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The Spring 2012 issue of Cal Sports Quarterly

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Page 1: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue
Page 2: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue
Page 3: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 1

A Rewarding Experience 10Linda Oseso couldn’t be more pleased that she didn’t base her college decision on her first im-pression of the University of California when “it didn’t feel like home.” But eight months after her first visit to campus, she “fell in love with the school” and has since expanded her horizons well beyond Berkeley, using her studies as a launching pad to serve the community at large.

The Beach Boy from Breezy 14A childhood spent a quarter-mile from the beach and a school where football players go directly to the rugby pitch as soon as gridiron season ends to play for an iconic coach. A local Rugby Bear from yesteryear? Not even close. The student-athlete in question is Seamus Kelly, a junior out-side center and two-time All-American who is pursuing his degree in political economy.

Not Yet Aquatomatic 22As defined by conference titles, NCAA champi-onships, Olympic medals, academic achievement and character, Cal Aquatics can be considered the epitome of excellence. Support for the four sports, which includes men’s and women’s wa-ter polo and swimming & diving, has also been the gold standard within Intercollegiate Athlet-ics, built upon the backing of four heroic donors known as the Big Four.

Not to Be Denied 8An improbable star in an improbable season, no one represented the grit and determination that came to symbolize the 2011 California baseball team more than center fielder Chad Bunting. Anyone who followed Cal’s meteoric rise from possible elimination to the mecca of college baseball knows that the feisty outfielder was a major factor in the Bears’ success.

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

SPORTSQUARTERLY

New Bears Getting Up to Speed 28Mid-year enrollees Zach Kline and Christian Okafor are already hard at work on their Cal ca-reers and giving the Golden Bear football com-munity its first taste of a third consecutive top-15 signing class. The expectations are high, but that might be the furthest thing from the minds of these two rookies who are becoming acclimated to life on the Berkeley campus.

Born to Golf 30Senior Emily Childs first started playing golf when she was 11 years old, but her ties to the sport go back much farther than that. Her mother, Sandy, was hitting a bucket of balls at the Montclair Driving Range in Oakland when a dashing young golfer named John Childs came up and offered to give her a lesson. Now, their daughter is starring for the Cal women’s team.

FEATURES spring 2012

1 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

DEPARTMENTSlETTER FRoM THE DIREcToR oF ATHlETIcS ......................................... 2

SIDElINE REPoRT ...................................................... 4

WHERE ARE THEY NoW? ........................................ 16

SPRING SEASoN PREVIEWS ................................... 18

ATHlETIc DEVEloPMENT ....................................... 22

AcADEMIc AcHIEVEMENT ...................................... 34

HoME EVENTS cAlENDAR ..................................... 36

Page 4: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

2 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

Issue 39 - Spring 2012

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS:Sandy Barbour

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS/CHIEF OF STAFF:Teresa Kuehn Gould

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS/COO:Solly Fulp

SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD/INTERCOLLEGIATE SERVICES:Foti Mellis

HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR:Keith Power

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER:Darcy Heppenstall

ASSOICATE AD/BUSINESS:laura Hazlett

ASSOCIATE AD/BUSINESS & REVENUE DEVELOPMENT:Matt Terwilliger

ASSOCIATE AD/HUMAN RESOURCES & FINANCIAL SERVICES:Dawn Howard

EDITORIAL STAFF349 Haas Pavilion

Berkeley, cA 94720

EDITOR:Herb Benenson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Scott Ball, Dean caparaz, Doug Drabik, Melissa

Dudek, Anton Malko, Kyle McRae, Tim Miguel, Anna oleson-Wheeler, Jeremy Wu

DESIGN:Evan Kerr

PHOTOGRAPHY:John Todd (GoldenBearSports.com), Michael

Pimentel, Michael Burns, Richard Ersted, John Dunbar, Evan Kerr, Jason Hobar Don Feria,

Tim Binning among others

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE195 Haas Pavilion

Berkeley, cA 94720 (510) 642-2427

[email protected]

ATHLETIC TICKET OFFICE(800) Go BEARS

For daily updates on cal Athletics, including sched-ules, press releases and player profiles, visit the department’s official website at calBears.com.

ON THE COVERover just a couple of years, chad Bunting has gone

from obscure bullpen catcher to a starting outfield for the Golden Bears. Photo by John Todd

(GoldenBearSports.com).

LETTER from Director of Athletics sAnDy BArBour

General Manager: Damon Dukakis (510) 643-4825

[email protected]

The Cal Sports Quarterly is published four times per year by the University of california Athletic Department.

Dear Friend of Cal Athletics:

Within our department, we are always striving for ways to improve. From performance in the field of play to achievement in the classroom, being at the top of our game is an important part of our identity. Not only is world-

class success expected in all endeavors on the University of California campus, but it is also a primary element of our High Performance Initia-tive, our philosophy designed to build competitive advan-tage, maximize efficiency and enhance the student-athlete experience.

The HPI concept, though, extends well beyond just our teams and coaches. This spring, we are embarking on a new program intended to enrich the experience you – our alumni, fans and supporters – expect from all aspects of Cal Athletics. The creation of a Sales, Marketing and Customer Service unit brings together such areas as ticket operations, outbound ticket sales, digital marketing, fan

experience, and customer service and retention under one umbrella. One of the principal objectives is to establish a knowledgeable team assigned to develop better relationships with our stakeholders to ensure a consistently positive experience with our department.

It is no coincidence that we are undertaking this reorganization as we prepare to reopen Memorial Stadium. It’s imperative that our fans are treated as valued and vested custom-ers and are provided the highest level of service. To lead the unit, we have hired Ashwin Puri, a highly qualified professional who brings more than a decade of experience in the NBA and NFL, where he directed similar efforts at league offices and with individual franchises that led to increased attendance, ticket sales and sponsorships.

Nothing we do can be taken for granted. Although many schools across the country are choosing to outsource their sales efforts, we felt there was a tremendous benefit to invest-ing internally to train a well-informed staff that not only has a deep, personal understand-ing of Cal Athletics, but also of you, our customer.

Given the financial pressures that rest upon both Cal Athletics and our entire campus, we must care for our community with the highest regard to ensure they enjoy their in-teractions with all facets of our department, as well as find ways to attract new Bear Backers, ticket holders and sponsors to allow us to prop-erly support the most important reason for our mission – Golden Bear student-athletes. They deserve the best that the University of California has to offer, and so do you.

Go Bears,

Sandy Barbour

Director of Athletics

Page 5: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Page 6: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

who prevailed in both the 100 backstroke and 100 fly on the second night of the men’s championship, was named the NCAA Swimmer of the Meet, while Caitlin Leverenz earned the women’s Swimmer of the Meet honor after finishing first in the 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley.

The Cal women now have three national team titles in the past four years – they won their first NCAA crown in 2009 – and the men have posted back-to-back victories for the second time in their history. The Bears also accomplished the feat in 1979 and ’80.

Back-to-Back Times 2 in the Pool

Join the Golden Bears for a new era of Cal football when Memorial Stadium reopens this fall in Berkeley. Kickoff is

less than five months away for a season that is certain to bring excitement on the field and an improved fan experience for all.

After a year away from campus while Memorial Stadium un-derwent a renovation and seismic upgrade, anticipation is building for a 2012 campaign that gets underway against Nevada Sept. 1.

Season tickets are available to fit every budget, from the popular GoldZone at the north end of the stadium, now expanded to in-clude 10 full sections, to newly added benches with backs (and additional legroom) on the east side.

For complete information on season-ticket packages, please visit CaliforniaMemorialStadium.com. Let’s make 2012 a year to remember for Golden Bear football!

2012 Home Football ScHedule

Sept. 1 .....................NevadaSept. 8 ......... Southern UtahSept. 29 .........Arizona StateOct. 6 ......................... UCLAOct. 20 ...................StanfordNov. 2 .............. Washington*Nov. 10 .....................Oregon*Friday game

Welcome Home to Memorial Stadium

4 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

When Will Hamilton out-touched Tom Shields to capture the 200 butterfly on the final night of the NCAA Men’s

Swimming & Diving Championships March 24, the Golden Bears realized they had achieved something special. The 1-2 finish meant that Cal had built up enough of a point cushion to secure its second straight national team title with two events still remaining in the meet.

The achievement came just one week after the Cal women’s team won its second consecutive NCAA championship. As a re-sult, the Bears became just the fourth school to have its men’s and women’s squads claim back-to-back crowns in NCAA history (joining Texas, Stanford and Auburn).

All told, Cal won a total of 13 individual or relay titles during the two meets – seven for the women and six for the men. Shields,

Page 7: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 5

New Customer Service Team Plans to Treat Customers ‘Like Gold’Placing a new emphasis on the gameday and fan experience, Cal

Athletics has created a reorganized unit for Sales, Marketing and Service that will be led by Ashwin Puri, who has spent more than a decade in sales and marketing at the NFL and NBA levels.

As an associate athletic director at Cal, Puri will oversee a group responsible for all ticket operations, outbound ticket sales, digi-tal marketing, fan experience, and customer service and retention, which will include de-velopment of detailed marketing plans, ad-vertising strategy, and the hiring of qualified and knowledgeable outbound sales team. He will also establish and supervise a program designed to improve and deliver consistently

positive customer service to a wide array of department constitu-ents through the establishment of a customer service team assigned to develop relationships and assist Cal season-ticket holders.

The staffing structure is the first initiative to be implemented by newly appointed Associate Athletic Director for Revenue and Business Strategy Matt Terwilliger.

“With a new stadium opening, it was critical for us to get more aggressive with a fully integrated staffing model to enhance revenues, improve customer experience and fan engagement with our program,” Terwilliger said.

