W. track hosts
Cal Poly SLO,
CSUN in meet
By Scott Yamaguchi
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Competing at Drake Stadium for the final time this year, the
UCLA women’s track and field team will host Cal State Northridge
and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a triangular meet Saturday.
And the Bruins, who were picked by Track and Field News to win
the 1995 NCAA team championship, should have little trouble in
disposing of the opposition, though competition in some individual
events will be intense.
"To be honest, this is the last week of easy competition that
we’ll have," UCLA head coach Jeanette Bolden said. "But some of the
events will be good."
Based on their season-best marks, UCLA athletes should capture
first place finishes in 12 of the 16 events. CSUN, with a strong
sprinting corps and a solid distance runner and javelin thrower,
could win the four remaining events. Cal Poly, in only its third
year as a Division I participant, is still struggling.
As usual, Bolden is counting on strong performances from the
field, where senior Dawn Dumble, junior Valeyta Althouse and
freshman Nada Kawar will all be throwing the discus and shot put.
Freshman Suzy Powell will also throw the discus, but will be held
out of the javelin throw because of a sore elbow.
Three weeks ago at Berkeley, Powell led UCLA to a conference
victory when she tied Tracie Millett’s five-year-old school record
in the discus with a throw of 190 feet, 2 inches. Then, a week
later in San Diego, Dumble shattered that mark with a lifetime-best
195-9.
Sophomore Amy Acuff, who set the collegiate record in the high
jump with a winning leap of 6-5 1/2 at indoor nationals, should
breeze through the competition in that event, while freshman Lisa
Domico (19-2 3/4) is the favorite in the long jump and senior
Danielle Brown (38-11 3/4) enters the triple jump with the highest
mark.
In preparation for her first heptathlon next week, Shelia
Burrell will fill in for Powell in the discus, where she will be
challenged by Northridge’s Kristin Dunn (170-0). Burrell might also
compete in the long jump and the high jump, and she is sure to help
the Bruins on the track, where she will run the 100-meters, the
100-meter hurdles and both relays.
In the distance events, the Bruins will be led by senior Karen
Hecox (2:08.67) in the 800, junior Shelley Taylor (4:37.23) in the
1,500 and freshman Jamie Artzner (9:56.90) in the 3,000.
Because it is the final meet of their career at Drake, Dumble,
Burrell and Hecox will be honored before the last event.