Topflight athletes seek top-20 finish at NCAAs

When the UCLA men’s track and field team begins the NCAA
Outdoor Championships today in Sacramento, both the present and the
future of the program will be on display.

Anticipated to be the biggest stars of the week for UCLA are
senior Craig Everhart and freshman Kevin Craddock.

Everhart, an accomplished All-American, will be looking to end
his collegiate career on a high note in the 400 meters.

Meanwhile, Craddock will try to avoid being viewed as the
typical, wide-eyed freshman after having cemented his status as one
of the nation’s elite hurdlers.

Everhart enters this week as the nation’s seventh-best
runner in his event, and has been competing fairly consistently all
season.

“Craig is really excited and genuinely ready to get after
it this weekend,” sprints coach Tony Veney said. “He
really feels like he is ready to perform.”

And while Everhart has a number of accolades on his resume,
including two All-American honors with two different relay teams,
he has yet to be named All-American in an individual event.

Doing so in the next few days would solidify his place among
UCLA’s all-time elite sprinters.

Craddock has quickly built a reputation as a clutch performer in
only his first year in Westwood. As a highly touted high school
star at James Logan High School, Craddock won a bronze medal in the
110m hurdles for the United States Junior National team in 2004 to
go along with numerous California and USA Track and Field junior
championships during his career.

He’ll be looking to use this experience as a springboard
into his quest to become UCLA’s first All-American high
hurdler since 1987.

“For some athletes of his age, the scope of this meet
would be a little daunting,” Veney said. “But he has
run internationally in a championship setting, so he already has a
point of reference going into this meet.”

And while these two sprinters are unquestionably UCLA’s
best chances for points this weekend, there are certainly other
Bruins poised to help the team finish among the top 20 teams, even
though the roster has been decimated by injuries to key athletes
all season long.

Sophomore Joel Tuosto, who captured the Western Regional long
jump crown, is currently ranked twelfth in the nation and has been
improving by leaps and bounds every week.

Redshirt junior Mike Landers in the pole vault, along with
redshirt freshman Boldizsar Kocsor and redshirt sophomore Greg
Garza in the throws, also have legitimate shots at top-eight
finishes.