UCLA track and field team shows leaps in improvement over seasons
Sophomore Arturo Sotomayor and the UCLA men’s distance squad is one of many divisions on the track and field team that have improved their standing in a number of events from past years, from hundreds away from the top to within spitting distance. (Keila Mayberry/Daily Bruin staff)
By Nicholas Yekikian
May 10, 2017 12:58 a.m.
Since the 2016 outdoor season, the UCLA track and field team has seen improvement in its national rankings in over a dozen events.
A quick glance at the year-over-year numbers reveals this track and field team is one of the fastest UCLA has assembled in several years. The 4×100-meter relay, the 3,000-meter steeplechase and several other events have seen their rankings catapult, in some cases by hundreds of spots.
A closer look shows even more.
On the men’s side, last year’s best 100-meter time was achieved by then-sophomore sprinter Leon Powell, who ran the event in 10.41 seconds, enough for 434th in the nation. That time was set at the end of last year when competition is at its height, but Powell has already bested that time twice so far this year, with his top time of 10.26 seconds slotting him at 43rd in the country.
In the men’s 200-meter dash, UCLA’s best time last year ranked even worse – 475th in the nation. But sophomore sprinter Rai Benjamin has improved on that mark, moving up over 400 slots with his season-best time of 20.64 seconds, which currently ranks 44th in the country.
Benjamin has also recorded top times in the open 400. This year, Benjamin has set a time of 45.72 seconds in the 400 whereas last year’s best open 400 was run in47.07 seconds, set by then-junior Jonny Moniz.
According to sprints coach Darrell Smith, this improvement is less about new talent and more about a maturation process that has hit the whole team all at once.
“The talent has been there. … They’re just coming of age,” Smith said. “It’s about the development of the talent that we have. The team is growing and coming together.”
Smith also said the distance team has made similar gains under coach Forest Braden.
Sophomore Arturo Sotomayor and redshirt senior Austin O’Neil have both recorded 1500-meter times that are within the top 80 in the nation, clocking in at 3:42.60 and 3:42.86, respectively. Last year’s best 1500-meter time was a3:43.80, enough for 245th in the country.
On the women’s side, sophomore middistance runner Julia Rizk owned the top 800-meter time last year, but it left her outside the top 500 in the nation. This year, her team-best time of 2:05.12 is sitting at 68th overall.
“A lot of it’s just the culture of the team,” Braden said. “Some of the guys and girls from last year who weren’t quite there, but still really good freshmen, like Arturo Sotomayor, had a big jump from last year to this year. Julia Rizk is kind of the same thing.”
Braden and Smith both agree this team has matured over the last year, Braden adding that some senior athletes have begun to lead the team through their examples.
“(Success) comes down to our leadership from our older guys leading by example,” Braden said. “Guys like Daniel De La Torre, Austin O’Neil and Jonah Diaz have really kind of taken the team into their own hands. They’ve really set the tone for the team to continue to grow and improve.”
The jumpers have also climbed the ranks so far this year. Sophomore Michael Burke and freshman Isaiah Holmes both have jumps that share the 25th spot in the nation at 2.20 meters compared to a season-best of 2.18 meters last year, which landed Burke 143rd overall.
Senior jumper Austin Hazel has said this team is the best one he has been a part of since his freshman year.
“It’s now gotten to a point … where performing well at the big stage is not something new to us,” Hazel said. “It’s something we’re capable of doing on a daily basis.”
The Bruins set the majority of their quickest times by mid-April last year, but in 2017, the team has pushed into May, continuing to set new top times. Coach Smith has said he thinks the team is talented enough to shave off even more time as the season reaches its final stages.
“We’re just trying to win conference, be a top-10 team and even improve on that next year,” Smith said. “We’re one of the three favorites going in to (the conference championship). … The kids don’t even have to be spectacular, but if everyone does what they’re supposed to do, we put ourselves in a very good position to win conference.”
