Only the Memories Stayed Competitive : Track and field: UCLA easily beats USC in perhaps the last meet to be held at the Coliseum.

It was a time for nostalgia Saturday at the Coliseum, where legendary track stars, mainly from USC, were introduced.

The meet between USC and UCLA, however, wasn’t as memorable, although there were some competitive events.

As expected, the UCLA men’s team beat USC, 94-68, while the Bruin women won easily, 90-40.

Renovations are planned to lower the seating to field level and cover the track, which would only be restored for a major event, such as the Olympic Games, or the World Championships.

Only 2,452 were present on a warm day for what was most likely the last dual meet at the Coliseum between the schools.

The competition has become one-sided with the UCLA men beating USC for the 12th consecutive time. The Bruin women haven’t lost to USC since 1987.

“I was apprehensive coming to the Coliseum because we’ve had some injuries and USC had some holes, but I was pleased because there were some real competitive events,” said Bob Larsen, UCLA’s men’s coach.

Said Ernie Bullard, USC’s coach: “It was a typical USC-UCLA meet. Our kids always compete well.”

There was also a legends eight-man 800-meter relay, which was won by UCLA in the time of 1:32.7. That’s some sort of a record considering that no one could recall the event ever being run before.

The competitive fires still burn, though, as UCLA anchor man Brian Theriot was waving his baton furiously to the crowd as he crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of Michael Simmons.

Clancy Edwards, the former NCAA sprint champion, seemingly pulled up with a leg injury while running the seventh leg for the Trojans.

However, he literally ran out of his shoes. He said he had grabbed a pair of spikes from his trophy case at home and the shoes simply fell apart on him while he was sprinting.

There were other highlights from the collegiate portion of the meet:

--USC’s Quincy Watts, who has been inactive with a strained hamstring and other minor injuries, won the 400 meters in 47.02 seconds.

--UCLA freshmen Robert Mata trailed USC’s Dreux Valenti until the last 80 meters of the 3,000 meter steeplechase and then sprinted past the the Trojan to win in 9:16.25.

--Some football players bolstered the Trojans in the sprints. Cornerback Calvin Holmes and tailback Ricky Ervins went 1-2 in the 100. Wide receiver Travis Hannah won the 200 and Holmes finished second.

--UCLA dominated every field event but the long jump, which was won by USC’s Dietmar Haaf, the world indoor champion from West Germany at 25-2 1/2.

UCLA’s Brian Blutreich and John Knight had creditable throws of 192-8 and 212-6 in winning the shotput and hammer throw, respectively.

--USC’s George Porter, who has also been inactive since a wart was removed from his foot, was in command all the way in winning the 400-meter hurdles in 50.90 seconds.

In women’s events, UCLA’s Tonya Sedwick, an accomplished competitor in the heptathlon, won the 400 in the personal best time of 52.92, the long jump at 20-7 and ran a leg on UCLA’s winning 400-meter relay team.

UCLA’s Janeen Vickers was a double winner, 100 and 400-meter hurdles as was her teammate, Tracie Millet in the shotput and discus.

USC’s Ashley Selman set a meet record with a throw of 184-10 in the javelin, best collegiate mark in the nation this year.

The Bruins were never in danger of losing, men or women, and Sedwick said the meet had lost some of its flavor.

Sedwick came to UCLA from Jeffersonville, Ind., primarily as a long jumper and didn’t particularly care about running.

However, Bob Kersee, the UCLA women’s coach, knows a good heptathlete when he sees one, since he also coaches his wife, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the Olympic heptathlete gold medalist and world record-holder.

Kersee was gratified that his 400-meter relay team got an NCAA qualifying mark of 43.83 while winning easily.

It was a meet record performance and now Kersee said he can concentrate on qualifying athletes for individual events in the NCAA. The Bruin women have finished second the past two years, but they are favored this year.

Track Notes

UCLA won the men’s 400-meter relay as USC was disqualified when Calvin Holmes ran out of the zone while fumbling the exchange from Travis Hannah. . . . As punishment, Ernie Bullard said that USC sprint coach Don Quarrie ordered Holmes into the 200 meters. . . . USC’s Ashley Selman on the significance of the meet: “The meet is hyped up. . . . We’re so out-numbered. We have 15 people. They have 15 distance runners.”