The UCLA men’s track and field team finds itself in a
familiar position after this past weekend’s Pac-10
multi-event championships. Last year, the Bruins trailed Oregon by
23 points after the decathlon, and came back to win the conference
championship. This year, if UCLA wants to defend its title, it will
have to overcome an 11-point Ducks lead. By virtue of UCLA junior
Dave Murphy’s seventh-place finish in the decathlon
competition, the Bruins earned two points heading into next
weekend. While Murphy, who finished with 5,606 points, claimed
first in Sunday’s pole vault by clearing a height of 16 feet,
6.75 inches, he didn’t finish any higher than sixth in any of
the day’s four other competitions. The Ducks, however, behind
the performances of decathletes Andy Young and Cody Fleming, earned
13 team points over the weekend, giving them a three-point edge
over Washington State when the conference championships commence
next weekend. Young finished second in the overall competition,
earning 7,165 points, while his teammate Fleming came in a close
fourth, earning 6,980 points. Washington State junior Darion Powell
soared past the rest of his competitors to win the decathlon with a
10-event total of 7,531 points. Powell’s mark was a lifetime
best and NCAA automatic qualifier. Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Arizona
State are expected to be the top contenders for the men’s
team title next weekend.
ODDS AND ENDS: Martell Munguia ran a personal-best 1 minute,
48.14 seconds in the 800 meters at the Occidental Invitational on
Saturday … Ben Aragon finished second behind Munguia in a
season-best 1:48.71 … Yoo Kim soared to an outdoor season-best 17
feet, 6.5 inches at the Modesto Relays on Saturday … Lionel
Larry, USC’s outstanding freshman quarter-miler, reportedly
hurt his hamstring in the 200 meters at the Occidental Invitational
and was unable to finish the race. His status is in doubt for next
weekend’s Pac-10 Championships.