cal sports quarterly - summer 2007

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summer 2007 1

FeaturesLoud and CLear 6When Alysia Johnson captured the 800 meters to become the first Cal woman in 17 years to win an NCAA indoor championship, the achievement left her completely speechless. Johnson’s performances, though, speak more than loudly enough to compensate for her lack of words, so much so that as of late May, she ranked No. 1 in the United States in her specialty event.

InsIde KnowLedge 10Albert Einstein once said that the only source of knowledge is experience. The Athletic Study Center follows that theory closely, as four of its academic advisors are former Cal student-athletes who have become experts at helping current Golden Bears negotiate the labyrinth that the University can become.

FamILy man 14For Tyson Ross, Cal’s supremely talented sophomore right-hander, it is all about family – not only his immediate family, but his Golden Bear family, as well. For this phenomenal college pitcher who is developing into one of the school’s all-time greats, the campus of the University of California has almost always felt like home.

sILver and goLden 26Mark and Karen Biestman have a lot to celebrate this year. Not only are they commemorating their 25th wed-ding anniversary, but the proud Cal alumni have watched their older son, Ross, earn his degree and win another rugby national championship. From their unique perspective, they realize that the excellence demanded by the University is reflected in the achievements of Cal Athletics.

‘er’ PLans Career In PubLIC HeaLtH 28Elizabeth Rose Mayeda, known as “ER” to her teammates, naturally decided to pursue a career in the medical field. Accepted into Columbia’s School of Public Health for graduate school, she hopes to apply her experiences as a Cal distance runner to better the welfare of society for the future.

FoCused attentIon 32Four years ago, when Andre Bastos entered Cal as a freshman, he had no idea he would become a student-athlete. Now that he is graduating with a degree in cognitive science, he couldn’t imagine it any other way. And perhaps most significantly, the link he has discovered between rowing and his chosen academic field has expanded his intellectual horizons.

dePartmentsLetter From tHe dIreCtor oF atHLetICs 2

sIdeLIne rePort 3

marKetIng & PromotIons 17

wHere are tHey now? 18

season revIews 20

atHLetIC deveLoPment 23

FootbaLL reCruItIng 26

aCademIC aCHIevements 34

CONTENTssummer 2007

summer 2007

6

28

1410

32

26

2 CaL sPorts quarterLy

Dear Friend of Cal Athletics:

by any way you choose to measure success, 2006-07 has been one of the best years in the history of Cal Athletics. As I write this column, I am in Washington, D.C., where our

2006 women’s crew and men’s water polo teams are being honored for achieving the ultimate college athletic prize – an NCAA team championship. The White House visit has become one of the spoils of the victorious and a symbol of excellence within a given sport. Today (June 18) on the South Lawn of the White House, President Bush gathered 28 NCAA champions from across the country to pay tribute to talent, leadership and achievement.

At Cal, we are fortunate to experience national championships with some frequency. During the 2006-07 academic year alone, we captured two team titles (men’s water polo and rugby) and a record 11 individual NCAA crowns. Yet, I would hope that we would never take these accomplishments for granted, nor should we ever fail to recognize and pay tribute to all that is necessary to accomplish such an incredible triumph.

Those close to our program know that this success comes as a result of much sacrifice. Not only do our student-athletes accept the challenge of the world-class academic rigor at Cal, but they test and stretch their minds and bodies on a daily basis to perform at a world-class level in their athletic pursuits. Our student-athletes, coaches and support staff deserve a great debt of gratitude for their efforts that have meant so much to all of us in the Cal community.

The 2006-07 athletic seasons came to a close for the Golden Bears in grand style. At the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship in early June, our women’s team captured a program-best eighth-place finish, fueled by victories by Alysia Johnson and Kelechi Anyanwu in the 800 meters and discus, respectively. Each of these young ladies led their event from wire to wire and showed the nation that the Cal Bears are a force to be reck-oned with.

“All trends are up” for intercollegiate athletics at Cal. Our athletic performance has never been better, as evidenced by our Top-10 finish in the NACDA Directors’ Cup – the fourth time in the last five years we have reached that level. Even more importantly, these athletic accolades have been achieved in the context of student-athletes who are being recognized for their academic accomplishments and community engagement. Being a stu-dent-athlete at Cal is a rewarding proposition, but one that comes with great expectation. The duality of the expectations at Cal is, sadly, uncommon. However, Bears past, present and future would have it no other way.

Finally, this success is only possible because we have a campus and a University ad-ministration that believe in excellence in athletics, and we have alumni, fans and friends who feel that supporting the fabulous young people we have in our programs is a worthwhile place to focus their philan-thropy. As successful as this year has been, I believe that we have only begun to scratch the surface of our abilities as a program. Thank you for making our success a reality. We hope that we have made you proud to be a Golden Bear. Stay tuned – the best is yet to come! Go Bears!

Sandy Barbour

Director of Athletics

summer 2007

atHLetIC admInIstratIonatHLetIC dIreCtor: Sandy Barbour

dePuty dIreCtor oF atHLetICs: Steve Holton

dePuty dIreCtor oF atHLetICs/swa:Teresa Kuehn Gould

senIor assoCIate ad/InterCoLLegIate servICes:Foti Mellis

assoCIate ad/Human resourCes & FInanCIaL servICes: Dawn Whalin

edItorIaL staFF349 Haas PavilionBerkeley, CA 94720

edItor: Herb Benenson

ContrIbutIng wrIters:Scott Ball, Dean Caparaz, Chris DeConna, Kimberley Hoidal, Anton Malko, Tim Miguel, Debbie Rosenfeld-Caparaz, John Sudsbury

desIgn: Evan Kerr

PHotograPHy: John Todd (www.goldenbearsports.com), Michael Pimentel, Michael Burns, Don Faria, Charles Benton, Natalie Coughlin, John Dunbar, Evan Kerr, Chris Putman, David Schmitz, Jim Yudelson, Rodger Wood, among others

atHLetIC deveLoPment oFFICe195 Haas PavilionBerkeley, CA [email protected]

atHLetIC tICKet oFFICe(800) GO BEARS

For daily updates on Cal Athletics, including schedules, press releases and player pro-files, visit the department’s official website at www.CalBears.com.