“Our plan is to create the finest experience for our fans, season-ticket holders, donors, corporate partners and our University community,” Puri added. “It all starts with enhancing existing relationships and creating new relationships with our patrons. We want you to be treated like gold.”

Leave Your Mark on the Bear Territory Legacy WallGolden Bear fans have the

opportunity to create their own personal legacy at Memorial Stadium with a one-time donation of $595 to Cal Athletics. In appreciation for the support, fans will be recognized with a beautiful tile that will be displayed on the historic west wall.

The Bear Territory Legacy Wall is perfect way to memorialize or honor a family member, recognize a Cal graduate or simply say, “Go Bears!” The donation will support all Cal student-athletes and raise much needed funds for Cal Athletics.

Donations for tiles are fully tax-deductible, but do not count for required seat donations for football and/or basketball season tick-ets. For more information, click on the Bear Territory Legacy Wall button on CaliforniaMemorialStadium.com, or call the Athletic Development Office at (510) 642-2427.

Ashwin Puri

Golden Bear Home Pac-12 ScHeduleApril 13-15 .................................. WashingtonApril 20-22 ............................................. UtahMay 11-13 ..........................................ArizonaMay 18-20 .............................................UCLA

Baseball Features Kids’ Days at Evans Diamond

Following an exciting trip to the 2011 College World Series, Cal baseball is back on Evans Diamond this spring

sporting another top 25 unit. Every Sunday is a Cal Kids’ Day, with youth in grades 12 and younger receiving free admission. Special activities include an eye-black station, dress like a Bear player, postgame autographs and running the bases. For more information on Kids’ Days or to bring a group out to the stadium, visit CalBears.com/promotions.

Watch Golden Bear SoftBall on cal KidS’ dayS

Join the Golden Bears out at Levine-Fricke Field for Cal Kids’ Days during the spring softball season. The Bears, who are

coming off a Women’s College World Series appearance last year and earned a national No. 1 ranking early in the 2012 campaign, are offering free admission for all youth in 12th grade and younger. Among the benefits are postgame autograph sessions and an opportunity to run around the bases after the game. Tickets for Cal softball are available on the day of each game.

Golden Bear Home Pac-12 ScHeduleMarch 30-April 1 ..........................WashingtonApril 13-15 ......................................... ArizonaApril 27-29 ............................................ UCLAMay 10-12 .................................Arizona State

Page 8: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

6 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

Gutierrez, Kamp Monopolize Pac-12 AwardsGolden Bear seniors Jorge Gutierrez and Harper Kamp

claimed three major conference awards at the end of the just-concluded season, with Gutierrez earning Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors and Kamp being chosen the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as presented by Toyo Tires.

Gutierrez, the first player in league his history to earn the player and defensive player honors in the same season, is the sixth Bear to re-ceive Player of the Year recognition, joining such distinguished Golden Bears as Jason Kidd (1994), Sha-reef Abdur-Rahim (1996), Ed Gray (1997), Sean Lampley (2001) and Jerome Randle (2010). Butch Hays, in 1984, is the only other Bear to be tabbed Defensive Player of the Year.

Kamp, also a second-team All-Pac-12 pick, will graduate this May with his degree in American studies, and Toyo Tires will donate $1,000 to the Cal Athletics scholarship fund in recognition of his accomplishments.

Cal Athletics Says ‘Thank You’ to Bear Backers

Harper Kamp

Jorge Gutierrez

In a full banquet room at the Claremont Hotel, Club and Spa Feb. 21, Cal Athletics expressed

its appreciation for the donors who provide critical support for all Golden Bears at the annual Bear Backer Thank You Luncheon.

Stu Gordon, who led the fundraising effort to save Cal baseball last year, received the Bear of the Year Award, while Richard Greene and Mike Silver shared the Golden Bear of the Year honor. In addition, Eden Anderson Hulsy,

Cal’s first wom-en’s golf recruit, took home of the Cub of the Year Award and Kath-arine Thompson, who said she has attended 71 consecutive Big Games, earned the Cal Spirit Award.

SIDE

LIN

E REPORT

Stu Gordon (left), with baseball coach David Esquer

Cal Wins ‘Pack the House’ Challenge

When more than 7,800 fans turned out to watch

Cal’s women’s basketball team host Stanford in the regular-season finale in Haas Pavilion on March 4, the NCAA stood up and took notice. The result is that Cal was both the Pac-12 and national winner of the “Pack the House” Challenge.

The challenge is a national effort in which conferences and institutions compete to build at-tendance. Participating schools chose a home game and desig-nated that date as a “Pack the House” contest with the goal of setting an attendance re-cord. Winners were determined based on marketing plan cre-ativity and attendance criteria.

The Cal-Stanford crowd marked the largest home crowd for the Bears in three seasons.

“We were blown away by the support of our fans,” said head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “To see so many of them on that day ... it made Haas an electric place to play. We hope they enjoyed the special environment and will come out to more games next season.”

Eden Anderson Hulsy (left), with women’s golf coach Nancy McDaniel

Sign Up Now for Cal Summer Camps

Looking for some great activities to keep your kids busy this summer? Then check out the Cal Athletic Camps

website at CalBears.com/camps for all the details.Camps are offered in a variety of sports for girls and

boys ages 5-19, with week-long, half-day, full-day and

overnight options. Most camps take place on campus in Berkeley and are held from June through August.

Enrollment is based on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit the website or contact the Cal Summer Camps office at [email protected].

BaseballBoys’ and Girls’ Basketball

Boys’ and Girls’ Rowing/CrewField Hockey

Football

Boys’ and Girls’ GolfGirls’ Gymnastics

Girls’ LacrosseRugby

Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer

SoftballBoys’ and Girls’ Swimming

Boys’ and Girls’ TennisVolleyball

Girls’ Water Polo

Page 9: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Page 10: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

8 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

Not to Be DeNieDChad Bunting Goes from Bullpen Catcher to Starting Outfielder for the Bears

By Scott Ball

An improbable star in an improbable season, no one rep-resented the grit and determination that came to symbol-ize the 2011 California baseball team more than center fielder Chad Bunting.

Bunting, a 5-11, 190-pounder from Ukiah, Calif., didn’t receive as many accolades as some of his teammates when coach David Esquer and his Golden Bears advanced to the College World Se-ries. Yet anyone who followed Cal’s meteoric rise from possible elimination to the mecca of college baseball knows that the feisty outfielder was a major factor in the Bears’ success.

Joining the Cal baseball program in the fall of 2007 as an un-recruited walk-on, Bunting was not well known by the Cal coach-ing staff when he began practicing with the team. Even though he had been a standout football and baseball player and academic honoree at Ukiah High School, Bunting was behind several schol-arship players on the depth chart.

Bunting’s only opportunity on the team was to be a bullpen catcher – a thankless job. He has to be ready to warm up a pitcher at a moment’s notice with little chance of seeing playing time.

Bunting’s main motivation in attending Cal was to major in ap-plied mathematics, but there was still a competitive fire burning inside him.

“I tried out for Cal baseball because I didn’t feel it was time to stop playing whether I had been recruited or not,” explained Bunting, who spent the entire spring 2008 warming up the Bears’ pitchers. “Sports are what motivated me through high school, and I just wasn’t ready to give baseball up. There were definitely days when I got a little discouraged. Just being part of the team would have never been good enough for me. I was given an opportunity to play baseball and I wasn’t going to allow that opportunity pass me by. I was going to take advantage of every little chance I got.

“It may seem a little arrogant, but I always knew I could excel at this level. But I was very humbled coming from my small-town school to a program like Cal. I wasn’t that good at that time and I knew it. But I also knew I had the potential to be as good as anyone on the team.”

A belief in his abilities and his refusal to be satisfied with his position on the squad began to pay dividends during Bunting’s

Page 11: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 9

redshirt-freshman year in 2009. During practices when he would get his occasional at-bat, the Cal coaches began to notice something special.

“Chad was always aggressive at the plate,” said Esquer. “It did not matter if it was against our best pitcher, he would take a big swing and in a subtle way show disrespect to that pitcher. He was fearless and he was getting hits.”

Bunting finally got his chance in 2009, and in his first collegiate start at Pacific, he blasted a home run for his initial base hit. He finished that season with a double, two home runs, four RBI in only 12 at-bats.

With numbers like that, the Cal coaching staff could no longer afford to keep Bunting out of the line-up. They moved him to the outfield for the 2010 campaign, where he helped the Bears to an NCAA Regional in Norman, Okla. Bunting finished the year batting .325 with four home runs and 26 RBI. Even though the Bears lost a heartbreaker to Oral Roberts, 9-8, on a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to end the season, Bunting battled, going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning and had the game-tying RBI single in the top of the ninth inning against the Golden Eagles.

The disappointment of the season-ending loss to Oral Roberts in June 2010 paled in comparison to

the announcement by the University administration that the Cal baseball program was going to be cut following the 2011 season.

“My first reaction when I heard that the program was going to be cut was denial,” said Bunting. “I couldn’t believe it was hap-pening. My second thought was how unfair the scenario was to the young players who would have to look for new places to play, when all they wanted was to be a Cal Bear.”

No matter the circumstances facing the Cal baseball team, Bun-ting was not going to give up being a successful student-athlete and a valuable teammate. He started the 2011 season on an 11-game hitting streak and earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors after going 7-for-12 with two three-run homers and seven RBI at the Caravelle Tournament in South Carolina.

But Bunting’s stellar 2011 season came to a screeching halt when he badly sprained his left thumb diving head-first into first base during the Bears’ 15-inning victory over Rice during the Cal Baseball Classic at AT&T Park in March. He played one more game through the pain of his injured thumb, before being shelved from the line-up until May 6.

