Bruins Close Fast, Edge Trojans

So much for a 19-point deficit with four events remaining.

All the UCLA men’s track and field team had to do was sweep the top three spots in the triple jump, the pole vault and the 5,000-meter run to win its fifth consecutive dual meet against USC.

Mission improbable turned into mission accomplished in the annual dual meet between the schools at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. The Bruin men defeated the Trojans, 83-80 (the same score as last year), and the UCLA women had a nice bookend to the afternoon by beating USC, 90-73.

UCLA junior David Shortenhaus won the pole vault, senior Demetre Howard the triple jump and freshman Kyle Shackleton the 5,000 meters. The Bruins also placed second and third in all three events.

Saturday’s competition extended two winning streaks for the Bruins. The UCLA men have won five consecutive dual meets against USC, and the Bruin women have won 14 consecutive dual meets against the Trojans.

“It’s always one of the highlights, to live in this city and to end up on the winning side of this meet, it is just indescribable,” UCLA men’s Coach Art Venegas said. “I always think I’m beyond that, I don’t care.... I was about to fall apart during that pole vault, triple jump. I knew the Trojans had such great momentum going into the vault and to see our kids put a stop to that was phenomenal.

“There’s ebb and flow, you think you’re doing great, and ‘Oh, this guy [Lionel Larry] is hurt for their team and then your guy [Kevin Craddock] can’t run the intermediates [hurdles] because he feels a little something.”

UCLA women’s Coach Jeanette Bolden is 72-0 in dual meets.

“Oh, I lied, I said 77-0,” she said, laughing. “The only time I know about it is when we’re at a track meet and the announcers mention it. They only talk about it around this dual-meet time.”

Bruin sophomore Renee Williams swept the long jump and triple jump, improving on her personal best in the latter event by nearly a foot.

USC swept all of the relays. Senior Virginia Powell won two individual events, the 100-meter dash (11.26 seconds) and the 100 hurdles (12.70). Sophomore Carol Rodriguez won the 200 meters (23.08) and the 400 meters (51.51).

“ ‘SC, in areas they were strong at, they were strong at,” Bolden said. “We knew that. We knew they couldn’t go three deep. We had to make sure we could get that third point or second point.”