Saturday, March 25
Tempe, Ariz.
All Day
UCLA
at
Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge
The UCLA sprint squad shined on Saturday night.
UCLA Scorches the Desert Saturday Night
March 25, 2017 | Track & Field
TEMPE, Ariz. โ UCLA may have been on Spring Break but the Bruin track and field team was hard at work, Saturday at the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge held at Sun Angel Stadium on the campus of Arizona State.
The men's 4x100m relay set the tone for the evening and was the start to a special night for sophomore Rai Benjamin. The UCLA quartet of Leon Powell, Benjamin, Darnell Roberson and Damion Marshall clocked a 39.91 to post the fastest time by a Bruin relay since 2012.
Benjamin then promptly set his first of two meet records as he blitzed the Joe Selleh oval in a personal-best 400m time of 46.17. The time was the fastest run in the nation thus far this outdoor season. Benjamin was not done through as he came back in short order to win the 400m hurdles in a time of 50.40. The 50.40 was another meet record and the second-fastest run this outdoor season.
Also using the momentum from the relay was Powell who won the 200m with a time of 21.06. Freshman Logen Casavant was fourth at 21.18. Powell also was second in the 100m with a time of 10.49. In the 110m hurdles, Misana Viltz was third at 14.08.
In the women's 100m, Suzie Acolatse was second at 11.87 while Schuyler Moore closely followed in third at an almost identical time of 11.87. Moore came back in the 200m to finish fourth with a 24.17 while Acolatse was fifth at 24.41.
In his return to the track after redshirting the 2016 outdoor season, senior Austin O'Neil won the 1,500m with a time of 3:48.16. Sophomore Arturo Sotomayor ran a sub-1:50 with his 1:49.20 to finish second in the 800m. Julia Rizk was fifth in the women's 800m with a 2:12.24.
In the field, Ashlie Blake placed third in the shot put with a throw of 53-1.25 and was fourth in the discus with a personal best of 163-4.50.
In the high jump, freshman Isaiah Holmes finished third with a leap of 6-10.50. In the women's event, MIkella Lefebvre-Oatis was fourth at 5-6.75 and was followed by Kaelin Davis in fifth (5-4.75) and Lillianna Hebert in sixth (5-4.75). Greta Wagner began her outdoor season with a third place finish in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-6.25.
On Friday, school record holder Zaybree Haury finished third with a throw of 162-11.50.ย
UCLA will host its first home meet of the outdoor season, beginning with the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival on Friday, March 31. The Legends Invitational will begin on Friday and go through Saturday, April 1.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Throws
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Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Javelin
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
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