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Bruins Head to USC for Pac-12 Track & Field Championships

May 13, 2021
Anthony Stone (front right), Darius Riley (back left), and Munir Kabbara (back right) -- photo by James Lee

LOS ANGELES – UCLA Track & Field is set to open its postseason schedule at the Pac-12 Championships this weekend, with the three-day competition taking kicking off on the campus of USC on Friday, May 14. It's the first postseason meet for the Bruins since the 2019 NCAA Championships, as postseason competition was called off in 2020. Live coverage of the first two days of competition will be available on pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app. Sunday's meet program will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.
 
MEET INFORMATION – Pac-12 Championships

  • Friday, May 14 – Saturday, May 16
  • Cromwell Field & Loker Track Stadium (USC)
  • No spectators will be allowed at the Pac-12 Championships 

HISTORY – UCLA at the Pac-12 Championships
UCLA Track & Field has a decorated history at the Pac-12 Championships on the women's and men's sides. The Bruin women own 14 Conference titles, including a streak of eight-consecutive team victories from 1997-2004. Bruin legends Gail Devers (100mH), Amy Acuff (high jump), Valeyta Althouse (shot put), and Suzy Powell (discus) maintain Pac-12 Championship meet records. The men's program has compiled 18 league titles, with the team taking its most recent victory in 2004. The Bruin men won five-straight Pac-12 titles from 1992-96. Ato Boldon (200m), Greg Foster (110mH), John Godina (Shot Put), Julian Wruck (Discus), Greg Johnson (Javelin), and the Bruins' 4x100m squad of 1988 all own Conference Meet records.
 
LOOKING BACK – 2019 Pac-12 Championships
The 2019 Pac-12 Championships in Tucson, Ariz., saw the UCLA men take second place with 140 points and the Bruin women notch eighth place with 55 points. It was the highest placement at the Conference Meet for the men since the team's second-place finish in 2005, and the highest point total for the program at the League Championships since a 143-point outing in 2004 (victory). The Bruin men were aided by individual victories from Simon Litzell in the javelin, Robert Brandt in the 10,000m, and Sondre Guttormsen in the pole vault. The Bruins went 2-3-4 in the shot put behind Dotun Ogundeji, Nate Esparza, and Otito Ogbonnia, racking up 19 points in the event. Alyssa Wilson (discus) and Elleyse Garrett (pole vault) secured individual titles on the women's side. Meleni Rodney finished fourth overall in the 400m with a then-lifetime-best time of 52.06. Jai Gruenwald was 10th in the long jump for the Bruins, clearing 5.85m (19-02.50). Ilaria Casarotto finished 13th overall in the javelin with a toss of 44.82m (147-0).
 
MEET RECAP – USC Dual Meet (May 2)
UCLA and USC met for a dual meet on Sunday, May 2 at Drake Stadium, with the Bruins coming away with nine event victories on the day. Alyssa Wilson picked up three victories in the throws, going 69.94m (229-05) in the hammer, 17.74m (58-02.50) in the shot put, and 54.17m (177-8) in the discus. Her hammer throw mark was good for a meet record and the second-best collegiate mark in the nation this year. Jacob Wilson launched a huge PR in the shot put, clearing 19.36m (63-06.25), the first 19+ meter throw of his career. Shae Anderson was electric in the women's 400m, clocking a lifetime-best time of 51.16 for the second-fastest time in the nation this season. Kyle Brown earned the victory in the men's pole vault, clearing a lifetime-best height of 5.11m (16-09.25). Mia Cervantes and Camryn Thomson each cleared personal-best heights of 4.01m (13-01.75), with Cervantes earning the victory on attempts. Jett Charvet was UCLA's top performer in the men's 800m, clocking a PR with a time of 1:50.32. Kate Jendrezak flew to a PR in the women's competition, going 2:06.84 for third place overall. Paige Carter took the win in the women's 1500m with a personal-best time of 4:27.48. Freshman Anthony Stone clocked a time of 8:32.66 to take the win in the men's 3000m.
 
