AUSTIN, Texas “”mdash; It’s amazing how much you learn from
failure. Surely, a whole lot more than you would from winning.
And though it may not be the way the UCLA men’s track and
field team would like to have gained perspective on the status of
its program, a mediocre performance at this weekend’s NCAA
Championships hit the team squarely on the head.
For the Bruins, it wasn’t what they didn’t
accomplish but instead what they could have accomplished.
Scoring only 17 points to tie for 17th place, the young UCLA
team struggled to exhibit any type of national-caliber performances
as most of its key athletes failed to advance to the final rounds
of their events.
“It’s a disappointing meet for me because of how
well we were doing this year,” coach Art Venegas said.
“Right now, with the exception of a few athletes, I
don’t think anyone participated up to (his) true
potential.”
UCLA’s season up to nationals was indeed successful,
dominating the UCLA-USC dual meet and easily winning both the
Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional Championships. Those performances
were enough to signal the program was progressing toward an elite
status, giving hope to many that the team could post a top-10
finish at the nationals.
UCLA’s performance this weekend, however, showed the
program is still at least another year away from where it wants to
be and that most of its track athletes were not yet experienced
enough to handle the pressure of the championships.
“I like the kids to know I’m disappointed in their
performance,” Venegas said. “I want some of the same
kids that didn’t compete well here to step up next
year.”
The most pressing issue for the Bruins this weekend was their
failure to even get into a position to score. Freshman Brandon
Johnson, a title contender in the 400-meter hurdles, could not
qualify for the finals and was more than two seconds slower than
his personal best of 48.85.
Sophomore Craig Everhart also didn’t advance out of the
400m prelims. After a breakout season, Everhart was among the top
quarter-mile sprinters in the nation but could not earn a berth in
the nine-man finals.
“They just don’t have the experience that those guys
who normally qualify have,” sprints coach Tony Veney said.
“That takes some real time.”
The lack of national championship experience appeared to weigh
heavily on the Bruin athletes across the board.
“You definitely need to (have been) here before to get the
atmosphere,” hurdler Jonathan Williams said.
“It’s so grandiose (that) you definitely need to get a
feel for it.”
In the 1500m, both middle distance runners Jon Rankin and Ben
Aragon were not used to the tactical nature of the race at the
national level. Neither advanced to the finals.
“In the 1500, a lot of people tend to hold back a lot in
the qualifying rounds,” Rankin said. “It becomes a
matter of who’s going to out-kick whom.”
Meanwhile UCLA’s more experienced field athletes saw more
success than those on the track but still did not meet their own
expectations.
Senior thrower Dan Ames, who competed in all three throwing
events, could not advance to the finals in the discus, did not
score in the hammer, and finished sixth in his specialty, the shot
put.
Senior Juaune Armon and junior Yoo Kim saw the most success of
all the Bruins, with Armon finishing fifth in the long jump with a
mark of 26 feet and Kim second in the pole vault with a new
personal best of 18-4 1/2.
Overall, though UCLA’s performance was subpar at best, its
disappointment could be something to build on for the future.
With Everhart and Johnson vying to be among the nation’s
top sprinters, the potential on the track is definitely there for
the Bruins.
Just scoring a point in a running event was an improvement for
the team, which finished seventh in the 4x400m relay.
“Just look at the results this year,” Venegas said.
“Ask any of the other teams at the Pac-10 that we destroyed
at the meet if we’re headed in the right
direction.”
With the bright possibilities ahead of this Bruins’ squad,
the team’s focus will be concentrated on a much larger level.
Instead of fixating on dual meets against USC, the coaching staff
will now place a priority on meets of more national significance in
order to prepare the athletes for the championship level of
competition. But that plan also signals an added pressure for the
team next year when experience will not be a viable excuse.
 “We had a team meeting,” Veney said. “I
challenged them to come back to this meet and forget what
happened.
“They all agreed.”