The athletes representing UCLA track and field in the Pac-12 multi-event championship over the weekend had an entirely new look compared to last year’s contingent.
None of the members of the two-men and two-women team from last year that earned UCLA a quick head start for both the men’s and women’s teams going into the second weekend of the Pac-12 Championships was present in this year’s installment.
Instead, the Bruins only sent a women’s team to Pullman, Wash. this year; the team consisted of three fledgling heptathletes competing in their first-ever Pac-12 multievents championship. Junior Alexis Walker placed fourth, freshman Monique Van placed ninth and junior Katherine Salcido placed 10th.
Walker’s fourth-place finish gives the Bruin women’s team a total of five points as it heads to next week’s installment of the Pac-12 championships that will feature the track and field events.
Walker began the competition strong, notching enough points in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200-meter dash to bring her first day quota to 3,345 points – enough points for a clear 156-point lead over the field of twelve heptathletes.
Things took a change of pace for Walker after her red-hot start. She began the second day of competition with a ninth-place finish in the long jump, which was followed by a tenth-place finish in javelin. Even a fourth-place finish in the final event of the series, the 800-meter, wasn’t enough to help the heptathlete recuperate from dropping in the rankings as she finished fourth.
Although Walker, Salcido and Van’s performance this weekend might have been lost in the shadow cast by Tatum Souza and Kimmie Conner’s efforts from last year when they placed second and sixth respectively, it’s still only their first year competing as heptathletes. With at least one year of eligibility left for each of them going into next year, they’ll have another shot in 2015.
Compiled by Aubrey Yeo, Bruin Sports reporter.