TRACK AND FIELD / PACIFIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIPS : Bruins Dominate the Field

UCLA javelin thrower Erik Smith almost never got a chance to take his final throw during Friday’s Pacific 10 track and field championships after being called for a time foul.

Javelin throwers are allotted 1 1/2 minutes to throw, and Smith exceeded the time limit after walking through his final attempt. However, Smith was granted his final throw because he was never warned that he was near the time limit. Officials are supposed to give a 30-second warning.

Given another chance, Smith, in fourth place behind teammate Greg Johnson, set a school record with a throw of 247 feet to win the conference title before a crowd of about 2,000 at Cal’s Edwards Stadium. Johnson, who set a personal best of 243-11 on his first throw, finished second.

“To win the javelin on your last throw is very difficult because it’s a rhythm event, and Erik had lost his rhythm,” said Art Venegas, who coaches UCLA’s weight events.

Six of Venegas’ athletes set personal bests to put the Bruins in position to win their fifth Pac-10 men’s title in the last seven years.

UCLA scored 75 points on the first day of the two-day meet to take a commanding lead over Arizona State (40), Arizona (38) and USC (20). The Bruins would have led the meet even without their points from the running events as they scored 52 points in the shotput, javelin and hammer throw.

UCLA swept the first three places and scored 26 points in the shotput. Bruin sophomore John Godina won the event with a personal best of 65-4 1/4, the second best collegiate throw in the nation this year and the fifth best in school history. Sophomore Mark Parlin finished second with a personal best of 60-4 and redshirt freshman Joe Bailey finished third at 59-9.

UCLA senior long jumper Derrick Baker, who hadn’t jumped more than 25 feet in two years, won the event with a personal best of 25-0 1/2 in addition to qualifying in the 400 meters.

Bruin shotputter Dawn Dumble won her third consecutive conference title with a put of 55-11 3/4 to lead UCLA’s women’s team, which was tied for second with Arizona (48 points) behind Oregon (54).

Track Notes

USC junior Inger Miller, the nation’s top collegiate sprinter, suffered a hamstring injury in winning her heat of the 100 and scratched from the 200. She probably won’t run the 100 final today to rest for next month’s NCAA meet. . . . Arizona distance runner Martin Keino, the son of former Olympic gold medalist Kip Keino of Kenya, won the steeplechase in 8:45.52 and also qualified for the 1,500. He is also scheduled to compete in the 3,000 final.