While there will be just a few people in blue and gold this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas, the Bruins attending hope to make a big impact on the national scene.
Only five UCLA athletes received bids to the national meet, but senior hurdler Kevin Craddock had to withdraw due to injury, leaving only three men and one woman to represent the team.
“It’s unfortunate,” men’s coach Art Venegas said. “It’s been kind of a recurring thing with him, but we know he’s trying his best to get ready and just couldn’t do it.”
With Craddock out for the meet, senior Boldizsar Kocsor will lead the Bruin men.
Kocsor currently ranks sixth in the weight throw and will be looking to improve on his seventh-place finish last year.
“It’s a very deep year in the weight, but it’s definitely a chance for (Kocsor) to move up in the scoring levels,” Venegas said. “Being a senior, he’s very, very focused on it.”
Kocsor brings experience to the men’s team, being the only qualifier who has been to indoor nationals before.
“I think we are ready to go,” Kocsor said. “I definitely think I’m ready to go in and have some fun and score at nationals.”
Also joining Kocsor on the men’s side will be redshirt sophomores Johnny Quinn in the pole vault and Bo Taylor in the shot put.
Quinn enters the meet with the sixth-highest vault in the country this
season, and has high hopes for his first indoor national appearances.
“I’d like to jump over 18 feet and really use this as a kick start for the outdoor season,” Quinn said. “At the same time, my goal, first and foremost, is to win the meet.”
Quinn has already jumped 17-8 this season and has been very consistent through the year.
Taylor will round out the men’s contingency. He currently ranks 13th in the shot put, so making it into the final round and then the scoring realm will take some work.
“I would like to make All-American, and that’s definitely possible,” Taylor said. “It just depends on how everybody else is doing that day.”
With only three competitors, it is unlikely that the Bruins will be able to score high as a team.
“We aren’t looking at a very high finish or a lot of points right now,” Venegas said. “I want these guys to dig in, to give it their best and to be aggressive in the meet.”
On the women’s side, the lone competitor will be senior jumper Rhonda Watkins. Watkins enters the meet ranked fifth in the nation and was long jump champion two years ago.
“I think right now we are looking for her to just go out there and do her best,” women’s coach Jeanette Bolden said. “Her speed is up, she’s healthy; we are looking for her to improve on her fifth-place ranking.”
Last season, Watkins was plagued by injury so Bolden is glad to have her healthy and well through the indoor season and heading into the outdoor season.
With only four athletes going to the meet, there will be a different dynamic than in past years, but it will give the rest of the team a chance to refocus and get ready for the outdoor season.
Those in attendance are not letting this affect them, however. With the pressure of a team score out of the way, they are prepared to represent UCLA well.
“It’s definitely better to have more guys going,” Taylor said. “They can get you pumped cheering for you, but you just have to do your job no matter how many guys go.”