Tough performances and a tight race for the top spots at the Pac-10 Championships were anticipated for this weekend’s competition, and that is exactly how things played out in Eugene, Ore.
While first and second were firmly locked up by Oregon with 158 points and USC with 117, the difference between third- and sixth-place was only six points. The Bruins settled for the No. 5 spot with 90 points.
“The team results was a little heartbreaking at the end because we were in the thick of things,” coach Art Venegas said. “We just didn’t get the breakthrough that we needed in the 4×400(-meter relay), but the reason we were in that position was earlier performances.”
The Bruins finished seventh in the 4x400m, picking up only two points and leaving the team one point out of fourth place and three points out of third place.
While the last relay was disappointing, the first of the day was a huge victory. UCLA was able to edge out USC to win the 4x100m relay for the first time in 11 years.
“I can’t say enough about the way the relay ran; it was a team effort,” Venegas said. “The difference between yesterday and today was really good handoffs.”
Also posting a win for the Bruins was redshirt senior Boldizsar Kocsor. Kocsor took home his third hammer crown and was the only individual champion for UCLA.
“It’s definitely felt really good to win my third Pac-10 title and to start the team off with a wining and positive attitude,” Kocsor said.
But there were also low points for UCLA, such as when on the first day standout sophomore jumper Taylor Hobson hyperextended his knee. He was able to take seventh in the long jump but still had to perform in the high jump.
Even with a sore knee, Hobson took third in the high jump.
“We weren’t sure he was going to jump today,” Venegas said. “I was really pleased with how tough he was.”
Fellow jumper, freshman Nelson Rosario, took third in the long jump and was also the only Bruin to compete in all three jump events.
Also finishing well for the Bruins was sophomore Jonathon Clark, who took second in the triple jump; sophomore Cory Primm, who placed third in the 800m; and redshirt sophomore Bo Taylor, who took third in the shot put.
With regionals in two weeks, the team is feeling confident with its performances.
“Overall we were pretty happy with our performance,” Rosario said. “We are only going to get stronger, so it’s a pretty good showing.”