TRACK AND FIELD: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : False Start a True Tribute to Bruin Vickers

It was UCLA Coach Bob Kersee’s gift to his talented senior, Janeene Vickers. It was her reward for four years of outstanding service to her school.

On Saturday Kersee instructed Vickers to make an intentionally false start in the 100-meter hurdles so that she might have a better chance to set a collegiate record in her specialty, the 400-meter hurdles. Vickers had UCLA’s last chance to win an individual event after a disappointing meet.

It all paid off when Vickers successfully defended her title, winning the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.65 seconds.

Vickers didn’t come close to the collegiate record, but Saturday’s windy conditions at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field precluded one anyway.

Tennessee won the men’s title with 51 points. UCLA tied for 17th with 15 points and USC tied for 32nd with eight.

Louisiana State’s women won an unprecedented fifth title with 78 points.

UCLA’s women’s team, which has finished second for three consecutive years, placed fourth with 35 points. USC tied for 27th with eight points.

Vickers has done her part in four years to help the Bruins attempt to win the national title. She has sacrificed her individual performances to score for the team. It was not uncommon this season for Vickers to enter seven events in dual meets; she qualified for the NCAA championships in five events but entered only two.

When Kersee saw Vickers beginning to show signs of wear, he told her to concentrate on the 400 hurdles.

“Janeene has given to me all year,” Kersee said. “She’s been doing for me, I wanted to do for her.”

Sprinters dominated the meet. Frank Fredericks of Brigham Young and Carlette Guidry of Texas each won the 100 and 200 meters.

UCLA’s throwers had a busy and successful day. The Bruins had three place in the women’s shotput and Eric Bergreen placed in the shotput and the hammer throw.

After a disappointing showing in the discus final Friday, defending shot put champion Tracie Millett of UCLA improved her personal best by a foot, placing third at 55 feet 9 1/4 inches. Bruins Dawn Dumble was fourth (54-9 1/2) and Melisa Weis seventh (52-11).

Millett took the lead with her fifth throw, but freshman Eileen Vinisi of Texas threw 57-9 on her last attempt to win. The field was so good that the sixth-place throw was better than Millett’s winning throw of last year.

Bergreen placed eighth in the hammer with a throw of 206-10, but had to pass his last two throws to report to the shot put. Bergreen, who won the NCAA indoor shot title earlier this season, managed only fourth place with a throw of 60-8 1/2.

Ashley Selman of USC, who won the javelin title last year only to have a mediocre season this year, put together the best series of her career to place second in the javelin. Selman’s throw of 182-3 is a season best.

In other finals, Quincy Watts of USC placed second in the 400 meters with a time of 45.58; McArthur Anderson of UCLA was fifth in the triple jump at 53-10 1/2 and Marty Beck of UCLA was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 50.57

Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge easily won the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:11.46.