TRACK AND FIELD / NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : It’s a Game of Seconds for UCLA Women

It’s there for them every day, an irritating but constant reminder: Second place, runner-up, also-ran, almost made it.

Coach Bob Kersee is keenly aware of the second-place trophies that his UCLA women’s team has earned in the NCAA Track and Field Championships, which will be held again starting today at the University of Oregon. The Bruins have finished second three years in a row, and Kersee said he’s sick of it, vowing that this is the year the tide turns.

On paper, the tide looks strong for Louisiana State, which is thick with sprinters and hurdlers. Even by UCLA’s own reckoning, in a dope sheet prepared by throwing coach Art Venegas, the Bruins would do well to finish second again.

As always in a team race, little things will make a difference. Venegas was conservative in assessing his team’s performance and generous with other athletes’ placings. One factor that appears to favor UCLA is the weather. LSU’s sprinters, like all others, prefer warm conditions. Eugene has been cool and rainy, poor conditions for excellent sprint performances but fine for UCLA’s strong events, the throws.

Half of the six UCLA women who qualified for the meet are throwers. They are led by Tracie Millett, who could score 20 points for the Bruins, provided she wins the shotput and the discus, as she did last year.

Dawn Dumble and Melisa Weis are likewise entered in both of those events. Dumble, a freshman, set an American junior record of 56 feet 7 1/2 inches in winning the shot at the Pacific 10 meet. She also won the discus. Weis has a best of 180-4 in the discus, making UCLA the only team with three discus throwers over 180 feet.

The team is also counting on points from the multitalented Tonya Sedwick, who is entered in the seven-event heptathlon, which begins today. When she has finished that two-day event, she will compete in the long jump. Also doing double duty is Janeen Vickers, who is entered in both the 100 meters and the 400-meter hurdles. Vickers is the two-time defending collegiate champion in the 400 hurdles. She has been slowed by a hamstring injury and has run few intermediate hurdle races this season.

Completing the Bruin women’s lineup is Lisa Coleman in the high jump, a senior who has jumped 6 feet.

Washington State is favored to win the men’s title. UCLA is sending a team of seven male athletes, heavily weighted with field event performers. The two runners are Marty Beck in the 400-meter hurdles and sprinter Tony Miller. Miller has qualified in both the 100 and 200 meters but is expected to run only the shorter sprint because of an injury to his right foot.

Eric Bergreen is entered in both the shotput and the hammer throw. Bergreen, who won the indoor shot title this year, has thrown 61-11, which puts him among the top five in the nation. In the hammer, Bergreen has a best of 207-7. Two other UCLA throwers have qualified--both in the javelin. David Bunevacz won the Pac-10 meet and has thrown 238-4 this season. He is followed closely by Eric Smith, who has thrown 235-2.

McArthur Anderson is entered in the triple jump. The junior from Bakersfield has jumped 52-5 1/2 in his first season back after knee surgery.

Jay Borick, from Taft High in Woodland Hills, cleared 17-10 1/2 in the pole vault at the Pac-10 meet. That got him into the NCAA meet for the first time.

USC is represented by two men and two women. Travis Hannah and Quincy Watts will run the 400 meters--Hannah won the event in the Pac-10 meet, largely because Watts was held out with a sore right hamstring. Watts, a junior, has run 45.59 seconds this season, third-best in the nation.

The Trojan women are led by Ashley Selman, the defending national javelin champion. Selman, a junior, has won eight of nine meets this season but with a best throw of 174-0, she has not come close to her form of a year ago. Also entered is Michelle DeCoux, who will run the 400-meter hurdles.

A TWO-TEAM RACE FOR THE TITLE

The UCLA women’s track and field team is expected to battle Louisiana State for the title at the NCAA championships, which run today through Saturday at the University of Oregon. Here is the way Art Venegas, UCLA’s throwing coach, thinks UCLA and LSU will do in each event, with each competitor, her place and team points earned. Season-best performances, as of May 22, are in parentheses. Only those events in which the two schools have competitors are included.

1. HEPTATHLON (final Thursday)

2-Sharon Jaklofsky, LSU (5969 points)

3-Tonya Sedwick, UCLA (5548)

6-Jovannie McDuffie, LSU (5778)

Running total: LSU 11, UCLA 6

2. LONG JUMP (final Friday)

3-Tonya Sedwick, UCLA (21-3)

5-Dahlia Duheny, LSU (21-3)

Event: UCLA 6, LSU 4

Running total: LSU 15, UCLA 12

3. DISCUS (final Friday)

1-Tracie Millett, UCLA (187-2)

3-Dawn Dumble, UCLA (182-9)

5-Melisa Weis, UCLA (180-4)

Event: UCLA 20, LSU 0

Running total: UCLA 32, LSU 15

4. 4X100 RELAY (final Friday)

1-LSU (43.77)

Event: LSU 10, UCLA 0

Running total, UCLA 32, LSU 25

5. TRIPLE JUMP (final Saturday)

8-Camille Jackson, LSU (43-1*)

Event: LSU 1, UCLA 0

Running total: UCLA 32, LSU 26

6. SHOTPUT (final Saturday)

1-Tracie Millett, UCLA (54-8 1/4)

3-Dawn Dumble, UCLA (56-7 1/2)

8-Melisa Weis, UCLA (52-6 3/4)

Event: UCLA 17, LSU 0

Running total: UCLA 49, LSU 26

7. 100-METER HURDLES (final Saturday)

1-Mary Cobb, LSU (13.03)

2-Dawn Bowles, LSU (13.18)

4-Janeen Vickers, UCLA (13.38*)

5-Cinnamon Sheffield, LSU (13.27)

7-Donalda Duprey, LSU (13.30)

Event: LSU 24, UCLA 5

Running total: LSU 50, UCLA 54

8. 100 METERS (final Saturday)

1-Esther Jones, LSU (11.07*)

6-Dahlia Duhaney, LSU (11.28)

8-Cheryl Taplin, LSU (11.30*)

Event: LSU 10, UCLA 0

Running total: LSU 60, UCLA 54

9. 400-METER HURDLES (final Saturday)

1-Janeen Vickers, UCLA (57.94)

5-Donalda Duprey, LSU (56.29)

Event: UCLA 10, LSU 4

Running total: LSU 64, UCLA 64

10. 200 METERS (final Saturday)

3-Esther Jones, LSU (23.00*)

7-Dahlia Duhaney, LSU (23.16)

Event: LSU 8, UCLA 0

Final total: LSU 72, UCLA 64

Note: The events are in chronological order, to give an idea of how the competition will develop.

Statistical information was provided by Gary Vergin of Track and Field Stats.