University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins Look to Continue Success at Pac-12 Championships
May 9, 2013
2013 Pac-12 Media Guide Heat Sheets 
UCLA Track & Field will head across town for the third consecutive weekend to take on conference opponents in the second weekend of the 2013 Pac-12 Track & Field Championships at USC's Cromwell Field and Katherine B. Loker Stadium. Competition begins Saturday, May 11 at 10am and will feature the finals of the hammer throw (w), long jump (m&w), pole vault (m), high jump (w), javelin (m &w), shot put (m & w), steeplechase (m & w), and 10,000m (m &w), as well as the qualifying races for the remaining track events (*note: hammer events will take place at Cal State LA).
At last season's inaugural Pac-12 Track & Field Championships in Eugene, the Bruin men finished in fourth place (86 points) and the women's team finished eighth (47.50 points). The Oregon Ducks swept the conference championships for the fourth straight year (six consecutive for the men).
In last weekend's multi-event championships at USC, the men's and women's squads each posted 11 points, courtesy of three lifetime best performances. In the heptathlon, Tatum Souza (2nd, 5,624) and Kimmie Conner (6th, 5,165) both recorded personal bests to put the Bruins in second place, just behind Colorado (12 points) heading into the second weekend of competition. On the men's side, Dominic Giovannoni finished third (7,634 points; lifetime best) followed by Marcus Nilsson in fourth (7,498 points), giving the Bruin men a one-point advantage over Arizona State. All four combined athletes will return to Cromwell Field this weekend to compete in individual events.
Joining them will be some of the best athletes the conference has to offer. On the field, UCLA will bring five of the conference's top-seeded athletes. The 2011 NCAA discus champion Julian Wruck will be making his first appearance in the Pac-12 Championships. He currently leads the nation with a best mark of 66.05m/216-8 (8-plus feet further than his closest competitor), and is currently the world's discus leader in 2013 with a best throw (and school record) 66.32m/217-7.
The Bruins also boast the top-seeded pole vaulter in both the men's and women's competitions. Junior captain Mike Woepse leads the conference with a best vault 5.60m/18-4.5, a mark set during the 2013 indoor season. On the women's side, senior captain Allison Koressel holds the top spot with a and lifetime best, 4.31m/14-1.75. After placing fifth in the NCAA Indoor Championships (4.30m/14-1.25), Koressel exploded early in the outdoor season, clearing 4.31m at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays en route to a fourth place finish.
Defending Pac-12 hammer throw champion Alec Faldermeyer is the fourth Bruin coming into the weekend as the top-seeded athlete in his/her respective event. With a seasonal best mark of 69.75m/228-10, the junior Faldermeyer will look to defend his 2012 Pac-12 hammer throw title. The two-time All-American has finished second or better in each of his conference championship appearances.
Finally, sophomore Brea Buchanan enters this weekend's championships as the top-seeded competitor in the women's 100m hurdles. She is the only competitor in the field to have broken the 13-second mark this season, coming in a lifetime best performance (12.95) to claim the event title in the UCLA-USC dual meet on April 27. Buchanan's time improved her position to No. 5 on UCLA's all-time record list. Keeping with the theme, her time is also the fifth-best collegiate mark in the 2013 outdoor season, and is the only wind-legal result in this category. Last season, Buchanan claimed eighth place (13.69) at the Pac-12 Championships, but this year she surely looks to be a favorite. She will also compete in the 100m dash and the 4x100m relay.
Still, the list does not stop here for the Bruins. Aside from this season's top-seeded Bruin athletes, UCLA Track & Field will also bring several defending Pac-12 champions as well as national contenders.
In 2012, Matthew Kosecki claimed a victory and the all-important ten points in the men's discus throw, tossing a lifetime best 59.03m/193-8 on his fifth attempt. He currently holds the 14th-best mark in the 2013 outdoor season (58.81m/192-11), and is second in the conference only to teammate Julian Wruck. This friendly rivalry has proven productive all season for UCLA, and this 1-2 punch could provide vital points toward the Bruins' overall team score.
Staying on the field, junior hammer thrower Ida Storm is hoping to take the next step at the annual conference championships. As a freshman, Storm was the runner-up (209-1).Then, as a sophomore, she finished third overall (64.17m/210-6). This season, she became UCLA's all-time leader in the women's hammer throw, eclipsing Jessica Cosby's record set back in 2004 (219-5) with a toss of 68.05m/223-3.
Moving to the track, Kylie Price will present a triple-threat for the Bruins this weekend, as she is set to compete in the 100m dash, 4x100m relay, as well as the long jump. Price, a sophomore from Chino, has made huge strides in the 2013 outdoor season. She has recorded career bests in each of her three events this season, and has claimed three event victories. Her biggest meet of the season came when USC hosted UCLA in the annual dual meet. In a 90-73 victory over the crosstown rival Trojans, Price won the 100m (11.36; lifetime best) as well as the long jump (6.33m/20-9.25). Returning once again to Loker Staduim, she will look to have a major impact.
Senior captain Turquoise Thompson is another hurdler that will be expected to compete for a conference championship. The two-time Pac-12 champion in the women's 400m hurdles (2010 and 2011) has continued her winning ways in the 2013 outdoor season, including three event titles. After a runner-up finish at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships, Thompson will look to rebound and capture her third 400m hurdles conference crown.
The 2013 Pac-12 Track & Field Championships will be broadcasted (tape delay) on Pac-12 Networks, next Wednesday, May 15 at 6 pm PT. Paul Sunderland, Tom Feuer and Ato Boldon will be calling all the action.
Live results can be found through Pac-12 Championships Central, found at the top of the page.
Men's Team Scoring (top 7 of 10)
1. UCLA, 11 points
2. Oregon, 10 points
3. Washington, 8 points
4. USC, 4 points
5. Washington St., 3 points
6. Arizona, 2 points
7.Colorado, 1 point
Women's Team Scoring (top 5 of 12)
1. Colorado, 12 points
2. UCLA, 11 points
3. Arizona St., 10 points
4. California, 5 points
5. Arizona, 1 point