True to form, Bunting did not let adversity affect him. He re-turned to the field sooner than people expected and got a hit in his first at-bat in a May 7 pinch-hit appearance at Oregon State. From there, Bunting helped guide the Bears’ Cinderella story, one that included full reinstatement for the program and a berth in the College World Series. He was a member of the NCAA Houston Regional All-Tournament team after hitting two home runs June 5

versus Baylor and finished with a team-high seven RBI during the team’s miracu-lous postseason wins in Texas.

At the Santa Clara Super Regional, Bunting provided Cal with its initial spark, hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat in the game one victory (7-0) over Dallas Baptist. He continued on to the College World Series where he got a hit in each of the three games, including the Bears’ 7-3 victory over Texas A&M for Cal’s first CWS win since 1980. Bun-ting ended up leading team with seven home runs in its historic 2011 season.

“The greatest highlight from last year was winning a Super Regional in front of our home crowd to take us to Oma-ha,” said Bunting. “That was something everyone will remember. Last season taught me that a group of people pull-ing for the same goal, and who truly care for each other, are capable of achieving far more than anyone thought possible. We had a fire within us and supporters who showed us we had something worth fighting for.”

In his journey from a bullpen catcher to a starting outfielder at the College World Series, Chad Bunting has epito-mized what being a student-athlete at the University of California is all about – working hard, believing in yourself and your teammates, and achieving far more than anyone might have imagined.

“it mAy seem A little ArrogANt, But i AlwAys kNew i coulD excel At this level. But i wAs very humBleD comiNg from my smAll-towN school to A progrAm like cAl. i wAsN’t thAt gooD At thAt time AND i kNew it. But i Also kNew i hAD the poteNtiAl to Be As gooD As ANyoNe oN the teAm.”

– chAD BuNtiNg

Chad Bunting went from being a bullpen catcher to hitting a home run in the NCAA Super Regional that helped propel Cal into the College World Series.

Page 12: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

10 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

A Rewarding ExperienceLinda Oseso Sees the Importance of Giving Back to the Community

By Herb BenensonContinued on page 13

10 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

Linda Oseso couldn’t be more pleased that she didn’t base her college decision on her first impression of the University of California.

In August 2006 before the start of her senior year at Santa Clara High School, where she became a league champion in the shot put and discus, Oseso drove up to Berkeley with her mother and her

best friend for a campus tour. She didn’t like what she saw.

“I hated it,” Oseso recalled. “It didn’t feel like home.”

Flash forward about eight months, and Os-eso decided to give Cal a second look, this time on a track & field recruiting trip from which she gained the viewpoint of potential coaches and teammates.

“It just looked completely different,” she said. “I fell in love with the school.”

Given a new perspective during her visit, Oseso soon decided Cal was the place for her to continue her educational and athletic pursuits.

Now almost five years later, Oseso has expanded her horizons well beyond the Berkeley campus, using her studies as a launch-ing pad to serve the community at large, from the local homeless population to women in her native Kenya who need improved ac-cess to health services. She is on track to graduate in May with her degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in global health and society, as well as a minor in global poverty.

Very early in her Golden Bear career, Oseso found a way to get involved. After seeing a video on Cal’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (Bear SAAC) at an orientation for new student-athletes, she decided to join the group since she saw it as a form of student government and a continuation of her leadership responsibilities from high school.

Oseso soon began to rise through the organization and today serves as an officer overseeing community outreach. Not only does she help organize and encourage student-athlete participation, but she also acts as a liaison to outside agencies to set up special events. Among her projects have been a blood drive coordinated with Children’s Hospital Oakland, a canned food drive for the

Linda Oseso

Page 13: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Page 14: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Page 15: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 13

best of 167 feet as a freshman to 179 feet as a sophomore to more than 188 feet last year, she is definitely on the right path.

“The hammer is an event that isn’t thrown in high school, so you have to find someone who isn’t necessarily proficient enough in other areas, but still has a throws mentality,” direc-tor of track & field Tony Sandoval said. “If you’re athletic, it’s something that can happen. It’s not about being big. You’ve also got to be very agile to throw the hammer. Linda’s thrived under that environment.”

As she has with Bear SAAC, Oseso has emerged as a leader on the track & field team. “A vivacious one,” as Sandoval calls her, she sets an example for others to follow and has become a corner-stone for the throws group.

“More important than her physical attributes, I see a big poten-tial in her mind and a real commitment to the event,” Dagata said. “She is committed to the mission completely. She’s a wonderful person. She’s committed to doing her best this year and to leave Cal with her best year to date.”

Oseso, though, won’t be gone just yet when the collegiate sea-son is completed in June. Visits to Edwards Stadium next year and beyond will likely include sights of Oseso training in the hammer throw. And of course, she’ll remain out in the community with her ever-present smile finding a way to make life a little better for those less fortunate, just as she has done throughout all her years as a Cal student-athlete.

Alameda County Food Bank, handing out sack lunches (also known as SAAC lunches) to area resi-dents in need and assisting with the monthly Hot Meals for the Hungry program at St. Mark’s Episco-pal Church across the street from campus.

“Giving back to people is rewarding,” Oseso said. “You think you could be in that position one day. It makes me happy to be able to share and make them feel that they’re important.”

One of the requirements of her global poverty minor is 200 hours of volunteer work, either locally or abroad. Oseso chose the opportunity to help in Kenya while she was training and competing over the summer. Born in the capital of Nairobi, Oseso and her family moved to the Bay Area when she was 11 for the educational opportunities available in the United States.

Once she is armed with her Cal degree, Oseso plans to find a public health-based job in the Berke-ley area before beginning a master’s program. Ide-ally, she’d eventually like to work both locally and in Kenya to help improve the healthcare systems in both countries.

While Oseso continues to develop her career goals, she expects to keep competing well after her senior season ends in May. Since picking up a ham-mer for the first time at Cal, she has become one of the top performers in the event in school history, as well as the Kenyan national record holder, with a best of 188-7 from last year’s Pac-10 Champion-ships.

From a country known more for its distance run-ners than hammer throwers, Oseso certainly stands out among Kenyans in track & field. She has repre-sented her country on the international stage at the Commonwealth Games and the World University Games. She also captured the Kenyan hammer title in 2010.

“She wants to be very good,” said John Dagata, Cal’s assistant coach in charge of throws. “She sees it as a lifelong commitment to be a great thrower from Kenya. You see this incredible fire beneath the smile. I see a real fighter and a real commitment to detail. She’s asking all the right questions and doing everything that she can to make herself better.”

With her success in the hammer, Oseso has given up the discus, but has kept the shot put in her routine. She also stays busy dur-ing the indoor season in the 20-pound weight throw and broke the Cal record three times during the 2012 campaign, finishing with a best of 63-3.25 during her runner-up finish at the confer-ence championships.

But it is the hammer that holds the most interest.“There are so many technical aspects you have to learn,” Oseso

said. “And then just the excitement of figuring out the speed and releasing it. You have so many turns, you have to make sure that you’re balanced, and then there’s the release in the end. And then to see it go far. I actually watch video from my freshman year now and I see how much I’ve improved technically. I still have a long way to go, but it’s exciting to see the gradual improvement year after year.”

Oseso hopes to one day represent Kenya in the Olympic Games and understands she needs to continue to increase her marks to qualify and that 2016 is a more realistic goal. Having gone from a

Linda Oseso’s vast community service experience has included events with Children’s Hospital (above right), SAAC lunches (left) and Special Olympics (far right).

“You see this incredible fire be-neath the smile. I see a real fighter and a real commitment to detail. She’s asking all the right questions and doing everything that she can to make herself better.”

– assistant coach John Dagata

Continued from page 10

Page 16: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

14 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

social as he got into sports. He always did well but was never one to tout himself about it.”

Mrs. Kelly had a 15-year career in the New York City Police Department, begin-ning as a transit cop in East New York and retiring as a police officer in Rockaway.

Seamus’ father, John, also retired recently after 25 years with the New York Depart-ment of Sanitation, rising from his route in Manhattan to the Chief of Sanitation’s Police and Enforcement in the borough of Queens.

Although their son was a bona fide beach boy who worked as a lifeguard during the summer, Janine Kelly said that when Sea-mus tried surfing, “that didn’t go too well.”

In other sports, he excelled. At Xavier, Kelly played rugby under coach Mike Tolkin. Together they helped Xavier win the Northeast Championship all four years of Kelly’s career, as well as the Tier B Na-tional Championship in 2007.

While Kelly has matured into a suc-cessful student-athlete at the University of California, Tolkin has risen to become head coach of the U.S. National Team, a post coaches Jack Clark and Tom Billups have also held.

Kelly’s former coach can envision a fu-ture reunion between them at the national level, and his current coaches concur.

“Seamus is everything you want as a coach and a teammate,” said Clark. “Xavi-er High School is a wonderful beginning pedigree, but it’s more than that. His par-ents are rock solid and Seamus himself is driven to improve. He has an inspirational presence on our team.”

“He’s a great runner, a great open-field tackler,” Tolkin said. “He has a number of opportunities ahead of him should he choose to pursue them, and I think he will.”

Despite Kelly’s talents on the pitch, rug-by is not why he got tagged by the New York Daily News as Famous Seamus, a nickname he found “funny.”

As a running back, Kelly earned first-team all-city marks in 2007 and ’08, and first-team all-state honors in 2008. He was named ES-PN’s East Regional player of the week after rushing for 291 yards and five touchdowns, catching a 72-yard touchdown pass and go-ing 80 yards for a score on a kickoff return for a reported 478 all-purpose yards.

The Beach Boyfrom Breezy

Seamus Kelly Is a Cal Rugby Cornerstone

The student-athlete in question is Seamus Kelly, a junior outside center and two-time All-American who is pursuing his degree in political economy.