on tHe CoverJunior Alysia Johnson has quickly developed into the most accomplished 800-meter runner in Cal history. Owner of the school record in the event, she captured both the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in 2007 and has an even brighter future ahead of her. Photo by John Todd.

vICe PresIdent & generaL manager: Solly Fulp(510) [email protected]

TO Our rEadErsLetter from director of athletics sandy barbour

summer 2007 3

goLden bears wILL be PromInent on summer natIonaL teams

John Mann Wins Peter J. Cutino aWard

Senior John Mann, a three-time first-team All-American who led Cal to the NCAA championship this past December, was named winner of the 2006-07 Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation’s top collegiate water polo player in early June.

Mann paced the Bears with 80 goals, and he completed his stellar career with 218 goals.

The Player of the Year Award is named in honor of Cutino, who headed the Cal men’s water polo program from 1963-88 and passed away in 2004. He guided the Bears to eight NCAA titles and was a 17-time water polo Coach of the Year.

reCord CHamPIonsHIP totaL For bears In 2006-07

no matter how you look at it, 2006-07 was a golden year for the Golden Bears.

Not only did Cal teams capture national team championships in both men’s water polo and rugby, but the Bears won 11 individual and relay titles – the high-est one-year total in school history.

Water polo was the first to reach the victory platform when it claimed its NCAA-record 12th crown in early December, while rugby defeated BYU, 37-7, May 5 for its 23rd championship since 1980.

Alysia Johnson (see page 6) became the undisputed queen of the 800 meters after winning both the indoor and outdoor titles, the latter in 1:59.29 – the third-fastest collegiate time in history. Gymnast Tim McNeill also reached the pinnacle of his sport twice, netting NCAA titles on the parallel bars and pommel horse.

Other victors during the year were senior Kelechi Anyanwu in the discus (school-record 188-11), Dana Vollmer in the 100 but-terfly (50.69), Jessica Hardy in the 100 breaststroke (59.43) and Patrick O’Neil in the 200 butterfly (1:43.77).

Finally, Cal women swimmers established American records in winning the 400 free relay (3:12.13), 800 free relay (7:00.89) and 400 medley relay (3:30.18) at the NCAA championships.

In its history, Cal has now captured 74 national team crowns in 13 different sports and 156 individual, relay and doubles titles.

although their collegiate seasons are complete over the summer, many

California student-athletes will remain active in national and international competition in a wide variety of sports.

The pool at the World Uni-versity Games in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 8-13 should be teeming with Bears, including U.S. representatives Emily Sil-ver, Erin Reilly and Alexandra Ellis.

Among the Cal athletes

who will compete at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this July are water polo player John Mann, baseball pitcher Tyson Ross and swimmer Patrick O’Neil.

Women’s crew coach Dave O’Neill will lead the U.S. Under-23 squad for a second straight year and will have four of his rowers vying for spots on the squad: Megan Smith, Mara Allen, Lou Kinder and Taryn O’Connell.

Golden Bears Rikus Preto-rius, a flanker, and back-rower Louis Stanfill will contend this summer as pool members for spots on the U.S. National rugby team, which travels to France in September for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Many other Cal athletes and coaches will be participating in a number of other trials and championships during the sum-mer months. Be sure to check CalBears.com to track their progress.

SIDELINE REPORT

natIonaL CHamPIonsHIP weeK sePt. 17-22

the Cal Athletic Depart-ment will host its second annual National Champi-

onship Week Sept. 17-22. The celebration recognizes Golden

Bear team and in-dividual national champions from the 2006-07 sea-sons and culmi-nates with their introduction dur-ing the Cal-Arizo-na football game.

Among the special events planned are the unveiling of a dis-play case in the Memorial Stadi-um Hall of Fame

Room, a Cal coaches round-table and a private reception for the champions with Chancellor Robert Birgeneau.

Watch CalBears.com for more information as National Cham-pionship Week approaches.

Tim McNeill

Kelechi Anyanwu

Chase Brogan

John Mann

Emily Silver


CaL FootbaLL PoPuLar Preseason CHoICe

seven Cal football games have been selected to be televised before the start of the 2007 season, including the

opener against Tennessee that will be aired on ABC and kick off at 5 p.m. At this same point last year, five Golden Bear contests had been chosen, and 11 games were ulti-mately broadcast.

In addition to Tennessee, the Sept. 8 game at Colorado State will begin at 11 a.m. PT and be shown on CSTV as part of the Mountain West Conference TV package. Comcast SportsNet in Northern California will then show the Louisiana Tech game Sept. 15.

Cal will appear on Fox Sports Net in back-to-back weeks at Arizona State Oct. 27 and vs. Washington State Nov. 3. Both games will start at 7 p.m.

The Bears’ final home game vs. USC Nov. 17 will kick off at 5 p.m. and be aired on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. The Dec. 1 Big Game at Stanford will begin at 4 p.m. and be shown on Versus, which is available on channel 75 or 81 on most Bay Area cable systems.

Decisions on other telecasts will be determined either 12 or six days prior to each game.

