Track teams

Track teams

look to blow

out Trojans

By Tim Costner

and Scott Yamaguchi

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

In what is probably a foregone conclusion, the UCLA track
program will travel to Cromwell Field at USC to face the Trojans
and Brigham Young in a triple dual meet.

The UCLA men’s team has defeated USC in dual meet competition
for the last 16 years, while the women have defeated the women of
Troy in six of their last seven meetings.

This Saturday’s meets, which mark the first time ever that the
squads have squared off on USC’s campus, should develop into
another one-sided victory for both Bruin squads.

In the men’s competition, UCLA currently leads USC in 12 out of
18 events, including six out of eight field events.

The Bruins should easily sweep the top three spots in the
shotput this weekend behind UCLA’S John Godina, who currently ranks
second in the nation with a mark that is just four inches behind
Georgia’s Brent Noon.

Godina, who leads the nation in the discus, should also win that
competition this weekend.

"We’re ready," said UCLA throwing coach Art Venegas. "They just
don’t have the shot or discus people we do. They have one good
discus guy, but he’s far away from Godina. The really good matchups
aren’t there. We’re not going to train through the meet, but we’re
not really backing off either."

Still, the Bruins could establish some personal records this
weekend if the weather stays as warm as it has been.

In the sprints, UCLA’s Ato Boldon and Ibrahim Hassan have
already combined for five NCAA qualifications, including the 4x100m
relay along with teammates Gentry Bradley and Thomas Ganda.

UCLA sprinting coach John Smith is confident that the Bruins
will run well on Saturday.

"We’re going to win everything on the track," Smith said.
"That’s what I’m going after. I don’t care what they’re saying over
there ­ talk is cheap. The bottom line is that you get on the
track and you run. The Bruins have always shown up to use any
opponent we have to use to get to the tape."

The chance of any school records falling this weekend depends on
the weather, according to Smith.

Boldon could run the 100 in under 10 seconds, or run the 200 in
just over 20 seconds. Both times would set UCLA records.

"I’m more interested in the fundamentals," Smith said. "There
are certain things that Ato, Hassan and Gentry have to accomplish.
I’m more interested in the continuity of what they’re doing. If
they do all of those things they will run fast ­ extremely
fast."

The women’s competition looks to be a bit closer, with UCLA
having posted better marks than USC in only nine of the 17 scored
events. The Bruins have better marks than BYU’s athletes in 10
events.

"The mere fact that we’re leaving Westwood and going into Los
Angeles to compete against USC adds fuel to the fire," UCLA head
coach Jeanette Bolden said. "It’s going to be close, and I know
that if my team executes the things that they know they can, we’ll
come out on top.

"But it is going to be close."

The Trojans’ strengths lie mostly in the sprinting and hurdling
events, and their 400-meter relay team, led off by Hong Kong
National team member Sau Ying Chan, has run the fastest time in the
Pacific-10 Conference in 1995.

In the 100 hurdles at the Mt. SAC Relays April 15, Chan ­
an NCAA title contender in that event ­ finished the race in a
conference-leading 13.33. But in last year’s dual meet in Westwood,
Chan was upset by UCLA senior Shelia Burrell, whose best time in
the 100 hurdles this year is 13.79.

Burrell and Chan will likely meet again Saturday, while Burrell
is also entered in the 100, the 200, the javelin, the 400 relay and
the 1,600 relay.

Joining Burrell on the long relay will be Camille Noel, Darlene
Malco and Cicely Scott ­ the same team that accounts for
UCLA’s season best time of 3:36.87.

Noel will run the open 400 for the first time this season, while
Scott will move back up to the 800 after achieving a personal-best
52.89 in the 400 last week.

Redshirt sophomore Erin Blunt is entered in the 400 hurdles for
the first time since 1993, and Karen Hecox will run the 1,500.

On the field, Amy Acuff will compete in the high jump, while
Dawn Dumble will throw the shot put and discus, Valeyta Althouse
will throw the shot and Suzy Powell will join Dumble in the
discus.