The men’s and women’s track teams had a number of event wins this weekend at their respective invitationals.
The Bruin men traveled to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the NAU Invitational, winning seven events with many players hitting lifetime bests and starting off their collegiate track and field careers with strong times.
Junior Bo Taylor’s 56-11.5 mark earned him first place in the shot put. Sophomore Nelson Rosario set a new career high of 24-0.75 in his first-place long jump, while junior Jonathan Clark won the triple with a mark of 49-5.75, finishing ahead of fellow Bruin senior Steven Taylor, who placed third. Clark also finished third in the high jump with Rosario finishing fourth.
UCLA dominated the pole vault, taking the top three spots as well as six of the top eight, with redshirt junior Casey DiCesare winning the event with a 17-7 mark.
UCLA brought a large contingent to the 60-meter dash, with Karlton Rolle, Jamal Alston, Maxwell Dyce, Randall Carroll, Stan Griffin and Sheldon Price taking the fifth to 10th spots, respectively. The Bruins’ sprinters dominated the 200-meter dash, taking four of the top six spots. Griffin, a senior, finished first with a time of 21.65. Rolle, a sophomore, finished second with a time of 21.66. Carroll and Dyce, a pair of freshmen, finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
In the 800 meters, UCLA took the top two spots, led by redshirt freshman Steven Norton’s 1:54.34 mark in first and sophomore Jonathan Simmons’ 1:55.74 mark in second. Redshirt senior Kevin Craddock won the 60-meter hurdles.
On the women’s side, the Bruins traveled to New York for the two-day New Balance Invitational, facing tougher competition from across the nation.
Junior Shannon Murakami set a personal best this weekend with her 4:49.24 first-place mile time. Murakami was the only Bruin to win her event. Junior Ashlea McLaughlin finished eighth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.85.
Next up for the women’s team is Friday and Saturday’s Boise State Team Invitational in Nampa, Idaho, where they will be joined by some of the men’s team. The rest of the men’s track and field team will head to Seattle for the Husky Classic.
Compiled by Farzad Mashhood, Bruin Sports senior staff.