Harriers trek to Pomona tourney

Harriers trek to Pomona tourney

For a few Bruins,

their postseason

is on line at meet

By Mark Singerton

The UCLA men’s and women’s cross country teams have eight more
days to relax, and then it’s off to the races.

Stanford will host the Pac-10 Championships Oct. 29, and until
then, the Bruins will be training intensively to regain focus after
their disappointing finishes at the Brigham Young Invitational Oct.
15.

Both squads have yet to decide which seven runners will be sent
to Palo Alto and later to Tucson for the District-8 championships,
but the choices will be made after the Bronco Invitational this
weekend.

Cal Poly Pomona will host Saturday’s meet ­ a 5000-meter
event for the women, 8000-meters for the men. Neither UCLA squad
will run as a team, but the race is extremely important for the
runners who may not make the roster cuts.

Coach Eric Peterson, whose Bruin women are ranked 13th in the
nation, has one more spot to fill. Competing for it will be juniors
Jeanene Harlick and Githa Hampson and senior Susannah Thrasher.

Harlick’s situation is critical. Last season she was arguably
the No. 3 runner on the squad. She has struggled in 1994 however,
and after lackluster finishes at Stanford and Brigham Young ­
where she finished 58th and 73rd ­ she must fight to make the
roster.

"This is the best way for me to make this decision," Peterson
said. "I have to be as objective as possible because all three
runners are deserving of the spot."

The men’s team will send freshman Matt Olin and junior Scott
Urner to the event. Olin will be sent to gain experience as a
possible alternate for the Pac-10 Championships, while Urner has
been sidelined all season with a back injury, and is trying to
regain his form.