Can Bruins Reclaim Conference Title Before Leaving for Big 10?

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) puts out weekly rankings during the track season, which are based solely on the current best marks of each school’s athletes recorded in the current season.

With just two weeks to go until the Pac-12 championships, UCLA is ranked first, followed by Washington and California. Perennial contender Southern Cal is sixth, while the 15-time defending champion Ducks are ninth.

If UCLA wins the men’s title this year, it will be because their team is built on its quarter-milers, just as it was a few decades back with Steve Lewis, John Smith, Wayne Collett, and others.

Remarkably, UCLA currently has five of the top eight 400-meter runners in the conference, led by Ismail Turner who has run 45.33.

Willington Wright, Cameron Reynolds, and Myles Misener-Daley have all run under 46 seconds this season as well.

So it is no surprise that the Bruins are ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 400, and their 4 x 400 relay time of 2:59.25 is the third-best time nationally.

The Bruins also are strong in the 100, 200, and 110 hurdles. They also boast the top triple jumper and third-best long jumper in the conference, Jalyn Jackson.

While not traditionally a distance powerhouse, UCLA has regularly produced some quality distance runners on the men’s team.

This year they have Ronan McMahon-Staggs, number two in the 1500, and Peter Herold, number two in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

UCLA made a splash in distance running circles last year when Head Coach Avery Anderson hired Sean Brosnan to guide the Bruin distance runners.

Brosnan was previously the coach at Newbury Park High School. With Brosnan at the helm, Newbury Park became a national powerhouse, and Brosnan was twice selected as National High School Coach of the Year.

Brosnan’s teams were historically good. Weldon Johnson, co-founder of the popular LetsRun.com site, went so far as to proclaim Brosnan as, “the greatest boys high school cross country coach and long-distance track coach ever.”

Hired last July, Brosnan hasn’t had time to make a huge impact yet.

In fact, his best runners at Newbury Park have mostly gravitated to Northern Arizona—and have been the major factor in NAU’s continued cross-country success.

But his reputation and coaching chops are likely to reel in some top talent in the coming years.

Next Up: Taking on the Trojans

Both teams go all out to win, and it is usually close. The Bruin men lead the series 45-42 (the UCLA women also lead 22-15 over USC), but the Trojans have made major inroads in recent years.

In 2022 it was a USC sweep, with the Trojan men dominating in a 114-42 thrashing of the Bruins, and the Trojan women taking the win, 93-70.

USC can match UCLA’s strength in the sprints. The Trojans have four sprinters in the top ten in the 200, and they have the top two high hurdlers in the conference.

The Bruins have an edge in the throwing events, especially the discus. The 800 and the triple jump could be decisive if either team can manage a 1-2 finish.

My hope is that it comes down to the 4 x 400 relay, the last event in the meet, and one that awards five points to the winner and none to the loser.

If UCLA truly is “back” as a track and field power, they should emerge with a narrow victory and build momentum for the Pac-12 Championships.