UCLA Women Win in Controversial Finish

The Stanford men won their first championship since 1927 and, in a controversial finish, the UCLA women claimed their fifth consecutive title in the Pacific 10 Conference track and field championships Sunday at Berkeley.

Behind dominant distance runners, Stanford scored a school-record 142 points to edge USC (136), UCLA (115.5) and Arizona State (109.5) at Edwards Stadium.

UCLA’s women scored 155 points, edging USC by two points after the Trojans dropped the baton on the day’s final event, the 1,600-meter relay.

USC’s third runner Kinshasa Davis led until the final turn when UCLA’s Adia McKinnon passed her on the outside. Suddenly, the baton flew out of Davis’ hand into the infield. USC, which entered with the second-best time, placed fifth. A second-place finish would have given the Trojans a victory.

Davis said McKinnon elbowed the baton out of her hand, though the official on the scene did not raise a flag. USC Coach Ron Allice did not file a protest.

This was UCLA’s second narrow victory over USC in two weeks. The Bruins defeated USC, 85-79, two weeks ago in a meet that UCLA also pulled out with a victory in the 1,600 relay.

UCLA, which had only 12 points after Saturday, came back behind victories from McKinnon in the 400, Sheena Johnson in the 400 hurdles, Michelle Perry in the 100 hurdles, Tracy O’Hara in the pole vault, Chaniqua Ross in the discus and Christina Tolson in the hammer.

Perry became the third UCLA woman to win the 100 hurdles title three times.

Arizona junior Brianna Glenn won the 100 (11.39 seconds) and the 200 (23.26 seconds), becoming the first Wildcat woman to win either event. She edged USC’s Angela Williams, the two-time NCAA 100 champion, in the 200.

Other women champions included Stanford’s 1,500 runner Sally Glynn, Arizona State’s 5,000 runner Kelly MacDonald, Washington State high jumper Whitney Evans and USC triple jumper Tatyana Obuhova.

On the men’s side, Stanford scored 74 points in middle and long distance races. The team was led by titles from 2000 Olympians Michael Stember in the 800 and Gabriel Jennings in the 1,500.

Arizona State’s Marcus Brunson handily won the 100 (10.21) and 200 (20.62).

UCLA’s Scott Moser won the discus.

UCLA’s softball routed San Diego State and set itself up for another national championship run.

Three home runs paced a 14-hit attack as the Bruins scored in all five innings of a 11-0 mercy-rule victory in a NCAA regional championship game at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.

Top-seeded UCLA (59-5) advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the 17th time. The Bruins have won eight NCAA titles and nine championships overall.

The Bruins play Iowa (49-12) Thursday in the first round of the double-elimination tournament at Oklahoma City.

Stephanie Ramos, Stacey Nuveman and Courtney Dale hit home runs for UCLA. Natasha Watley and Lupe Brambila each drove in two runs.

Fourth-seeded San Diego State (41-25) was optimistic after losing only 3-1 to UCLA on Saturday.

But Ramos, a freshman center fielder, opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo shot over the wall in right-center field for her second home run.

“I was just trying to go out and be aggressive at the plate,” Ramos said.

In the third, Nuveman hit her 19th homer. Dale finished the scoring with a two-run shot in the fifth.