Ready for a championship run

Friday, March 6, 1998

Ready for a championship run

Led by last year’s stars, teams set for start of collegiate
competition

By Alvin Cadman and Donald Morrison

Daily Bruin Contributors

After nearly two months of competing on the road in various
individual competitions, the UCLA track and field teams come home
this weekend for their first collegiate team competition of the
season.

Drake Stadium will play host to UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach
State and Cal State Los Angeles at the all-day meet, which will be
scored as both a quadrangular and dual competition. UCLA, the
defending 1997 Pac-10 conference champs, should have relatively
little trouble in disposing of their three opponents.

In Westwood, the women will be led on the field by seniors Suzy
Powell and Nada Kawar, both of whom should win their respective
events. Powell is the collegiate record holder in the discus,
setting the mark of 214-0 in her hometown of Modesto less than a
year ago. Currently, she’s ranked first in the country in the
women’s discus, and fifth in the javelin. She competed in the
discus for the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

Kawar, who is entered in the shot and the discus, is ranked No.
2 in the NCAA indoor shot with a season-best of 57-0. This mark is
also her personal best, and the fourth best in school history. At
the 1997 Pac-10s, she took first and fourth in the shot put and
discus, respectively.

Highly touted juniors and 1997 All-Americans Joanna Hayes and
Andrea Anderson will make their 1998 home debut on Saturday. Hayes,
currently ranked 10th in the United States in the 400-meter
hurdles, has the second-best 100 hurdles time in the nation and
will anchor UCLA’s 4-by-100m relay. Anderson, the second leg on the
4-by-100m relay, won the 200 and took second in the 400 at the 1997
Pac-10 championships. Along with freshman 200 standout Shakedia
Jones, the UCLA women should compete well, as they did when they
swept Cal State Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State
at this meet a year ago.

"We will have a good mix of returning veterans with incoming
talented high school athletes," said UCLA women’s head coach
Jeannette Bolden, the Pac-10 Coach of the Year. "We’re looking
forward to defending our Pac-10 title and want to challenge LSU for
the NCAA Outdoor Crown."

The men’s track team will also use their first outdoor home meet
of the season as a tune-up for future outdoor meets.

The Bruins will attempt to complete their fifth consecutive
season undefeated in dual meet competition.

"The athletes have been training for a long time, so a lot them
are really anxious to get going," UCLA head coach Bob Larsen. "I
think the returning athletes take it in stride early in the season.
I think the team will come out and compete well."

The quad-meet will feature sprinters Damian Allen and Bryan
Harrison. Harrison will run his first-ever collegiate 100-meter
dash and will also race in the 4-by-100 meter and 4-by-400 meter
relays. Allen will run in the 400 along with Michael Granville.

Mark Hauser will run in the 800 instead of his normal events,
the 3,000 and 1,500. Jess Strutzel will run his first collegiate
1,500. Travis Haynes, one of UCLA’s best shot putters, will only
compete in the discus.

Taking Saturday off to rest before the indoor nationals will be
Mebrahtom Keflezighi and Mel Moultry. High-jumper Rich Pitchford
will not compete due to soreness in his knee, and pole vaulter
Scott Slover is doubtful for Saturday’s meet.