Big Meet will demand Bruins’ best against ‘SC

By J.P. Hoornstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
[email protected]

Jeanette Bolden doesn’t like stress, and last year’s
Big Meet against ‘SC wasn’t easy.

“I don’t like things to come down to the mile
relay,” the UCLA women’s track head coach said.
“I talked to my team, told them good luck, and went under the
stadium and watched the mile relay … Well, sorta watched the mile
relay. Someone was commentating for me.”

In the end, she didn’t need to worry. The Bruins pulled
out a 85-78 win over the Women of Troy in the final hour. But
tomorrow, in spite of the Bruins’ undefeated dual meet record
and their No. 4 rank in the country, things might be ““ get
this ““ even closer.

This year’s version of USC-UCLA is not just another Big
Meet, it’s No. 1 vs. No. 4, a matchup of two of the most
balanced track and field programs in the nation. It even promises
to be closer under the NCAA-mandated scoring system designed to
decrease the margin of victory.

For the past 88 years, a 5-3-1 (five points for first place,
three for second, one for third) has been used, with 82 points
needed for victory and the widest possible margin for victory being
8-1 per event (two athletes per team can earn scores).

At the insistence of the NCAA, the teams will break with
tradition, instead using a 5-3-2-1 format, with 102 points needed
for victory and the widest possible margin for victory being 8-3
per event.

With that in mind, here are three women’s events to keep
an eye on ““ a close eye.

1. Pole vault, 1:45 p.m. UCLA’s Tracy O’Hara is
coming off a season-high vault of 14 feet, 3-1/2 inches at Mt. San
Antonio College. And she might not even have been comfortable.

“I’m still trying to get used to (my new pole), and
I’m actually going to switch again. I’m just trying to
do some new things,” the senior said.

Tomorrow marks the final month in a distinguished college career
for the women’s record holder in the event.

2. 100-meter dash, 2:35 p.m. This race isn’t expected to
be close, which is exactly why the crowd should be riveted. Angela
Williams of USC is “one of those people who can bring track
and field alive again,” according to UCLA assistant coach Al
Joyner.

Among her credentials: a 2001 World Indoor 60-meter silver
medal, the collegiate record in the indoor 60-meter dash (7.09
seconds), a school record in the 100-meter dash (11.04 seconds),
and three NCAA titles in the 100 in the last three years.
She’s coming off a near-personal record of 11.06 that won the
100 at Mt. SAC. Given the importance of this meet, anything is
possible for Williams.

3. 4×400 meter relay, 4 p.m. The final event of the day, the
mile relay could determine the winner once again. UCLA’s
Bunmi Ogunleye, Adia McKinnon, Nicole Gaskins and Monique Henderson
ran it in 3:34.14 at Mt. SAC. Eight days earlier, USC’s
Natasha Neal, Kinshasa Davis, Nakiya Johnson and Aleksandra
Pieluzek ran it in 3:34.32. Do the math ““ that’s less
than two-tenths of a second differential, and that could mean the
difference between a win and a loss.

Even outside of these events, there will be plenty to watch. Of
the 19 women’s events this weekend, both schools have
nationally-ranked athletes in many of them. The Big Meet garners
the most hype of any non-finals meet in the season, and this year
should not be a let-down.

“When you come to this meet, the dope sheet, the
trash-talking and the back-and-forth doesn’t matter,”
Bolden said. “What matters is, when you walk in that stadium,
who’s going to get to the line first, who’s going to
throw the furthest, and who’s going to jump the
highest?”

Don’t run under the stadium. This could be a close
one.