The storyline is a familiar one for the UCLA women’s track
and field team as it heads to Sacramento for the NCAA Outdoor
Championships.
After cracking the top three in each of the past seven seasons,
the Bruins appear to be in position to contend for the team title
again. But will they finally get over the hump after falling short
so many times? Not even head coach Jeanette Bolden can say for
sure.
“All I know is that we’ve got healthy individuals
and we’re ranked third in the nation,” Bolden said.
“We’ve got as good a chance as anyone.”
So it seems.
The No. 3 Bruins feature the nation’s most balanced
roster, highlighted by a trio of defending national champions
““ Lena Nilsson (1500m), Chaniqua Ross (discus) and Jessica
Cosby (shot put).
Cari Soong (hammer), Monique Henderson (400m) and Sheena Johnson
(hurdles) round out the core group of athletes who will be expected
to shoulder most of the load for UCLA.
“The burden rests evenly on those six athletes,”
UCLA assistant coach Eric Peterson said. “Every team needs
their stars to step up, and they are going to have to score the
majority of the points for us.”
Nilsson and Soong appear to have the best chance to capture
individual titles for the Bruins, but a pair of victories may not
be enough to finally secure that elusive national championship.
No. 1 Texas, No. 2 LSU and defending champion South Carolina are
each brimming with elite sprinters and hurdlers, and any one of
them could capture the title if things break in their favor.
The Longhorns in particular may be the team to beat.
Texas junior Raasin McIntosh could win both hurdles events while
freshman Sanya Richards is the favorite to capture the 400m. The
Longhorns appear strong in both relays, as well.
“By nature we are a sprint-driven team, and Sanya is
running phenomenally well,” Texas coach Beverly Kearney said.
“The hurdles and the 400m could be the swing events for
us.”
The Bruins could put a huge dent in the Texas title hopes if
junior Sheena Johnson (hurdles) and sophomore Monique Henderson
(400m) come up large in their respective events.
Johnson owns the nation’s second best time in the long
hurdles, and appears to be peaking at the perfect time. Henderson,
on the other hand, is coming off of a minor injury sustained at the
Pac-10 Championships last month, and will have to shave at least
half a second off her season best (51.93 seconds) to contend in the
400m.
“Running somewhere in the low-51s would be ideal,”
said Henderson, who once ran a 50.73-second 400m as a junior in
high school. “I’ve got to go back and prove myself,
because a lot of people thought I had fallen off.”
While a vintage performance from Henderson would be a huge boost
for UCLA’s title hopes, picking up a few points in unexpected
places couldn’t hurt either. A number of the less-heralded
Bruins will have that chance, but it is freshman pole vaulter
Chelsea Johnson who appears to be on the verge of a breakthrough
performance.
Although her personal best mark of 13-feet, 6.25-inches ties her
for seventh in the nation, Johnson has routinely cleared 13-10 in
practice, and hopes to approach the 14-foot barrier.
“I know it will come,” she said. “I am tired
of jumping 13-6, and I just want to get to 13-10. If I am clearing
it in practice, eventually it has to come in a meet.”
The Bruins can only hope so.
With a good blend of youth and experience, UCLA might finally
have found the right combination to bring a championship home to
Westwood.
“UCLA, Texas, LSU and South Carolina ““ those are
your top four,” Kearney said. “Historically, you can
never discount the Bruins, and they’ll be in the mix again
this week.”
In the mix? For sure.
In the winner’s circle? Only time will time will tell.