The senior hailing from Trinidad and Tobago moved up to the No. 3 spot in the NCAA in the long jump over the weekend at the UCLA Invitational.
“Rhonda is getting used to doing more running this year,” coach Jeanette Bolden said. “I think it’s a bit of an adjustment for her.”
Watkins leaped 20 feet, 7.25 inches Saturday afternoon, in her first meet since a very successful indoor season, to take the event title.
For her last season as a Bruin, the 2007 indoor and outdoor long jump champion is looking to finish strong and expand on her skills.
Watkins is going to return to the high jump and has been put in the 4×100-meter relay.
“It’s my last year,” Watkins said. “I want to be able to help out the team in whatever way I can.”
Watkins has yet to high jump this spring, but at the UCLA Invitational she helped the 4x100m team run a season-best time to better its regional qualifier and win the event with a time of 45.23 seconds.
“The relay is fun,” Watkins said. “It helps me with my run (for the long jump). I always wanted to do it, and I’m doing more running in my training this year.”
The increased amount of running has helped Watkins become faster and will help her in her goal to near 22 feet in her long jump.
“The thing right now that I’m happy about is that she is faster than she has ever been and she’s healthy,” Bolden said. “That’s a good sign for her right now.”
The home stand for the track team ends this upcoming weekend with the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational, and the more high-caliber meets are looming ahead.
“She’s a bit disappointed because she wants to jump really far every time she jumps, but in reality it’s a long season,” Bolden said.
The dual meet against USC followed by the Pac-10 Championships and regionals are events the athletes look forward to and where they hope to peak.
“It’s more about executing,” Bolden said. “Rhonda has to attack that board and get more height. It’s just little things.”
RECORD BROKEN: At the UCLA Invitational, another senior highlighted the meet for the Bruins.
Redshirt junior Ciara Viehweg broke the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10 minutes, 27.73 seconds. The mark was nearly eight seconds better than her previous personal record.
The old school record of 10:31.34 was set by Alison Costello in 2005.
Viehweg won the event by 40 seconds and earned a regional qualifier.