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Thursday, 5/29/97 Track Notes

McElroy knows track and football Jim McElroy knows what it's like to juggle tasks. While most people are resigned to excelling in one sport, McElroy is accomplished in two sports - football and track. Last fall in football, McElroy the receiver led the team with 527 receiving yards. And this season on the track, McElroy the sprinter has improved with every meet. McElroy is also the most-called-upon athlete on the UCLA men's track and field team, competing in four events for the Bruins. Last weekend at the Pacific 10 Conference Championships in Seattle, McElroy raced in four events for a total of six races including preliminary heats. Despite, being stretched in many events, McElroy's results were anything but mediocre. McElroy individually scored nine points for the Bruins, and as the anchor for both relay teams helped score an additional 16 points. In the 100 meters, McElroy finished in sixth place with a time of 10.72. In the 200, the junior was the third to cross the line at 21.12. In the last event of the meet, the 1600 meter relay, McElroy had his best split on the anchor leg at 45.9. "After all those races, McElroy was still competitive," UCLA head coach Bob Larsen said. "It was a great effort for him. He's really improved as a track runner. "Overall, he's just a tenacious competitor." Washington wind hampers Bruins Seattle may be known for rain, but last weekend, it was the wind which hampered a few of the Bruin jumpers. "A lot of the vaulters didn't jump real well with the conditions," Larsen said. Scott Slover, who won the Pac-10 pole vault title last year, struggled with the headwind and finished second, clearing 17- 4 1/2. Slover's best vault this season is a national leading vault of 18- 7 1/4. A surprise placer for the Bruins was Travis Calkins. Calkins cleared 16 3/4 to take fifth place. Although he is a senior, it was the first time Calkins has tallied points for UCLA. Ritch Pitchford also had to deal with adverse conditions in the high jump. Last year's Pac-10 champion, Pitchford who ranked third in the conference cleared 6- 8 3/4. Overall in the meet, Pitchford finished in fifth place, while fellow Bruin Ed Barnett took third by clearing 6- 10 3/4. Meanwhile, the field events team accounted for 80 of the team's 138 points. The most points came from the discus, where although a Bruin did not win the title, UCLA placed four athletes. Senior David Dumble led the Bruin throwers, finishing second with a throw of 189- 2. Previous Daily Bruin Stories: Bruins hope to run conference streak to six, May 23, 1997

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