UCLA Heads To Pullmam

UCLA Heads To Pullmam

May 14, 2002

Jeanette Bolden's UCLA women and Art Venegas' Bruin men's track & field teams will compete this weekend (Saturday/Sunday, May 18-19) at the 2002 Pacific-10 T & F Championships in Pullman, WA and hosted by Washington State at the Mooberry Track Complex. It will be the 72nd annual conference men's meet and the 16th annual women's event.

On Saturday, May 18, the competition begins at noon (10 finals, the rest are qualifying events) and on Sunday, May 19, the final day of the conference championships will begin at 11:30 a.m. (all finals). Scoring will be through eight places (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1).

Bruin Women
Last week, Bolden's Bruin women's squad was rated No. 1 in the nation. Under Bolden, in her ninth season as the UCLA women's head coach, the Bruin women are looking to win their sixth consecutive Pac-10 T & F crown (and eighth in Bolden's nine years). In the 15-year history of the conference women's meet, the Bruin women have won the Pac-10 title on 12 occasions (2001-00-99-98-97-95-94-93-90-89-88-87).

The UCLA women return six Pac-10 Champions. They are ' sophomore Adia McKinnon in the 400m (2001), sophomore Sheena Johnson in the 400m hurdles (2001), two runners (McKinnon, Johnson) from last season's winning 4 X 400m relay, 2002 NCAA Indoor champion senior Darnesha Griffith in the high jump (2000), three-time defending champion senior Tracy O'Hara in the pole vault and junior Chaniqua Ross in the discus (2001).

According to this week's Pac-10 list, the UCLA women have eight event leaders. They are ' freshman Monique Henderson in the 400m (51.33), junior Tiffany Burgess in the 800m (2:03.73), sophomore Lena Nilsson in the 1500m (4:14.11), Johnson in the 400m hurdles (56.56), UCLA's 4 X 400m relay (3:32.02), Griffith in the high jump (6-0 3/4), freshman Jessica Cosby in the shot put (55-7i) and junior Chaniqua Ross in the discus (184-9). No. 2 on the conference charts include ' Nilsson in the 800m (2:03.89), O'Hara in the pole vault (14-3 1/2i), freshman Candice Baucham in the triple jump (42-7 1/2), sophomore Lara Saye in the discus (180-3) and sophomore Cari Soong in the hammer throw (209-10).

Last Weekend/Pac-10 Decathlon/Heptathlon at WSU
The 2002 Pac-10 T & F Championships actually got underway last weekend (May 11-12) in Pullman, WA with the decathlon and heptathlon events. Oregon's Billy Pappas won the decathlon (7,532), picking up 10 team points for the Ducks and Washington State's Ellannee Richardson won the heptathlon (5,821), getting 10 team points for the Cougars.

The Bruin men picked up two team points, with senior Octavious Gillespie placing seventh (season-best 6,765) in the decathlon. Also competing for the Bruin men in the decathlon was junior Andrew Phillips, placing 10th (6,464).

UCLA did not enter a women's competitor in the heptathlon.

Television
Fox Sports Net will distribute a tape delayed show (of the 2002 Pac-10 T & F Championships) on Friday, May 24, starting at 9 a.m. The Fox Regional Sports Networks are asked to find weekend afternoon placement for this event.

Looking Ahead
After the Pac-10 meet, the Bruins will be preparing for the upcoming 2002 NCAA Outdoor T & F Championships, May 29-June 1, in Baton Rouge, LA and hosted by LSU.

During Bolden's tenure, the Bruin women have seven Top three finishes (in eight seasons) at the NCAA Outdoor, including four second places (2001-99-98-95). The UCLA women have won the NCAA Outdoor on two occasions (1982 and '83; in 2001 and 2000, the UCLA women also won the NCAA Indoor team championship).