UCLA aims to hold its ground at Pac-10s

By Moin Salahuddin

Daily Bruin Staff

Traditionally one of the strongest teams in the nation, the UCLA
men’s track and field squad will travel this weekend to
compete at the Pac-10 Championships in Eugene, Ore.

But this will be one of the first times that the perennial
powerhouse Bruins will not be among the favorites to bring home a
conference title, despite winning nine of the last 13 Pac-10
Championship meets.

“We don’t have the depth to be a serious contender
for the title,” UCLA head coach Art Venegas said. “But
we should be in the top three.”

Venegas added that crosstown rival USC should be the favorite
“on paper” to win the conference title.

“USC has a lot more high quality athletes even though we
beat them in the dual meet,” he continued.

The Bruins will thus need to rely on their strength in the
middle distances and field events for any hopes to upend the
Trojans or distance-laden Stanford.

Leading the Bruin contingent to the University of Oregon are
All-Americans Damian Allen, Michael Granville, Brian McLaughlin,
Scott Moser and Jess Strutzel.

“These are the ones who we need to come through,”
Venegas said.

NCAA Indoor Champion Jess Strutzel brings the nation’s
fastest time of 1:46.03 in the 800 meters into Eugene. The senior
All-American is the definitive favorite, but Arizona’s
Patrick Nduwimana and Stanford’s Gabe Jennings and Michael
Stember will also contend.

“It could be a real duel between those four guys,”
distance coach Bob Larsen said. “It should be really
interesting.”

While Larsen added that Strutzel is not peaking yet, the former
head coach for UCLA did mention that Strutzel’s
“strength is impressive and his speed is pretty
good.”

“For Jess, it’s good to be in a competitive
race,” Larsen said. “He really hasn’t had to
press himself outdoors.”

Senior All-Americans Granville and Terrence Williams will both
compete in the open 400 meters and run legs on the defending NCAA
Champion 1600-meter relay.

Granville and Williams have consistently run in the low
46’s and rank in the top eight in the Pac-10.

“I think both Michael and Terrence will run well (in
Oregon),” Larsen said. “Just a little bit more and
they’ll both break the 46-second barrier.”

Joining them will be senior Tom Jonsson with a season-best of
47.82.

The sprinters will be represented by two Bruins ““ Allen
and junior Bryan Harrison.

The UCLA duo will compete in both the 100 and 200 meters,
bringing in top-10 rankings in each event.

Also participating for the Bruins are freshman Kyle Erickson and
junior John Hall in the 400 intermediate hurdles. Senior Narc
Narcisse will race in the 110 meter high hurdles, as well as the
long and triple jumps.

The cool, crisp conditions of Hayward Field will heavily favor
the distance runners.

Seniors Dan Brecht, Matt Pitts and junior Mason Moore will
compete in the grueling 3000-meter steeplechase. Junior Paul Muite
will be the lone Bruin representative in the 5000 meters while
Bryan Green will do the same for the 10,000.

The shot put and discus throwing trio of Jack Clamon, Moser and
Scott Wiegand lead the field events for UCLA.

Joining them will be javelin throwers Nate Marum and Joe
Franklin.

McLaughlin leads four Bruin pole vaulters into the meet with a
personal best of 18 1/2. Steve Michels, Jared Drake, and Clyde Bell
join McLaughlin in the Bruins’ quest for a conference
championship.

But Larsen added that it will take an amazing effort for UCLA to
capture the Pac-10 title.

“We’ll have to step up quite a bit to be in
contention for the championship,” he said.

Luckily for the Bruins, superhuman performances such as those
against the Trojans in UCLA’s dual meet victory are the
norm.

“We will definitely make some noise,” sprinting
coach John Smith said.