Winds of fortune blow for m. track

Tuesday, April 2, 1996

Individual members use UCSD meet to prepare for NCAA
championships By Emmanuelle Ejercito

Daily Bruin Staff

With the NCAA championships on its mind, the No. 3 UCLA men’s
track team sent a handful of its athletes to a nonscoring meet
hosted by UC San Diego on Saturday.

"At this point in the season," UCLA throwing coach Art Venegas
said, "it’s important to get people qualified for the
nationals."

And three Bruins may just have accomplished just that in the
discus.

"The prevailing winds are perfect," UCLA head coach Bob Larsen
said. "Every time guys go down there, they get a lifetime best.
That was much of the motivation of going to that meet this
year."

The winds were favorable for junior David Dumble. His 191-11
throw obliterated his previous personal best of 180-9. The mark
placed him 11th in a field of world-class athletes like former
Bruin-great John Godina.

After placing fifth two weeks ago with a 175-9 at Drake Stadium,
Scott McPherren threw a personal best of 189-9. Meanwhile, Luke
Sullivan ­ recovering from a fractured back that kept him from
training through fall and up until the first week of January ­
set a new personal record for the third meet in a row.

Sullivan began his streak two weeks ago against California and
Kentucky with a throw of 184-9. He followed that up the next week
at Cal State Northridge, with a 187-10. At San Diego, he again
bested his personal record with a 189-5 throw.

The marks barely missed the automatic qualifying distance for
nationals,but they were high enough to make the three throwers NCAA
provisional qualifiers.

Although no other Bruins at the meet posted national caliber
marks, several athletes still posted strong numbers.

Redshirt sophomore Mel Moultry continues to rebound from last
season’s back surgery. In his second meet since freshman year,
Moultry ­ who had hit the 50-foot mark before his surgery
­ crept closer to his original form, hitting 49 feet in the
triple jump.

In the pole vault, Scott Slover also continued his strong
performances clearing 17-41Ž2 while Chad Reddy posted a
16-43Ž4.

Although the Bruins were well-represented in the field events,
the UCLA sprinters did not compete in the meet in an effort to
prevent injury before the high-profile Texas Relays this
weekend.

* * *

An elbow injury prevented All-American Josh Johnson from
competing in the javelin while a twisted hand has kept Travis
Haynes out of the shot put. Haynes, however, has been able to
compete in the hammer and the discus where he threw for 182-11 at
the UC San Diego meet.

"You’ve just got to get tough," Venegas said of the injuries.
"You’ve just got to wait it out, just not get depressed and get
serious about the training."

PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin

Pole vaulter Chad Reddy cleared 16-43Ž4 last weekend in San
Diego.