Women's track and field sees promise, potential in preparation for Northridge Invitational
By Marion Patricio
March 15, 2012 7:52 p.m.
As the long-awaited outdoor season opens up, the clouds close in, greeting the UCLA women’s track and field team with drab weather and a chance of rain this weekend.
This has not given the team a ticket out of practice this week, as they get ready to compete at the Matador Track Complex for the Northridge Invitational this weekend.
The women’s 4×100-meter relay team will consist of sophomores Brea Buchanan, Faith Anumba, Katherine Salcido and freshman Ally Courtnall.
Buchanan, who had posted solid times in multiple sprint events, will also be competing in the 4×400m relay, 100m dash and 200m dash. Great things are also anticipated from sprinter Courtnall, who has an impressive resume, setting her high school record in the 100m with a time of 11.90.
The outdoor season is just beginning and the team has to up the tempo in practice, training harder and more efficiently. Those who continue from the indoor season are warmed up, but there are new faces that need to get into the competition state of mind.
“A major part of our season is a bit later, but we’re still training really hard,” said sophomore high jumper Zibby Boyer.
The women’s pole vault team has huge potential with a strong, young group of athletes. Eight of the pole vaulters that competed last week were in the top-10 finishers.
Leading the event is junior pole vaulter Allison Koressel who has had a great indoor season, showing consistent improvement. This was good preparation for her intensified training. She began the outdoor season on a good note and is hoping for a huge improvement as the season goes on.
“I’d like to get a better mark than last week. I was way over the bar but just got very unlucky,” Koressel said.
Koressel, who cleared an indoor lifetime-best earlier this year, ended the indoor season with 13-5.75, one of the top-20 marks in the NCAA. This weekend she hopes to get close to clearing 14 feet and gradually improve every meet thereafter.
“I jumped 12-6 last week, which is the best I’ve ever started a season and I feel pretty good about it,” said sophomore pole vaulter Elena Clarke, one of three sophomores slated to compete in the event this weekend.
The Bruins feels ready to take on the Matadors this weekend, provided the weather cooperates with them.
“Everyone is looking great right now. … We’re all expecting big things,” Koressel said.
