For the No. 8 UCLA women’s track and field team, this is the chance to punch its ticket to Iowa for the NCAA Championships.
Today and tomorrow, the Bruins will face their biggest test of the year as they make the short trip to Northridge for the West Regionals.
Throughout the year, the team picked up 29 regional qualifiers, but only 22 events will be represented in order to not overwork the athletes. The team boasts 15 athletes ranked in the region’s top eight in those events.
“I feel really good about going into regionals this weekend,” head coach Jeanette Bolden said. “Everybody is healthy, and we have been working really hard from the ‘SC meet to Pac-10s to now. We should have a good showing and send a lot of people to nationals.”
Leading the way for the team will be juniors Rhonda Watkins and Nicole Leach. Both will be defending their regional titles from last year in their respective events and will look to repeat as national champions.
“I have had some time to recover and have a good shot to win the title,” said Watkins, who won the regional title two years straight. “Three in a row would be nice, but this meet is to make it through to nationals.”
Watkins, a long jumper, and Leach, a 400 meters hurdler, rested during the Pac-10 meet to prepare for this meet and are ready to get back in action.
“They are chomping at the bit,” Bolden said. “They are ready to compete, which is always nice.”
Another athlete looking to make headlines this weekend will be senior pole vaulter Ingrid Kantola, who is coming off a personal best two weekends ago that earned her the Pac-10 title.
“The confidence booster from Pac-10s propelled me,” Kantola said. “I’m on a boost right now, and mentally I’m in a good place.”
Tori Anthony, Katy Viuf and Tori Pena will join Kantola in looking to gain a top-five spot to guarantee a bid to nationals. If they do not make the top five, the next three qualifiers are given bids based on the national descending order list.
Anthony has not been active for the past few weeks due to an illness and will be making her return this weekend.
“It’s going to be the hardest thing for her,” pole vault coach Anthony Curran said. “She came out and took one jump (Tuesday) and was extremely tired. She still has mononucleosis. It’s going away and she feels better.”
In the 800m, the Bruins are looking for another good run from sophomore Krishna Curry, who finished fourth at the Pac-10 Championships with a personal best.
“Krishna has just been a huge bright spot on the women’s team, and it’s come at a very much-needed time,” distance coach Eric Peterson said. “She may be one of the most improved 800 runners in the nation.”
Other athletes competing on the track will include Jolanda Diego in the 100m and 200m, Lindsay Rowe in the 100m hurdles and a 4×400 relay team. In the jumps Keneisha Creary, who is coming off a scoring performance in the heptathlon at the Pac-10 Championships, will turn her focus to the high jump. Renee Williams will double in the triple jump and long jump.
With everything on the line and the ultimate goal of nationals within reach, the Bruins will hold nothing back.
“The team is still on a nice high and feeling good about the performances at Pac-10s,” Bolden said. “You can just tell everyone stepped it up at Pac-10s. They will do even better this week heading into nationals.”