W. track: Small crowd doesn’t dampen meet’s success
By Jessica Bach
April 11, 2005 9:00 p.m.
Everything UCLA could have hoped for was there ““
high-caliber competition, spectacular performances, good-quality
facilities and gorgeous Los Angeles weather. The only real variable
last weekend’s Rafer Johnson/ Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Invitational needed to be considered a complete success was more
people watching it. A brainchild of UCLA men’s track and
field coach Art Venegas, the three-year-old meet, which was created
to revive track and field’s fanbase in Southern California,
drew approximately 1,500 people to Drake Stadium, a number that
meet organizers hoped would be higher. Still, they are not worried.
“It’s building,” Venegas said. “I had a
choice to bring better teams or put the money into promoting for
better crowds. Last year I put some more money into promoting and
bringing a bigger crowd, but we didn’t have the competitive
level of teams. Next year, I hope to spend money for better teams
and a bigger crowd.” Parts of the problems are due to the
timing of the meet. This year it competed both with the
well-established Texas Relays and the local Arcadia Invitational,
one of the premier high school meets in the country. While the
RJ/JJK Invitational won’t conflict with the Texas Relays next
year, it will with Arcadia. Though the Arcadia Invitational is a
nighttime event, the likelihood of those fans attending the RJ/JJK
Invitational seems slim. “We would like to have a bigger
crowd, obviously,” meet coordinator Eric Peterson said.
“We know that there’s a competitive meet over at
Arcadia and so we don’t get the high school fans like we do
for other home meets, and it will be a little bit light. But I
think this meet has a little bit better crowd than it was a year
ago.”
FILLING IN: Stepping up for an injured Yoo Kim, junior pole
vaulter David Murphy had a strong showing this weekend. Murphy
equaled his lifetime best with a regional-qualifying jump of 17
feet, .75 inches, placing third overall. “When you have an
injury to your athlete like Yoo, having another kid come in really
big is great,” Venegas said. “The next level is to be
consistent in clearing the mid-17 footers. He’s talented
enough to do so.” Kim, who injured his hand last week during
practice and will not be able to practice for the next several
weeks in that event, was able to compete in the long jump on
Friday. He was the top collegiate finisher and second overall with
a mark of 22 feet, 4 inches. If by chance Kim is not ready for the
UCLA-USC dual meet at the end of the month, Venegas will look to
Murphy again to come through with points in the pole vault and
possibly in the high jump. Saturday, Murphy jumped a lifetime-best
of 6-4.75 in the high jump.
