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Pacific 10 Track and Field Meet : Washington St. Favored; USC Has Shot at 2nd

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Washington State, with a strong foreign contingent, is heavily favored to win the Pacific 10 track and field meet starting tonight at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

“Washington State would have to self-destruct not to win,” USC Coach Ernie Bullard said. “But it’s wide open from second to sixth place.”

USC could finish as high as second if its sprinters, Darwin Cook and Antonio Manning, perform as expected.

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“We have to dominate the sprint area,” Bullard said. “We could get 46 points in the sprints. The key is Manning’s ability to stay healthy.”

UCLA was unbeaten in nine dual meets, but the Bruins may not have as many quality points as the Trojans.

Moreover, several key members of Coach Bob Larsen’s team are injured. Quarter-miler Dwyan Biggers won’t compete because of an ankle injury. The availability of sprinter Gerald White and distance runner Mike Parkinson is also questionable.

John Chaplin’s Cougars will be seeking their third straight conference title. Washington State can cover almost any event and has such outstanding performers as the Ivory Coast’s Gabriel Tiacoh, the Olympic silver medalist in the 400 meters; Kenya’s Richard Tuwei and Peter Koech, who excel in the steeplechase and distance races, and Sweden’s Tore Gustafsson, a hammer thrower.

Returning Washington State athletes scored 89 of the 157 points the Cougars compiled last year.

The Pac-10 meet will have a corporate sponsor for the first time. The Tucson Citizen will pay promotional and administrative expenses for the meet.

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“Because of rising costs, we will see these types of sponsorships more and more,” said Cedric Dempsey, Arizona athletic director.

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