Finish line elusive for UCLA men at NCAA finals

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

Senior Scott Moser’s farewell performance gave UCLA
men’s track fans something to watch this weekend in Baton
Rouge, La.

Moser single-handedly accounted for five of the team’s
eight points with his fourth-place performance in the men’s
discus final (198 feet, 3 inches) on Friday.

“I’m not sad this is over because I will continue to
throw and train at UCLA under Art Venegas,” Moser said in a
statement.

“I would have liked to win this event, but I had a good
meet here and my head is up. Two years in a row in the discus I
have been the top American.”

Meanwhile, many of the Bruins barely limped to the finish line
of the 2002 season. Of the nine UCLA men at Baton Rouge, three key
athletes were beset by injuries that kept them from making an
impact at the meet.

Junior Kyle Erickson “would be no worse than third at
NCAAs with the way he was going,” according to head coach Art
Venegas. Unfortunately for Erickson and the rest of the team, the
hamstring injury he sustained prior to the Pac-10 finals did not
subside in time for the national championships. Erickson lined up
in the blocks for the 400-meter hurdles Wednesday, but pulled up in
pain immediately after the start of the race.

Sophomore Juane Armon had worked his way up to sixth in the
country after the USC dual meet May 4. But he has been bothered by
tendinitis since Pac-10s and couldn’t recover in time. His
mark of 24-3 3/4 in the long jump Wednesday was 18th in the
field.

Chuckie Ryan was also bothered by a leg injury and did not
qualify for the final in the 110m hurdles after placing 18th
overall in 14.07 seconds.

“We went in with a beat up team; most of our guys had
gotten hurt,” Venegas said.

Dan Ames added a point to UCLA’s team total by placing
eighth in the discus (193-1). He and Moser are the only Bruins to
earn All-American status after the weekend.

Ames’ seventh-place performance in the shot put (62-11.5)
on Saturday earned the sophomore his second All-American title of
the week. Moser also secured All-American status Wednesday in the
hammer throw after placing 12th at 202-4.

Moser, Michael Lipscomb and C.J. Bell were all competing in
their last collegiate event. Lipscomb “did a great job and
ran a great race,” according to Venegas, running the 200m in
20.83 seconds, but didn’t qualify for the event final. Bell
hit 16-10.75 in his second pole vault attempt but did not advance
further.