Oregon Expected to Make Strides Toward Title

Whatever the outcome of this weekend’s two-day Pacific 10 Conference track and field championships at UCLA, the winning trend probably will reveal itself after the final event today, the 10,000 meters.

In the pre-meet handicapping that every track coach undertakes, no one in the conference is likely to overlook Oregon’s depth in the distance events. The men’s team, along with UCLA’s, is a strong contender for the championship, and Oregon’s strongest day is the first one, today.

Traditionally a distance-running powerhouse, Oregon has four runners in the 10,000 and four in the steeplechase, giving the Ducks potential for a lot of scoring on the first day.

“We’ll know a lot after that first night,” said UCLA men’s Coach Bob Larsen. “They’ll [Oregon] be in the lead after the first day; the question is, will they be in reach?

“When you score to eight places, something like this will go back and forth. If they get hot in a distance race or two, that can be a big point swing.”

Last year, USC went into the competition as one of the favorites, but its vaunted sprinters faltered. By the second day, the title was up for grabs between UCLA and Oregon. The Bruins won with 163 1/2 points. Oregon was second at 142 1/2 and USC third at 122.

Meet director Rich Perelman projects Oregon winning with 143 points, UCLA second with 141, Arizona third with 115 and USC fourth with 87.

The women’s meet also is projected to be close: USC with 144 points, UCLA with 140 and Oregon third with 113.

Coaches like the conference meet because, in a compressed version, it mimics the four-day NCAA championship meet. Athletes have to work their way through heats and flights, competing in successive long days.

Larsen hopes he’ll get an idea from the Pac-10 meet how his team might fare against Arkansas, the defending national champion.

“We’re close enough that we have to keep one eye on them,” he said.

UCLA dominates in most throwing events, but USC has Balazs Kiss in the hammer throw. A senior from Veszprem, Hungary, he is the three-time defending NCAA champion and has thrown 254 feet 1 inch this season. Teammate Leslie Coons is the collegiate and American-record holder in the event, still new to women. She set the record of 198-7 on May 4.

In addition to Kiss and Coons, there will be five other NCAA champions competing in the meet: UCLA’s Ato Boldon in the 200 meters, Amy Acuff in the high jump, Valeyta Althouse and Jonathan Ogden in the shotput, and Oregon’s Melody Fairchild at 3,000 meters.