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Drake Stadium (UCLA)
Encyclopedia
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
used by UCLA soccer and athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
. The track stadium was built in 1969. The stadium is named for UCLA track legend Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake, who was a student-athlete, track coach and athletic trainer for over 60 years.
There was an attempt in 1965 to build a 44,000 seat football stadium on campus, at the site where Drake Stadium eventually was built. It would have been the new home of UCLA Bruins football, the team would have moved out of the Los Angeles Coliseum. However, the proposal was blocked by influential area residents, as well as other politicians. Although the football stadium never became a reality, there have been UCLA Bruin football scrimmage games played in the stadium.
Drake Stadium has hosted the Pacific-10 (now Pacific-12) Track and Field Championships, the National AAU in 1976-77-78, the Pacific-8 Championships in 1970 and 1977 and the CIF California State Meet
CIF California State Meet
The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...
for high schools in 1969-71-77. The facility hosted the first-ever California-Nevada Championships on April 30-May 1, 1994. It also has hosted other student events such as graduation ceremonies.
The field at Drake Stadium is named for UCLA alumnus Frank Marshall, a film producer.
Notable athletes
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- Tom BradleyTom Bradley (politician)Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
- Danny EverettDanny EverettDaniel Joseph Everett is a 400 metre runner from the United States. As a 21-year-old he participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the individual event and a gold medal with the United States 4x400 m relay...
- Joanna HayesJoanna HayesJoanna Dove Hayes is an American hurdler, who won the gold medal in the 100 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics....
- Monique HendersonMonique HendersonMonique Henderson is a track and field athlete, competing internationally for the United States. She was a gold medalist in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China....
- Florence Griffith-JoynerFlorence Griffith-JoynerFlorence Griffith-Joyner , also known as Flo-Jo was an American track and field athlete. She is considered the "fastest woman of all time" based on the fact that she still holds the world record for both the 100 metres and 200 metres, both set in 1988 and never seriously challenged...
- Jackie Joyner-KerseeJackie Joyner-KerseeJacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events...
- Meb Keflezighi
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- Steve LewisSteve LewisSteve Lewis may refer to:* Steve Lewis , cave and wreck diver* Steve Lewis , jazz pianist and composer* Steve Lewis , former American track and field athlete* Steven Lewis , British pole vaulter...
- Mike PowellMike Powell (athlete)Michael Anthony Powell born is a former American track and field athlete, and the holder of the long jump world record.Mike Powell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
- Jackie RobinsonJackie RobinsonJack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
- Mike TullyMike TullyMichael Scott Tully is an American pole vaulter. He represented the United States twice in the Olympics, earning a silver in 1984, and held the American pole vault record from 1984 to 1985.-Early career:...
- C.K. YangYang Chuan-KwangYang Chuan-kwang, or C.K. Yang , was an Olympic decathlete from the Republic of China....
- Kevin YoungKevin Young (athlete)Kevin Curtis Young is a former American athlete. He was the winner of the 400 meter hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics...