Bruin women’s track and field hits its stride entering the Mt. Sac Relays and the final stretch of its season

Last weekend, the UCLA women’s track and field team lined up against some competition it’s not so used to, with some of the world’s best athletes present at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational.

Starting today and continuing through Saturday, the Bruins will do something much more familiar as they compete at the Mt. SAC Relays, a meet they have participated in for many years.

UCLA, however, will take what it learned from last week and incorporate it into this weekend’s meet.

“We have room for improvement, but we were right up there with the professional athletes,” freshman heptathlete Tatum Souza said. “We now have the confidence and know we can compete with the best of them.”

With their newfound bravado stemming from impressive performances against professionals and from the April 2 meet in which they fell to the now-No. 13 Tennessee Lady Volunteers by a mere point, the Bruins are hitting their stride.

UCLA will be riding that new wave of confidence into a meet featuring more teams than it has seen this year at a single meet. Despite the influx of competitors, the primary goal of the Bruins will still be the same as it has been for the entire year.

“We have a bunch of people ranked now, which is what we needed after the last meet,” Souza said. “But we still have some girls that can peak and climb up the rankings.”

Redshirt junior pole vaulter Tori Anthony is one of those athletes on whom the Bruins are depending. Anthony won her event at the invitational last weekend with a season-best mark of 13-7.25. Although that feat places her in the top 20 in the nation, coach Jeanette Bolden believes there is still more work that can be done.

“She’s been battling injuries, so it’s good to see Tori back and competing on a regular basis and getting back on the national level,” Bolden said. “Her improvement will definitely boost the team.”

Like Anthony, freshman thrower Ida Storm has shown that she is one of the nation’s best in her event, and she will look to extend her trend of dominating meets when she competes at the Mt. SAC Relays. Storm has won her event in the past two meets with throws of 204-2 and 203-7, and she is currently ranked No. 10 in the hammer throw.

Equally important Bruins have been senior sprinter Joy Eaton and senior hurdler Lindsay Rowe. Eaton reached the finish line in first place last week, winning the 200 meter race, while Rowe finished third overall in the 100m hurdles, but was also the top collegiate finisher in that event.

The Bruins are hitting the final stretch, but they are not stressing about their current position.

“We’re in a good place right now, without any “˜have-to’ meets in our near future,” Bolden said.