Cross Country Briefs

Thursday, October 8, 1998

Cross Country Briefs

Even though he no longer participates on the UCLA men’s
cross-country and track and field teams, Mebrahtom Keflezighi is
still putting his name in the Bruin record books.

On Aug. 1, Keflezighi broke his own school record in the 5,000
meters (3.1 miles). He finished his record-breaking race in
13:26.85 seconds. This amounts to a pace of 4:20.27 per mile.

Keflezighi broke the old record of 13:30.22, a mark he set back
in April of this year at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. His new
record was set at the Hechtel Night of Athletics in Hechtel,
Belgium. The race included a slew of powerful Kenyan runners, as
well as other top distance runners from around the world.

He finished 12th in a field of about 30 runners. World records
in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters have been broken in past
Hechtel meets.

Keflezighi still attends UCLA and plans to earn his degree this
year.

* * *

At the Biola Invitational last Saturday, the UCLA Cross Country
team won an award for having the lowest combined team scores for
the men’s and women’s teams. The Bruin men scored 62 points and the
women scored 77 for a total of 139 points.

* * *

This year could showcase the strongest field that the Pac-10
Conference has had in recent years on both the men’s and women’s
sides.

On the men’s side, Stanford University, the defending national
champion, is ranked No. 1 in the Martin Surfacing Poll. The
Wildcats of Arizona are ranked No. 5, while an underrated Oregon
Duck team is No. 9.

Washington rounds out the Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 25 at
No. 23. Arizona State is ranked No. 33 and UCLA is tied for No.
42.

On the women’s side, Stanford is No. 3, Arizona is No. 10, while
Washington is No. 14. Oregon is right behind at No. 15, while UCLA
is No. 22.

"It’s a good ranking for us," UCLA head women’s coach Eric
Peterson said about his team’s position thus far.

* * *

This year, the NCAA will expand its field of participants at its
cross-country championships in November. In previous years, the
NCAA allowed 24 teams to compete in the championships, 18 of them
automatically qualifying. This year, the NCAA is allowing 31 teams
to participate. This expansion, Peterson feels, gives the women’s
team a strong chance at a berth in the NCAA Championships.

"We’ve felt we were on the borderline in years past," Peterson
said. "It’s realistic for us to qualify if we finish in the top
four in our region."

* * *

The Bruin squads will be traveling to Maine this weekend for the
Murray Keating Invitational. The Bruins, however, will not have to
worry about taking their cold weather gear. Temperatures are
expected to be in the 50s and 60s.

"I think it’ll be a typical New England fall day," UCLA men’s
cross country coach Bob Larsen said. "It’s early enough in the
season that we shouldn’t experience cold weather."

After the meet, members of the men’s team will take advantage of
one of Maine’s most popular dishes. "Guys who like lobster will
have lobster right after the meet," said a smiling Larsen. "The
other guys will get steak."

Notes compiled By Donald Morrison, Daily Bruin contributor.

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