University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Ranked No. 2 In U.S.; Pac-10 Championships This Weekend In Arizona
May 13, 2004
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THIS WEEK (MAY 14-15)
Jeanette Bolden's UCLA women's T & F team, this week ranked
No. 2 in the U. S. (Trackwire), will travel to Tucson, AZ to compete
in the 2004 Pacific-10 Championships (18th annual). The Bruins
are seven-time defending conference champions and under
Bolden, in her 11th season as head coach, UCLA has won nine of
the last 10 league crowns (1996/3rd). Overall, the Bruins have
won the conference title on 14 occasions (since 1987).
Arizona's Roy P. Drachman Stadium-Rincon Vista Track will host
the event. On Friday (May 14), field events start at 2:30 p.m. and
track events at 5:15 p.m. (concludes at 9:25 p.m.-w/m 10,000m) and
on Saturday (May 15), field events begin at 3 p.m. and running events
at 6 p.m. (concludes at 9:25 p.m.-w/m 4 X 400m relays).
UCLA returns five individual champions (and enters the meet
with top marks in 12 events):
UCLA'S PAC-10 LEADERS
In this week's (May 10) Pac-10 weekly marks, the Bruins have 12 event
leaders:
200m - Monique Henderson, 22.71; 400m- Monique Henderson,
51.20; Mile - Lena Nilsson, 4:37.62i(injured); 100mH - Sheena
Johnson, 13.00; 400mH - Sheena Johnson, 56.45; 4X100m Relay -43.78;
4 X 400m Relay - 3:33.18; HJ - Sheena Gordon, 6-1.25; PV -Chelsea
Johnson, 15-0 (NCAA Outdoor Record); LJ - Renee Williams,
21-1.50i(injured); TJ - Candice Baucham, 44-2.75i; HT - Cari Soong,
209-2
LAST WEEK (MAY 7-9)
The Bruins sent athletes (May 7-9) to the 2004 Pac-10 Multi-Events
in Tucson, AZ and to the Occidental Invitational and Modesto
Relays.
Pac-10 Multi-Events
Hall and Richards give the Bruins five points heading into 2004
Pac-10 Championships.
At the Pac-10 Multi-Events, hosted by the Univeristy of Arizona, sophomore Nastassja Hall and freshman Georgea Richards represented the Bruins in the heptathlon championship. Hall finished fifth, scoring 4,975 points. And, Richards finished eighth with 4,734 points. Arizona State's Jackie Johnson won the 2004 Pac-10 Heptathlon title with 5,603 points.
On the first day of competition, Hall scored 2,999 points. She ran 15.53 in the 100m hurdles (w: 0.1, 773 points). In the high jump, she cleared 5-4.50 (1.64m, 783 points). In the shot put, she threw 33-5.75 (10.20m, 543 points). And, in the 200m, Hall ran 24.86 (w: 0.7, 900 points).
In Richards' first day of competition, she scored 2,927 points). She ran 14.67 (w: 1.2, 886 points) in the 100m hurdles. In the high jump, she cleared 4-10.50 (1.49m, 610 points). She threw 32- 7.75 (9.95m, 526 points) in the shot put. And, in the 200m, she ran 24.80 (w: 1.7, 905 points).
In second day competition, Hall jumped 18-8 (5.69m, 756 points) in the long jump. She threw the javelin 91-0 (27.74m, 434 points). And, in the final event, she finished the 800m in 2:22.81 (786 points). Hall's two day total of 4,975 points placed fifth and scored four team points for the Bruins.
In Richards' final day of competition, she jumped 18-6.50 (5.65m, 744 points) in the long jump. IN the javelin, she threw 76-4 (23.27m, 350 points). And, she completed the 800m in 2:28.44 (713 points). Richards placed eighth overall with a score of 4,734. She also earned one point for the Bruins.
Occidental
At Oxy, sophomore Ashley Caldwell won the 1500m, in a
personal-best and Regional Qualifying mark of 4:22.09.
Sophomore Emily Haigh placed sixth (4:34.96).
