Annually UCLA hosts two minor outdoor track meets over a weekend in March--the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival and the Jim Bush Legends Invitational. Those meets took place this past Friday and Saturday. The Larsen event consists of six distance races, but the Bush Legends competition has a complete event list and attracts colleges with decent track programs, such as Cal State Fullerton, Azusa Pacific, Cal Poly Pomona, UNLV, Pepperdine, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Cerritos College.
It would be fair to say that the Bruins dominated the Legends meet, but the performances (aside from the women's javelin) were not remarkable. To be fair, though, Joanna Hayes did not enter some of her best athletes, such as Taylor Snaer in the women's sprints and Camryn O'Bannon in the long jump. Here are the Bruins that performed well enough to deserve some mention.
WOMEN
Sydney Johnson, 100m hurdles, second, 14.09 Lyvante Su'emai, hammer throw, first, 185-0; discus, first, 169-6; shot, first, 49-3.5 Rose Pittman, 1500m, third, 4:20.84 Kaylen Fletcher, 400m, first, 54.75 Katerina Adamiec, pole vault, first (fewer misses), 13-6.5 Kaleila Abrille, pole vault, second, 13-6.5 Sydney Johnson, long jump, first, 20-1.75 JANA VAN SCHALKWYK, javelin, first, 179-0 (second best in UCLA T&F history)
MEN
Allan Hunter, long jump, third, 24-10 Kris Emig, hammer throw, first, 217-9 Michael Pinckney, discus, first, 181-5 Tristan Amell, 1500m, fifth, 3:44.86 John Robinson IV, 400m, second, 46.74 Terrence Sweetman, triple jump, second, 48-2.75 Elijah Major, 100m, second, 10.55; 200m, first, 21.38 Michael Mireles, 1500m, third, 3:43.79 4x400m relay, first, cruising to 3:09.53 (Clement II, Robinson IV, Waring, Bates)
The UCLA men and women will be competing at the Texas Relays this coming weekend.
Note: Remember the men's 4x400m race at the Texas Relays in 2023? The top three finishers all went under three minutes. The Bruins had lots of firepower in the 400m that year--Turner, Reynolds, Wright, Misener-Daley and Nortje. I think Joanna Hayes will build up her sprint corps in the next couple of years. She certainly has the credentials and reputation (remember she has coached Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Rai Benjamin).
I’m trying not to be that guy who constantly complains. But do we have a men’s track team this year?
I’ve looked at the results from all of the track meets so far, and it seems as though we’ve had little participation from our male athletes. Especially our sprinters!
