UCLA
Lumberjack Team Challenge
UCLA Wraps Up Season Opener at NAU
January 16, 2016 | Track & Field
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The UCLA track & field team opened the 2016 indoor season with eight individual victories and some impressive early season marks, Saturday at the Lumberjack Team Challenge held in the Skydome on the Northern Arizona campus.
Senior All-American Nicholas Scarvelis started out the new season in impressive fashion as he uncorked a huge personal best in the shot put with a throw of 66-9.75. Coming into the meet, Scarvelis sat in 10th all-time in the UCLA record books, but the mark catapulted him all the way to fifth all-time, passing his event coach and Bruin great John Frazier.
On top of the victory the Bruins swept the event as sophomore Braheme Days finished second with a throw of 60-6.50 and Dotun Ogundeji was third (59-4) in his first collegiate action. Ogundeji also took third in the weight throw with a mark of 54-7.50.
On the women's side in the shot put, indoor All-American Torie Owers won the event with a mark of 54-10. She was followed by the collegiate debuts of Ashlie Blake in third (51-0) and Stamatia Scarvelis in fourth (49-11.75). Scarvelis also finished fourth in the weight throw with a mark of 57-9.75.
In the men's high jump junior Cody Crampton led a 1-2 charge by UCLA in the event as he leaped 6-10.75 to win the event. Sophomore Sage Stone followed in second with a jump of 6-8.75. Austin Hazel won the long jump with mark of 23-6.75. Faith Anumba posted a solid opening mark in the triple jump with a leap of 41-1.50 to place third.
Sophomore Jessie Maduka started out the day with the first of her two wins with a victory in the long jump. The NCAA outdoor honorable mention All-American won with a leap of 19-3.25. She later claimed a victory in the 200m as she clocked a 24.62. Sophomore Jelvon Butler followed in second at 25.03 while newcomer Schuyler Moore was third in a time of 25.19 to complete the Bruin sweep.
In other action on the track, senior Aliya Shirif was the runner-up in the mile with a time of 5:12.14. In the men's mile the Bruins finished 2-6. Senior Austin O'Neil was second with a time of 4:16.62 and was followed by senior Ferdinand Edman (4:17.67), senior Nolan Dickson (4:18.74), sophomore Daniel De La Torre (4:24.36) and freshman Arturo Sotomayor (4:25.66).
For the second season in a row Leon Powell opened his campaign with a victory in the 60m, this time clocking a 6.73. He also finished third in the 200m with a 21.48. In the 60m hurdles UCLA took the top two spots with sophomore Misana Viltz winning with a time of 7.98. Sophomore All-American Steele Wasik followed with a time of 8.06.
In his collegiate debut, Rai Benjamin, one of the top newcomers in the country won the 200m in his with a time of 21.28.
UCLA will return to the indoor oval when it heads to Manhattan, Kan., for the DeLoss Dodds Invitational. The meet will be held on Friday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 23.
Players Mentioned
