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Rare underdog status given to w. track in upcom

By Daily Bruin Staff

May 2, 1996 9:00 p.m.

Friday, May 3, 1996

Trojans will provide stiff competition for Bruins during final
home meetBy Scott Yamaguchi

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

In her three years as head coach of the UCLA women’s track and
field team, Jeanette Bolden has developed a nasty habit of
underestimating her team in pre-meet dope sheets.

But Bolden, whose Bruins are 24-0 in dual meet competition
during her tenure and are ranked No. 1 in the latest Marin
Surfacing Dual Meet Power Rating, can’t remember the last time she
had her team losing by 19 points.

Such is the current case for UCLA, which will host USC and
Brighman Young in a triangular meet Saturday at Drake Stadium
­ the Bruins’ final dual meets of the season.

"One thing I’ve done in the past was to give out dope sheets for
every track meet and talk about winning and losing every track
meet, how we can’t lose," Bolden said. "But I haven’t done that
this year because we’d come back and blow everybody out by 50
points, and it got a little mundane.

"I doped this meet, and we’re down by 19 poimts, so I’m giving
my team copies of the sheets."

The hope is that the dope sheets will provide the focus and
motivation UCLA needs to earn its fourth consecutive victory over
the Trojans.

"The main thing is that the kids come in her understanding that
if they fall asleep, they’re gonna get beat," Bolden said. "They
have to come in here with the confidence that they’ve been gaining
in previous meets and in practice.

"They have to know that, even if we’re down by 19 points on
paper, we’re going to find a way to find those 19 points."

For her part, Bolden has once again shuffled her regular lineup
in order to squeeze points out of events in which the Bruins do not
normally need them.

In addition to throwing the shot put and the discus, sophomore
Nada Kawar is slated to compete in the hammer, where she will face
collegiate record-holder Leslie Coons of USC.

Suzy Powell, who specializes in the discus and hasn’t competed
in the javelin since the opening week of the season, will throw the
javelin Saturday.

"It’s a situation where I’m making some lineup changes and
hoping that those changes will dig into some of their points,"
Bolden said. "We have to win both relays, and theoretically, they
have the upper hand on us in the four by one."

That is because Bolden is not running Bisa Grant in the short
relay. Grant, who ran on the team that recorded a season-best 45.12
April 13, aggravated a sore hamstring at last weekends
California-Nevada State Championships.

Still, she will run the 100-meter hurdles, where teammate Joanna
Hayes, an NCAA automatic qualifier, is the favorite.

Hayes will fill in for Grant in the short relay, and will also
run the 100-meters, where Andrea Anderson is the favorite.

On the field, UCLA will find some of the better competition it
has faced this season. BYU boasts the nation’s No. 2 shotputter in
Amy Christiansen, who has thrown 55-feet, 3-inches and will give
Kawar a good run for her money.

Valeyta Althouse, UCLA’s collegiate record holder in the shot
put, should not be threatened by Christiansen.

"If Valeyta does her thing, she’ll be alright," UCLA assistant
coach Art Venegas said. "But if Valeyta screws up, anything’s
possible."

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