When the UCLA women’s track and field team travels to Seattle this weekend for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Championships, the focus will be on individual athletes, not a team title.
“There is not enough depth for a team title,” coach Jeanette Bolden said.
With a relatively small squad of only 14 competing this weekend, the Bruins will look at this meet as a chance to qualify more athletes for the NCAA Championships.
Leading the team this weekend will be the pole vaulting squad, a group that has consistently performed well for the Bruins. With seven women competing in one event, the expectations are high.
“I want to place as many girls in the top eight as we can,” pole vault coach Anthony Curran said. “We want to dominate this event and make a big showing.”
Junior Katy Viuf and senior Ingrid Kantola, who have already provisionally qualified for the NCAAs, are both poised to do well this weekend. Along with these two, Curran will be looking for others on the team to qualify, including freshman Tori Anthony.
“(Anthony) has been the best in practice lately and putting things together,” Curran said. “She has been proving in the last couple weeks that she is ready to get a good jump in.”
While the team will look to place in the top eight and make its mark on the MPSF, coach Bolden still stresses how important qualifying will be for them.
“I think it won’t be about winning or losing,” Bolden said. “It’s about bigger poles, higher heights, and it’s about qualifying for nationals.”
Curran has pushed the group to “get them as fit as I can and prepare them for the meet,” but will adjust training after this weekend to get the team ready for nationals.
Along with the vaulters, there will only be five runners, and two throwers will compete in the shot put. The running group will represent UCLA in only two events: the 800 meters and the 1 mile. Notably absent are any sprinters and jumpers, including the 4x400m relay team that has already provisionally qualified for the NCAAs.
“Some hamstrings are sore, so I’ve decided to train through the meet,” Bolden said.
This means that any Bruins who have not already qualified will only have one more chance to compete and qualify for nationals on March 7 and 8 at the NCAA Last-Chance Qualifier.
Junior jumper Rhonda Watkins is included in this group of athletes. Watkins is the 2007 NCAA indoor champion in the long jump but might not get a chance to defend her title if she does not compete.
Coaches have been resting Watkins, who is recovering from a bad ankle, for the outdoor season and monitoring her training.
“We are still debating on Rhonda doing a last-chance meet,” Bolden said.
Regardless of the number of athletes participating for UCLA, Bolden is optimistic about the meet and sees it as a great opportunity for those attending.
“The main thing is to try and get as many people qualified as possible and get good competition,” Bolden said.