Cosby wins hammer, off to Beijing
Jessica Cosby, a former UCLA standout and current throws coach, won the hammer competition to qualify for the Olympics. Here's the UCLA release on her and other Bruin notes from the track trials.
Jessica Cosby placed her stamp in Olympic Trials history on Saturday
as the Bruin alum and current women's throws coach unleashed a record
throw to win the hammer competition and earn a spot on the 2008
Olympic team. Cosby tossed an Olympic Trials record mark of 232-0
(70.72) on her first throw, breaking Erin Gilreath's 2004 record
(70.42m). Cosby won the competition by nearly five feet over her
nearest competitor.
Cosby joins Suzy Powell Roos (discus), Monique Henderson (4x400m),
Sheena (Johnson) Tosta (400m hurdles) and Amy Acuff (high jump) as
members of the 2008 Olympic Team.
Also in the hammer, alum Cari Soong finished ninth with a mark of 213-5.
In the women's high hurdle races, three Bruin alums advanced to
Saturday's semifinal round with Joanna Hayes leading the way. Hayes
was fifth in the prelim rounds (12.74) and then moved up to second in
the quarterfinal (12.65). Dawn Harper was sixth in the prelim (13.01)
and fifth in the quarterfinal (12.75), and Michelle Perry was eighth
in the prelim (13.13) and 11th in the quarterfinal (12.92). Perry is
running with a heavily bandaged left hamstring. She suffered an injury
in May at the Modesto Relays. All three women will run in the
semifinal on Sunday, with the final also being held later on Sunday
afternoon.
In the quarterfinal round of the women's 200m, alum Hasani Roesby
placed 23rd in a time of 23.81.
In the men's high hurdles, senior-to-be Kevin Craddock rebounded from
his groin injury which occurred the week before NCAA's (and
subsequently hindered his success at Nationals) and advanced to the
semifinal round on Sunday. Craddock raced to a wind-aided
lifetime-best of 13.41 in the prelim round for the ninth-fastest time
of the day. He then recorded a time of 13.58 in the quarterfinal round
(15th overall) to advance to the next round. He will run on Sunday
with the hopes of making the final of the hurdles, which is also on
Sunday.
3 Comments
Leave a comment
About Inside UCLA
This is Brian Dohn's sixth season covering UCLA after spending 4 1/2 years covering the Dodgers for the Daily News and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group papers. He graduated from Rutgers, where the first college football game was played in 1869. Sure, the Scarlet Knights suffered for a long time, but now RU is doing what Jerseyans always thought was possible. Winning at Rutgers also proves winning is possible everywhere else in the nation, so underachieving coaches better be careful. Now, if only men's hoops can turn it around.
"Jessica Cosby is off to Bejing" should be on the FRONT PAGE! (At least the front page of the Sports section)
Jessica Cosby is homegrown and starred for the Northridge Pacers Track Club from 1992-1996, setting shot put records along the way. Then, after a year a Granada Hills High, she transferred to Cleveland High and dominated the LA City Championships for 3 more years (1998-2000) before finally heading to UCLA.
All Northridge-ites and Valley Area youth track fans are very proud of her, to say the least!
Jessica is a class act all the way. I had the opportunity to coach her brother in basketball, he was a gentleman and a scholar. My hat is off to someone who has worked so hard for success.
Good luck in Beijing Jessica!
Go Cavaliers!
Awesome! Please continue to cover all Bruin athletes, not just the ones who play at the Rose Bowl and at Pauley.