Talk to any athlete on the UCLA men’s track and field team, and he will tell you why the annual crosstown dual meet is so unique.
It’s the one meet of the collegiate season where individual performances are swept aside and it’s the team score that everyone remembers.
And when the two teams face one-another for the 70th time in the history of the rivalry Saturday, the Bruins are hoping to leave USC’s Cromwell Field in Loker Stadium with the memory of their third consecutive dual-meet victory.
“Being at the dual meet, there’s something you feel that you don’t feel anywhere else,” thrower John Caulfield said.
“Even though I was unable to compete last year, I felt it.”
The Bruins certainly felt that energy two years ago during their last trip to USC in 2003. That day, Ben Aragon won three races, clinching a one-point victory for UCLA with his victory in the 5000 meters, the second-to-last event of the day.
Though the Bruins had won 22 consecutive dual meets prior to losing in 2001, the last three dual meets hosted at USC have been decided by just a single point.
UCLA coach Art Venegas expects another thriller this year, especially since the sixth-ranked Trojans will be looking for some revenge after UCLA routed them last year at Drake Stadium, 111-52.
“I’m very happy with our progress this season and to watch the Trojans develop into such a solid team,” Venegas said.
“This weekend, there are some events full of top athletes on both sides. Both schools have balanced teams and this is definitely going to be a good match-up. As a fan, I am excited to watch this meet.”
To secure a victory on Saturday, UCLA will need to counter USC’s strength in the jumps and the short sprints.
The Trojans feature a host of talented sprinters in the 100 and 200 meters and a trio of national-caliber jumpers, including high jumper Jesse Williams, the NCAA indoor champion in the high jump.
To counter that advantage, UCLA will look to the track where the Bruins are particularly deep in the 400 meters and the middle-distances. Each team features a trio of 800-meter runners under 1 minute, 48 seconds.
While both teams feature top athletes, the key variable will be which team can successfully get strong times from athletes competing in their non-specialty events.
One of those will be fifth-year senior Jon Rankin, who is entered in three events – the 800, 1500 and 5000 meters. That, of course, is the same trio of events that Aragon ran two years ago.
“The dual meet is neat because you never know what’s going to happen. I can’t wait for Saturday,” Rankin said. “It’s unfortunate that track and field isn’t popular in America because this meet epitomizes what is so special about track and field.”
This intense devotion to the team rather than to personal accomplishments forces athletes to push their bodies to extremes just for points.
The multiple events some of the athletes will compete in underscores just one reason why this annual dual meet is so special.
“As far as I’m concerned, this meet is when the season starts,” thrower Jake Knight said.