TROJANS BACK ON TRACK.

Byline: RIZZA YAP / University Beat

It's no wonder USC track and field director Ron Allice called 1997 a breakthrough year. The USC men's team won its first Pacific-10 Conference title in 20 years. Two weeks later, the Trojans took third place in the NCAA Championships, days after a U.S. Track Coaches Association top-25 poll excluded them from the list.

Indeed, a breakthrough year, and balance was the key element.

``Almost all the people we took to the NCAAs scored,'' Allice said. ``Since scholarship numbers dropped over the years (the NCAA decreased men's scholarships from 32 to 12-1/2 over the past 20 years), most schools started to specialize in specific areas of track and field, depending on the coach's area of expertise or what's demanded by the administration or community.

``Having balance in running, jumping and throwing became unique, an exception. But we're trying to buckle all three. Whether it's the right thing or not, we were successful last year in doing it. I have always believed in balance.''

The Trojans have lost All-American runners Jason Shelton and Isaac Turner to graduation and top javelin thrower Henrik Kjaereng to a shoulder injury but return several defending Pac-10 champions. Senior Bengt Johansson is looking to extend USC's streak of national-champion hammer throwers to six. (He earned the title in 1997, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Balazs Kiss won the previous four.) On the track, All-American Jerome Davis leads the way as two-time defending Pac-10 400-meter champion.

In the field events, watch out for Kedjeloba Mambo, defending champion in the Pac-10 triple jump, and younger brother Djeke Mambo, the team's best long jumper and No. 2 triple jumper and hurdler.

Among USC's top newcomers are three local athletes. Granada Hills High graduate Daniel Haag, a City Section champion in the 110 high hurdles, is a decathlete. But he is expected to score in three individual events as well - the long jump, javelin throw and high hurdles. Valley College transfer Charles Lee, the Western State Conference champion in the 100 and 200, will add strength to the sprint corps. Monroe High graduate Ali Benmohamed, a two-time City Section champion in the 1600, will join the 5000 runners.

The Trojans also welcome freshman Dennis Kholev, expected to be USC's best pole vaulter in years. Kholev, originally from Ukraine, spent the last three years serving in the Israeli army.

This month's competition begins Sunday for both the men's and women's teams, when USC hosts the seven-school Trojan Invitational at Cromwell Track and Field Stadium. The meet features Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, San Diego State, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Bakerfield and Pac-10 rival California. Running events start at 11:40 a.m. and field events begin at noon. The hammer competition, however, will take place at West L.A. College at 10 a.m.

USC women: The women's squad, which finished second in the Pac-10 last season, will look to improve its 1997 14th-place finish in the NCAA with a recruiting class rated No. 1 by Track and Field News.

The group includes freshman sprinter Malika Edmonson, daughter of USC women's sprints coach Barbara Edmonson (gold and silver medalist in the 1968 Olympics) and Warren Edmonson, 1972 NCAA 100 champion while at UCLA and Malika's high school coach.

Top returners feature Torri Edwards, 1996 Pac-10 champ in the 100 and 200,Esi Benyarku, 1997 Pac-10 100 champ, Grazyna Penc, a two-time All-American and defending Pac-10 champion in the 800 and 1500, and Pam Simpson, winner of last year's Pac-10 title in the long jump.

KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK

Men's and Women's Track

UCLA Meet at Drake Stadium, Today 11 a.m.

USC Trojan Invitational at Cromwell Stadium, Sunday 11:40 a.m.

Men's Swimming

Final day of Pac-10 Championships at Belmont Plaza (Long Beach), Today 11 a.m.

Women's Tennis

St. Louis at Cal State Northridge, Tuesday 1:30 p.m.

Arizona at No. 2 UCLA, Friday 1:30 p.m.

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Box

BOX: KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK (see text)