LOS ANGELES – UCLA's track and field team has a pair of indoor meets on tap this weekend, as the Bruins send contingents to the UW Invitational (Seattle, Wash.) and UNM Team Open (Albuquerque, N.M.). The Bruins' distance squad makes the trip back to Dempsey Indoor for the UW Invite while UCLA's field athletes represent the team in New Mexico. The competitions are hosted by the University of Washington and University of New Mexico, respectively.
BRUINS IN THE RANKINGS
The UCLA men's squad checked in at No. 22 on the most recent United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings, the second-consecutive week the team has ranked in the national top-25. The Bruin women just missed the top-25, but are currently third in the West Region rankings.
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA is coming off a strong performance at the Dr. Sander Invite (Jan. 23-25) at The Armory in New York City. Junior Isa Videler opened the competition in the Thursday multis with a score of 3,896 points in the pentathlon, the fifth-best mark in UCLA history. Junior Alyssa Wilson won her third-consecutive shot put title to open the year, throwing 17.39m (57-00.75) for the victory. Sophomore Kenroy Higgins II won the men's 60m at 6.72, while redshirt sophomore Shae Anderson won the women's 400m with a UCLA indoor school-record time of 53.46.
Freshman Catherine Leger made her Bruin debut in the 200m and took second place overall, clocking the fourth-best indoor time in school history at 24.02. Fellow first-year Makenzy Pierre-Webster finished fifth in the event with a time 24.28, moving herself into the No. 10 position in the UCLA indoor record books.
UW INVITE
The UW Invite kicks off on Friday, Jan. 31 and runs through Saturday evening. UCLA sees its first action with the women's 5,000m competition, scheduled to commence at 3:20 p.m. PT.
Junior Christina Rice leads a group of four Bruin women in the 5k, who makes her season debut in the event for UCLA. Rice is coming off a 2019 indoor season that saw her finish second in the 5k at the MPSF Indoor Championships with a time of 16:31.55, the third-fastest indoor time in the event in UCLA history.
The women's mile features senior Cassandra Durgy (4:45.15) and junior Paige Carter (4:59.30), who each have sub-five-minute marks to their credit in their respective UCLA careers. The men's competition sees seven Bruins entered, including junior Chris Morzenti, whose 4:05.75 time at the UW Indoor Preview is currently the 36th-best mark in the nation.
The men's 800m sees senior Riley Kelly and freshmen Jett Charvet and Mason Ratkovich toe the line for the Bruins. Kelly posted an indoor-best time of 1:49.99 at the 2019 Husky Classic, good for the ninth-best indoor mark in UCLA history. Charvet, a New Balance Indoor 800m champion, makes his second appearance in the 800m for the Bruins, while Ratkovich has already competed in four events (800m, 1000m, 4x400m relay, DMR) for UCLA this season.
UNM TEAM OPEN
The Bruin field athletes are on display in Albuquerque, with the one-day competition taking place on Saturday, Feb. 1. The Bruins see their first action with the men's pole vault competition that opens at 8:45 a.m. MT / 7:45 p.m. PT.
The men's pole vault features senior Michael Fancey, who is coming off top-10 finishes at the Dr. Sander Invite (seventh) and UW Indoor Preview (second) to open his indoor campaign. Four Bruin freshmen – Camryn Thomson, Eden Henderson, Isabella Grant, and Mia Cervantes – all get the call for UCLA in the women's competition.
Alyssa Wilson is in action in the shot put and women's weight throw for the Bruins. The junior has won her first three shot put competitions of the year and her throw of 17.43m (57-02.25) set at the UW Indoor Preview is currently the No. 2 mark in the country. Senior Nate Esparza and redshirt sophomore Jacob Wilson compete in the men's shot. Esparza (19.22m, 63-00.75) and Wilson (17.84m, 58-06.50) have both posted runner-up finishes this year at the UW Indoor Preview and Dr. Sander Invite, respectively.
Sophomore Sean Lee is the Bruins' lone representative in the high jump this weekend. Lee makes his second appearance of the 2020 indoor campaign, earning the victory in his season debut in Seattle with a clearance of 2.16m (7-01.00).
