UCLA to showcase nation’s top 4 x 400 team with new addition

This weekend marks the second home meet at UCLA’s Drake Stadium for the 2014-2015 track and field season.

The Legends of Track and Field Invitational will feature both high school and collegiate athletes, most of whom come from California schools. Two Bruins – freshman sprinter Leon Powell and redshirt senior heptathlete Alexis Walker – will both be aiming for specific goals this weekend.

After coming off an individual win last week at the Arizona State Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Invitational in the 100m and obtaining a collegiate personal best of 10.43, Powell will switch it up this weekend, as he’ll only compete in the 4 x 400m relay.

“I’m actually just running the four by four this meet just to recover,” Powell said. “I ran every single meet except NCAA indoors, so my body is kind of banged up.”

However, this is not to say Powell won’t be showcasing his speed in the 400.

“Last week I split a 47 high, also around 48,” he said.

The nation’s current leader in the 400m for the 2015 outdoor season is freshman Alexander McElwee of Pasadena City College with a time of 46.84. Thus far in the outdoor season, UCLA’s 4 x 400m relay team currently holds the fastest time in the nation at 3:13.22. This national-best time comes from a Bruin 4 x 400 team that’s composed entirely of underclassmen – freshmen Curtis Godin and Joe Herrera, and sophomores Darnell Roberson and Jonny Moniz. As Godin is still dealing with an injury, Powell will serve as his replacement.

“Our freshman class is one of the best recruiting classes we’ve had,” Powell said. “I think we have a high potential to make it to NCAAs and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”

While Powell will take a light load by only competing in one event this weekend, his teammate and team captain Alexis Walker will continue her usual array of events, as she will be competing in the high jump, 100m hurdles, javelin and the 4 x 400m relay. The multi-events veteran is coming off a strong indoor season in which she obtained a new personal best in the pentathlon; however, for the outdoor season, athletes compete in the heptathlon.

Although Walker will not be competing in a heptathlon this weekend, she will use the meet as preparation for the Mount SAC Multis on April 15-16 at the Azusa Pacific University.

“It’s not kind of out of the ordinary for me to compete in three or four events every time we have a dual meet,” Walker said. “This weekend is kind of a prep for the heptathlon coming up in two weeks.”

This weekend also holds a little more meaning for Walker than usual, as it is one of the few times she will get to compete at the same meet as her brother, Daniel Walker, a javelin thrower at Cal State Fullerton. Walker and her brother are also two of triplets.

“It’s exciting for my parents for them not to have to decide which meet to go,” Walker said. “I’m pretty excited that he’ll be there.”

Walker also pointed to the 100m hurdles as being an event she’s particularly excited for, as she’s seen herself make a significant progression in that event. The redshirt senior also said she’s seen her team make a progression over the years – one that may lead to an outdoor conference title this season.

“Being a captain and watching our team grow over the last couple years, I think we have a really good shot of doing well on the Pac-12 championships, with the edge of having it in our home stadium,” Walker said.

Compiled by Vikram Sairam, Bruin Sports senior staff.