Jan brogan retIres aFter 29 seasons at CaL

haas Pavilion Gets a neW look

The Haas Pavilion floor underwent a makeover this spring and emerged with a slightly new look for the up-

coming campaigns. Most noticeably, the center circle has been replaced by a Cal logo to help give a more identifiable brand to the court. In addition, the Pac-10 logos are now located in both key areas, and Pete Newell Court is identified directly in front of the Cal bench, replacing the Cal Bear logo. As part of standard maintenance, the floor receives a thorough sanding and refinishing every 4-5 years.

Sept. 1 Tennessee 5:00 p.m. ABCSept. 8 at Colorado State 11:00 a.m. CSTVSept. 15 Louisiana Tech 3:30 p.m. Comcast SportsNetSept. 22 Arizona TBASept. 29 at Oregon TBAOct. 13 Oregon State TBAOct. 20 at UCLA TBAOct. 27 at Arizona State 7:00 p.m. FSNNov. 3 Washington State 7:00 p.m. FSNNov. 10 USC 5:00 p.m. ABC, ESPN or ESPN2Nov. 17 at Washington TBADec. 1 at Stanford 4:00 p.m. Versus

All times Pacific Time and subject to change

2007 Football

Photos (l-r): Jan Brogan on campus in 1978; Brogan’s first Cal team in 1978-79; Brogan with former assistant Kathy Toon and NCAA doubles champs Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen; assistant Damon Coupe, Brogan and NCAA singles winner Susie Babos.

Jan Brogan retired as Cal’s women’s tennis coach in June after completing a 29-year run with the program. During her tenure,

Brogan guided the Bears to 19 Top 10 finishes, including a semifinal appearance in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Under her tutelage, Cal players captured four national doubles titles and Susie Babos won the 2006 NCAA singles championship. An eight-time conference coach of the year, Brogan finished her career with more than 500 victories and produced 61 All-Americans.

SIDELINE REPORT

summer 2007 5

SIDELINE REPORT

Honors LunCHeon reCognIzes goLden bear aCComPLIsHments

goLden bear aCHIevement awards(highest gPA on eAch teAm)

PAc-10 PostgrAduAte scholArshiPs

Erin Reilly, Women’s SwimmingElyse Wong, Women’s Gymnastics

Daniel Sebescen, Men’s TennisAlex Pribble, Men’s Basketball

oscAr gebAlle PostgrAduAte scholArshiPs

Andre Bastos, Men’s CrewElizabeth Mayeda, Women’s Cross Country

Jenny Wendell, Women’s Soccer

golden beAr teAm AwArd

Women’s Soccer (highest GPA, 3.356)

neufeld scholAr-Athlete AwArds

(senior with highest GPA)Jenny Wendell, Women’s Soccer

Andre Bastos, Men’s Crew

PAc-10 medAl

(outstanding senior student-athlete)Jillian Davis, Volleyball

John Mann, Men’s Water Polo

JAke gimbel AwArd

(Golden Bear Spirit)Andrija Vasiljevic, Men’s Water Polo

AnnA esPenschAde AwArd

(Golden Bear spirit)Jillian Davis, Volleyball

JosePh mcdonnell kAvAnAgh AwArd

(most improved student)Nu’u Tafisi, Football

wAlter A. hAAs Jr. community service AwArd

Anna Key, Women’s Soccer

women’s golf:Shannon Yocum (Economics)

men’s gymnAstics:Zach Boone (Spanish)

women’s gymnAstics:Elyse Wong (Civil Engineering)

lAcrosse:Liz Reifsnyder (American Studies)

rugby:Jason Lee (Business Administration)

men’s soccer:Michael Nieraeth (Integrative Biology)

women’s soccer:Nkechi Kanu (Business Administration)

softbAll:Carly Winger (Business Administration)

men’s swimming & diving:Justin Pollard (Economics)

women’s swimming & diving:Kelly Stravers (Political Science)

Celebrating the academic, athletic and community service accomplishments of the Golden Bears, Cal Athletics hon-ored its student-athletes at the annual Academic Honors

Luncheon in mid-May. The event was co-sponsored by the Big C Society and the Athletic Study Center.

The list of attendees included student-athletes who have a cumu-lative GPA of 3.25 or higher, or have earned conference, regional

or national academic honors, or have served the community as leaders or mentors.

Three of the postgraduate scholarship recip-ients – Daniel Sebescen (men’s tennis), Andre Bastos (men’s crew) and Elizabeth Mayeda (women’s cross country) – are profiled in this issue of the Cal Sports Quarterly.

bAsebAll:Michael Capbarat (English)

men’s bAsketbAll:Nikola Knezevic (Mass Communications)

women’s bAsketbAll:Julia Numair (Business Administration)

men’s crew:Andre Bastos (Cognitive Science)

women’s crew:Tricia Davitt (Mass Communications)

men’s cross country:Chris Chavez (Economics)women’s cross country:

Rebecca Yau (Public Health)field hockey:

Anja Kuhk (Mass Communications)footbAll:

Jordan Kay (American Studies)men’s golf:

Freddy Wolfe (Interdisciplinary Studies)

men’s tennis:Pierre Mouillon (PEIS)

women’s tennis:Claire Ilcinkas (Economics)

men’s trAck & field:Alex Beitashour (Business Administration)

women’s trAck & field:Francesca Weems (Mass Communications)

volleybAll:Angie Pressey (History)

men’s wAter Polo:Andrew Nesbit (Business Administration)

women’s wAter Polo:Erika Hanson (Political Science)

Anna Key accepts the Haas Award from Athletic Study Center director Derek Van Rheenen

Left to right: Alex Pribble, Elyse Wong, Erin Reilly, Daniel Sebescen

Jillian Davis

Nu’u Tafisi Andre Bastos (left) and Jenny Wendell


For someone who relishes the individuality of track and field, Alysia Johnson failed just when the spotlight shined brightest.

