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It seems as if every weekend senior Jon Rankin does something impressive, and this weekend was no different. At the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., Rankin finished with a lifetime best in the 800 meters with a time of 1 minute, 47.11 seconds, placing second in the race. Only Texas Tech’s Jonathan Johnson, a 2004 U.S. Olympian and the national title holder in the event, defeated Rankin. “It was a good day for Jon,” UCLA distance coach Eric Peterson said. “With a guy of Jonathan Johnson’s caliber in that race, it was a wonderful opportunity for Jon to run fast.” Rankin has emerged as one of the elite distance runners in the nation this season, posting the fastest collegiate time in the 1500 meters and now the second-fastest time in the 800m. Just last weekend Rankin became the third Bruin to ever run a sub-4-minute mile. Peterson said, however, that Rankin will continue to focus solely on the 1500m at regionals and nationals because doubling would be too physically and mentally taxing. But Peterson intends to have Rankin and Ben Aragon run in both the 1500m and 800m at the Pac-10 Championships, where the duo placed in the top five in both events last year with Aragon winning the 800m. “When you have strong milers in your program, like Jon and Ben, it’s going to be expected of them,” Peterson said. Rankin wasn’t the only Bruin to have success at the Mt. SAC Relays. Junior Erik Emilsson ran a lifetime-best in the 3000m steeplechase Friday, finishing sixth overall in a time of 8 minutes, 40.40 seconds. It was the fourth-best collegiate mark this year.

SPRINTING UPDATE: While the men’s distance corps was participating in the Mt. SAC Relays, the majority of the Bruins traveled to Tempe, Ariz. for the Sun Angel Classic. The sprinters paced UCLA as both Craig Everhart and Brandon Johnson put up season-best times in their respective events. Johnson finished second in the 400m hurdles in a time of 49.18 seconds, running behind 2004 U.S. Olympian Bennie Brazell, who ran it in 48.54, the fastest collegiate time this year. Everhart put forth a solid performance in the 400m dash, taking sixth place in 46.14 seconds. The two sprinters also helped the 4x400m relay to finish second, behind LSU, in a time of 3 minutes, 05.48 seconds.

ODDS AND ENDS: Senior Denye Versher ran a season-best of 46.56 seconds in the 400m ... In the 110m hurdles, senior Tony Golston ran a season-best 14.03 seconds, placing fourth overall ... Freshman Dominque Easterling jumped a season-best 23-feet, 10.75 inches in the long jump to place eighth.