It’s finally here ““ the stage where the most talented athletes gather from across the country.
The Bruins will be sending seven individual women and their 4×400-meter relay team to Sacramento to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Competing against the best the nation has to offer, the Bruins are out to show that they represent one of the premier programs in the NCAA.
As Pac-10 and West Region title-winners, jumper Rhonda Watkins and sprinter/hurdler Nicole Leach are expected to pave the way to success for the Bruins. Watkins currently holds the No. 1 long-jump mark (22-4.50) in the country and is tied for sixth in the high jump (6-0.50). Leach has the third best time in the country in the 400-meter hurdles at 55.49.
The rest of the talented core of athletes headed to Sacramento is Maris Wisdom (400m), MacKenzie Hill (400m hurdles), Jacqueline Nguyen (pole vault), Ingrid Kantola (pole vault), Renee Williams (long jump) and the 4x400m relay team.
Despite the small number of athletes competing at the championships, UCLA looks to show the competition that the quality of its athletes surpasses quantity.
“We have the ability to get it done,” Leach said. “I think we can place in the top 10, and we just need to step up from our mistakes and injuries. With the group that is going, a lot can be done.”
With a small contingent, all athletes will have to perform to the best of their abilities to maximize the team’s standings.
“The team is really optimistic, and everyone entered is ranked pretty well in their events, and the relays are on a roll,” Kantola said. “We have a good attitude going in. Although we’re only having 10 go, we’re looking to get into the top 10, and improve on last year. We’re setting ourselves up to do well, and looking forward to the competition.”
The Bruins’ core of athletes includes upperclassmen and underclassmen alike. The team will depend on the experience of those who have been there before, as well as fresh enthusiasm and energy from the first-timers.
In addition to upperclassmen and underclassmen working together, multiple events have more than one Bruin competing in the same event. For example, Nguyen and Kantola are both in the pole vault, Leach and Hill in the 400m hurdles, and Watkins and Williams in the long jump. This will facilitate the process of dealing with the anxiety of competition, and allow the athletes to push and encourage each other.
After a successful season, Kantola will be competing in Sacramento ““ her hometown ““ for the first time in her college career. At the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year, Kantola was the lone Bruin pole vaulter, but this time Nguyen, an experienced pole vaulter, will be joining her.
“Going into indoors, I was really nervous because no one was there with me,” Kantola said. “This time I’m going with two seniors, Mike Landers and Jackie Nguyen, the upperclassmen whom I’ve looked up to my time here. It’s going to be much easier to have someone on the track with me to give me words of encouragement.”
Appreciative of the coaching staff, the athletes feel that they are prepared and ready to compete with anybody in the country.
“We want to end the season strong,” Watkins said. “Going into nationals, of course there are some nerves, but we’re more excited to go out there and perform. Our coaches have trained us well. I’m pretty confident and I’m going to go out there and do the best that I can.”