Track and Field / Mal Florence : UCLA, USC Finally Meeting in a Worthy Setting--the Coliseum

The Coliseum is making a comeback in track and field.

The 1984 Olympic Games restored the old stadium to its previous glory days, and now the USC-UCLA dual meet returns to the Coliseum Saturday for the first time since 1974.

In the intervening years, the Trojans met the Bruins at Drake Stadium in Westwood. USC’s own campus facility, Cromwell Field, doesn’t have the seating capacity worthy of such a meet.

The women will be competing along with the men, and all the teams are undefeated except for the UCLA women.

There was a time when the USC-UCLA dual meet was considered the most prestigious meet of its kind, with world-class athletes representing both schools.

Then, the NCAA ruling that limited scholarships to 14 or the equivalent (some athletes were on half scholarships) diluted the quality of the teams, especially USC, because of its high tuition costs.

The Trojans’ down cycle is underscored by the fact that they’ve lost the last seven dual meets to UCLA. USC won the first 33 starting in 1934.

But both schools are on an up cycle now. UCLA, with an 8-0 record, will most likely be recognized as the best dual meet team in the country if it beats USC. The Bruins are favored because they have more depth, especially in the distance races and some field events.

USC has a 6-0 record, though, is strong in the sprints and is considerably improved over last year. But so is UCLA.

USC’s women team (4-0) wasn’t a factor as a dual meet team in previous years. It is now. UCLA has only a 1-2 record in dual meets, but it rates evenly with USC, especially if the Bruins’ multi-event performer, Gail Devers, can come through in her specialties.

To set the scene for Saturday’s meet, coaches and athletes from both schools attended a track luncheon on the floor of the Coliseum Monday.

“Since I became USC’s coach last year, I thought it would be a timely thing to return to the Coliseum,” USC Coach Ernie Bullard said. “I’ve always been in awe of this place and, if you’re going to beat the Bruins, you can’t meet them the first week of May at their place every year.

“It seems a couple of months ago we were in a better position for this meet than we are now. Unfortunately, we have some injuries.”

He was mainly referring to West German weightman Bernd Kneissler, who isn’t able to compete due to a pulled muscle in his left arm.

UCLA also has some injured athletes. Hurdler Raymond Young has a pulled hamstring and is doubtful. Henry Thomas, the highly regarded freshman sprinter, will compete after a layoff caused by a foot injury.

UCLA Coach Bob Larsen, in his second season at the school, like Bullard, has a 17-0 record in dual meets.

“Last year I predicted that we would beat USC because we were considerably stronger. Things have changed this year. We anticipate that it is going to be an excellent meet. There are no predictions this year. We’re not going to give away the ending.

Track Notes

Bob Kersee’s World Class club athletes were no-shows at the Mt. San Antonio Relays Sunday. Kersee explained why they didn’t compete. He said that hurdlers Greg Foster and Andre Phillips were injured, Florence Griffith isn’t ready for outdoor competition and Valerie Brisco-Hooks was unavailable because she was shooting a scene in Philadelphia for Bill Cosby’s television show.