LOS ANGELES – The UCLA track and field team will compete at home for the third consecutive weekend on Saturday, April 15 as the Bruins host the Jim Bush Collegiate Invitational at Drake Stadium.
The women's hammer throw will start the field event competition at 8:30 a.m., and the track events will begin with the 4x100 meter relay at 2:15 p.m.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS: The Bruins' competition this weekend will be stacked with formidable opponents. The field is headlined by national powerhouse Texas A&M, whose men's squad is currently second in the country with their women ninth nationally. Alabama's fourth-ranked men and 18th ranked women will also be making the trip from Tuscaloosa. Perennially strong competitors UTEP and Arizona State will round out the field heading to Westwood. The UCLA men come into the weekend No. 18 in the USTFCCCA national poll.
TICKETS: Admission is FREE
RESULTS: Live results will be provided by Finished Results. Download the App to follow all the action on your phone or device or click HERE.
SENIOR DAY: UCLA will recognize 13 student-athletes at the meet. The four women include: Zaybree Haury, Torie Owers, Monique Van, and Ratanya Washington. Nine men will suit up in front of the Drake crowd for the last time. The nine men include: Cody Crampton, Max Davis, Jonah Diaz, Austin Hazel, Austin O'Neil, Darnell Roberson, Reed Scale, Sage Stone, and Riley Turner.
DRAKE ENHANCEMENT CELEBRATION: After the meet, UCLA will host the Drake Stadium Enhancement Celebration at the Sherie and Don Morrison Recognition Plaza. The celebration will honor Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Rafer Johnson, and the late Ducky Drake. The cost is $25 person. To attend, please RSVP to Zack Rosenfeld at zrosenfeld@athletics.ucla.edu.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bruins are coming off strong outings last weekend at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invite at Drake Stadium, and several athletes continue to hold nationally ranked marks. On the distance side, sophomore Arturo Sotomayor (3:42.60) and senior Austin O'Neil (3:42.86) battled to go 1-2 in the 1,500-meter competition to place them fifth and sixth nationally in the event. The men's 1500-meter squad is also first in the country on the USTFCCCA squad rankings.
Freshman Isaiah Holmes and sophomore Michael Burke are currently tied for sixth nationally in the high jump with their clearances of 7-2.50, and the UCLA men's high jump squad is also the best in the nation. On the women's side, freshman Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis leads the Bruins with her mark of 6-0.75 which helped the women's high jumpers secure their third overall national ranking.
In the throws, sophomore Ashlie Blake (54-8.25) and senior Torie Owers (54-8.00) are currently 14th and 15th, respectively in the individual national rankings, helping to launch the women's shot put squad to second in the country.
UCLA will have its hands full this weekend with top-tier talent across the full slate of events. Here are intriguing matchups to watch out for on Saturday.
Men's 400-meter: Perhaps the most high-profile matchup for UCLA will be sophomore Rai Benjamin's battle with Texas A&M senior Fred Kerley. Kerley ran an impressive lifetime best of 44.85 on his home track in College Station to win the 2017 NCAA Indoor 400 meter title in March, and is an imposing competitor to any challenger. Benjamin comes into the weekend 13th in the country at 46.17 in the 400m and will look to dethrone Kerley in front of the UCLA crowd.
Women's High Jump: A key matchup in the field events will take place on the women's side, with UCLA freshman Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis taking on Alabama sophomore Stacey Destin. Lefebvre-Oatis has had a spectacular season for the Bruins, a freshman campaign highlighted by her jump of 6-00.75 that is 3rd in the nation and tied for 6th in UCLA history. Destin also has an impressive resume, as her lifetime best of 6-02.75 is good for the Alabama school record.
Men's 800-meter: The men's 800-meter competition is loaded with talent from several schools. Sophomore Arturo Sotomayor will lead the way for the Bruins and is coming off a stellar personal best of 3:42.60 in the 1,500-meter competition that garnered Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Week honors. Sotomayor holds a lifetime best of 1:49.20 in the 800 meters, and will look to crank up his speed even more against tough opponents. Texas A&M freshman Devin Dixon and Alabama senior Jacopo Lahb headline the field; Dixon is currently 7th nationally at 1:47.01 with Lahb close behind at 1:47.98 and 13th in the country. With a lifetime best of 1:47.48, UTEP freshman Korir Emmanuel is also a formidable opponent.
NEXT MEET: Following the three-week homestand, the Bruins will head to the campus of UC San Diego for the Triton Invitational from April 21-22.