Friday, 4/18/97 Track heads to Mt. SAC Relays this weekend
By Emmanuelle Ejercito and Donald Morrison Daily Bruin Staff
Inching closer to the heart of the season, several members of the
UCLA men’s track and field team will participate in the
Invitational and University Open events at the prestigious Mt. SAC
Relays, exposing the Bruins to high-level opposition. Hosted by Mt.
San Antonio College in Walnut, the meet boasts world-class
competition like Olympian and former Bruin Ato Boldon as well as
nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. Perhaps it is this
presence of some of track’s greatest that brings about the
successful individual results that UCLA has had in the past.
"People look forward to the meet," UCLA head coach Bob Larsen said.
"They get mentally and physically ready for the meet. The
competition and the environment with the great crowd, the athletes
get real excited and that produces outstanding performances."
Participating in the Invitational throwing events will be sophomore
Travis Haynes and senior David Dumble. Dumble, who is also
competing in the University division in the hammer, will throw in
the Invitational discus. Meanwhile, Haynes will contend in the
Invitational shot put as well as the University discus. "The
Invitational competition is an Olympic-elite level," UCLA throws
coach Art Venegas said. "Haynes will need a lifetime best in order
to be competitive." Mt. SAC is a three-day meet, beginning today.
However, the only Bruin scheduled to race today is Devin Elizondo,
who is running the 3,000- meter steeple-chase in the University
Open Distance Carnival. Most of the events in which the Bruins will
take part will be contested on Sunday. * * * The UCLA women’s track
team will also be in Walnut this weekend competing in the Mt. SAC
Relays at Mt. San Antonio College. The Bruins are coming off big
dual meet wins over the University of Houston, UC Irvine and Cal
State Northridge and hope they can continue their recent success.
"It’s a very important meet," head coach Jeanette Bolden said.
"There’s going to be a lot of world class athletes there and it’s a
good indication and a stepping stone toward the Pac-10 and NCAA
Championships." Seniors Darlene Malco and Amy Acuff will compete at
Mt. SAC after sitting out last Saturday’s quadrangular meet. Acuff,
a five-time NCAA champion in the high jump, finished second at last
year’s meet at Mt. SAC and currently has the second best outdoor
mark in the country at 6′-2.75". Malco will run in the 400-meter
relay with Joanna Hayes, Bisa Grant and Andrea Anderson. The
400-meter relay team is ranked eighth in the country with a time of
44.50 and is looking to improve that time on Sunday. Throwers Suzy
Powell, Nada Kawar, Rachelle Noble and Seilala Sua are also
competing over the weekend as well as distance runners Bethany
Lucas, Kara Barnard and Katherina Kechris. Kechris has already met
the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 3,000 meter this season
with a time of 9:42.19.