Cougars To Face Trojans, Ducks in Weekend Meet

PROVO -- The BYU men's and women's track teams travel to southern California for the second consecutive weekend to meet up with the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks.

The Cougar women have a tall order as they go head-to-head with the Women of Troy, who are the defending national champions and are ranked No. 1 in a poll by Track and Field News. The BYU women's team is ranked 10th in that same poll. Oregon will also compete but their marks will not figure in the team scoring.

"USC is a very good program and a very good team, so this should be a good meet," BYU women's head coach Craig Poole said. "They are a sprint-based squad and we are a distance-based squad but we have some sprinters that should compete."

BYU will be continuing their adjustment to the outdoor scene and will try to get more national qualifiers. Last week, freshman thrower Lindsey Johnson became the first Cougar to have a qualifying mark, throwing a provisional-qualifying distance of 161-0 in the javelin at the Cal Poly Invitational.

The BYU men will face off against the Trojans and a tough Oregon squad that is ranked eighth by Track and Field News. The Cougars are led by All-American Jeff Hansen, who was the national champion in the pole vault at this year's NCAA Indoor Championships.

The meet will begin on Friday with the men's and women's hammer competition, which will take place at West L.A. College beginning with the women at 3 p.m. (Pacific) and followed by the men at 4 p.m.

Saturday's competition will begin at 11:15 a.m. with the women's 3000 meter. The meet is scheduled to end with the men's 1600-meter relay at 3 p.m.

For more information about this weekend's meet and a complete schedule of events go to http://usctrojans.fansonly.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/031902aaa.html.