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Banged-up Bears take rare underdog role against rival Stanford 

The Cal and Stanford track & field teams will face off this Saturday at the 108th Big Meet, and both coaches expect very close finishes on both the men’s and women’s competitions. 

The meet will be held in Edwards Stadium on the Cal campus, which bodes well for the Golden Bears. The Cardinal haven’t pulled out a road win in Berkeley since 1966. 

Cal head coach Erv Hunt, however, considers his teams to be underdogs against the improving program from down south, especially since several key performers will likely watch from the stands due to injury. 

“This is going to be like no other Big Meet since I’ve been here, because Stanford should be favored on both sides,” Hunt said Tuesday. “It’s going to take a big effort by us just to keep this thing close and be competitive. I’m not saying we can’t win the meet, but they just have better people available right now.” 

Hunt has been with Cal since 1971, the year before the Bears started a 25-year men’s winning streak over Stanford. But the Cardinal has made huge strides in the past few seasons, mostly in the distance events, and nipped the Bears last year, 82-81. Hunt estimated that the nine events that could have gone either way all went to Stanford, but the Cardinal’s long-distance dominance clearly gives them an edge right off the bat no matter whom they face. Stanford is home to the Pac-10’s top four runners in the 5,000-meter and two of the top three in the 10,000. 

The women’s side, which began in 1980, has been much more evenly contested, with Stanford leading the series 12-10. The Cardinal women blew away the Bears last season, 101.5-60.5. But the Bears come into this year’s event ranked higher in the Trackwire poll, No. 20, than Stanford, which is 25th. 

“Our women just didn’t compete well last year, and they got beat up pretty good,” Hunt said. “I don’t expect anything like that to happen again.” 

Athletes from both sides agreed that the Big Meet is the most unifying event of the season, a rare occasion when individuals will sacrifice their personal needs for the good of the team. 

“The Big Meet is a great opportunity for everyone from both schools. It gives us something to really care about as a team,” Cal pole vaulter Bubba McLean said. “I really enjoy competing against people I’m supposed to hate, but I end up respecting them. It’s the embodiment of the whole college athletic experience.” 

For the well-traveled Stanford team, Saturday will be a chance for the team to share the same stadium. Last weekend, the Cardinal had athletes competing at three different meets. 

“It’s amazing. It’s intense. You’ve got teammates all over the stadium, and you’ve got teammates watching you compete,” said Stanford’s Robyn Woolfolk. “You do events you’re not used to to get the team extra points, and everyone puts aside their worries about qualifying standards and just competes.” 

The meet will kick off on Friday with the hammer throw. Cal’s Jennifer Joyce, who has the second longest throw in the NCAA this season, said she’s looking forward to setting the tone for the entire meet. 

“It’s become a tradition for us to start the meet on Friday, and it’s really fun,” Joyce said. “I know if I do well, it will get everyone pumped up and have a positive effect on the team.”