Senior Lena Nilsson, sidelined with a foot
injury for the past two months, is getting closer to making her
outdoor track and field debut.
Nilsson recently received permission from doctors to begin
training again, and plans to make her return at the USC dual meet
on May 1.
“It would be a shame if she couldn’t be ready by
then,” UCLA distance coach Eric Peterson
said.
A three-time national champion, Nilsson last ran at the NCAA
Indoor Championships in February, anchoring the Bruins’
third-place distance medley relay.
But after a sizable bunyon developed on her toe, Nilsson has had
difficulty putting any pressure on it, rendering her unable to
run.
It is imperative that Nilsson get healthy quickly, since the
NCAA West Regionals are less than one month away. The third-ranked
Bruins will be counting on her to score points at the NCAA Outdoor
Championships in June, which could be difficult considering how
much time she has missed.
Still, the nation’s top collegiate times in the 800m and
1500m are well behind Nilsson’s career bests, and Peterson is
optimistic Nilsson could have a good chance.
“It’s definitely good to see that no- one is putting
either event out of sight at a national level,” he said.
SOFTBALL: Sophomore Caitlin
Benyi, who hit three home runs this weekend, including a
walk-off 10th-inning shot against Oregon on Sunday, was named
Pac-10 Player of the Week.
Benyi went 6-for-10 in the three weekend home games and has
homered in four straight games. UCLA won two of its three contests,
but sits at just 2-4 in the Pac-10.
WOMEN’S WATER POLO: UCLA alumnae Kelly
Heuchan and Jamie Hipp helped lead their Australian club team, the
Fremantle Marlins, to victory in the National Water Polo League
final.
Heuchan, a UCLA assistant coach on last year’s
championship squad, was named the Most Valuable Player of the
Finals Series. She is fifth on the Bruins’ career goals list.
Hipp was a four-year starter at goalkeeper for UCLA and holds the
second-lowest goals against average in team history.
Compiled by Jeff Eisenberg and Ben Peters, Bruin sports
senior staff.