The beach community where Kelly was raised isn’t in the Bay Area, either – it’s Breezy Point, N.Y., and that’s farther east than Far Rockaway.

To get home after football or rugby prac-tice each night from Xavier High School in New York City, Seamus and his brother, Sean, would take a subway to the end of the line, followed by a bus, and then hitchhike the remaining miles to their home.

Most people wouldn’t know that hitch-hiking is still part of life in “Breezy,” as the police officers, firefighters and other city servants who comprise the community call it. There may have been a lot people didn’t know locally about “Famous Seamus” be-fore he arrived at Cal.

By now, that has changed. Last May, Kelly scored the try that added the game-winning points to the Bears’ 26th all-time national collegiate championship.

But Kelly has always opted not to let his voice do too much talking.

“He was a quiet boy growing up,” said his mother, Janine. “He became a lot more

A childhood spent a quarter-mile from the beach and a school where football players go directly to the rugby pitch as soon as gridiron season ends to play for an iconic coach.

A local Rugby Bear from yesteryear? Not even close.

By Anton Malko

Page 17: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 15

Those football talents sparked interest from regional universities, but the offers never materialized.

“It was extremely difficult for him,” said John Kelly. “He had in mind certain schools, but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen and he took it hard. He thought he could compete.”

Coach Tolkin suggested that Seamus consider rugby at Cal.

“I didn’t know much about what rugby could be after high school,” Kelly said. “It wasn’t until I understood the national scope of it and learned about Cal that I said, ‘Wow.’”

As his son boarded a plane to fly out to Cal for his visit, John Kelly said, “I didn’t think anything would come of it. But after the vis-it, he said, ‘This is where I want to go.’”

The concept of playing for Clark was not too intimidating following Kelly’s high-school career with Tolkin.

More broadly, Seamus’ parents have ap-preciated rugby’s international reach.

“That’s the appeal of the sport,” John Kelly explained. “You can just see the camaraderie, so unique to rugby. In our travels, we’ve seen Canadian kids cheer-ing for England, Americans cheering for Wales. You can’t say enough about the ex-posure you get.”

John Kelly added that he and Janine feel “lucky and privileged, not just that Seamus has had the best coaches, but that they teach how to become young men. You represent not only yourself and your fam-ily, you represent your school. It’s been a great experience for us and we couldn’t be happier for our son.”

Make no mistake – Seamus has never been a Mexican foodie and he said he’s had “a tough time finding some pizza spots” in Berkeley, a community with a spectrum of beliefs that range off his political radar. But he said the diversity of opinion has been important for him.

“I couldn’t be happier that I came out here to experience this,” Kelly said. “If I had gone to school right around my home, just experiencing the same thing my whole life, I wouldn’t have seen this other side of everything. That’s the beauty of it.”

The return of rugby in 2016 to the Olympics, where Cal players helped USA win gold in 1920 and ’24, has sparked an additional fire in Kelly.

“Cal wants to produce athletes that are going to represent their country in the Olympics and the national team,” he said. “We’ve got to be right there competing.”

If Rugby Sevens develops as an autumn competition prior to spring 15s, rugby will essentially become a two-season sport, which suits Kelly well.

“That’s why I chose Cal,” he said. “If you play football in college, it’s a year-round commitment, and I wanted that type of environment and approach in a rugby program.”

Has Kelly had any second thoughts about the path he chose through the Redwoods up to Strawberry Canyon, where he trains with his teammates to reach their potential?

“None at all,” he answered. “Cal has been the best choice I’ve ever made.”

Seamus Kelley went from playing on the beach with his family to playing football with his brother, Sean, before graduating from Xavier High School in New York City. He is a two-time All-American in his third year at Cal.

“Take responsibility for yourself to know your role so you go into practice knowing what needs to be done. Always expect to work your hardest all the time.”

- Seamus Kelly

“Don’t expect to be coached on every-thing,” Kelly said of his philosophy. “Take responsibility for yourself to know your role so you go into practice knowing what needs to be done. Always expect to work your hardest all the time.”

That commitment to team and desire to improve prepared Kelly well for his transi-tion from one iconic coach to the next.

“I understand what’s on his plate: the pressure to win, the tradition, the legacy and what that entails,” Kelly explained about Clark. “I just worry about what I have to do and let him take care of all the hard stuff.”

Kelly’s parents have been thrilled with the lessons their son has learned at Cal both on and off the rugby pitch.

“It’s a little insular down in Breezy,” John Kelly said. “Getting outside the gates, as we call it, is all a part of his education.”

Page 18: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Many olympians only earn a rare chance for international glory, but laurel Korholz has become a veritable olympic

mainstay. The former california rower has been involved in every Summer Games, either as a competitor or a coach, for the United States since 1996 in Atlanta.

Olympic Veteran Continues to ShineLaurel Korholz Has Been Involved with Every Summer Olympic Games since 1996

By Tim Miguel

squad training for London, Korholz said there is a major difference in her role, hav-ing moved from participant to coach.

“As an athlete, I was focused on making sure I was the most prepared I could be and that I was doing everything I could to make sure I was ready to make my boat go fast,” Korholz said. “As a coach, I am focused on all the athletes in general as well as the more logistical side of racing at the Games. As a coach, you are also thinking more about all the boats and the performance of the team. As an athlete, your focus is on you and your boat.”

Looking back on her collegiate career, Korholz said one of her favorite memories at Cal was practicing at the Briones Res-ervoir in an idyllic setting nestled among the East Bay hills. Her experience as a Bear was instrumental for her development into a multi-time Olympian.

“The level of competition was high at Cal,” Korholz said. “I got used to having to fight for my seat early on in my career. There is a great emphasis on being a team at Cal. Being a good teammate is crucial to being an Olympian. The Olympics are a high-stress time, and understanding that being a strong teammate is also part of your responsibility is crucial to your success as a boat.”

Korholz, who was a bit of a late bloomer into the sport of rowing, said she owes a debt of gratitude towards every coach she had as an athlete for taking the time to help her learn the sport. In particular, Korholz especially gives thanks to head U.S. coach Tom Terhaar, who not only guided her as an athlete for nearly 10 years, but also hired her as an assistant coach after the Athens Olympics.

It’s now Korholz’s turn to return the fa-vor by training the U.S. rowers of today and tomorrow.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Laurel Korholz will be participating in her fifth Olympic Games during the 2012 rowing events in London.

Laurel Korholz

Korholz, twice named first-team All-Pac-10 while rowing for the Golden Bears, took

home a silver medal as part of the women’s eight in her final Olympic appearance as an athlete at the 2004 Games in Athens. She was also in the eight in 1996 and quadruple sculls in 2000.

A 1993 Cal grad, Korholz said winning the silver was her greatest achievement in

rowing, knowing that it would be her final Olympics as a competitor.

“The whole performance in Athens was very exciting,” Korholz said. “We set the world record in the heat. We raced well in the final, and while we came in second to Romania, I was elated about our perfor-mance because I was confident that we had raced as hard as we could and left every-thing on the water.”

Now an assistant coach with the U.S.

Page 19: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Page 20: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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After taking third in the varsity eight at last year’s IRA Championships, the Bears enter 2012 with a bright future, buoyed by members of the freshman eight that completed an undefeated season with a national

championship in 2011. The frosh capped off their campaign with a victory in the Temple Challenge Cup at the historic Henley Regatta in England. Cal had a promising start to the year when the varsity lineup of Luka Djordjevic, Ivan Osto-jic, Chris Yeager, Igor Lucic, Patrick McGlone, Cameron Klotz, Matt Dignan and Christian Reynolds finished first with a time of 14:31 to claim the Newport Au-tumn Rowing Festival. On the international level, head coach Mike Teti guided the U.S. eight, which included Yeager among its members, to a record-setting time of 5:24.31 at the Under-23 World Championships over the summer.

Important Home DatesApril 21 vs. WashingtonBears seek their first Schoch Cup since 2006April 28 vs. Stanford Cal has claimed the Schwabacher Cup in 20 of the past 21 years

baSeball

men’S crew

men’S golF

Cal looks to continue the program’s rejuvenation after back-to-back appearances at the NCAA Championships – a streak that followed a five-year hiatus from the national tournament. Many of the names

changed last fall, but the Bears were better than before, ranking as high as No. 7 according to Golfweek at one point. Cal won twice in the fall: at the Wolverine Intercollegiate and Alister MacKenzie Invitational. Max Homa, a second-team all-conference choice in 2011, is the most familiar name from last season. He led the Bears with a 70.9 stroke average in the fall and was also the top ranked Cal individual (No. 30 Golfweek). Freshman sensation Michael Kim also had a fabulous fall, posting a No. 36 ranking and second among Cal regulars with a 71.0 stroke average. Joël Stalter (No. 170, 72.8), Pace Johnson (No. 211, 74.0) and Brandon Hagy (No. 247, 73.3) were the other regulars in the lineup.

Important DateApril 14-15 in Santa CruzCal’s only spring event in the Bay Area

Winners of four consecutive conference championships, the Golden Bears will be aiming to extend their streak, with the ultimate goal being the NCAA title. Cal claimed back-to-back national crowns in 2005 and

’06 and has finished among the top three each of the past four years. This year’s NCAA regatta moves from Lake Natoma outside Sacramento across the country to West Windsor, N.J. The varsity four will attempt to defend its 2011 national cham-pionship. In addition to hosting the Lake Natoma Invitational, where the top three teams from last year’s NCAA Championships will be competing (Cal, Stanford, Brown), the Bears will also rekindle rivalries with dual meets against Washington and Stanford. Individually, the Bears will be led by team captains Elise Etem and Kristina Lofman, who were both second-team All-Americans in 2011.

