When it comes to the sport of track and field, UCLA was once an unquestioned NCAA powerhouse.
One could look back to the 1940s, when Jackie Robinson was an NCAA champion in the long jump or to the 1980s, when Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Florence Joyner dominated the global track scene. From 1970 to 1988, UCLA’s men’s and women’s teams combined to win eight NCAA outdoor titles.
However, in the last decade, the track and field program at UCLA has not experienced that kind of success.
While a few athletes have seen individual success, the men’s team has not won a national championship since 1988, and the women haven’t won a national title since 2004. Taking this into account, UCLA coaches have made it an emphasis to recruit elite talent across the country.
Although a slow process, the Bruins have added elite talent every year in a variety of events. Sophomore Steele Wasik – who broke the school record in the heptathlon earlier this season – was recruited from Ohio to compete for the Bruins, earning second team All-American honors as a freshman.
Fellow 2014 signee Jessie Maduka came all the way from Düsseldorf, Germany, and has since earned honorable All-American honors for her participation in the 4×100 meter relay last year as a freshman.
The influx of talent in the last year has largely been a result of the efforts of assistant coaches Joanna Hayes and Darrell Smith. Both joined the UCLA coaching staff two years ago, focusing on the sprints, hurdles and relays for both the men’s and women’s team.
Former Bruins themselves in the 1990s, Hayes and Smith are trying to bring back the same prestige the school once had in the Olympic sport. Just last week, sophomore star and Texas native Leon Powell achieved a personal best of 20.94 in the 200-meter dash and ran a blistering 10.32 in the 100m as a freshman last year.
“(Powell) right now is pretty much the MVP of the team,” Smith said. “Being a year older, we always preach to him about how he missed his freshman success, so it’s really nice to see him mature and grow. I can see the weightlifting and all the training paying dividends, so I think he’s going to have a really special season.”
So far, the recruiting plan seems to be working.
Earlier this year, Hayes and the rest of the staff received a commitment from Khalifa St. Fort – the nation’s second fastest high school sprinter and silver medalist at the 2015 World Youth Championships, where she ran 11.19.
St. Fort recently withdrew her commitment, forgoing college to compete professionally. Still, the track program should be in good shape with freshmen such as Rai Benjamin – the nation’s fastest indoor 400m sprinter last year as a high school senior – and Jasmine Stauffacher-Gray – a three-time Arizona state champion in the 400m – on the team.
Just this week, UCLA reached No. 16 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coach’s Association rankings – the highest ranking the Bruins have held in over seven years. Hayes does not plan on stopping there, as she and the rest of the staff foresee a long-term plan for success.
“You know, I only really need one a year to change the program,” Hayes said. “And that’s what I’m looking for. We can get back to where we used to be, to my UCLA. When we were winning and people were scared of us every time we stepped on the track.”