Tuesday, March 4, 1997
M. TRACK:
Graduates, injuries make room
for new class of athletesBy Emmanuelle Ejercito
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA men’s track and field team has a lot of big Reeboks to
fill as the 1997 season gets into high gear, since the class of
1996 included many of the top performers for the team. However, the
Bruins seem to be up to the task.
Many athletes who were sure points for the Bruins graduated last
year. Perhaps the hardest hit came on the sprints team.
One of the biggest losses to the team is Ato Boldon. If Boldon
was in the race, it was guaranteed that he would finish first. Last
year, he won the 100 meter NCAA championship in 9.92 seconds to add
to the NCAA 200 meter championship he earned his junior season.
Boldon also made a huge mark on the world stage. Track and Field
News ranked Boldon fourth in the world in the 100 and third in the
200. At the Olympic games in Atlanta last year, Boldon won bronze
medals in both the 100 and 200, posting the fifth and seventh
fastest times ever in the respective events.
But Boldon was not the only sprinter who graduated last year.
Gentry Bradley and Erik Allen were also lost to graduation. At last
season’s NCAA Championships, Bradley took second place in the 200
meters with a personal best of 20.58. All three sprinters ran on
the 400 relay team.
"You’re not going to replace an Ato or a Gentry in one year,"
UCLA men’s track head coach Bob Larsen said. "But this year’s
sprinters have a great attitude and keep improving with each
race."
Leading the list of returning sprinters is Ibrahim Hassan.
However Hassan, who runs the 200, 400 and both relays suffered a
groin injury two weeks ago at a meet in Berkeley. Akil Davis,
another returning sprinter and running back for the football team,
is also possibly out until the end of the season because of more
surgery on his knee.
Left to fill the spots are junior Jim McElroy, true freshmen
Damian Allen and Randy Brookes and junior transfer Brandon
Thomas.
"Damian Allen looks real good," Larsen said. "Every time he
runs, he looks better. He’s exciting to watch; he has a lot of
speed."
UCLA also lost middle-distance runner Mike Terry. Terry won the
Pacific 10 800 meter crown last year. However, true freshman
Michael Granville promises to fill the spot nicely. Granville was
the nation’s top high school 800 meter runner, setting a prep
national record of 1:46.45.
Junior Gerimi Burleigh, whose best event is the 110 meter high
hurdles, will be called upon to replace the graduated Avery
Anderson. Anderson was UCLA’s leading hurdler and high jumper.
"We miss a guy like Anderson, who is a very versatile athlete,"
Larsen said. "Burleigh is starting at a higher level, but we don’t
have a lot of depth in the highs."
The running events are not the only ones to lose valuable
athletes.
Gone are throwers Jonathan Ogden who won last year’s NCAA Indoor
shot put championship and Pac-10 shot put champion Mark Parlin. But
this year’s crop of throwers which include senior David Dumble and
sophomores Travis Haynes, Scott McPherren, Luke Sullivan and Wade
Tift seem ready for the challenge.
Haynes finished fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the
shot put and Sullivan has thrown over 200 feet in the hammer throw.
At the UC San Diego Invitational, Dumble and Sullivan both threw
over 191 feet in the discus.
"They’re coming along," Larsen said. "They haven’t had a great
breakthrough, but there is more there yet. They keep progressing
with more meets."
Daily Bruin File Photo
Senior thrower David Dumble.