UCLA track and field sees men’s success against USC, loss with bright spots for women
Freshman distance runner Munir Kabbara opened up the meet against USC with an event victory in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Kabbara was teamed with fellow freshman distance runner DJ Lawson. (Andy Bao/Daily Bruin)
By Vinny Lavalsiti
April 29, 2019 12:59 a.m.
The Bruins were able to partake in a victory lap again.
No. 21 UCLA men’s track and field trotted around Cromwell Field at USC’s Loker Stadium following a 102-60 victory over No. 8 USC. Sunday’s win for the men brought the Bruins to a one-meet deficit of 43-42 all-time versus the Trojans.
“It was an awesome experience, especially celebrating it at USC’s track,” said freshman distance runner Munir Kabbara said. “As a freshman, having the camaraderie with the other guys and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces, it was really great.”
Kabbara and fellow freshman distance runner DJ Lawson won the first of three event victories for the men’s distance team in the 3000-meter steeplechase, contributing six points to the Bruins’ score total.
“Me and my teammate (Lawson), we just wanted to go in there and score some points for the team,” Kabbara said. “We were working together the whole race, exchanging laps.”
Kabbara was neck-and-neck with USC’s Mitch Libby, but a 1.5-second advantage on his final 400 meters gave Kabbara the first-place finish and a personal record of 9:17.139 – beating his opponent by six-tenths of a second.
“I was just trying to save my time and energy for the last hurdle,” Kabbara said. “I knew that with about another 80 meters to go after going over the last hurdle, I still had another gear in me and I was able to kick it in and get a slight edge over (Libby).”
Junior distance runner Robert Brandt and redshirt junior distance runner Colin Burke were the other victors in the 1500-meter and 3000-meter races, respectively. Only one USC competitor in the two races meant USC essentially forfeited 18 points to UCLA.
Coach John Frazier’s throwing unit was the largest point contributor for both the men’s and women’s teams, notching 32 and 28 points, respectively. Redshirt senior Dotun Ogundeji led Bruin sweeps in the shot put and discus fields with tosses of 20.09 and 56.93 meters, respectively.
The Bruins gained 10 points thanks to two first-place finishes and a personal record 7.73-meter leap in the long jump from junior Harrison Schrage. Schrage leapfrogged 34 spots to the 23rd-best mark in the country.
No. 24 UCLA women’s track and field’s, on the other hand, was outscored 90-69 by No. 4 USC.
The Trojans logged 30 points in sprinting events, compared to the Bruins’ six. Senior Meleni Rodney eclipsed USC’s Kyra Constantine – who has the 12th-best time in the country in the event – by two-tenths of a second to give UCLA its only victory in the female sprints, in the 400-meter.
Sophomore thrower Alyssa Wilson picked up 15 points alone for UCLA in her three first-place marks in the shot put, hammer throw and discus, setting a personal record of 56.97 meters in the final of the three.