This past March, Johnson became the first University of California woman in 17 years to win an NCAA indoor championship when she crossed the line ahead of the field in the 800-meter race. The achievement, perhaps the most significant of her promising career at the time, left her completely speechless.

“My brain just stopped functioning,” Johnson recalled. “I had so many emotions, I couldn’t put it into a single word. It was an awesome feeling.”

Johnson’s performances, though, speak more than loudly enough to compensate for her lack of words, so much so that as of late May, she ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 in the world in her specialty event.

For more than 20 years, the school record in the women’s 800 meters – Louise Romo’s 2:01.59 established in 1984 – had not been approached. No Golden Bear had come within two and a half seconds of the standard, a virtual eternity in track and field terms.

Then, Johnson enrolled at Cal in the fall of 2004 from Canyon Country, Calif., and soon, the mark was in jeopardy. A high school state champion in the 800, Johnson’s PR entering college was 2:08.97, but that figure wouldn’t last long.

As a freshman, Johnson chopped more than three seconds off her time, running 2:05.59 in her semifinal heat at the NCAA championships. She went on to earn All-America honors with a sixth-place finish, crossing the line in 2:06.88 in the final.

In 2006, Johnson again posted her best mark at the NCAA meet, this time clock-ing 2:03.04 en route to a bronze medal. Later that summer, she came within striking distance of Romo’s record when she finished the two-lap race in 2:01.80 at the USA Outdoor Championships, taking fourth in the event as the top collegian.

800-meter Specialist Alysia Johnson Gaining Notice for Her Record Performances

By Herb Benenson

& Clear

Loud WOMEN’s TraCk & FiEldalysia Johnson

summer 2007 7

distinction between a runner and a racer. A runner, according to Sandoval, ignores the rest of the field and battles against the clock. A racer, on the other hand, assesses the com-

petition in each contest and runs to win.“In the heat of battle, they end up

running a spectacular time,” Sandoval said. “I think that most coaches would prefer to have a racer rather than a runner. Alysia is an unbelievable racer.”

Johnson, perhaps, developed that trait as a youngster back in Canyon Country. When

Alysia Johnson ran an indoor school- record 2:03.47 to win the 800-meter title at the 2007 NCAA indoor meet.

That result led Johnson to fantasize about the possibility of competing in even more prestigious races in her future.

“In my senior year of high school, my best time was only 2:08,” Johnson said. “I felt like I had a lot more gas in the tank. I just needed to be pushed. It was going to take expe-rience for me to do what I wanted to do. Obviously, the Olympics have always been in my mind. After last year, it got me to start thinking about it. It is a dream that is possible.”

As successful as her 2006 sea-son was, Johnson’s junior cam-paign in 2007 has proven to be even more special, further solidi-fying her ambitions. At the NCAA indoor meet in Fayetteville, Ark., she beat a strong field to finish in 2:03.47, setting a school indoor record and outrun-ning the reigning outdoor champion, Re-bekah Noble of Oregon, down the stretch.

The win gave the Bear program its first indoor title since 1990 when Sheila Hudson captured both the long jump and triple jump.

Johnson continued her remarkable run up the Cal best-times chart in the spring when she finally passed Romo’s time at the California Collegiate Challenge April 28 at Edwards Stadium. Breaking the tape in 2:01.48, Johnson essentially ran untested, as she finished more than five seconds ahead of her nearest pursuer.

Johnson also left the field in her dust at the Pac-10 championships in May, finishing in 2:01.74, again more than five seconds faster than the runner-up from Stanford.

Then at the NCAA outdoor champion-ships in early June in Sacramento, Johnson improved her mark by more than two full seconds, claiming the national 800 title in 1:59.29 – the third-fastest time in collegiate history. Her event coach, Tony Sandoval, doesn’t want to speculate how much more Johnson can lower the standard.

“I try not to put times on people because I think when you start to do that, then you also make it a barrier,” said Sandoval, who is in his 25th season with the Bears and includes Romo among his distinguished pupils at Cal. “When you get splits along the way, of the three things that can happen, two of them are bad. If you go too fast, you think, ‘I’ve gone too fast, I’m going to die.’ If you go too slow, you think, ‘I’ve got to pick it up.’ Very rarely do you run a split that you want.”

Instead, Sandoval prefers to make the

she was just five, she would watch an older cousin run track, and as the family grew up, more and more of her brothers and cousins joined the sport.

Wanting to be included in the group, Johnson soon joined in. Despite being both the young-est and the only girl, more often than not, she was the fastest on the track.

And it wasn’t as if the competition was lacking. One cousin, Dayne Comrie, grew up to run hurdles at UC Irvine; her older brother, Eric, recently completed his senior year as a 400-meter specialist at Cal Poly Pomona; and her younger cousin, K.J. Comrie, is a sprinter at Hart High School.

An admittedly “super-competi-tive person,” Johnson began to concentrate on the 800 in high school, and by her senior year, she was voted the Santa Clarita Valley Athlete of the Year.

With an important college decision loom-ing, Johnson turned to another Canyon Country star, Lauren Fleshman, who was a multi-time NCAA champion at Stanford from 1999-2003 and is now the top-ranked 5000-meter runner in the United States.

“She helped with applying to college and letting me know what I should look for,” Johnson said. “She has been a really good mentor, in that I can call her and let her know where I am at. She is good with pointers ... what to look out for. She has been pushing me in the direction of where I can achieve the goals I want to reach.”

Her first choice was to attend Cal and join its up-and-coming distance program.

“I’m an individual who likes to be dif-ferent and start new things,” Johnson said. “I really like how Tony deals with his ath-letes. He is very fatherly, but also likes to get down to business.”

