Men’s track wins five events, qualifies six athletes for NCAA Championships

The UCLA men’s track and field team came together for the first time this year and nabbed a six-pack of qualifiers for the NCAA championships.

Five athletes won their respective events this past weekend at the two-day University of Washington Invitational in Seattle.

“We got the entire team together and had a decent start across the board,” coach Art Venegas said.

All-American redshirt senior Boldizsar Kocsor opened his 2009 season with a win in the weight throw. He earned a national top-10 mark with a throw of 68 feet 5.75 inches.

Redshirt sophomore Johnny Quinn tied for first in the pole vault, reaching a new lifetime-best of 17-7. The new height ranks him in the top five in the nation.

“It was a big performance from Johnny winning the pole vault,” Venegas said. “The rest of the pole vault crew was solid.”

Redshirt senior Dustin DeLeo bettered his qualifying mark and placed third at 17-1.

In the shot put, redshirt sophomore Bo Taylor won the event for the second time this season with a throw of 59-9.50, equaling a lifetime-best. Redshirt sophomore Nick Robinson came in third at 59-4.75. Both athletes improved on their qualifying marks earned two weeks ago.

“I’m very pleased with Bo Taylor,” Venegas said. “I think he is ready to bust out a big throw.”

In the triple jump, sophomore Jonathan Clark won with a jump of 59-4.75, just short of an NCAA qualifier by 4 centimeters.

Senior Kevin Craddock blazed his way to an event win in the 60-meter hurdles. Returning to indoor competition for the first time in two years, Craddock finished with a time of 7.93, just 0.02 seconds shy of a qualifying mark.

On Friday, the distance medley relay team of junior Marlon Patterson, junior Elijah Wells, sophomore Cory Primm and senior Laef Barnes came in fourth and qualified for the national championships with a time of 9:37.95.

“It was a really nice race from the DMR,” Venegas said. “They are starting faster than they were last year.”

Primm also picked up a qualifier in the 800-meter, running 1:50.17.

Four distance runners recorded lifetime-bests. Patterson ran a 4:05.62 mile while in the 3000m, redshirt senior Kyle Shackleton (8:10.97), redshirt senior Drew Shackleton (8:13.90), junior Alex Crabill (8:13.15) and junior Marco Anzures (8:16.39) also ran their fastest races in their careers.

The Bruins will have a short week of practice before heading to Lincoln, Neb., Friday for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.

“The team was solid across the board today, which sets up really nice for Nebraska,” Venegas said. “The short week will sharpen everyone up.”

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