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Tuesday, April 1, 1997

TRACK:

Men's, women's teams have field day making qualifying marks for NCAA championshipsBy Emmanuelle Ejercito

Daily Bruin Staff

The outdoor track season is in full swing, and the UCLA men's and women's track and field teams are collecting personal bests with each meet.

Last Saturday at the UC San Diego Invitational, three Bruins set individual records.

Senior pole vaulter David Rynearson broke his personal best mark of 17 feet 1 1/2 inches by vaulting 17-5. The mark was the best amongst the invitational vaulters.

On the women's side, the Bruin throwers had a field day in San Diego.

Junior Suzy Powell destroyed her old personal best of 198-9, by throwing 202-1 in the discus competition. Powell finished in first place ahead of teammate Seilala Sua who not only set a new personal record, but also set a new Junior American Record by throwing 199-2. Her throw was over 10 feet farther than her previous personal best. Both marks were good enough to automatically qualify the throwers for the NCAA Championships.

But success was not limited to the field.

The men's 400-meter relay team met with success, despite losing three of its legs that placed second in the NCAA Championships last year.

Gone are two-time Olympic bronze medalist Ato Boldon who ran the second leg, anchor Gentry Bradley and Erik Allen. Akil Davis who ran the first leg suffered a knee injury during football season.

And junior Ibrahim Hassan, who usually runs on both the 400 and 1600 relay teams for UCLA, injured his groin during a meet in Berkeley two weeks ago.

The relay team of Randy Brookes, Damian Allen, Jim McElroy and Brandon Thomas, who replaced Hassan on the team, still set a season best of 40.51.

UCLA also competed in the Stanford Invitational on March 22, at which junior Mebrahtom Keflezighi ran the second fastest time in school history in the 10,000 meter. Keflezighi, who won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 5,000 meter earlier in the month, ran a 28:26.55. The junior finished second behind Alan Culpepper who finished at 28:25.57.

"It was a great duel between Keflezighi and Culpepper the whole way," UCLA men's head coach Bob Larsen said.

The time easily qualifies Keflezighi for the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meter.

While Keflezighi was in Palo Alto, Bruin throwers were having a good day at a meet held at Cal State Northridge earning provisional and qualifying marks. Sophomore Wade Tift had a season-best 58-11 1/4 which is a provisional qualifying mark in the shot put.

In the women's shot put, junior Nada Kawar had an automatic qualifying mark of 52-9 1/2, her best throw this season.

In the Stanford Invitational ... junior Mebrahtom Keflezighi ran the second fastest time in school history in the 10,000 meter.

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