USTFCCCA RANKINGS
The UCLA women's squad is currently 12th on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll. The Bruins did not compete over the weekend before the current rankings were released. The team was 12th on last week's edition of the poll following the West Coast Classic.
 
NOTES ON THE BRUINS

  • Shae Anderson is one of three women in the country (Tamara Clark, Sage Hurta) to own top-2 collegiate marks in multiple events. Anderson is second in the country 400m (51.16) and 400m hurdles (56.45).
  • Alyssa Wilson owns the second-best collegiate hammer mark in the nation this year
  • Alyssa Wilson (hammer throw) and Shae Anderson (400m, 400mH) have qualified for the upcoming Olympic Trials in the aforementioned events.
  • Munir Kabbara ran 3:47.24 in the 1500m against USC (May 2), good for the Lebanese national record in the event.
  • Harrison Schrage is the Pac-12's top performer in the long jump with a mark of 7.97m (26-01.75). It's the sixth-best mark in program history and the 10th-best collegiate mark in the nation this season.
  • Shae Anderson (51.16) and Meleni Rodney (51.97) are two of only 19 collegians to break the 52-second barrier in the 400m this season.
  • Six Bruins – Peter Herold (3:47.03), Munir Kabbara (3:47.24), Dylan Wilbur (3:47.71), Anthony Stone (3:47.98), Darius Riley (3:49.32), and Andrew Martinez (3:49.59) have cracked the 3:50.00 barrier in the 1500m this season.
  • Paige Carter ran a lifetime-best time of 4:27.48 to take the 1500m victory in the Bruins' dual meet against USC (May 2), good for a 35+ second improvement since her first 1500m (5:02.71) as a freshman.
  • The Bruins account for five of the Pac-12's top 25 performers in the women's 200m: Shae Anderson (No. 2 – 22.96), Makenzy Pierre-Webster (No. 15 – 23.51), Maddy Doane (No. 19 – 23.66), Catherine Leger (No. 20 – 23.70), and Chinyere Okoro (No. 21 – 23.71).

NATIONAL TIMES/MARKS – UCLA on National Performance Lists
The following student-athletes have registered times/marks among the top 50 collegiate performances this year:
 
Women
200m – 11. Shae Anderson (22.96) – West Coast Classic (Apr. 17)
400m – 2. Shae Anderson (51.16) – USC Dual Meet (May 2)
400m – 16. Meleni Rodney (51.97) – West Coast Classic (Apr. 17)
400mH – 2. Shae Anderson (56.45) – Rafer/JJK Invite (Apr. 8)
4x100m Relay – 15. C. Okoro, S. Anderson, C. Leger, M. Pierre-Webster (43.89) – West Coast Classic (Apr. 17)
4x400m Relay – 10. M. Rodney, C. Leger, M. Pierre-Webster, S. Anderson (3:30.16) – West Coast Classic
Shot Put – 9. Alyssa Wilson (17.74m, 58-02.50) – USC Dual Meet
Discus – 43. Alyssa Wilson (54.17m, 177-9) – USC Dual Meet (May 2)
Hammer – 2. Alyssa Wilson (69.94m, 229-5) – USC Dual Meet (May 2)
Javelin – 24. Ilaria Casarotto (51.72m, 169-08) – Stanford Invitational (Apr. 2)
Heptathlon – 32. Isa Videler (5290) – Rafer/JJK Invite (Apr. 8-9)
 
Men
4x100m Relay – 18. K. Higgins II, I. Turner, C. Moore, H. Schrage (39.29) – West Coast Classic (Apr. 17)
Long Jump – 10. Harrison Schrage (7.97m, 26-01.75) – West Coast Classic (Apr. 17)
Shot Put – 20. Jacob Wilson (19.36m, 63-06.25) – USC Dual (May 2)