Bruins Track and Field Defeats Trojans in Annual Meet
June 21, 1999 | Softball
May 1, 1999
LOS ANGELES -- The UCLA men's and women's track and field teams defeated USC in dual meet action before a capacity crowd of 3,291 at USC's Cromwell Track and Field Stadium on Saturday (May 1).
The Bruin men's team beat the Trojans in a nail-biter, 82-81, recording their 21st consecutive victory over the Trojans. The margin of victory was the smallest in the 66-meet history of the crosstown rivalry. UCLA trimmed USC's lead in the overall series to 38-28. The last time the Trojans defeated UCLA was in 1977 (91-63) before a record crowd of 15,514 at Drake Stadium in Westwood.
"This meet has got to be close," UCLA men's head coach Bob Larsen. "It should be close. That's the way you want to see it."
The previous smallest margin of victory in the series was five points, which occured three times -- most recently in a 75-70 UCLA victory in 1975.
"You've got to give UCLA credit," USC head coach Ron Allice said. "They really stepped up."
The Bruin women downed the Women of Troy, 91-63, and now lead the series 13-3. The last time the USC women got by the Bruins in a dual meet was in 1992 (80-30), which also marked UCLA's last dual meet defeat on the women's side (the Bruins are 61-0 since that set-back).
Middle-distance runner Jess Strutzel led the Bruins with a pair of wins in the 800m (1:50.13) and 1,500m (3:54.64). Two Bruins -- Steve Michaels in the pole vault (17-7) and Mason Moore (9:26.80) -- also registered personal bests in their victories. USC captain Jerome Davis led the Trojans, winning two individual events -- 200m (20.70) and 400m (45.61) -- and ran legs on both of Troy's relay victories.
UCLA thrower Seilala Sua won four events -- shot put (55-11 1/4), discus (200-0), hammer (191-6) and javelin (153-11). There were also two double winners on the women's side -- USC's Grazyna Penc in the 800m (2:04.24) and 1,500m (4:23.51) and UCLA hurdler Joanna Hayes in the 100m HH (12.7h) and 400m IH (56.02). Hayes' time in the 400m IH also represents a new national dual meet record.
The Women of Troy's 4x100m relay also set a new national dual meet record with a blazing 43.35, which is also a new USC school record and Pacific-10 Conference record. The USC runners were Angela Williams, Torri Edwards, Malika Edmonson and Candace Young. Williams also won the 100m in 11.01w and now has the three fastest times in the nation under any conditions (10.96w, 11.01w and 11.08) and Edwards took the 200m in 23.33.
One of the other highlights of the meet for USC was the debut performance of Trojan basketballer Jeff Trepagnier in the high jump. Competing in his first-ever track and field meet at any level, Trepagnier won high jump at 6-9 3/4 and narrowly missed on three attempts to clear 7-0. Known as one of the best leapers in college basketball, Trepagnier (a 6-foot-3, 185-pound forward) averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore.