Field athletes lead Bruins in strong second-day showing
Tolson gets first in shot put; Jones takes champion’s run
MARY CIECEK/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Senior Christina Tolson competes in the shot put at the NCAA Championships. She won the event with a throw of 57-feet-3/4 inches.
By Christina Teller
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
EUGENE, Ore. — In the unpredictable sport that is track and field, it is the field events that continue to be the sure thing for the UCLA women’s team as the Bruins scored in both field events so far at the 2001 NCAA Championships.
In day two of competition Thursday, senior Christina Tolson stepped up and took first in the shot put with her throw of 57-feet-3/4 inches. USC’s Cynthia Ademiluiy took third in the event at 55-1/4. Tolson advanced to the finals by placing first in the preliminary heats and earned her first outdoor title with her first throw in the finals.
“I knew that this was my year,” said Tolson, who finished fifth at last year’s meet. “I had to take a break from track after last year’s NCAAs, and I came back knowing I could do it this year.”
After the event ended, Tolson received a congratulatory hug from Bruin alumna Seilala Sua (’00), the two-time shot put (1999-00) and the four-time discus (1997-00) champion at the NCAA outdoors.
Tolson is the seventh woman in NCAA history to win both the indoor and outdoor shot put titles in the same year, and she brings home the third straight shot put title for the Bruins.
“I’m so happy for her,” UCLA Coach Jeanette Bolden said. “She’s led the team all year. She’s grace under pressure.
“Art (Venegas) has done a great job continuing to keep them focused and letting them know that they are the anchor of the team,” Bolden said of the UCLA throwing coach’s champions.
The day of senior success continued as senior Shakedia Jones advanced to the 100-meter semifinal with the fastest time of the day at 11.11 seconds.
Jones won her heat and finished one-tenth of a second faster than two-time defending champion Angela Williams of USC. Jones, the anchor of the UCLA 4 x 100m relay team, has been suffering from shin splints since the indoor season. She sees the disqualification during the 4 x 100m preliminary run Wednesday for dropping the baton as a blessing in disguise, as she can now concentrate only on the open 100m.
Also running their fastest this season was the 4 x 400m relay team of freshman Adia McKinnon, freshman Sheena Johnson, junior Ysanne Williams and senior Michelle Perry. The foursome finished in 3 minutes, 30.54 seconds and will advance to the finals on Saturday along with the other women’s title favorites, USC and South Carolina.
McKinnon led off with an explosive leg of 52.9, reaching the hand-off point before any of her competitors. Johnson and Williams maintained a substantial lead, but on the final lap LSU’s Ronetta Smith and South Carolina’s Demetria Washington gained on Perry, and the Bruins finished third in the heat. UCLA’s time was three-tenths of a second faster than USC’s.
“It’s a confidence booster because we were able to bounce back today after not doing well yesterday,” Johnson said.
Individual competition ended Thursday for freshman Sani Roseby, who did not advance to the finals of the 100m hurdles, and McKinnon, who did not advance to the 400m finals. They finished with times of 13.77 and 53.67, respectively.
The Bruins continue competition today with Perry opening the heptathlon with the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m events. Jones will run in the semis of the 100m, while Williams and freshman Lena Nilsson will compete in the 800m finals. Senior Erika Hoernig and juniors Heather Sickler and Tracy O’Hara, the defending champion, will compete in the pole vault.
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