UP NEXT
The Bruins split squads and head to New Mexico and Washington once again next week, as the team will compete at the Don Kirby Invite (Feb. 13-14) and Husky Classic (Feb. 14-15).
BRUINS IN THE RANKINGS
The UCLA men's squad checked in at No. 22 on the most recent United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings, the second-consecutive week the team has ranked in the national top-25. The Bruin women just missed the top-25, but are currently third in the West Region rankings.
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA is coming off a strong performance at the Dr. Sander Invite (Jan. 23-25) at The Armory in New York City. Junior Isa Videler opened the competition in the Thursday multis with a score of 3,896 points in the pentathlon, the fifth-best mark in UCLA history. Junior Alyssa Wilson won her third-consecutive shot put title to open the year, throwing 17.39m (57-00.75) for the victory. Sophomore Kenroy Higgins II won the men's 60m at 6.72, while redshirt sophomore Shae Anderson won the women's 400m with a UCLA indoor school-record time of 53.46.
Freshman Catherine Leger made her Bruin debut in the 200m and took second place overall, clocking the fourth-best indoor time in school history at 24.02. Fellow first-year Makenzy Pierre-Webster finished fifth in the event with a time 24.28, moving herself into the No. 10 position in the UCLA indoor record books.
UW INVITE
The UW Invite kicks off on Friday, Jan. 31 and runs through Saturday evening. UCLA sees its first action with the women's 5,000m competition, scheduled to commence at 3:20 p.m. PT.
Junior Christina Rice leads a group of four Bruin women in the 5k, who makes her season debut in the event for UCLA. Rice is coming off a 2019 indoor season that saw her finish second in the 5k at the MPSF Indoor Championships with a time of 16:31.55, the third-fastest indoor time in the event in UCLA history.
The women's mile features senior Cassandra Durgy (4:45.15) and junior Paige Carter (4:59.30), who each have sub-five-minute marks to their credit in their respective UCLA careers. The men's competition sees seven Bruins entered, including junior Chris Morzenti, whose 4:05.75 time at the UW Indoor Preview is currently the 36th-best mark in the nation.
The men's 800m sees senior Riley Kelly and freshmen Jett Charvet and Mason Ratkovich toe the line for the Bruins. Kelly posted an indoor-best time of 1:49.99 at the 2019 Husky Classic, good for the ninth-best indoor mark in UCLA history. Charvet, a New Balance Indoor 800m champion, makes his second appearance in the 800m for the Bruins, while Ratkovich has already competed in four events (800m, 1000m, 4x400m relay, DMR) for UCLA this season.
UNM TEAM OPEN
The Bruin field athletes are on display in Albuquerque, with the one-day competition taking place on Saturday, Feb. 1. The Bruins see their first action with the men's pole vault competition that opens at 8:45 a.m. MT / 7:45 p.m. PT.
The men's pole vault features senior Michael Fancey, who is coming off top-10 finishes at the Dr. Sander Invite (seventh) and UW Indoor Preview (second) to open his indoor campaign. Four Bruin freshmen – Camryn Thomson, Eden Henderson, Isabella Grant, and Mia Cervantes – all get the call for UCLA in the women's competition.
Alyssa Wilson is in action in the shot put and women's weight throw for the Bruins. The junior has won her first three shot put competitions of the year and her throw of 17.43m (57-02.25) set at the UW Indoor Preview is currently the No. 2 mark in the country. Senior Nate Esparza and redshirt sophomore Jacob Wilson compete in the men's shot. Esparza (19.22m, 63-00.75) and Wilson (17.84m, 58-06.50) have both posted runner-up finishes this year at the UW Indoor Preview and Dr. Sander Invite, respectively.
Sophomore Sean Lee is the Bruins' lone representative in the high jump this weekend. Lee makes his second appearance of the 2020 indoor campaign, earning the victory in his season debut in Seattle with a clearance of 2.16m (7-01.00).
UP NEXT
The Bruins split squads and head to New Mexico and Washington once again next week, as the team will compete at the Don Kirby Invite (Feb. 13-14) and Husky Classic (Feb. 14-15).