Johnson, who runs each race with an artificial flower in her hair – a tradition she began in high school – further promotes her individuality in her choice of major: theater and performance studies. Although she has yet to fully participate in a production due to her track and field commitments, she did get the opportunity to work on the Berkeley Dance Project.

“I am an outspoken person,” Johnson said. “I like to entertain, and I think that field works for me.”

Just don’t expect Johnson to articulate her feelings the next time she wins a big race. The end result will speak loudly enough.

WOMEN’s TraCk & FiEld

“It was going to take expe-rience for me to do what I wanted to do. Obviously, the Olympics have always been in my mind. After last year, it got me to start think-ing about it. It is a dream that is possible.” – Alysia Johnson

Alysia Johnson edged Michigan’s Katie Erdman to win the 800-meter title at the NCAA outdoor championships.

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S e c O n d h O m e O w n e r S h i p

summer 2007 9

TEAM - ACME 2/5/07 12:00 PM Page 1


the pressure to perform, sometimes before thousands of people. It can be intimidat-ing.”

The primary goal of the Athletic Study Center is to keep student-athletes focused and on track, while assisting them with dealing with the various pressures. Using their own life experiences, the academic advisors can often see potential roadblocks even before they happen.

“We try to be very hands-on as advisors,” said Stephen Johnson, another of Cal’s ad-visors and a former Cal basketball player. “We are more proactive. If we see some-where that’s slipping, then we are proactive in reaching out and saying you need to do x, y and z to get back on the ball. I defi-nitely would have benefited from that.”

Johnson’s own personal story may reso-nate best with the current Golden Bears. A highly touted 6-9, 210-pound forward from Baltimore who arrived at Cal in 1991, John-son was a key player for the 1992-93 squad that advanced to the Sweet 16. However, he departed Berkeley to play professionally overseas without earning his degree.

“I’ve been in their shoes, I know how it feels. I know the battle they have balancing athletics and academics,” Johnson said. “I can relate to them. A lot of student-athletes hit a wall and think they won’t make it. I just share my experiences and assure them they will make it. I also have an advantage

Albert Einstein once said that the only source of knowledge is experience. The Athletic Study Center at the University of California follows that theory closely, as four of its academic advisors are former Cal student-athletes.

When in need of assistance to negotiate the labyrinth that the University can become, the Golden Bears have the luxury to draw on the wisdom of each one of these advisors.

Located in the Cesar Chavez Center at the heart of the Berkeley campus, Cal’s Athletic Study Center consists of a wide range of study aids, but a key piece of this center is the former student-athletes on staff.

“Former student-athletes, and in particular former Cal student-athletes, provide excel-lent mentors for current student-athletes because they understand the Berkeley way,” said Derek Van Rheenen, the Director of the Athletic Study Center and a former Golden Bear soccer standout himself. “They can really help young student-athletes navigate the univer-sity culture and they understand the expectations of the classroom, as well as the playing field at an elite place like Berkeley.”

The advisors are available to assist Cal student-athletes with academic advice, including planning course-loads, assisting with study skills development and implementing gradu-ation strategies. However, with their experiences as student-athletes themselves, they can also assist with athletic issues, including managing practice times, dealing with the pres-sures of being a Division I athlete and even understanding personalities of coaches.

“We try to do everything we can to help the students in their time here at Cal,” said Chris Lane, who played water polo for the Bears from 1999-2000 and has both her bach-elor’s and master’s degrees from Cal. “That includes planning courses from semester to semester, mediating between the athletes and coaches and professors; making sure they’re fulfilling requirements, making sure they’re staying on track to graduate and eligible to compete, and sometimes, just being a confidante and a resource for them to talk about any sort of issue.”

“For me, on top of all [the academic basics], I’m a mom away from home, a big sister, a diary, a confidante, a friend,” field hockey player turned advisor Courtney Dolder said. “We spend a lot of time talking about personal things, because those have a big impact on how they do academically and athletically. By seeing the big picture, it helps me help them.”

The difficulty of being a student at the top public university in the nation, as well as being an athlete at a school which is battling for the Directors’ Cup as the top athletic program in the country, can be overwhelming at times.

“I don’t want to take anything away from the student that has a family or a full-time job. Every student has their own story and their own obligations,” said Cassidy Raher, a basketball player from 1997-2000 and a current advisor. “But student-athletes have so many obligations – practice, conditioning, working out, studying, being on top of their academics and making sure they’re making progress towards their degree. Then there is

aCadEMiCsstudent-athlete study Center

Student-Athletes Draw on Alumni Experiences in Athletic Study Center

Courtney DolDer

FIELD HOCKEY

KnoWleDGeINSIDE

By John SuDSBury

summer 2007 11

“More than anythinG, havinG Been a StuDent-athlete GiveS Me inSiGht .... i have a GooD perSpeCtive on hoW to Deal With CoaCheS, parentS, SoCial life, Many of the thinGS that affeCt StuDentS.” – Courtney DolDer

Stephen JohnSon ChriS lane CaSSiDy raher

MEN’S BASKETBALL

with some of the student-athletes because I know what it is to be a bad student.”

After a 10-year professional career in Eu-rope, Johnson felt a “monkey on his back.” He knew he needed a college degree, but more importantly, he wanted the respect that a degree would impart on him. Upon retiring, he made the return to Berkeley, logged a 3.7 GPA and earned his bachelor’s degree in May; he is now pursuing his master’s degree.

“I know how it is when you are a poor student and what they can expect, what situations they will put themselves in,” he said. “But now I know what it takes to be a good student. I use both of those experi-ences to help my students. And I tell them to do what you have to do now, because you don’t want to have to come back five, six, seven years down the road.”