Important Home DatesApril 14-15 Lake Natoma InvitationalThe inter-regional event could be a preview of the NCAA Grand FinalsSaturday, April 28 vs. Stanford Bears face Cardinal in the Jill Costello Memorial Race

The Cal baseball program enjoyed its best season in 31 years in 2011, culminating in a fifth-place finish at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The Bears, under the direction of reigning National Coach of the Year

David Esquer, return several key players from last spring’s squad that finished 38-23, including junior second baseman Tony Renda (2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year), junior first baseman Devon Rodriguez (Most Outstanding Player of the Houston Re-gional) and sophomore left-hander Kyle Porter (2011 Freshman All-American). In addition, Cal features junior left-hander Justin Jones (2012 preseason All-American), senior catcher Chadd Krist (two-time first-team All-Pac-10) and senior right-hander Matt Flemer (honorable mention All-Pac-10), among others.

Important Home DatesMarch 16-18 vs. Oregon StateCal hosts the Beavers in opening Pac-12 seriesMay 18-20 vs. UCLABears battle last year’s Pac-10 champion Bruins in last home conference series

SPoRTS REVIEWS SPRING 2012

women’S crew

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SPRING 2012 19

The Golden Bears are trying to make their way back to the NCAA Championships for a second consecutive year. Cal will be led by a trio of talented and experienced seniors in Joanne Lee, Emily Childs and Daniela Holmqvist. Lee, whose 72.94 scoring

average is the lowest season rate in program history, earned second-team NGCA All-Amer-ican honors in 2011. Childs has won more tournaments in her Cal career (4) than any other golfer, while Holmqvist has been juggling her Cal tournaments as well as representing her native Sweden in top international competitions, like The Spirit Tournament in December.

Important DatesMarch 5-6 in San JoseThe Bears try to defend their title at the Juli Inkster Spartan InvitationalApril 16-17 in Half Moon BayThe Pacific Intercollegiate is Cal’s final regular-season tournament

Cal carried a 53-match winning streak in 15s into the 2012 season following their taking of the 26th national collegiate championship in program history. More than half of the 2012 Bears are comprised of underclassmen, including

17 freshmen, and many will be called upon with the departure of six All-Americans and more than two-thirds of the lineup from Cal’s triumph in the final last May over Brigham Young. Unable to host home matches on Witter Rugby Field for a second straight year (Cal will be back in Berkeley next season), the Bears have an all-away schedule. Cal will be once again showcased on national television when it participates in Sevens at the Collegiate Rugby Championship on NBC June 2-3 at PPL Park in Philadelphia.

Important DateApril 15 at Saint Mary’sRivalry with Gaels resumes on Pat Vincent Field in Moraga

Cal returns all nine starters from last year’s squad that reached the Women’s College World Series, plus regains All-American Valerie Arioto, who redshirted last year. Among those back for another go-around are 2011 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year Jolene

Henderson, All-American Jamia Reid and all-region team member Jace Williams. Last year, Cal took second in the Pac-10, breezed through its NCAA regional and won its first-ever Super Regional over an SEC school to return to the hallowed grounds of Oklahoma City and the WCWS. After finishing the 2011 campaign ranked fifth in the country, the Bears start the 2012 season as the No. 3/4 team in the national polls. Additionally, the Pac-12 coaches picked Cal to finish second in the preeminent softball conference in their preseason poll.

Important Home DatesApril 13-15 vs. ArizonaCal hosts alumni weekend during Arizona series.May 10-12 vs. Arizona StateDefending NCAA champions visit for regular-season conclusion.

lacroSSe

women’S golF

rugby

men’S tenniS

Danny Barrett

SoFtball

First-year head coach Ginger Miles lead Cal into the 2012 season full of excitement with a new staff. The Bears return most of the cast that produced a 9-8 record (3-3 in the MPSF) in 2011, including All-MPSF first-team selections Tori Harrison (defense) and Megan

Takacs (midfield). Last season, Takacs led Cal in points (48) and assists (16) – she also posted 32 goals – while Harrison paced the squad in ground balls (33). Senior midfielder Vail Horn, a member of the 2011 All-MPSF second team, is another high-scoring Bear who tallied 33 goals, four assists and 37 points as a junior and scooped up 32 ground balls. Junior attacker Alexa Rozelle totaled 17 goals and a team-high tying 11 assists, while sophomore Megan McGinnis (11.27 goals-against average in 10 games last year) earns the nod as the starting goaltender.

Important Home DatesApril 10 vs. Fresno StateCal won, 15-2, over the Bulldogs last yearApril 20 vs. StanfordBears close the regular season with their version of the Big Game

Led by 19th-year head coach Peter Wright, the Bears started the spring ranked No. 14 in the nation; the same spot in which they concluded the 2011 dual sea-son. Cal’s 14-8 record in ’11 earned the team a school-record 12th consecutive

appearance in the NCAA Championships where it made its first appearance in the round of 16 since 2003. Team captain Nick Andrews will serve as a senior leader this season, and he will have plenty of help from Ahmed Ismail and Tommie Murphy. Down the lineup, junior Riki McLachlan has improved as he enters his third year and junior Carlos Cueto showed that he can control the top court with his success from a season ago. Sophomore Ben McLachlan had an impressive fall season and is half of Cal’s second doubles team with Cueto. Andrews and junior Christoffer Konigsfeldt are also a duo to be reckoned with.

Important Home DatesApril 6 vs. WashingtonBears host Huskies one day before Oregon visits BerkeleyApril 20 vs. StanfordCal hosts Stanford to conclude the regular-season home schedule

SPRING 2012 19

Page 22: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

men’S track & Field

women’S track & Field

women’S water polo

Cal enters the spring 2012 season particularly strong in the jumps, with depth in both horizontal events as well as the high jump. Hammed Sule-man surpassed 52 feet in the triple jump last year and leads a corps that

includes newcomer Jonte Grant, who exceeded 25 feet in the long jump indoors, and Chad Jones, another 50-foot triple jumper. Senior Brian Carmichael hit 7-1.50 in the high jump during a second-place showing at the 2011 Pac-10 meet, while Maurice Valentine Jr. cleared 6-10.25 indoors and redshirt-freshman Harrison Steed topped 7-2 in high school. Others to watch include Collin Jarvis and Maxime Chevee in the distances, Chase Wheeler in the sprints and long jump, newcomer Alex Schwab in the middle distance, Monte Corley, the Pan Am Juniors champion, in the 400m hurdles and transfer Derek White, who captured the state JC title in the discus last year.

Important Home DatesApril 14 vs. StanfordBay Area rivals tangle in the 118th edition of Big MeetApril 27-28 Brutus Hamilton InvitationalThe annual two-day meet honoring Cal’s legendary coach

Cal possesses one of the strongest distance groups in the country, a unit that in-cludes All-Americans Deborah Maier and Chelsea Reilly, as well as 800-1500m specialist Sofia Oberg. Maier (5000m) and Reilly (3000, mile) all set school re-

cords during the indoor season. Senior Linda Oseso returns as one of the top hammer throwers in school history, while Kristin Rimbach and Gianna Fernandez give the Bears a 1-2 punch in the high jump. Aziza Baker ranks among Cal’s all-time top 10 in the triple jump, and Malaina Payton returns from a redshirt year after setting a school freshman record in the long jump in 2010 (20-0.25). On the track, freshman Carisma Lyday adds new speed to the sprints, and Angelica Weaver is back after capturing the USA junior title in the 400m hurdles last summer.

Important Home DatesApril 14 vs. StanfordCal seeking second straight home win in Big MeetApril 27-28 Brutus Hamilton InvitationalThe annual meet attracts some of the top athletes in the country

After an impressive 2011 campaign in which the Golden Bears finished 26-5, won the MPSF Tournament and took home NCAA runners-up honors, Cal returns junior second-team All-American Dana Ochsner, junior third-team

All-American Breda Vosters and sophomore honorable mention All-American Ashley Young. Vosters led the Bears with 63 goals last season, while Ochsner had 36 goals in 31 matches, and Young tallied 41 goals and earned MPSF All-Fresh-man recognition. Led by 2011 MPSF Coach of the Year Richard Corso, Cal also features sophomore Kelly Mendoza, a member of the 2011 MPSF All-Newcomer team, and senior Elizabeth McLaren, who was third on the team in scoring last year with 37 goals.

Important Home DateApril 7 – UCLACal defeated UCLA in the MPSF title match last year

women’S tenniS

Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Amanda Augustus, Cal sports another top-10 team and opens its 2012 campaign with a solid core of experienced players to go with a youth movement that has quickly established itself as a viable cog to the Bears’

success. Last spring, Cal made its 30th appearance in the NCAA championship tournament and advanced to the round of 16. After making NCAA finals appearances in their first two seasons, seniors Jana Juricova, Stephany Chang, and Catalina Visico are eager to help return the Bears to that level of competition. Juricova is the defending NCAA singles champion and leads a pack of six ranked Bears into dual matches this spring, including juniors Tayler Davis and Annie Goransson.

Important Home DatesMarch 2 vs. StanfordThe Cardinal comes to town for the first of two meetings with the BearsApril 13 vs. UCLAThe Bears and the Bruins hit the court for what has traditionally been a hotly-contested match-up

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Page 23: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

Untitled-22 1 11/1/11 1:25 PM

Now, every Sunday in The San Francisco Examiner

Page 24: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

As defined by conference titles, NCAA championships, Olympic medals, academic achievement and character, Cal Aquatics can be considered the epitome of excellence.

Support for Cal Aquatics – which includes men’s and women’s water polo and swimming & diving – has also been the gold standard within Intercollegiate Athletics, built upon the sup-port of four heroic donors known as the Big Four.

