Tony Veney has always kept one eye on the UCLA men’s track
and field program even when the sport deposited him thousands of
miles from Los Angeles. So when the Bruin alumnus finally returned
to Westwood as the new men’s sprints coach last June, he was
already well aware of the potential of his young squad.
“I’ve been following UCLA since I was nine years
old,” Veney said. “I was well aware the cupboard
wasn’t bare.” In the months leading up to this past
Saturday’s season opener, Veney has emphasized different
things for each of his sprinters. He’s made subtle changes to
sophomore Matt Bruno’s technique, he’s encouraged
junior Tony Golston to focus on consistency, and he’s
reminded heralded freshman Brandon Johnson not to get ahead of
himself. Saturday’s Husky Invitational marked Veney’s
first chance to evaluate his squad outside of practice. What he
witnessed was a determined group of athletes who worked hard, but
need some more seasoning before they are ready to make an impact.
“These guys have great potential,” Veney said.
“Any of them could have break-out years. With a little more
experience, they’re going to perform really well.”
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AIMING HIGH: Senior Dan Ames provisionally
qualified for the NCAA Indoor Nationals in the weight throw and
shot put Saturday in Seattle, posting marks of 60-feet, 7.75 inches
and 66-9.25, respectively. An All-American last season, Ames placed
fourth in the shot put and sixth in the weight throw last season at
the NCAA meet. The team will likely be counting on him to challenge
for an individual title this March.
SHORT SPRINTS: Nick Thornton (800m) and Tony
Golston (60m hurdles) qualified provisionally for the NCAA Indoor
Nationals. UCLA’s distance medley relay of Ben Aragon,
Thornton, Denye’ Versher, and Jon Rankin also provisionally
qualified with a mark of 9:41.43. Junior pole vaulter Shane Hackett
shattered his personal record with a 16-foot, 10.75-inch mark. The
Bruins are ranked No. 14 in the latest Trackwire poll, and UCLA
heads to the Boise Indoors this weekend.