The Bruins also had good marks in the 800m. Running personal-bests and Regional Qualifying marks were - senior Melissa McBain (2:07.50, eighth-best overall time) and sophomore Alejandra Barrientos (2:09.05, ninth-best overall mark). Also improving their times were sophomore Allison Hall (2:10.55, personal-best, 12 th -best overall mark) and senior Jessica Marr (2:13.63, season-best, 19 th -best overall time). In the 800m, Bruin alum Tiffany Burgess had the second- fastest overall time (2:03.05).
Other marks from Oxy included - in the 400m, senior Adia McKinnon was second in the 400m (54.96, season-opener) and freshman redshirt Jenna Timinsky was fourth (56.96); in the 5000m, sophomore Sarah West was third (personal-best 17:38.37) and junior Carmen Winant placed fifth (17:43.19) and in the high jump, junior Caroline Sommers placed second (equaling her personal-best of 5-8).
Bruin alumnus won both the long and triple jumps - Michelle Perry (lon
Modesto
Three Bruin throwers competed at Modesto - in the shot put,
junior Jessica Cosby placed fourth (53-5) and freshman
Kamaiya Warren was sixth (50-6.75) and in the hammer
throw, senior Cari Soong was second (198-8) and Cosby was
third (196-3).
Bruin greats who competed included Amy Acuff in the high jump (2 nd , 6-4.75), Tracy O'Hara in the pole vault (2 nd , 14-7.25) and in the discus, Suzy Powell won the event (205-11) and Seilala Sua placed fifth (186-4).
LOOKING AHEAD
The 2004 NCAA West Regionals will be hosted by CS
Northridge, May 28-29 (Friday-Saturday). UCLA won the first- ever
team title last season at Stanford.
BRUIN HEAD COACH Jeanette Bolden
Is in her 11th season as the UCLA women's track & field head coach
and 13th on the Bruin staff.
On Feb. 13, Bolden was presented the prestigious C. Vivian Stringer Award by Dr. Robert S. Block, founding trustee of the United States Sports Academy.
The C. Vivian Stringer Coaching Award is presented (by the U. S. Sports Academy) to a woman who has experienced outstanding achievement as a coach. This person should exhibit a high stan-dard of propriety, imagination and innovation as a character-builder in the tradition of great teacher-coaches.
The award is named after C. Vivian Stringer, who is in her 10th season as the head women's basketball coach at Rutgers. In her 33rd year as a head coach, Stringer was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. The fourth winningest coach in women's basketball, Stringer is the only coach in women's or men's basketball to take three different schools to the NCAA Final Four (Rutgers 2000, Iowa 1993, Cheyney 1982).
Past winners of this prestigious women's coaching honor, estab-lished
in 2002, have been Amy Ruley (2002), highly successful
women's basketball coach at North Dakota State and Sarah
Patterson (2003), legendary women's gymnastics coach at Alabama.
Bolden's other coaching honors include:
NATIONAL RANKINGS
In collegiate track & field, there are two national rankings -Trackwire
and the USTCA sponsored Team Power Ranking.
Trackwire's National Top 25 is a power ranking of NCAA Div. I T & F teams. This ranking's methodology takes into account a variety of statistical predictors and is intended to project the out-come of the 2004 NCAA Div. I T & F Championships (June 9-12 at Austin, TX). The scores provided with the rankings indicate each team's projected score based on form charts for each NCAA event (entering last season's NCAA Outdoor, UCLA was ranked No. 3 and placed 8th at the NCAA Outdoor).
Team Power Ranking is a computer program rating teams by individual marks and dual meet strength (the UCLA women ranked No. 2 in the final 2003 standings and have been the National Dual Meet Champion seven of the last eight seasons). In this week's (May 12) Team Power Ranking, the Bruins are No. 1 (450.05) in the U. S. (ahead of No. 2 Nebraska 418.88, No. 3 BYU 410.74, No. 4 South Carolina 395.73 and No. 5 Florida State 395.68).
2004 PAC-10/NCAA REGIONAL/NCAA OUTDOOR
T & F CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2004 Pac-10 Championships will be held in Tuscon and
hosted by the University of Arizona (May 7-8, Friday/Saturday-Multi
Events; May 14-15, Friday/Saturday-Championships). The Bruin
women have won nine Pac-10 titles in 10 years, including the last
seven consecutive seasons.
