Track’s Boldon flashes brilliance at Mt. SAC

Track’s Boldon flashes brilliance at Mt. SAC

Junior sprinter Ato Boldon posts 10.01

time in 100m, beats Olympian Burrell

By Tim Costner

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

After running his best opening time in the100-meters last
weekend, UCLA’s Ato Boldon exceeded even his own expectations on
Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays, finishing the race
in a blistering 10.01 seconds.

Although the wind was too much of a factor for Boldon to
officially make the UCLA record books, his performance was
noteworthy; he placed second among a field of world-class
sprinters.

Mike Marsh, who set the UCLA record of 10.07 in 1989, won the
race with a time of 9.89, while world record holder Leroy Burrel
finished third with a time of 10.09.

"Boldon had a great mark," said UCLA head coach Bob Larsen. "He
got a great start and was leading at 60 meters. Even when Marsh got
by him, Ato was still moving really well … There wasn’t anyone
else who was going to catch him."

Wind-aided times are still allowable for NCAA qualifying
standards so Boldon’s time easily earns him a trip to Knoxville,
Tenn., in June. The automatic qualifying standard for the 100m is
10.20.

UCLA distance runner Mebrahtom Keflezighi also earned an
automatic NCAA qualification at the Mt. SAC Relays this weekend,
finishing the 5,000m in 13:52.06 ­ just below the automatic
standard of 13:53.00.

In the shotput, UCLA’s John Godina led the field with a throw of
64 feet, 3 3/4 inches, well below his personal best of 67-3. The
competition, however, didn’t feature any former Olympians as
expected. UCLA’s Mark Parlin finished fifth with a mark of 59-7
1/2, while teammate Jonathan Ogden placed seventh with a mark of
57-7 1/2.

In the discus, Godina finished second with a throw of 203-8,
about four feet behind the winning mark of 207-10.

"I think John was a little bit disappointed because there seemed
to be a really good wind," Larsen said. "I’m sure he was looking
for another (personal record) even though he didn’t quite get it.
It was still solid throwing on his part."

The UCLA 4x100m relay team finished third this weekend with a
time of 40.15 although UCLA’s Ibrahim Hassan suffered a cramped
groin muscle midway through the second leg of the race. The injury
kept Hassan out of the 400m.

"He thinks that he’ll be OK, Larsen said, "but it really scared
us that he was down."

UCLA’s next meet is the Meet of Champions on April 22 at
Azusa.