Cal’s student-athletes are among the best in the nation, if not the world. With national champions, Olympians and future profes-

sional athletes on campus, it is some-times difficult for other students to identify with them. And vice versa. How can someone truly understand the plight of a student-ath-lete if they have never attempted the same juggling act of academics and athletics?

“I think (having played a sport here) gives me a lot of credibility,” Lane said. “Our student-athletes know that I had to go through what they’re going through. There is a bond between athletes, so it gives me an automatic connection with whoever walks through my door.”

“More than anything, having been a stu-dent-athlete gives me insight,” said Dolder, who was a member of the field hockey team from 1993-94 and later served as the football team manager. “I’ve been there. Being away from home for the first time, balancing the

rigors of Division I athletics with the education at the top public university. I have a good perspec-tive on how to deal with coaches, parents, social life, many of the things that affect students.”

In addition to being able to identify with the current crop of student-athletes, Dolder, Lane, Johnson and Raher also understand the ins and outs of Cal. They are familiar with many of the classes and professors, as well as the coaches and administrators with-in the Athletic Department.

“Being an alum and a former student-ath-lete, I have a lot of pride being on campus and helping the university that helped me so much,” said Raher, who worked for three years as an academic advisor at USC before returning to Cal. “That’s a key component in my efforts every day. I want to make sure I’m giving back to the university and the Athletic Department that gave me so much.”

Cal has continued to build on its success-es in the athletics arena in recent years, but through that increased success, the school and Athletic Department have never lost focus on the “student” side of student-ath-lete. The academic advisors in the Athletic Study Center are not just success stories for Cal athletics, they are using their own experiences to help foster future success stories for the Golden Bears.

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summer 2007 13

For Tyson Ross, Cal’s supremely talented sophomore right-hander, it is all about family.

In Ross’ case, it is not only about his immediate family – father Willie, mother Jean, sister Francesca and brother Joe – but his Golden Bear family, as well. For this phenomenal college pitcher who is developing into one of the school’s all-time greats, the campus of the University of California has almost always felt like home.

“I used to go to Cal baseball camps every summer grow-ing up,” explained Ross, who was raised in Oakland and attended Bishop O’Dowd High School. “First it was for-mer coach Bob Milano’s camp when I was eight, then it was David Esquer’s camp from then on. I would even go to the All Sports Camps up at Strawberry Canyon. It seemed like I was always at Cal playing sports. It was a part of my growing up.”

Ross has now matured into a robust 6-5, 215 pounds and is utilizing all the skills he acquired as a Cal youth camper to the fullest of his abilities. He is the Bears’ No. 1 starter on the mound and has established himself among the up-

Family man

BasEBalltyson ross

aFter attending Cal Camps as a youngster, pitCher tyson ross

enjoys staying Close to home

By sCott Ball


per echelon of collegiate pitchers. After an impressive freshman campaign in 2006 in which he was selected honorable mention All-Pac-10, going 6-4 with a 3.19 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 84.2 innings, Ross was even better in 2007.

This past spring, Ross was named a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top collegiate baseball player, and was among the Pac-10 leaders in strike-outs, earned run average, innings pitched and opponent batting average. He was se-lected the March 25 National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball after striking out 16 batters, only three away from the school record of 19 set by Larry Colton in 1963, with only one walk in seven innings against Oral Roberts.

Tyson Ross poses with his family at a recent home game (left), and with head coach David Esquer while celebrating his 13th birthday at Evans Diamond on April 22, 2000. Ross is wearing the white Cal t-shirt.

BasEBall for the Cal baseball program. He is part of Cal’s youth brigade that listed 26 under-classmen on the 39-man squad this past spring, including freshman outfielder Jeff Kobernus, who was a high school team-mate of Ross at Bishop O’Dowd.

“It is a lot of fun to have ‘Kobe’ on the team,” said Ross. “We are starting to have fun here like we did in high school ... going out and having a good time on the field and winning. I really like this team. It is mostly Bay Area kids who have played together on all-star teams or against each other. We have

a feel of local pride with a lot of friends and family around to cheer us on. I love it here at Cal – the school, the athletics, the town of Berkeley. We have great coaches. Coach Hubbs and coach Esquer are great people to work with. With coaches like that, the sky is the limit. I am really looking forward to the future.”

In addition to pitching for the Bears, Ross also has experience as a two-year member of the USA Junior National team in 2004 and 2005. A highlight for the Oak-land native in international competition came in the fall of 2005 when he threw five shutout innings against powerhouse Cuba in a tournament in Villahermosa, Mexico. This summer, Ross will be with the USA National team for the Pan American Games in Brazil and World Championships in The Netherlands.

Having had the opportunity to travel around the globe representing the United

States, it is his relationship with his family that helped convince Ross to stay local and attend Cal.

“My family is very important to me,” said Ross, whose father, Willie, is a pedia-trician, and mother, Jean, is a nurse at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. “That is why I went to Cal, to stay close to home so my family could see me play.”

Intending to major in American studies, Ross would like to coach some day after completing his degree and playing baseball professionally. With his tall frame, good

velocity and wide array of pitches, the Cal hurler is projected be one of the nation’s top picks in the June 2008 Major League Draft.

When time allows, Ross also enjoys helping his dad coach his younger brother, Joe, 13, who pitches and plays shortstop, just like Tyson did as a youngster. Ross’ sister, Frankie, also an athlete, is a senior at Bishop O’Dowd and will be playing soccer at Portland State next fall.

“Beyond Tyson’s ability, he is a product of a good family,” said Esquer. “He is the total package in what you would want in a college athlete ... he does all the little things that make someone successful. His Friday night performances have been as good as anyone we have ever had. Tyson is so well-liked that players from his junior national teams want to come to Cal. He is one of those people both likeable to younger kids and likeable to adults. He has a smile that is infectious.”

summer 2007 15

On the year, Ross was a hard-luck 6-6, but had a 2.49 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 115.2 innings. An indication of his tough fortune, he lost four, one-run games, in-cluding two, 1-0 decisions. Ross threw at least six innings 15 times during the sea-son, including a complete game at Stanford March 2.

