First it was Arizona, then it was Kansas, last week it was Arkansas and now it’s Nebraska. The UCLA track and field team will continue its traveling this weekend to the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, sending just over 30 athletes to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Although the team faced some of the best competition in the nation last week – with various Southeast Conference schools dominating in Fayetteville, Arkansas – the road doesn’t get any easier for the Bruins, who will be competing with 11 other Division I programs this weekend, including the likes of Texas, Arizona State, Auburn and Colorado.
Several Bruins will be making their season debuts, including sophomore pole vaulter Elleyse Garrett. She joins redshirt sophomore Greta Wagner, who placed seventh in the event last week at the Razorback Invitational.
Garrett captured 12th in the Pac-12 championships last year as a true freshman, and will look to jump a personal best to start off her season.
Sophomore sprinter Joe Herrera will also be debuting in Lincoln. Herrera, a 400-meter runner, was coming into his own toward the end of last season before suffering an injury. He will run the 400-meter dash and participate as the anchor for the 4×400-meter relay in his first meet back.
The Bruins will have sophomore Steele Wasik in the heptathlon. The underclassman looks to score a qualifying mark for the NCAA Indoor National Championships. In his last multimeet in Kansas two weeks ago, Wasik was unable to finish the entire heptathlon despite individually winning the 60-meter hurdles and high jump.
Joining him in the multievents is sophomore Duke transfer Kendall Gustafson, who finished third at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational behind Kansas State senior Akela Jones and former Bruin heptathlete Tatum Souza – who competed unattached.
The Bruins will continue to rely heavily on strong performances from their throwing group – comprised of redshirt freshman Dotun Ogundeji, sophomore Braheme Days and senior Nick Scarvelis.
Ogundeji is inches away from throwing 60 feet for the first time in his collegiate career, while Scarvelis is poised to win his third meet of the season. Junior Torie Owers will lead the shot put group on the women’s side, followed by the redshirt freshman duo of Stamatia Scarvelis and Ashlie Blake.
Women’s sprint coach Joanna Hayes will send a trio of freshmen – Suzie Acolatse, Angie Annelus and Schuyler Moore – to compete in the 60-meter dash for the second week in a row. Sophomore Leon Powell will be the lone Bruin to participate in the men’s 60-meter dash, while fellow sophomore Misana Viltz will compete in the 60-meter hurdles.
For the first time this season, true freshman Rai Benjamin will run the 400-meter dash – his specialty event. The New York native placed in the top three for the 200-meter dash in his first two collegiate meets,
Competition begins Friday morning and will conclude the next day.
Compiled by Vikram Sairam, Bruin Sports contributor.