It seems as if every weekend senior Jon Rankin does something
impressive, and this weekend was no different. At the Mt. SAC
Relays in Walnut, Calif., Rankin finished with a lifetime best in
the 800 meters with a time of 1 minute, 47.11 seconds, placing
second in the race. Only Texas Tech’s Jonathan Johnson, a
2004 U.S. Olympian and the national title holder in the event,
defeated Rankin. “It was a good day for Jon,” UCLA
distance coach Eric Peterson said. “With a guy of Jonathan
Johnson’s caliber in that race, it was a wonderful
opportunity for Jon to run fast.” Rankin has emerged as one
of the elite distance runners in the nation this season, posting
the fastest collegiate time in the 1500 meters and now the
second-fastest time in the 800m. Just last weekend Rankin became
the third Bruin to ever run a sub-4-minute mile. Peterson said,
however, that Rankin will continue to focus solely on the 1500m at
regionals and nationals because doubling would be too physically
and mentally taxing. But Peterson intends to have Rankin and Ben
Aragon run in both the 1500m and 800m at the Pac-10 Championships,
where the duo placed in the top five in both events last year with
Aragon winning the 800m. “When you have strong milers in your
program, like Jon and Ben, it’s going to be expected of
them,” Peterson said. Rankin wasn’t the only Bruin to
have success at the Mt. SAC Relays. Junior Erik Emilsson ran a
lifetime-best in the 3000m steeplechase Friday, finishing sixth
overall in a time of 8 minutes, 40.40 seconds. It was the
fourth-best collegiate mark this year.
SPRINTING UPDATE: While the men’s distance corps was
participating in the Mt. SAC Relays, the majority of the Bruins
traveled to Tempe, Ariz. for the Sun Angel Classic. The sprinters
paced UCLA as both Craig Everhart and Brandon Johnson put up
season-best times in their respective events. Johnson finished
second in the 400m hurdles in a time of 49.18 seconds, running
behind 2004 U.S. Olympian Bennie Brazell, who ran it in 48.54, the
fastest collegiate time this year. Everhart put forth a solid
performance in the 400m dash, taking sixth place in 46.14 seconds.
The two sprinters also helped the 4x400m relay to finish second,
behind LSU, in a time of 3 minutes, 05.48 seconds.
ODDS AND ENDS: Senior Denye Versher ran a season-best of 46.56
seconds in the 400m … In the 110m hurdles, senior Tony Golston
ran a season-best 14.03 seconds, placing fourth overall …
Freshman Dominque Easterling jumped a season-best 23-feet, 10.75
inches in the long jump to place eighth.