Rick Cronk ’64, Don Fisher ’51, Warren Hellman ’55 and Ned Spieker ’66 were successful businessmen, great supporters throughout the University and former student-athletes when they launched the Bear Splash Club in 1987, which expanded into the Friends of Cal Aquatics in 2002.

Not Yet AquAtomAticThe Greatness of Cal Aquatics Depends on You

In 2005, the group made a $12.5 million leadership gift to the aquatics programs. An immediate goal was to add as many schol-arships as the NCAA allows while creating an atmosphere where excellence could be pursued.

“What we visualized was creating an environment for all four sports that were in pursuit of world class,” said Cronk, “not only in terms of performance in the pool but the character of the people involved and their academic performance.”

Amazingly, these programs all now hover at the highest levels of achievement in the pool, the classroom and the world. During the banner year of 2010-11, the Golden Bears became nation-al champions in men’s and women’s swimming & diving, and

22 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

By Anton Malko

The Big Four (from left, in ties): Rick Cronk, Warren Hellman, Ned Spieker, Don Fisher

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Page 25: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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runners-up in both men’s and women’s water polo after advanc-ing to the NCAA Championships rounds.

“If it were not for all four families’ generosity, Cal would just be another school with swimming, diving and water polo teams,” said women’s water polo head coach Richard Corso. “Because of their support, and I use 2010-11 as an example, our aquatics programs are the best in the country and maybe the world.”

This year, women’s swimming & diving won both the Pac-12 and NCAA titles, while the men’s team finished second in the conference race and captured another NCAA crown. Men’s water polo was ranked No. 3 in the nation at the end of the fall, while women’s water polo is among the top 5 in the country this spring.

Athletic achievements have extended around the world, too, including most recently at the 2011 Pan Am Games, where Cal swimmers won five med-als, and the 2008 Summer Olympics, where they won 10.

In the classroom, a dozen members of the men’s swim-ming & diving team earned conference all-academic hon-ors in 2011. Thirteen women’s swimmers & divers earned that distinction, while the team earned all-academic honors from the College Swimming Coaches Asso-ciation of America.

In water polo, the Cal women placed eight on the 2011 all-academ-ic team in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, and this March, seven members of the men’s team were noted for their academic excellence by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.

But amidst all this excitement, the University and community at large have suffered the loss of two members of the Big Four, Don Fisher and Warren Hellman, who were taken by cancer over the past two years.

Fisher, who earned varsity letters in both swimming and water polo, could not sustain his fight long enough to see the historic year of 2010-11, passing away on Sept. 27, 2009. Hellman, who played water polo for the Bears, lost his courageous battle on Dec. 18, 2011.

“I’m sad that my dad didn’t get to see how unbelievable Cal Aquatics was during 2010-11 in particular,” said John Fisher.

“It’s been a huge loss,” said Teri McKeever, head coach for women’s swimming & diving. “Both those men, along with Ned and Rick, have had such a passion for Cal Athletics, aquatics in particular, and the growth and the development of young people through sport and university.”

Set to represent the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games as the first woman to coach the U.S. women’s swimming team, McKeever said the Big Four has “given me the opportunity to be on the national staff and ultimately be the head coach leading into London. I’m very appreciative of what they’ve done for our programs, our student-athletes and me personally.”

“We would not be where we are today without their support and foresight,” added men’s swimming & diving head coach David Durden.

Vice Chancellor of University Relations Scott Biddy said that Fisher and Hellman “typified the values of Cal Aquatics. They not only loved the meaning of the experience in their own lives, but also wanted that experience for generations to come. They gener-ously allowed their extraordinary personal success in life to be as-

sociated with our aquatics program, and our coaches’ and students’ ambitions and values are raised immeasurably by that.”

Now just two of the original Big Four, Cronk and Spieker, both for-mer water polo players under legendary coach Pete Cutino, continue to pursue the goals for excellence outlined in their $12.5 million gift.

A second objective of that gift was to cushion the programs for a number of years until the aquatics and athletic communities could be better educated on the need to give back to these programs. The Big Four hoped their gift would spur giving among all aquatics alumni.

“We want to involve a lot of other swimmers and people who want to be involved with aquatics and draw them in as financial supporters of the team,” said Spieker.

With the gift’s estimated 10-year lifespan set to end in the next few years, the time is now for the next large group of donors to step forward.

“We need more people to join us, whether to become part of the Big Four, Mighty Six or Army of All,” explained Cronk. “We need people to understand that everyone is needed.”

Alicia Rowell, the director of athletic campaigns at Cal Athlet-ics, said, “We need a large group to step up and commit to support Cal Aquatics in any amount that is meaningful to them – they just need to start, sustain or increase giving. As a former swimmer my-self, I am a proud donor to the Friends of Cal Aquatics.”

In addition to the Annual Fund priority, another need facing Cal Aquatics is “more water.” The lone pool at Spieker Aquatics Com-plex is shared among the swimming, water polo and diving teams, as well as the University community.

“What Cal has been able to achieve with one pool that serves four programs as well as recreational swimming is crazy,” John Fisher said. “They have to make do with far less water available to them, and it’s a real credit to the coaches that they’ve been so successful in recruiting and coaching their teams, achieving greatness in spite of it.”

Nor does the programs’ pool include a diving tower. “We have one- and three-meter diving boards but we don’t have a tower, and we need that,” said Cronk. “A second pool is definitely a goal.”

McKeever praised diving coach Todd Mulzet, who “has really done a phenomenal job. They train in the middle of lap swimming and they drive over to Stanford two days a week, sacrificing their Sunday and Wednesday nights.”

Men’s water polo head coach Kirk Everist, who has been both a national champion player and coach, believes that alumni are ready to ramp up their support of Cal Aquatics.

“We have an incredible legacy in aquatics at Cal, and the impact the programs have had on our alumni is profound,” Everist said. “I believe the Cal community will ensure that the next generation of student-athletes gets the same opportunities that we received when we were competing here.”

“More than ever, it is critical for 100 percent participation,” added Corso. “Everyone who has worn a Cal swimsuit or polo cap needs to do their part, just like the Big Four did after they were student-athletes here.”

Over 110 years of collective history, Cal Aquatics has a tradition of achievement. With the support of the Cal community, ongoing excellence can be “Aquatomatic.”

“More than ever, it is critical for 100 percent partici-pation. Everyone who has worn a Cal swimsuit or polo cap needs to do their part, just like the Big Four did after they were student-athletes here.”

- women’s water polo coach Richard Corso

Page 26: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue
Page 27: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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28 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

A few months ago, Kline was in the midst of a All-American senior season at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville. This spring, he is simply trying to soak in everything about Cal football and make the most of his practice reps, when he is able to get a few.

“They’re all at the top of the heap, and I’m at the bot-tom,” a humble Kline said about his current role. “I prob-ably get about two of every 30 physical reps. But on the other 28 snaps, I get mental reps. Playing quarterback is 90 percent mental. It’s all about being a student of the game.”

Kline wants to be ready whenever he gets his chance.“When the opportunity to succeed is in front of you,

you have to take advantage of it or you’re not going to play,” Kline said. “I’m going to be here for a long time

mid-year enrollees Zach Kline and Christian Okafor are already hard at work on their Cal careers and giving the Golden Bear football community its first taste of a third consecutive top-15 signing class.

The expectations are high, but that might be the furthest thing from the minds of these two rookies going through their first sessions of Cal football practice this spring and becoming acclimated to life on the Berkeley campus.

New Bears Getting Up to

SPEED

and work hard, so hopefully my opportunity to play will come. Enrolling early is go-ing to give me that edge. Maybe that opportunity will come a little earlier.”

At more than 300 pounds, the 17-year-old Okafor physically looks like he’s ready for his opportunity right now. However, the four-star of-fensive lineman and early graduate from Houston’s West-bury High School knows he still needs a little seasoning.

“It definitely gave me a head start to come in early,” Okafor said. “I got a chance to start learning the play-book, which is really important because I’m glad that I’m able to struggle with it now instead of next fall.”

Both of the newcomers have also delved right into their studies and the life of a student-athlete.

“I’m enjoying all of my professors, and I like all of my classes,” Okafor said. “It’s really engaging mate-rial. At first, I wasn’t really academically oriented, but then I realized that football doesn’t last forever and I

Mid-Year Enrollees Zach Kline and Christian Okafor Get an Early Taste of Cal Football

By Kyle McRae

Page 31: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 29

needed to go to a school with great academics and great athlet-ics. Cal has both.”

Kline is also plenty active with his studies, both in the classroom and the team’s playbook.

“The playbook is night and day from high school,” Kline said. “You have to know everything – formation, routes, blocking, coverage, protection – you name it. As the quarterback, you are the nucleus of the offense.”

The duo is part of a group of 20 student-athletes in a 2012 sign-ing class that included nine players on at least one list of the na-tion’s top prospects provided by major recruiting services ESPN, MaxPreps, Scout, Rivals and 247Sports.

“I’m really excited about the kids in this class, not only as foot-ball players but as people,” head coach Jeff Tedford said. “I’m ex-cited about the future that they’re going to bring to this program.”

When Kline gets his opportunity to throw, he should have plenty of targets in his class with five incoming wide receivers – Bryce Treggs (Inglewood, CA/St. John Bosco HS), Darius Powe (Lakewood, CA/Lakewood HS), Cedric Dozier (Lakewood, WA/Lakes HS), Chris Harper (Encino, CA/Crespi HS) and Kenny Lawler (Upland, CA/Upland HS).

A five-star Scout selection and first-team All-American, Treggs, son of former Cal wide receiver Brian Treggs, played in the Sem-per Fidelis All-American Bowl after a 2011 season in which he posted 70 receptions for 1,377 yards and 11 touchdowns as the top-ranked receiver in the Trinity League and the third-leading re-ceiver in the state of California.