For his career, Ross already has 205 strikeouts in 200.1 innings with a 2.79 ERA. His strikeout total places him ninth on Cal’s career list and just 79 K’s away from the school record.

“I remember when I first stepped on the mound as a freshman, I was thinking about all the Cal games I had watched growing up,” said Ross. “And I think about all the kids watching me now, just like I used to watch Cal players when I was young. I learned back then, watching those games at Evans Diamond, I wanted to be a Bear.”

Ross also learned how to throw his domi-nating curveball from his future pitching coach as a youth camper at Evans Diamond.

“I learned how to throw a curveball from coach (Dan) Hubbs at Cal Camp when I was 15,” said Ross. “With his help, it came really easy for me.”

It is not every day that a coach gets a

chance to teach a youngster a craft, and then has the benefit of coaching that player in college and seeing him develop into one of the nation’s best.

“No doubt it is a unique circumstance to be the one who taught Tyson how to throw a breaking pitch and then to have the op-portunity to see everything progress for him,” said Hubbs, who is now in his eighth season mentoring the Cal pitching staff. “He has a chance to be better than anyone I have ever coached at Cal. He has unbeliev-able poise on the mound. The key to Tyson is his feel for the game ... how instinctual his pitching is. He is an excellent athlete, a complete pitcher and his work ethic is sec-ond to none. He is a joy to coach. But as good of a baseball player as he is, he is an even better person.”

With his engaging smile and easy-going manner, as well as his ability on the field, Ross has become an ambassador of sorts

“Beyond tyson’s aBility, he is a produCt oF a good Family. he is the total paCkage in what you would want in a College athlete ... he does all the little things that make someone suCCessFul.” – head CoaCh david esquer

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summer 2007 17

Meet the Bears at Fan Appreciation Day

Cal fans can get an up-close and personal look at the 2007 Golden Bear football team at Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 25,

inside Memorial Stadium.Head coach Jeff Tedford, his staff and the entire

team invite fans to enjoy a day of Cal football. Meet and greet all the players and coaches, take

part in real-life football drills on the Momentum Turf and get player autographs. There will be free food and other giveaways throughout the day. In addition, all fans will receive the official 2007 Cal football team poster.

Log onto CalBears.com for more information, which will be announced in the com-ing weeks.

Fun Zone and March to Victory – Two Gameday Traditions

Cal’s Fun Zone brought to you by Subway will be held on Max-well Family Field two-and-a-half hours before each home football game. The Fun Zone features a Kids Zone, a new and

improved Food Zone, the Cal Beer Garden, inflatable games, interactive booths, giveaways, contests and much more.

Make sure you also come out and cheer on the Golden Bears as they arrive at Memorial Stadium for the “March to Victory,” which starts 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time. Your support will help fire them up!

Women’s Football Huddle August 3

Join the Cal football coaching staff for a fun evening of learning the ins and outs of football at the annual Wom-

en’s Football Huddle Friday, Aug. 3.Designed especially for women, partici-

pants will take part in interactive events on the Memorial Stadium turf. Check-in time is from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. and on-field ac-tivities begin at 6:30.

Participants should wear workout ap-parel and tennis shoes. Free appetizers, beer, wine and a T-shirt are included in the $35 registration fee ($60 for two people).

Reserve your space by going online at www.calmarketplace.org or calling (800) GO BEARS. Space is limited, so be sure to register early.

MarkETiNG aNd PrOMOTiONsspecial events

Cal fan Ellen Abbatecola with Thomas DeCoud

From Tackle to Transplant SurgeonDr. John Najarian Has Used His Cal Background to Become a Giant in the Medical Field

Pappy’s Boys are renowned for their success on the football field, and many of those legendary Golden Bear football players have gone on to even greater success after their days in Berkeley. One of those “Boys,” Dr. John Najarian, achieved one of his life goals by helping Cal to the 1949 Rose

Bowl, and he achieved another by becoming a doctor and developing into a world-famous transplant surgeon.

An Oakland product, Najarian was a Golden Bear football standout and earned his undergraduate degree in three years. Among a glut of candidates for Cal’s medical school, he saw his football playing experience as a key chip for him to gain accep-tance to the program.

Because he had graduated in three years, Najarian had the opportunity to continue with his football career while attending medical school, the first year of which was on the Berkeley campus. The 1948 team rolled to a perfect 10-0 regular season record, and Najarian found himself with an interesting dilemma.

“The two weeks leading up to the Rose Bowl were when my med school class-mates spent their time studying for finals, which were very important and very dif-ficult in the first year,” he said. “So I went to the Rose Bowl with a suitcase full of books, which I never opened, needless to say.”

Despite the lack of preparation for that first round of finals, his success in the classroom continued. After earning his M.D. in 1952, Najarian soon became a leader in the field of transplant surgeries and formed one of the world’s largest transplant programs at the University of Minnesota.

“We’ve accomplished a lot in surgery and transplants,” Najarian said. “The one thing I am most proud of is the over 200 surgeons I have trained over the years. Anywhere I go, there’s somebody I trained there ... Cyprus, Greece, England, wher-ever.”

Through all of the success in his nearly 60 years after his days in Berkeley, Najar-ian continues to be a big fan of the Bears. He attends one or two Cal games every year with the rest of Pappy’s Boys, reliving the great years of the past and enjoying the new-found success under coach Jeff Tedford.

