Pac-10s to begin at Drake Stadium without Bruin

Friday, May 10, 1996

By Emmanuelle Ejercito

and Scott Yamaguchi

Daily Bruin Staff

The Pacific 10 Conference Track and Field Championships begin
with the heptathlon and decathlon competitions Saturday and Sunday
at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, though the defending champion Bruins will
have no competitors in either event.

Events begin at 10 a.m. both days.

In the heptathlon, which is comprised of the 100-meter hurdles,
the high jump, the long jump, the shot put, the 200-meters, the
javelin throw and the 800-meters, Southern California’s Nicole
Haynes appears to be the front-runner heading into the
competition.

Haynes scored a 5486 on Mar. 16, more than 300 points better
than Arizona State’s Adra Hysong, who ranks second in the
conference. Stanford’s Tracey Lawyer has posted the third best
score, 5070, followed by USC’s Tanya Smith.

With two entries in the heptathlon, and after having given UCLA
a serious run for its money in last weekend’s dual meet, it would
appear that USC has the best chance at ending the Bruins’
three-year reign atop the conference.

But the defending champs, who will open defense of their title
next weekend when individual events are contested at Drake, don’t
seem worried.

"Pac-10’s are just a given for us," junior sprinter Darlene
Malco said. "USC provided some really stiff competition in our dual
meet, but I’m not worried about USC."

Last season, UCLA boasted the conference’s best heptathlete with
now-graduated Shelia Burrell. But head coach Jeanette Bolden
decided to hold Burrell out of the heptathlon, instead focusing her
on the individual events, and the Bruins walked away with 149
points and another championship, easily outdistancing second-place
Oregon (123 team points).

"We didn’t have an entry in the heptathlon last year, and we
still came away with the title," Bolden said. "And this year, with
all my sprinters, we have more potential scorers than we did last
year."

Events for the decathlon begin on Saturday in Drake Stadium at
10:30 a.m. with the 100-meter sprint. The long jump, shot put, high
jump and 400-meter dash will also be contested.

Sunday will see the 110-meter hurdles at 11:30 a.m., the discus
at 12:30 p.m., the pole vault at 1 p.m., the javelin at 3:30 p.m.
and the finale, the 1500-meters at 5 p.m.

With no UCLA athlete competing in the decathlon, the Bruins will
start the individual event competition with a handicap. The
decathlon is scored as a regular event — any team that places in
the top eight will get points. UCLA will have to make up the point
difference with strong performances in the single events.

Among the competitors is Leo Slack of Washington State, who
leads the conference with 7,544 points.

Oregon’s Ray Livingston hasn’t competed in the multi-events this
season, but he is the highest returning finisher taking second last
year.

While the rest of the conference will be visiting Westwood, the
Bruin throwers will travel to the Modesto Invitational.

With only two meets remaining until the NCAA championship,
several UCLA throwers are still looking to qualify for the
championship.

The NCAA takes the top 16 athletes in each event, and there are
several Bruins on the borderline.

In the shot put, Mark Parlin and Jonathan Ogden are practically
guaranteed spots at the championships, but Wade Tift is ranked 19th
on the list. Tift is 9-1/4 inches away from the 16th spot.

Meanwhile, David Dumble is in a secured 10th place in the
discus, but Scott McPherren, Luke Sullivan and Travis Haynes are
inches away from getting a provisional qualifying nod.

A good performance is also needed by Josh Johnson in the
javelin. Johnson finished 12th at the NCAAs last year, but due to
an elbow problem, has only competed in two meets this season. His
best mark of 214-1 is short of the provisional qualifying mark of
221-5.

Valeyta Althouse, Nada Kawar and Suzy Powell will also join the
men at the meet, which is a homecoming of sorts for Powell, who
graduated from Downey High School in Modesto.