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W. track no longer favored in race for NCAA title

By Scott Yamaguchi

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

When Track and Field News delivered its 1995 NCAA preseason prognostication in the pages of its March issue, the authoritative publication veered from conventional wisdom and picked the UCLA women's squad to win the national title.

At the time, the Bruins didn't seem like such an illogical choice ­ they had finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and their roster still included indoor national champions Dawn Dumble (shotput) and Amy Acuff (high jump), as well as a host of other All-Americans.

But in picking UCLA, the magazine snubbed Louisiana State University, winner of the last seven NCAA crowns. And now, with the NCAA outdoor meet just three weeks away, Track and Field News has reneged.

In its June issue, the magazine doped the meet on paper and concluded that LSU, with its dominant corps of sprinters, would narrowly win an eighth consecutive title. Based on performances to date, LSU would score 74 points in the meet, while UCLA would tally 70 and third-place North Carolina, 42.

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UCLA assistant coach Bobby Kersee, who served as head coach from 1985-93 and led UCLA to eight top-seven finishes in the NCAA but never won the national championship, is confident in the ability of this year's squad to up-end Louisiana State.

"It's the same old story ­ UCLA and LSU going for it all," he said. "I think you have to throw Texas and North Carolina in there, but this (UCLA) team has a chance to win the Pac-10 and the national championship.

"The only thing right now is that we've been having funny weather here. It's raining a lot and there haven't been a lot of warm days, which sprinters need.

"But in the next couple of weeks, if you get some good sprinting weather, the mile relay will come around. That's the key ­ the mile relay has got to qualify. The top teams are going to try to get in the range of 65 and 70 points, and those teams with a mile relay are going to have a shot to win the national championship."

* * *

Bruin head coach Jeannette Bolden was hoping to qualify the mile relay at the USC meet, but her team of Camille Noel, Shelia Burrell, Darlene Malco and Cicely Scott fell well short of the 3:33.50 automatic mark, finishing in 3:37.36.

Bolden, who will probably send the same relay to the Occidental Invitational this weekend, sympathizes with her runners, but more because of a lack of competition than because of fatigue. The second-place team, from Brigham Young, finished in 3:46.11.

"It's not easy to run by yourself," Bolden said. "I'm disappointed, but I understand from the athlete's side that it's not easy to do by yourself.

"They needed to be pushed."

* * *

The Pacific-10 Conference Championships begin Friday with the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon competitions at Roy Drachman Stadium on the campus of the University of Arizona.

Burrell currently leads the conference in the heptathlon with a 5456-point performance (April 13-14), but the All-American will probably not compete this weekend to avoid risk of injury.

Burrell, who redshirted last year because of knee injuries, is provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet and should make the cut. Her mark currently ranks No. 12 in the nation, and the NCAA accepted 19 competitors in the heptathlon last year.

* * *

Track and Field News also released in its June issue the first United States Track Coaches Association Collegiate Dual Meet Poll of the season, voted on by Division I coaches.

UCLA tied with Nebraska at the No. 3 spot, behind Tennessee and No. 1 North Carolina. Last year, the Bruins entered the NCAA championships with a perfect 6-0 record and a No. 1 ranking in the poll.

The latest poll was taken after UCLA had competed in just three dual meets, and last weekend, the Bruins finished the dual season with another perfect record (8-0).

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