no
fluke. At the Pac-10s, Johnson had beaten his previous personal
best by almost two and one-half seconds.
Both Johnson and Everhart also helped the 4x400m relay team get
an invitation to Austin. The team finished third in 3:06.15, behind
Arizona State and Oregon. The 4x100m relay team also qualified with
a season-best 39.69 seconds.
“We haven’t decided yet if we will run both,”
sprints coach Tony Veney said of his two relay teams. “If you
try to do both, you may lose both and you make injury a factor.
It’s better to take the sure bet and not get
greedy.”
On the field, Juaune Armon only needed two successful long jumps
to be satisfied with a qualifying mark. His 25-foot jump was second
to USC’s Allen Simms.
Pole vaulters Yoo Kim and Pat Luke also qualified, with Kim
finishing second (17-7) behind Oregon’s Tommy Skipper.
Skipper set a new NCAA Outdoor record at 18-10.50, while Luke
slipped to fifth (17-3).
With solid performances from the entire UCLA men’s team,
Austin, it seems, will be flooded with blue and gold.