University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Sets the Tone Early at the Mt. SAC Relays
WALNUT, Calif. – At one of the most prestigious meets in the country the UCLA track & field team made its mark by setting numerous personal bests and posting top-10 marks in the start of action at the Mt. Sac Relays.
In early action at Hilmer Lodge Stadium and on the campus of Azusa Pacific several Bruins set the tone for the rest of the week.
Senior Tatum Souza started the meet with a huge personal best in the heptathlon. The All-American, competing in her first heptathlon since 2013, tallied 5,771 points to now rank second all-time at UCLA. Souza entered the meet with the sixth best total of 5,691 points.
Following that performance late in the evening, seniors Bronte Golick and Kelsey Smith etched their names in the UCLA top 10. Golick improved her 10,000m lifetime best with a time of 34:03.41 to solidify her No. 2 mark all-time.
Smith was right behind, clocking the third fastest time in school history with a 34:12.82. With the addition of that performance, Smith now holds three UCLA top-10 marks. The All-American ranks second all-time at UCLA with a 16:01.30 in the 5,000m and is also second in the 3,000m with a time of 9:04.31.
In other multi-event action, senior All-American Marcus Nilsson made his season debut in the decathlon by finishing with a score of 7,599. Freshman Steele Wasik tallied 7,521 points in his first collegiate decathlon to secure the eighth best score in school history.
Senior All-American Alexis Walker recorded 5,161 points in her first heptathlon of the season.
Rounding out the early action was Michael McCabe and Richard Ho in the 10,000m. McCabe clocked a 30:01.65 while Ho posted a personal best of 31:04.07 in their season debuts in the event.
UCLA will continue competition at the Mt. SAC Relays throughout the next two days.