Boldon leads men’s track into Mt. SAC Relays

Friday, April 19, 1996

By Emmanuelle Ejercito

Daily Bruin Staff

After facing minimal competition in a quadrangular meet last
Saturday, the UCLA men’s track team faces an altogether different
kind of challenge in Walnut this weekend at the prestigious Mt. SAC
Relays.

Hosted by Mount San Antonio College, the relays boast entrants
of international caliber. The field includes former Bruin and
Olympic gold medalist Mike Marsh in the 100-meters, multi-gold
medalist Carl Lewis in the 200-meters and current record-holder
Mike Powell in the long jump.

"This meet will give them a chance to test themselves," UCLA
head coach Bob Larsen said. "It’s very high-level competition and
it’s helpful to get used to that kind of competition."

The fastest man on the Bruin team, Ato Boldon, will run in the
invitational 100-meters and the two relays in which UCLA has
entered. Boldon is also entered in the 200; however, because he is
already running in three other events, it has yet to be determined
whether he will run that race.

The meet is composed of two categories ­ invitational and
university open. The invitational portion has a field of
world-class athletes, and UCLA will compete in ten invitational
events.

Representing the Bruins in the invitational 5,000-meters is
Mebrahtom Keflezighi. Keflezighi set his personal record on the
same track last year, clocking in at 13:52.06.

Ibrahim Hassan will run in the 400- and 1,600-meter relays and
in the 400-meters, while Mike Terry will run in the 800-meters.

UCLA is strongly represented in the invitational field events as
well.

In the throwing events, Jonathan Ogden and Mark Parlin tackle
the shot put, and Josh Johnson, who has yet to compete this season
due to injury, is entered in the javelin.

Meanwhile, Scott Slover is scheduled to compete in the pole
vault, and Rich Pitchford will contend in the high jump.

The Bruins have also entered athletes in the university open.
But with the exception of Keflezighi, no other UCLA distance runner
is entered in the meet.

Although the meet begins on Friday, the events in which the
Bruin have entered do not begin until Saturday. The first event on
Saturday afternoon is the discus, which begins at 3:35 p.m.

The (Mt. SAC Relays) is composed of two categories ­
invitational and university open … UCLA will compete in ten
invitational events.

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Ibrahim Hassan will run the 400-meters and 400- and 1600-meter
relays at Mt. SAC.