Three years after arriving at UCLA as one of the most decorated
high school sprinters in the nation, Matt Bruno will leave Westwood
without ever having fulfilled his potential.
Bruno, UCLA’s top recruit in 2002, was dismissed from the
men’s track and field team on Wednesday because of a
violation of team rules.
“This is strictly an in-house decision and based on a
violation of team rules,” UCLA coach Art Venegas said.
“I want to stress Matt has not been dismissed from the team
because of any outside legal or university rules violation.
It’s unfortunate for Matt and our team. It was just not
working out.”
Hampered by nagging leg and groin injuries throughout his Bruin
career, Bruno missed practice frequently over the past two years
and had been hesitant to run through pain. He shed a lot of muscle
over the offseason at the urging of UCLA sprints coach Tony Veney
““ a major reason why the coaches were hopeful this would be
the season Bruno finally fulfilled his potential.
Neither Venegas nor Veney would elaborate further on the reason
for Bruno’s dismissal, but both had said in the past that
they had hoped he would progress more quickly over the last three
years.
Bruno, a former California state champion in the 100 and 200
meters as a senior at Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo,
hasn’t approached that level of success as a Bruin. The most
attention he received throughout his UCLA career came as a freshman
when he was robbed at gunpoint inside his Saxon suite.
Though he qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 meters
for the first time last season, Bruno seemed to regress again this
season. His season best, 10.67 seconds, is more than two-tenths of
a second slower than the best time he ran in high school.
Venegas said UCLA would honor Bruno’s scholarship through
his senior year of 2005-06.