Men’s track and field post lifetime bests at Occidental, Pac-10
Senior Marlon Patterson set a personal best in the 800 meters.
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 9, 2010 9:35 p.m.
With an opportunity to prepare for next weekend’s Pac-10 Championships, a contingent of distance runners delivered several impressive performances at the Oxy Invitational in Eagle Rock Saturday.
Entering the meet with the fifth fastest 800-meter time in the NCAA this season, junior Cory Primm ran a lifetime-best 1:46.63 to win Saturday’s race. He is now the fastest 800-meter runner in the NCAA this season, and he moved up to the second fastest in UCLA history. On top of those achievements, Primm’s 1:46.63 is the second fastest time on the 2010 USA Track and Field outdoor 800-meter list.
Four other Bruins ran lifetime-bests in the 800 meters. Redshirt junior Scott Crawford finished sixth in 1:48.77, while sophomore Jonathan Simmons finished close behind for seventh place, in 1:49.31. Senior Marlon Patterson, who excels in the 1,500 meters, finished ninth with a time of 1:49.35, and redshirt freshman Steven Norton finished fourteenth in 1:51.27.
With the Pac-10 Championships right around the corner, the distance team proved on Saturday that it is capable of having a strong showing at the conference meet.
In the 400 meters, junior Quentin Powell ran a season-best 48.17 to place sixth. He was the only sprinter to compete at the Oxy Invitational.
While the small group of athletes competed at Occidental, sophomore Trent Perez competed in the decathlon at the Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships at UC Berkeley. Perez finished seventh, earning two points for the Bruins in the overall Pac-10 Championship, which will continue at Berkeley Saturday to Sunday.
After the first day of competition, Perez stood in sixth place after he delivered a lifetime-best one-day total of 3,470 points. The highlight of Perez’s first day of competition came in the 400 meters, where he won his section in 49.73. In the 100 meters, Perez finished fourth in 11.37 and he also placed fifth in the long jump with a distance of 21 feet, 10.75 inches.
On the second day of competition, Perez competed in the 110-meter high hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin, and the 1,500 meters. His best finish Sunday was in the 1,500 meters, where he placed second with a time of 4:27.39. He also had a strong performance in the pole vault, where he cleared 15-3 for fourth place.
Compiled by Derek Groom, Bruin Sports contributor.
