Senior Dawn Harper has collected enough hardware to last a
lifetime. In about four years, the star hurdler has been an
All-American six times and has also been a part of a national
championship team. However, more than halfway through this outdoor
season, Harper has yet to clear a single hurdle. Harper has been
held out of her signature event, the 100-meter hurdles, all season
and will wait until next week’s crucial dual meet with USC to
make her season debut. Despite her noticeable absence from the
hurdles, coach Jeanette Bolden believes that Harper is more primed
than ever to make a huge impact heading into the postseason.
“She is faster this year than she has ever been,”
Bolden said. “We expect some big things out of Dawn.”
Bolden has had Harper work primarily on foot speed for the duration
of the year, having her compete solely in the sprints during meets.
Harper has posted times of 11.83 in the 100m and 23.97 in the 200m
while also anchoring the 4x100m relay on occasion. Through this
regimen, Bolden believes that Harper can improve upon her already
impressive career numbers. “We have been sprinting her a lot
more,” Bolden said. “She was a little tight in her
hamstring earlier in the year, but she has been fine for a while,
so it’s not that she isn’t ready to hurdle, we have
just been focusing a lot on speed which is going to show once she
starts the hurdles.” If all goes as planned, Harper’s
extra sprinting preparation will translate into even more success
in the hurdles. Harper was the third-best finisher in the 100m
hurdles at last season’s NCAA Championships and also placed
third in the 60m hurdles this past winter at the Indoor NCAA
Championships. While Harper has shined on the national stage, the
extra preparation this season will be especially beneficial if she
can defeat crosstown nemesis Virginia Powell, the defending outdoor
national champion in the 100m hurdles, next Saturday.
POLE VAULTERS OUT IN FORCE: While the majority
of the team will be resting for next week’s USC meet, a large
contingent of pole vaulters will be present at this weekend’s
UCSD Triton Invitational. In particular, senior Chelsea Johnson,
now the No. 2-ranked jumper in the nation behind Florida’s
Lacy Janson, will be looking to recapture the nation’s top
mark. Redshirt junior Jackie Nguyen, tied for seventh in the
nation, will also be competing.