Track and field seniors aim to make lasting imprint in their final year

The seniors want to leave Westwood having accomplished something they can look back proudly upon.

UCLA track and field’s roster consists of 23 seniors who will don a Bruin uniform for one more season.

For some athletes – such as redshirt senior sprinter Leon Powell – the proximity to meets brings them closer to home and gives their families an opportunity to see them in action on the biggest stage.

The 2019 NCAA championships will be held in Austin, Texas – roughly a three-hour drive from Powell’s hometown of Kennedale, Texas.

“Being from Texas, that’s the track where I ran my fastest time my freshman year,” Powell said. “It’s also the track where I won state four times in high school and it’s where my family is from, so I think that I’m looking forward to that and having my family and friends come out, support, and potentially watch my last race of college.”

After not participating in the 2018 season, Powell placed fifth in his first two meets of the year in the 200 meter with times of 21.62 and 21.70 seconds, respectively.

Powell said he is looking to continue developing from strides made during the 2017 season in which he placed first in the 200 m at the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge and posted a personal record of 20.75 seconds at the DI NCAA West Preliminary Round.

“Taking a year off was really a difference of being in a competitive mode and competing every week,” Powell said. “I think that I’ll be able to see my hard work in practice week to week as I compete.”

Redshirt senior pole vaulter Elleyse Garrett said she capitalized on her redshirt year to get in better shape to prepare her for competition.

“Redshirting really helped me find my way back to pole vaulting,” Garrett said. “This year, we’ve focused a lot on getting in shape. … We’ve started doing a lot more (plyometrics) and a lot more core and just things that have helped me get into shape, and they’re all things that will help me with vaulting.”

Garrett started her season with first- and third-place finishes in the pole vault with heights of 4.15 m and 4.20 m, respectively.

Garrett said the reality of this being her final season has begun to sink in.

“When I was a freshman I had fun, but I didn’t really understand that one day, you know, you don’t pole vault forever,” Garrett said. “I think I’m most excited to live in the moment and compete well and push myself to new heights and goals and look back and say, ‘Wow, look at how much I accomplished.’”

The throwers are one of the more experienced groups of the UCLA track and field team, boasting four seniors in both the men’s and women’s units.

Redshirt senior thrower Ashlie Blake placed second in the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge on Friday and is currently sitting at No. 5 in UCLA’s outdoor shot put record list with a toss of 17.73 m.

Blake, coming off a 2018 First-Team All-American campaign, said she seeks to repeat her success and improve on her prior marks.

“During my last season I want to experience everything that I possibly can,” Blake said. “I want to experience a PR, I want to experience First-Team All-American again, I want to experience it to my full capabilities.”