Five UCLA track and field athletes have officially qualified for spots in the NCAA track and field indoor championship, which will begin on March 13 in Fayeteville, Ark. To be selected for the NCAA indoor championship, an athlete must be ranked in the top 16 nationally in his or her event.
The Bruins have three athletes returning to the NCAA indoor championship, while the other two will be competing in the event for the first time in their UCLA careers.
The three Bruin seniors who qualified – heptathlete Marcus Nilsson, thrower Ida Storm and pole vaulter Mike Woepse – will each be making his or her fourth trip to the NCAA indoor championship.
“To get to break the (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) record, the conference record, was really a big thing for me,” Storm said after her standout performance at the MPSF indoor championship last week. “I think it was a really important sign before nationals so I’m confident.”
As for the Bruins who will be making their first appearance on the national indoor stage, they are both shot putters – sophomore Torie Owers and Daily Bruin writer junior Nicholas Scarvelis. Owers finished fifth in the women’s shot put at the MPSF indoor championship with a distance of 15.39 meters, while Scarvelis took the conference crown in the men’s shot put with a personal-best throw of 19.54 meters on his final attempt of the meet.
“I’ve been having some amazing practices recently and I have every confidence that leading up to nationals I’ll have a series of good practices,” Scarvelis said. “I’m fully expecting to come up big and be an All-American.”
Overall, the five Bruins competing in the NCAA indoor championship matches last year’s total.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.