The UCLA Bruins continue to improve in the marathon that is the track and field season.
After a weekend of record-setting performances, the Bruins get a chance to sleep in their own beds as they host TCU and BYU in the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational at Drake Stadium on` Saturday.
The opportunity to host a meet has been rare for the Bruins; this meet will mark the second of four meets at Drake Stadium.
“Competing at home in front of fans, friends and family is very important to the student-athletes,” said women’s coach John Henry Johnson. “From a coaching standpoint, I’m still focused on the mechanics of the races, but for the kids it’s more personal for sure.”
The sprinters will look to impress this weekend as they haven’t gotten off to the best of starts. The key from now until nationals will be progression and steady improvement.
“A lot of runners have improved their times from the Texas Relays to last week’s Battle on the Bayou, so we are getting better,” said junior sprinter and long jumper Kylie Price. “Our workouts are getting better, which means our running in the meets are getting better, so there is steady improvement every week.”
Price was named Pac-12 Female Field Athlete of the Week for her long jump performance last weekend and she currently ranks second overall in the Pac-12 in the long jump. However, her rankings in the 200 meters leave a little to be desired as she is not currently ranked in the top 25 for the 200m.
“I do believe I’ll be higher in the rankings for the 100m. If I develop in the 100m then I’ll improve in the 200m,” Price said. “It’s all going to come by time especially when the USC meet and nationals roll around, so I’m not worried.”
Senior sprinter and fellow team captain Yusef Merriweather is currently ranked No. 15 in the men’s 100m and No. 38 in the 200m in the Pac-12.
Merriweather said he hopes to improve but also mentioned the slow process of progressing and peaking for nationals.
“If I practice easy now, then I know I can perform better at the end of the week. But the goal is to peak at the end of the year, and I know I can run faster if I train through it right now,” Merriweather said. “It’s a little embarrassing to go out there and lose, but we should be focusing on the end of the year, and by then I’ll be ready.”
The sprinters may seem off-track at the moment, but they know that the race toward championship season is a long one.
This weekend will simply be another part of the long process.
“We want to focus on what the definition of success is. Having a personal best, that’s success,” Johnson said. “Winning a race, that’s success. Everything leading up to those successes is simply progress. By the end of the season, we’ll be ready.”