Powe (Under Armour All-America Game) and Dozier (U.S. Army All-American Bowl) also played in prestigious All-Ameri-can games following their senior season, while Lawler was a first-team all-state choice of MaxPreps and Harper played in the Cali-fornia Prep All-Star Game.

Linebacker Michael Barton (Concord, CA/De La Salle HS), who also participated in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, earned MaxPreps first-team All-American honors and was tabbed California Division I State Player of the Year as a senior.

Offensive linemen Freddie Tagaloa (Richmond, CA/Salesian HS) and Matt Cochran (Atwater, CA/Buhach Colony HS) both took part in the Semper Fidelis game. Tagaloa also played in the International Bowl and was a PrepStar All-American as a senior.

Defensive back Raymond Ford (Gardena, CA/Junipero Serra HS) secured a first-team all-state selection as a junior before see-ing limited action as a senior due to injury.

Like Tagaloa, linebacker Hardy Nickerson Jr. (Oakland, CA/Bishop O’Dowd HS), son for former Golden Bear star Hardy Nickerson Sr., participated in the Semper Fidelis All-American and International bowls.

The remainder of the class includes defensive lineman Mau-rice Bennett (Madison, MS/Madison Central HS), athlete Jef-frey Coprich (Stevenson Ranch, CA/West Ranch HS), defensive back Damariay Drew (Livermore, CA/Livermore HS), fullback

Maximo Espitia (Salem, OR/South Salem HS), defensive back Willie Fletcher (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran HS), punter Cole Leininger (Fruit Cove, FL/Bartram Trail HS), offensive lineman Steven Moore (Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove HS) and tight end Harrison Wilfley (Orangevale, CA/Casa Roble HS/American River College).

A total of 12 of the 20 signees – Barton, Cochran, Dozier, Ford, Harper, Kline, Lawler, Leininger, Okafor, Powe, Tagaloa and Treggs – picked up at least four stars from one recruiting service.

Cal recruited heavily on the local front in the 2012 class with 15 members from California, in addition to one each from Florida, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas and Washington. The Bay Area News Group’s “Cream of the Crop” listing of the Top 20 players in the Bay Area included five Cal signees in Kline (1st), Tagaloa (2nd), Barton (4th), Nickerson Jr. (10th) and Drew (14th).

By position, Cal signed 12 offensive players, six on defense, one athlete and one specialist.

“We had big focuses on the offense line and wide receiver po-sitions,” Tedford said. “I felt like we really improved there in getting some young talent to come in and compete to make an immediate impact.”

2012 Cal Football Signing ClaSSname Pos Ht Wt Yr Exp Hometown/Previous SchoolsMichael Barton LB 6-1 211 Fr HS Concord, CA (De La Salle HS)Maurice Bennett DL 6-2 280 Fr HS Madison, MS (Madison Central HS)Matt Cochran OL 6-4 320 Fr HS Atwater, CA (Buhach Colony HS)Jeffrey Coprich ATH 5-9 182 Fr HS Stevenson Ranch, CA (West Ranch HS)Cedric Dozier WR 5-11 175 Fr HS Lakewood, WA (Lakes HS)Damariay Drew DB 6-0 195 Fr HS Livermore, CA (Livermore HS)Maximo Espitia FB 6-3 223 Fr HS Salem, OR (South Salem HS)Willie Fletcher DB 6-3 180 Fr HS Orange, CA (Orange Lutheran HS)Raymond Ford DB 5-11 174 Fr HS Gardena, CA (Junipero Serra HS)Chris Harper WR 6-0 171 Fr HS Encino, CA (Crespi HS)Zach Kline QB 6-1 195 Fr HS Danville, CA (San Ramon Valley HS)Kenny Lawler WR 6-3 192 Fr HS Upland, CA (Upland HS)Cole Leininger P 6-2 204 Fr HS Fruit Cove, FL (Bartram Trail HS)Steven Moore OL 6-6 270 Fr HS Elk Grove, CA (Elk Grove HS)Hardy Nickerson Jr. LB 6-0 221 Fr HS Oakland, CA (Bishop O’Dowd HS)Christian Okafor OL 6-6 315 Fr HS Houston, TX (Westbury HS)Darius Powe WR 6-2 186 Fr HS Lakewood, CA (Lakewood HS)Freddie Tagaloa OL 6-8 312 Fr HS Richmond, CA (Salesian HS) Bryce Treggs WR 5-11 171 Fr HS Inglewood, CA (St. John Bosco HS)Harrison Wilfley TE 6-5 240 Jr JC Orangevale, CA (Casa Roble HS/American River College)

Page 32: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

30 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

Senior Emily Childs first started playing golf when she was 11 years old, but her ties to the sport go back much farther than that.

Her mother, Sandy, was hitting a bucket of balls at the Montclair Driving Range in Oakland when a dashing young golfer named John Childs came up and offered to give her a lesson. After-wards, John asked Sandy out for a hot chocolate, and she agreed.

Years later (June 2, 1990 to be precise), Sandy watched her then-husband, John, a decorated amateur golfer and Mini Tour play-er, play 11 holes at Alameda Golf Course, all while in labor with their first child, Emily.

“I was destined to be a golfer,” Childs laughed while recounting her parents’ story.

Originally, it was her mother that Childs emulated more than her father. Sandy was a

talented artist and art teacher, and young Emily embraced her ar-tistic side at a very young age.

“As a little kid, I would sit in front of the TV and watch the Olympics or ice skating and I would draw the ice skaters or gym-nasts,” Childs said. “I really liked drawing when I was young.”

Sandy taught art classes at Emily’s school, with her daughter always signing up for Mom’s classes. The more classes she took, the more refined her art became. She was named the 2008 Artist of the Year at Alameda High after she was inspired to change the landscape of the institution with a stirring tribute to a classmate who died after being shot on Halloween of her senior year.

“It was awful,” Childs said, recalling the incident. “I felt like af-ter it happened, everyone forgot about it, so a friend and I decided to do a mural of her.”

The eight-foot mural that she refers to as her “greatest artistic accomplishment” is still up at Alameda High.

Even while her creative side flourished, Emily was also a bud-ding athlete, playing just about every sport but golf. As her father struggled to make a go of golf as a profession, he kept his two children, Emily and younger sister, Carly, away from the sport. Eventually, Sandy suggested that with all of John’s knowledge about golf, perhaps he should teach the girls.

“He took me and my sister out to hit balls and I just loved it,” Childs reflected. “Then we started practicing more and more. I got into tournaments and that was it.”

It took a little longer for Carly to embrace the game.

Born to GolfEmily Childs Has Won More Tournaments than Any Golden Bear

By Melissa Dudek

Emily Childs

Continued on page 33

Page 33: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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Page 35: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 33

“My sister didn’t really get into it at first, not like I did,” Childs said. “She would come and my parents made her watch me. (Cal) coach (Nancy) McDaniel remembers when she was recruiting me, Carly would be doing cartwheels down the fairway, stripping sticks, climbing trees. Carly was a wild child.”

Carly Childs eventually quit climbing trees and began clearing them with her tee shots, earning the Bay Area News Group’s 2011 East Bay Girls Golfer of the Year and signing with the Bears in the fall.

“Coach can’t believe Carly is coming to Cal now,” Emily laughed, thinking back to McDaniel’s initial encounters with the younger, rambunctious little sister.

Emily Childs also had a great deal of success as a younger golfer. In addition to achievements with her high school squads, she played in 10 national AJGA tourna-ments, four USGA girls’ championships and the 2006 USGA Women’s Amateur.

All of this led to Emily becoming a hot-ly recruited golfer who eventually signed with Colorado.

Childs enrolled at CU and headed to Boulder in the fall of 2008. Lured by the beauty of the mountain hamlet and a great art program, Childs also found immediate success on the links with the Buffs, being

named the Big 12 Golfer of the Month for both September and November and posting a 73.38 scoring average.

Life in Colorado was fantastic. And then it snowed.

The Alameda native soon transferred to Cal and was part of the 2009-10 team be-ginning in the fall of her sophomore year.

It was Childs’ junior campaign, however, that has left the biggest impact on the pro-gram. She became the first Cal golfer to win three tournaments in her career, with all three wins coming during the 2010-11 season. The first career victory, though, be-gan with a big defeat.

“The tournament before, at Tennessee, I didn’t qualify,” Childs explained. “I was angry. That weekend, when the team was gone, I spent the whole weekend practic-ing. It turned on a switch in me. I needed to get myself together.”

Get herself together, she did. She shot a 66 in qualifying, a course record at Green Valley Golf Course, and she headed to Washington still fired up.

“Having me not qualify for Tennessee was a wake-up call,” Childs said. “I didn’t want to be in the middle of the pack. I want-ed to do something with my game and not just settle. I ended up playing really well at Washington, so hard work pays off.”

She ended up earning the first win of her Cal career, shooting 10-under and winning the tournament by a three-stroke margin.

Her second triumph came at Stanford Golf Course in the spring portion of the split golf season schedule. She shot a four-under 67 in the second round of the Peg Barnard Invitational to earn the medalist honors, once again winning by three strokes, this time over teammate Joanne Lee.

In Cal’s next tournament, the Juli Inkster Spartan Invite at Almaden Golf Course in San Jose, Childs also became

Continued from page 10

Emily Childs stands with her mural at Alameda High School (above left), with her award after winning the 2011 Juli Inkster Spartan Invitational (left), and with her parents, Sandy and John.

the first Cal golfer to win back-to-back tournaments.

All three times Childs prevailed as an in-dividual, the Golden Bears were the team champions, as well.

