April 28, 2003

A big Saturday showing in four sports shifted the momentum towards UCLA in the race for the Second Annual Lexus Gauntlet Trophy, which is now tied at 50 points apiece.

The Bruins secured 17.5 points on Saturday with wins in men's and women's track and field, women's water polo and women's golf to tie USC in the season-long all-sports competition. The Bruin men's track and field team won the dual meet, 82-81, and the Bruin women's track and field squad beat the Women of Troy, 104-59. In women's water polo, a 7-6 sudden death overtime win over USC not only secured a place in the MPSF Championship game but also secured the five points allotted to the season series winner, UCLA (3-1). A USC win would have tied the season series, thus giving 2.5 points of the five points to USC. In women's golf, UCLA placed third at the Pac-10 Championships, one stroke ahead of fourth-place USC.

The Bruins and Trojans compete against each other in 18 sports. Five points are awarded to the winner of the each sport's season series or, for those sports that don't meet head-to-head, the team that places higher in the conference championship (10 points are awarded in football, men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball). The Lexus Gauntlet trophy winner needs 57.5 points to clinch the victory outright. If both schools end up with 55 points, a tiebreaker is implemented.

Points have yet to be awarded in men's golf and women's rowing. The team that finishes highest at this week's Pac-10 Men's Golf Championships will earn five points. After 36 holes in the first day of competition Monday, UCLA is in first place with a score of 726, six-over-par. USC is in ninth place with a score of 768, 42 strokes behind the Bruins. The two crew teams will face off in a dual race on Saturday, May 3 in Marina del Rey at 8:30 am. The winner of the dual will earn five Lexus points.

If either school defeats the other in both competitions, that school will clinch the Lexus Gauntlet Trophy. If they split, the Lexus Gauntlet Trophy winner will be determined via tiebreaker. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head regular season matchups. As of April 28, the Bruins lead 16-15 with the women's rowing matchup upcoming. If USC wins that match, the second tiebreaker of head-to-head post-season victories will come into effect. UCLA currently leads that matchup, 3-0, with wins in men's and women's water polo and women's soccer. There are still potential post-season meetings in men's and women's tennis and baseball. If a third and final tiebreaker is needed, the school with the most conference championships in head-to-head sports would win. USC currently leads 2-1 with conference titles in football and women's volleyball, while UCLA has a Pac-10 title in women's swimming. There are still Pac-10 team championships to be decided in baseball, men's golf, women's rowing and men's and women's track and field.

The Southern California Lexus Dealer Association is the title sponsor of every USC-UCLA athletic competition. This is the first time the two universities have partnered with a corporate entity for complete rivalry sponsorship. In the fall of 2001, the schools signed a 4-year contract of undisclosed terms with Lexus, America's best-selling luxury automotive manufacturer for two years in a row.

Up-to-date releases and point standings can be found at www.gauntlettrophy.com.