Devers Does Her Part as UCLA Sweeps USC in Coliseum Track Meet

Gail Devers said that the last time she competed at the Coliseum, she left in tears.

Her mood was considerably upbeat Saturday as the multi-talented female athlete won three events and ran legs on two winning relay teams in leading UCLA to an 82-54 victory over USC.

As expected, the UCLA men’s team beat USC, 97-66. Bruin Coach Bob Larsen kept the score down by not running his star athletes in some of their best events.

Devers won the long jump, 100, and 100-meter hurdles in addition to her relay legs to give the UCLA senior 13 wins in individual events in her collegiate career against USC.

Devers said that she wasn’t even aware that she had won so many events against the Trojans.

“I’m much more team oriented than I am to individual accomplishments,” she said.

In 1986, Devers’ previous appearance at the Coliseum, USC beat UCLA, 69-67, by winning the final event, the 1,600-meter really. Devers ran an anchor leg for the Bruins, but Leslie Maxie held her off.

Last year, USC won again, 69-67, at Westwood to even the series at two wins apiece. The Bruins are one up on the Trojans now, though.

Devers was held out of the 200 meters, although she was prepared to run, because the Bruins had already clinched the meet.

Janeene Vickers accomplished that by winning the 400-meter hurdles to provide UCLA with a 72-50 advantage with two events left.

There was some suspense in the women’s competition, but UCLA’s men’s team, defending National Collegiate Athletic Assn. champion, won easily.

Larsen didn’t use two of his regular sprinters on the 400-meter relay team that didn’t finish when Raymond Young, running the third leg with a strained hamstring, missed the baton pass to Danny Everett.

Everett didn’t run in his specialty, the 400 meters, and Henry Thomas, a proven sprinter, was held out of the 100 and 200.

It was UCLA’s 10th straight victory over USC in dual meet competition and improved Larsen’s dual meet record to 36-0 since he became head coach in 1985.

“We have more depth and a stronger team and used people in some events that they’re normally not in--their ego events,” Larsen said.

Larsen said he had the luxury of not using some athletes with minor injuries because of his team’s superior depth. Moreover, the Bruins have important meets ahead, such as the Pacific 10 championships and the NCAA.

USC once dominated UCLA in track in another era, winning the first 33 meetings and the Trojans still hold a 38-17 lead in the series. But the Bruins have dominated their cross-town rival in recent years.

USC Coach Ernie Bullard has brought in a strong recruiting class, though, led by sprinter Quincy Watts of Taft High School.

“We’re not lulled into a false sense of security that USC can’t come back and be competitive,” Larsen said. “They did a good job in the meet today and their athletes competed on a high level.”

That’s a level that Devers is familiar with. She won the long jump at 21 feet 9 1/2 inches and then ran away from the field in the 100-meter hurdles and 100. Her hurdles time of 12.95 seconds was commendable considering she was running into a slight head wind.

USC’s Wendy Brown, a versatile athlete like Devers, made her contribution. She won the high jump and triple jump, was second in the javelin and third in the long jump.

Her teammate, Lesley Noll, was also a double winner--and a tough double it was--in the 1,500 and 800.

She set a school record with a time of 4:17.25 in winning the 1,500 and then came back to take the 800 in the meet record time of 2:05.03.

It was only Noll’s second 1,500, and she said she’ll concentrate on the 800 in the Pac-10 and NCAA meets.

If she weren’t competing against the Bruins for much needed points, she would have limited herself to one race.

“I thought it was possible to win the meet if a few things happened,” said Fred LaPlante, USC women’s coach. “We forced them to be as good as they are.”

Bob Kersee, UCLA women’s coach, summed up his team’s victory when asked about Devers. “I’m sure glad she decided to come to UCLA. My No. 1. one goal is to keep her healthy,” he said.

Devers will be busy as usual in the Pac-10 and NCAA meets, but Kersee would like to restrict her to the 100 and the hurdles in the Olympic trials, her favorite events.

She hit the seventh hurdle Saturday, but maintained her balance. “I was determined not to fall,” she said.

Track Notes

Even though UCLA was never in danger of losing the men’s meet, USC managed to win eight events. David Wilson was a double winner for UCLA, taking the hammer throw at 213 feet 11 inches and the shotput at 57-4 3/4. . . . “Our concern coming in was that as good as UCLA is, it could be a nightmare out there,” USC Coach Ernie Bullard said. “But our kids competed real well.” . . . UCLA’s Danny Everett didn’t get an opportunity to run the anchor leg of the sprint relay because he didn’t get the baton. But he was impressive in winning the 200 meters in 20.44 seconds. His teammate, Henry Thomas, was just cruising in winning the 400 in 47.89. . . . The meet attracted a crowd of of only 2,847. There used to be standing room only crowds of 15,000 plus at Drake Stadium when the teams were competitive in the ‘60s and ‘70s. . . . USC’s Wendy Brown won the women’s triple jump at 43-5. . . . Kris Larson was a double winner for the UCLA women, taking the javelin at 164-8 and the discus at 181-10, both meet records.