After making it to the NCAA Champion-ships last summer, expectations were high for the 2011-12 Bear golfers, but the team got off to a rocky start this past fall. Just as the four-tournament fall portion of the schedule was about to begin, the team, and Childs in particular, was hit with devastat-ing news. One of their former teammates, Diane Kwon, passed away unexpectedly. Kwon and Childs were roommates during Childs’ first year in Berkeley.

“When Diane passed away, it was re-ally hard on a lot of us because we were so close to her,” Childs explained. “Hav-ing something like that happen … it made us think about life and what was

important. We didn’t play that well in the fall. Of course, we were thinking a lot about Diane. It kind of makes you realize what you have and how lucky you are to have all the people around you and really have all of these opportunities and make something out of it.”

It didn’t take long for Childs and the team to turn things around in the spring. In the opening tournament in February, Childs add-ed to her own record with a fourth tourney win, with the Cal team also coming away vic-torious, at the Peg Barnard at Stanford.

“Diane is in our thoughts. She’s motivat-ing me out there,” Childs had said the week before the tournament.

The motivated Bears will try to earn their 13th consecutive NCAA Regional bid this May and are hoping earn an invitation to the NCAA Championships for the eighth time in program history, with Childs, the girl who was destined to be a golfer, leading the way.

Page 36: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

34 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

To say that sophomore catcher Taylor Vincent was des-tined to become a Golden Bear is slightly hyperbolic. But only slightly.

During her freshman year at Pleasanton’s Foothill High School, former Cal greats Vicky Galindo and Lindsay James coached Vin-cent in fall ball. Soon after, teacher Chris Gibbons, a centerfielder for the Bears baseball team from 1982-83, ignited in Vincent a passion for physics.

A talented athlete and an even more gift-ed student with such connections seemed to indicate that Vincent was fated to become a Golden Bear. Well, almost.

“I had actually grown up as a UCLA fan, but I soon found myself liking Cal a lot more,” Vincent said of her ursine change of heart. “During the spring of my freshman year, I was at Levine-Fricke Field watching

Cal play UCLA, and I wasn’t rooting for Cal.”While Vincent has now found a home in softball’s Strawberry

Canyon, she also feels equally at ease in the classroom. Not only did she declare physics as her major early in her colle-giate career, but she also contributes to the nation’s No. 1 softball program this year. During this past offseason, Vincent even added another brick to her load, deciding to double major in math and physics.

“I had decided to a math minor for fun,” Vincent said of her early academic plan. “My roommate pointed out that it was a difference of an extra class, so I called my dad to tell him I was going to double in math and physics.”

No Exaggeration: Taylor Vincent Can

Balance Softball with Physics-Math Double Major

This coming summer, Vincent will intern with GigOptix in fiber optics and high-intensity lasers. Following graduation, she hopes to get her Ph.D. in biophysics from Cal and to work on advance-ments in human prosthetics.

“I knew I wanted to help people, but I can’t stand needles, so I knew being a doctor was out of the question,” Vincent said. “It’s a good way to apply the physics that I like and the helping that I also enjoy.”

Academic acumen very clearly runs in the Vincent family. Her mother, Teri, is a high-risk obstetrics registered nurse; her father, Richard, owns an MS in electrical engineering and an MBA; and sister, Jennifer, is set to attend Hastings Law School in the fall after graduating from the UCLA physiology honors program.

Vincent’s exceptional work ethic stands out even among her workhorse teammates, whether it’s asking for extra batting prac-tice or the vigilance with which she guards home plate.

Vincent’s path to softball began as a youngster innocently enough when a neighbor came home with a visor.

“I wanted to know how to get one,” Vincent said. “She said it was from softball so I begged my par-ents to sign me up.”

Once placed on a team, Vincent se-lected catching as her specialty.

“I like that catchers get to be in ev-ery play,” Vincent said. “I also like hitting people without getting into trouble. I get to see the entire field. As catcher, I’m in charge of what happens with the ball and telling people where to go with it.”

With Vincent calling the shots be-hind the plate, the Bears could not be in better hands.

Taylor Vincent

34 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

By Anna Oleson-Wheeler

Taylor Vincent has plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biophysics after graduating from Cal.

Page 37: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

SPRING 2012 35

The drive from his home in Folsom, calif., is an easy 80 miles away, but california men’s tennis senior Nick An-drews has never been an easy road guy.

The fourth-year Golden Bear turned down scholarship offers from others schools to walk on at Cal because he wanted to chal-lenge himself both athletically and academically.

“I really wanted to be pushed,” said An-drews. “When I was choosing a school, it was never a tennis-only decision. I’ve always placed a high priority on academics, so when coach presented me with the opportunity to come to Cal, it was perfect because of the academic and athletic reputation here.”

Four falls ago, Andrews waded his way through a 17-man roster to earn a scholarship

from head coach Peter Wright and has never looked back. He has since led the team in singles and doubles wins each of the last two seasons.

As a sophomore, Andrews secured his first ITA ranking and completed the year with a 26-9 singles record to go with 23 wins in doubles. Last season, he added 20 more singles wins, went 24-13 in doubles and cap-tured the Wilson/ITA Northwest Re-gional Championship with partner Christoffer Konigsfeldt.

Andrews’ commitment to academic excellence has earned him a pair of con-ference all-academic accolades and has helped keep the Bears atop Cal’s men’s sports for team grade-point average.

His desire to maintain a balance be-tween academic achievement and athletic

accomplishment in high school may not have allowed him to garner the attention that top juniors receive, but Andrews produced great re-sults in Northern California and played well enough during the sum-mer before his senior year at Jesuit High School to earn an ATP point.

While he could have chosen another collegiate destination and become the top player immediately, Andrews had long-term goals in mind when he selected Cal.

“I felt that I had a lot of room to grow,” said Andrews, “and I knew the program at Cal gave me the best opportunity to do so. I really wanted to show up and have to put in the hard work to become the best.”

Andrews took his first economics class during his senior year at Jesuit High and something piqued his interest enough that he will graduate this May with a degree in political economy.

“Every class I’ve ever taken at Cal has been with a purpose,” said Andrews, who has put a premium on the development of his own academic experience. In fact, the topic of one of his senior papers was Title IX and its relationship with the economy.

“My goal when I came to Cal was to earn a scholarship, so I guess you could say that’s why I’ve been playing tennis competitively,” Andrews said. “That’s always been my dream: to play tennis and to get a scholarship for doing it.”

When his playing days are over, An-drews has his sights set on being an in-fluence in the business world, though that part of his plan is still under construction.

“I don’t know exactly what I’ll be do-ing,” said Andrews. “Whatever I’m go-ing to be doing, what I do know is that I’m going to look for a challenge, and that I’m going to enjoy it.”

Nick Andrews Enjoys a Challenge On

and Off the Court

By Jeremy Wu

WINTER 2011-12 35

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Nick Andrews

Nick Andrews will graduate with a degree in political economy.

Page 38: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

36 cAl SPoRTS qUARTERlY

HoME EVENTS2012

SPRING caleNdaR

BAS Baseball (Evans Diamond)CRW Men’s & Women’s Crew (Redwood Shores)LAX Lacrosse (Witter Rugby Field)MGY Men’s Gymnastics (Haas Pavilion)WGY Women’s Gymnastics (Haas Pavilion)SB Softball (Levine-Fricke Field)

MTN Men’s Tennis (Hellman Courts)WTN Women’s Tennis (Hellman Courts)T&F Track & Field (Edwards Stadium)WWP Women’s Water Polo (Spieker Pool)Note: Rugby schedule not available at press time. See CalBears.com for details.

For a complete schedule, pick up a Cal schedule card at any home event or visit the official Cal website at www.CalBears.com.

15BAS vs. Washington SB vs. Arizona

17BAS vs. Santa Clara WTN vs. Fresno State

18SB vs. Santa Clara

20BAS vs. Utah LAX vs. Stanford MTN vs. Stanford

21BAS vs. Utah CRW vs. Washington

22BAS vs. Utah

27SB vs. UCLA T&F in Brutus Hamilton Invitational

28SB vs. UCLA CRW vs. Stanford T&F in Brutus Hamilton Invitational

29SB vs. UCLA

30SB vs. Washington WTN vs. Arizona

31SB vs. Washington WTN vs. Arizona State

april1SB vs. Washington

6MTN vs. Washington

7MTN vs. OregonWWP vs. UCLA

9BAS vs. Stanford

10LAX vs. Fresno State

13BAS vs. Washington SB vs. Arizona WTN vs. UCLA

14BAS vs. Washington SB vs. Arizona WTN vs. USC T&F vs. Stanford (Big Meet)

March 14LAX vs. Boston University

15MTN vs. Minnesota

16BAS vs. Oregon State

17BAS vs. Oregon State

18BAS vs. Oregon State WGY vs. Washington

20SB vs. Princeton

21LAX vs. Denver

23WTN vs. Sacramento State

24WTN vs. Washington State MGY vs. UIC

25LAX vs. Hofstra

28SB vs. Sacramento State

May10SB vs. Arizona State

11BAS vs. Arizona SB vs. Arizona State

12BAS vs. Arizona SB vs. Arizona State

13BAS vs. Arizona SB vs. Arizona State

14BAS vs. Washington State

18BAS vs. UCLA

19BAS vs. UCLA

20BAS vs0. UCLA

Page 39: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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100 yard dash

Ankle pain changes everything. To get back to normal faster, talk with a UCSF

physician who is a pioneer in the � eld of orthopaedics. To learn more about how our

Orthopaedic Institute can help you with ankle, foot or knee pain visit us at USCFOI.com.

Page 40: Cal Sports Quarterly Spring 2012 Issue

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