The 2004 NCAA West Regionals will be hosted by CS Northridge, May 28-29 (Friday-Saturday). UCLA won the first- ever team title last season at Stanford.
The 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships will be hosted by the University of Texas at Austin June 9-12. In recent history, the Bruin women have 10, Top 10 placements at the NCAA Outdoor, including five second-place finishes (2002-2001-1999-1998-1995).
PAC-10 ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
April 13 - Sheena Gordon, Field Athlete of the Week - Gordon
won the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational high jump
with a personal-best leap of 6-1.25. The mark ties for the third-best
in UCLA history.
ACADEMICS
Pac-10 Cross Country
First Team
Carmen Winant, Jr., 3.81gpa/art
Second Team
Melissa McBain, Sr., 3.36gpa/pre-psychology
Jenna Timinsky, So., 3.74gpa/undeclared
Honorable Mention
Ashley Allen, So.; Leslie Barrie, So., Maribeth Buche, So.; Ashley
Caldwell, RFr.; Emily Haigh, RFr.; Carolyn Shea, Jr.; Sarah West, So.
long jump (20-9.75, RQ, personal-best, No. 7 in school history);
junior Jessica Cosby in the shot put (56-0); freshman Kamaiya
Warren in the discus (168-10, personal-best, RQ) and second in
the shot put (55-2.75, personal-best, RQ, No. 8 in school
history) and senior Cari Soong in the hammer throw (203-1, on
Friday).
April 23-24 - UCSD Invitational/Penn Relays
Monique Henderson Wins 200m at UC San
Diego Triton Invitational (April 23-24), Defeats
Olympian Merlene Ottey
Junior Monique Henderson, from San Diego's Morse HS, had the
top time in the 200m, 23.03 (2.0, personal-best, Regional
Qualifier (RQ) and No. 7 in school history). In heat one,
Henderson defeated seven-time Olympic medallist Merlene
Ottey (Slovenia), who finished second (23.84). Henderson and
Ottey's times were the top two of the day. Henderson also ran
the first leg on UCLA's 4 X 400m relay, that placed second
(3:52.85).
UCLA's other winner on Saturday was sophomore Chelsea Johnson, who won the pole vault (13-7.25) and sophomore Jacqueline Nguyen was third (13-1, personal outdoor best, RQ). Johnson this outdoor season has twice set the NCAA record, the last time at 15-0 (3/27).
Other top Bruin performers included - junior Caroline Sommers in the high jump (third overall, second collegian, 5-7) and in the women's shot put, the Bruins placed third and fourth overall; junior Jessica Cosby was third (second collegian, 55-1) and freshman redshirt Kamaiya Warren was fourth (third colle-gian, 53-10.50, personal-best, RQ, No. 10 in school history). In the discus, Bruin great Suzy Powell placed second (205-2).
Friday
Freshman Leslie Barrie won the 3000m steeplechase, in a time of
11:20.94 (personal-best/team-leading). Junior Carolyn Shea
was second (11:30.32) and sophomore Ashley Allen was
fourth (11:40.23).
In other women's competition on Friday - junior Jessica Cosby placed third overall in the hammer throw 209-1 (top collegian, personal-best, No. 3 in school history, RQ) and senior Cari Soong was fifth (second collegian, 204-11).
Penn Relays
Sophomore Sheena Gordon, who is from Erie, PA (MacDowell HS)
on Thursday competed in the high jump and on Friday in the
triple jump. Gordon, who has a personal-best 6-1.25 (Pac-10
leader) this season, no-heighted in the collegiate champion-ship
high jump and in the collegiate championship triple jump,
she placed sixth (41-7.75, RQ).
April 14-17 - Mt. SAC Relays
Monique Henderson, Chelsea Johnson Pace Bruins at Mt. SAC
Relays
Junior Monique Henderson (400m) and sophomore Chelsea
Johnson (pole vault) won their invitational events on Sunday at the
Mt. SAC Relays and are UCLA's nominees for Pac-10 Women's
Track & Field Athletes of the Week (April 19).
Henderson (San Diego/Morse HS) won the 400m in a time of
51.49 (regional qualifier/RQ). It's her first 400m outdoor mark this
season. The time would be No. 4 on the all-time UCLA chart
(Henderson already holds the No. 2 spot, 51.10, 2002) and is the
former national high school record holder (50.74, personal-best).
UCLA PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Candice Baucham (Bow-kam), Leslie Barrie (Barry), Alejandra
Barrientos (Bar-e-in-tos), Maribeth Buche (Boo-shay), Kiyoko (Key-o-
ko) Guillory; Emily Haigh (Haag); Nastassja (Nas-taj-a) Hall; Chelsea
(Chel-cee) Johnson, Adia (A-dee-a) McKinnon, Nana (Na-Na)
Merriweather, Jacqueline Nguyen (New-yen); Lena (Lee-na) Nilson
(Nil-son), T'Carra (Ta-car-a) Pennick, Manyuan (goes by first name of
Mani, pronounced Ma-nee) Reffell (Ra-fell), Briona (Bree-a-na)
Reynolds; Georgea (Georgia) Richards, Hasani (goes by first name
of Sani, Saw-nee) Roseby (Rose-bee), Jenea (Ja-nay) Russ (Rus); Lara
Saye (Say), Cari (Care-ee) Soong, Kamaiya (Ka-my-ah) Warren; Talita
(Ta-lee-ta) Wells, Carmen Winant (Wy-nant), Jessica Yanez (Ya-nez).
2004 UCLA WOMEN'S T & F OUTDOOR/
INDOOR/CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS
OUTDOOR HIGHLIGHTS
May 1 - at UCLA 93, USC 70
HENDERSON, JOHNSON LEAD UCLA WOMEN TO 93-70 DUAL MEET VICTORY
OVER USC; BRUINS BEAT TROJANS FOR 12TH
CONSECUTIVE SEASON
Junior Monique Henderson ran in three winning UCLA races,
including a world-leading mark in the 400m, and senior
Sheena Johnson also ran in three, as the Bruin women
defeated USC 93-70 for their 12 th consecutive dual meet track &
field victory over the Trojans. The meet was held at UCLA's
Drake Stadium before 4,760. The Bruins were ranked No. 2 in
the U. S. and USC was rated No. 16 (tied).
UCLA, under head coach Jeanette Bolden, leads the series history 18-3. Bolden is 11-0 vs. the Trojans in the dual meet and overall, she's 70-0 in dual competition.
In the battle for the Lexus Gauntlet (UCLA vs. USC in athletic competition for the 2003-04 season), the Bruin women picked up five points for UCLA.
Henderson, from Morse HS in San Diego, started the afternoon by anchoring UCLA's winning 4 X 100m relay (43.78, season-best, Regional Qualifier (RQ), No. 6 in school history). She then won the 400m, in a season-best, meet record (51.33, Monique Henderson, UCLA, 2002) and world-leading mark of 51.20 (RQ). Henderson is the former national high school record-holder in the 400m (50.74/her UCLA best is 51.10, 2002). She ended the day winning the 200m, in a time of 22.71 (personal-best, RQ, meet record (22.84, Shakedia Jones, UCLA, 1998), No. 2 on the current collegiate chart and tied for No. 3 in school history with Gail Devers).
Johnson, from Garfield HS in Stafford, VA, started her afternoon running the second leg on UCLA's winning 4 X 100m relay. She then also triumphed in the 100m hurdles (13.00, personal-best, RQ, No. 3 on the current collegiate chart, No. 3 in school history) and 400m hurdles (56.45, season-opener, RQ/ Johnson is the defending NCAA Outdoor 400m hurdles champion).
In all, the Bruins had 14 event winners. Joining Henderson and Johnson as UCLA winners on the track were - sophomore Ashley Caldwell in the 800m (2:07.41, personal-best, RQ); sophomore Alejandra Barrientos in the 1500m (4:22.96) and senior Melissa McBain in the 5000m (17:03.29, season-opener). In the field, UCLA winners were - sophomore Jacqueline Nguyen in the pole vault (12-4); sophomore Sheena Gordon in the high jump (6-0); senior Candice Baucham in the triple jump (43-10, personal outdoor-best, RQ) and second in the