W. track shines at invitational

Tuesday, April 2, 1996

Field athletes record three lifetime bests at UC San DiegoBy
Scott Yamaguchi

Daily Bruin Staff

Gaining momentum as it heads into the heart of its outdoor
schedule, the UCLA women’s track and field team capped the spring
break week with an impressive showing at the UC San Diego
Invitational Saturday.

The breakthrough performances for the Bruins came on the field,
where assistant coach Art Venegas’ corps of throwers recorded three
lifetime best throws in the discus competition.

Sophomore Suzy Powell, the American junior record holder who
improved her personal record to 191 feet 3 inches in a quadrangular
meet three weeks ago, hurled the discus 196-5 for yet another
improvement and the second best mark in school history.

She was followed by redshirt sophomore Nada Kawar, who improved
her personal best by almost five feet with a throw of 183-11.

Those marks by Powell and Kawar, easily the strongest discus
tandem in the nation, currently rank first and second in the
NCAA.

"They did an excellent job," Venegas said. "But the precaution
on that is, one, a lot of kids that are really good are in a colder
climate so they don’t get going until May, and the other thing is
that we had good conditions at this meet.

"Those are factors to consider when it comes to the Pac-10s and
NCAAs."

Junior college transfer Rachelle Noble, who competed in the
shotput during the indoor season but will redshirt the outdoor
season, threw the discus 194-5, a 33-foot improvement on the
personal record she had set two weeks ago.

"That was an amazing performance ­ I’ve never been involved
with an improvement like that in my life," Venegas said. "She
really caught a beautiful throw, and that really says a lot for our
future ­ next year ­ in terms of our throwers, so that’s
going to be wonderful."

Elsewhere on the field, freshman jumper Jeanarta Jackson leapt
19-23Ž4 for a lifetime best.

On the track, a bit of scheduling confusion resulted in the
Bruins missing some events, and some sub-par performances in
others. In those events that UCLA did compete, Bisa Grant ran an
11.98 in the 100-meters, and Charlene Baldwin and Mame Twumasi
finished the 400 in 56.30 and 56.44, respectively.

"Under the circumstances, considering the confusion of the meet,
I was pleased with those performances," head coach Jeanette Bolden
said. "We drove down Saturday morning and the meet was running two
hours ahead of schedule, so it wasn’t a good situation."

***

The Bruins maintained their perfect dual meet record, sweeping a
quadrangular competition with California, Tennessee and Kentucky at
Drake Stadium on March 16.

In dual scoring, UCLA beat Cal 85-59, beat Kentucky 99-45, and
beat Tennessee 85-49.

Among the winners were Althouse in the shot put, Powell in the
discus, Amy Acuff in the high jump, Joanna Hayes in the 100-hurdles
and Darlene Malco in the 400.

PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin

Suzy Powell hurled the discus at Saturday’s invitational.