UCLA
vs, Texas & Arkansas
Men's Track & Field Places Second At Texas Tri-Meet
March 25, 2011 | Track & Field
March 25, 2011
The No. 24 UCLA men's track and field headed to the Lonestar State to battle No. 14 Arkansas and No. 17 Texas in a tri-meet on Friday, and despite putting up some incredible performances on the track, finished second as the Longhorns won by four points. It was the first big test for the Bruin men and all signs are pointing to a very talented team that will be posting big performances from here on out.
Texas won the meet in the final event of the day, the 4x400m relay, scoring 149 points throughout the day. UCLA was second (145) and Arkansas was third (106). UCLA athletes posted 18 season or lifetime-best marks and won six events, including a sweep in the javelin. The Bruins were without two of their top athletes, vaulter Greg Woepse and 800m runner Cory Primm. Woepse was at the meet, but did not compete after feeling a twinge in his groin warming up and Primm stayed back in Los Angeles due to illness.
Freshman All-American Alec Faldermeyer started the Bruins off on a high note as he easily won the hammer throw with a solid opening toss of 200-7, outdistancing the second-place finisher by over 13 feet. The Bruin javelin throwers kept the winning streak going as redshirt frosh Matthew Kosecki made his Bruin debut with a solid mark of 205-2 to win the event. Sophomore Carlo Valdez finished second with a lifetime-best throw of 203-1 and senior Andreas Drbal was third (187-8) as the Bruins swept the event.
Senior Alex Crabill led the way in the 3000m as he was the top Bruin finisher, placing second (8:27.55).
Up next was the long jump where junior Nelson Rosario posted a season-best mark of 24-5.75, a mark which ranks in the top 20 in the NCAA. Junior Taylor Hobson finished fifth with a mark of 24-00.25. Hobson was also third in the high jump (6-10.75).
The men's 4x100m posted what could be the No. 1 mark in the NCAA so far this season with a winning time of 39.78 (Frasier, Rolle, Dyce, Carroll).
Senior Scott Crawford won the 1500m (3:47.98), but what was even more impressive then his win was the fact that he placed second in the 800m (1:52.13). Crawford was set to leave the meet early to return home for a family obligation, but was asked to run the 800m at the last second. Without any warm-up, he ran to the start line and went to work, finishing second overall.
Decathletes David Thomas and Trent Perez each had a solid 110m hurdles race as Thomas was seventh (season-best, 15.52) and Perez was eighth (lifetime-best, 15.99).
The shot put saw the Bruins finish fourth through sixth as sophomore Nigel Davies was fourth with a season-best toss (53-7), senior Bo Taylor was fifth (51-11.75) and junior Mark Weber was sixth (50-10.75).
The men's 100m race was a fast one with Arkansas's Marek Niit going 10.21, but UCLA's Randall Carroll also ran fast as he was fourth with a time of 10.43.
Senior Casey DiCesare cleared a season-best 17-2.75 to win the pole vault, while freshman Mike Woepse was third (16-2.75) and senior Scott DiCesare was third (16-2.75, season-best).
The most inspirational moment of the meet came in the 400m hurdles when junior Brian Law surged from behind for the upset win as he ran a big lifetime-best of 51.95. That mark ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA as of Friday night.
Sophomore Maxwell Dyce ran a lifetime-best of 20.77 in the 200m as he was edged out by Texas's Trevante Rhodes by .0040 for first-place. Dyce's time also ranks in the top 10 nationally.
Senior Jonathan Clark had a lifetime-best performance in the triple jump as he had a mark of 52-3.75. That will be one of the top five marks in the NCAA so far this season. Sophomore Dillon Stuckey was fourth with a lifetime-best of 48-8.75.
In the discus, junior Thomas Nagengast threw a lifetime-best of 178-9 to finish second overall. Kosecki was fourth with a season-best mark of 166-11.
Sophomore David McDonald wrapped up the meet with a win in the steeplechase as he ran 9:22.22.
The Bruins return home next week (April 2nd) for a three-meet homestand as they first host Tennessee in a traditional dual.
Players Mentioned
