Vaulters raise the bar at meet

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Pole vaulter C.J.
Bell cleared 16-10 3/4 on this attempt at the Mt. SAC
Relays Saturday. Minutes later he set a personal record at 17-4
1/2.

By J.P. Hoornstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

WALNUT, Calif. “”mdash; With a wide smile and a victorious glow,
C.J. Bell leaned against a hurdle alongside the other pole
vaulters. UCLA teammates, coaches, and even a vaulter in
red-and-gold USC warmups, congratulated Bell, who had just nailed a
lifetime-best height of 17 feet, 4 1/2 inches.

“I don’t remember much about the vault until
falling,” the senior said. “I had a big take-off; it
was just enough to get me over the bar.”

Bell’s personal-record performance placed him second in
the field, and was just one of many Bruin highlights this weekend
at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays.

The three-day event saw local high schoolers, collegians from
around the world and foreign professionals compete before packed
crowds at the 18,000-seat Hillmer Lodge Stadium.

A slight breeze against their backs helped all the pole vaulters
this weekend. Senior Tracy O’Hara tied a four-year-old
women’s meet record, and a personal season high, at 14-1 1/4.
Pro vaulter Mary Sauer later extended the record by four
inches.

Junior Kyle Erickson established his second personal record in
as many weeks in the 400-meter hurdles. Erickson finished first
among American collegians, and third overall, at 49.68 seconds.

Three other Bruins on the men’s side placed first among
American collegians: senior Michael Lipscomb in the university open
200-meter dash (20.89 sec), sophomore Nick Thornton in the
800-meter run (1:51.70) and sophomore Juane Armon (who was fourth
overall) in the long jump invitational at 24-10.

In addition to O’Hara’s collegiate title, two
first-place marks were posted on the women’s side: the
4×400-meter relay team (Bunmi Ogunleye, Adia McKinnon, Eboni
Grayson, and Monique Henderson), who set the sixth-highest mark in
the nation this year and won the invitational event at 3:34.13, and
senior Darnesha Griffith in the high jump at 6 3/4.

Josh Levy, who placed third in the men’s open high jump at
6-9 3/4 Saturday, was impressed with the level of competition this
weekend, but couldn’t help but look ahead to the
Bruins’ next home meet after his final jump.

“I just can’t wait for the ‘SC meet in two
weeks, that’s the big one,” he said.