“I bleed blue and gold,” he said. “Tedford has been a breath of fresh air. When Tedford arrived, all of a sudden things changed. In 1946, we had Frank Wickhorst as our coach; he tried to treat us like we were in the service and we ended up 2-7. With almost the same team the next year, Pappy Waldorf ended up 9-1. It’s similar to what Tedford has done. He’s taken it to the top.”

Like so many other Cal fans and alumni, Najarian would love to see the Bears make a return to Pasadena for the New Year’s Day game. On the wall of his office is an article saved from the Los Angeles Times following Cal’s 20-14 loss in the 1949 Rose Bowl. The headline is “How To Win a Game Without the Football” with a photo of Northwestern’s Art Murakowski.

“It shows us hitting him on the one-yard line and the ball is out of his hands and the goal line can be clearly seen,” Najarian said. “He doesn’t have the ball! But the referee gave the touchdown to them.”

As a man who has been a key part of lifting medicine to levels never thought pos-sible, it is fitting he is also a fan of another bit of modern technology.

“We sure could have used instant replay back in that Rose Bowl,” Najarian said.

WhErE arE ThEy NOW?John najarian ’50

By John Sudsbury


©2007

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Bill relies on AT&T so he can have high-speed Internet access and

satellite TV to search, find and practice new baseball superstitions.

TheNewATT.com


basebaLL2007 record: 29-262007 Pac-10 Finish: 12-12/4thCal made a late bid for a postsea-son berth, winning six of its last eight games, but was not selected for an

NCAA regional despite finishing alone in fourth place in the Pac-10 standings. The Bears did have two players, sophomore right-hander Tyson Ross and sophomore first baseman David Cooper, earn first-team All-Pac-10 accolades, while four others – sophomore right-hander Matt Gorgen, sophomore left-hander Craig Bennig-son, and freshman outfielders Blake Smith and JeffKobernus – were tabbed honorable mention All-Pac-10.

men’s basKetbaLL2006-07 record: 16-172006-07 Pac-10 Finish: 6-12/8thAfter an injury-plagued regular sea-son that limited Cal to no more than

nine healthy scholarship players for most of the year, the Bears came alive in the Pac-10 Tournament, defeating Oregon State, 70-51, in the opening round and upend-ing top-seeded UCLA, 76-69 in overtime, to reach the semifinals for the fourth time in the last six years. Pac-10 All-Freshman team member Ryan Anderson was the only player to rank among the top five in the league in both scoring and rebounding, while Ayinde Ubaka, who matched his career high with 29 points in the tourney win over the Bruins, finished 17th on Cal’s all-time scor-ing list with 1,194 points.

women’s basKetbaLL 2006-07 record: 23-92006-07 Pac-10 Finish: 12-6/3rdnCaa Finish: 1st round

Under the direction of Pac-10 Coach of the Year Joanne Boyle, Cal assembled one of its best seasons in school history. The Bears finished the year one win shy of matching the 1983-84 Bears (24-8) for the school re-cord for most wins in a season and earned consecutive NCAA Tournament berths for only the second time in program history. This year’s team also placed third in the Pac-10 for a school-best showing, and at 12-6, the Bears equaled the 1991-92 squad for the best Pac-10 record in school history. Devanei Hampton, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, and Ashley Walker garnered

honorable mention Associated Press All-America honors.

women’s Cross Country2006 Pac-10 Finish: 9thCal won the USF Invitational and Aggie Open to start the season and wrapped up the year with an 18th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional. JuniorRebecca Yau led Cal in five of the

six events she entered in 2006 and posted three top-15 results. Yau paced the Bears at the Pac-10 champion-ships (26th, 21:35.57) and at the NCAA West Regional (33rd, 22:24.69). Bridget Duffy, Pippa Macdonald, Elizabeth Mayeda, Mackenzie Pierce, Lisa Sandoval and Yau were honorable mention Pac-10 All-Academic selections.

FIeLd HoCKey2006 record: 17-52006 norPac Finish: 6-0/1st2006 nCaa Finish: 1st roundSenior Valentina Godfrid led the Bears through an undefeated confer-

ence season and into the NCAA Tournament. The na-tional leader in both goals (34) and points (75), Godfrid became the first Cal player to be named a first-team All-American since 1987. She also capped off her Cal ca-reer topping the Golden Bear charts in career goals (93) and career point (220). A second-team All-West Region selection, sophomore Ashley Glosz was second on the team in goals with 13. Shellie Onstead was voted Nor-Pac Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth time.

FootbaLL2006 record: 10-32006 Pac-10 Finish: 7-2/t1st2006 Final ranking: 14thThe Golden Bear football team con-tinued its impressive run of success

in 2006, winning 10 games for just the eighth time in school history, advancing to a school-record fourth straight bowl game, achieving a Top 10 national rank-ing for the third year in a row and capturing a share of the Pac-10 title for the first time since 1975. The season culminated with a convincing 45-10 triumph over Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl. Cornerback Daymeion Hughes and wide receiver/return special-ist DeSean Jackson were honored as consensus All-Americans. Hughes was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, while Marshawn Lynch earned the same honor on the offensive side of the ball. Lynch, linebacker Desmond Bishop and defensive tackle BrandonMebane joined Hughes and Jack-son as All-Americans.

men’s Crew2007 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd2007 Ira Finish: 5thCal finished fifth in the varsity eight grand final at the IRA championships on the Cooper River in Camden N.J., but the Bears did not leave the regat-ta without their fair share of medals.

Cal’s freshman eight won the national title – the ninth consecutive year the Bears have placed among the top three. In addition, Cal captured championships in the freshman four and varsity four. The Bears’ freshman eight also won its fifth straight Pac-10 title, while the var-sity eight placed second in the conference races.

women’s Crew2007 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd2007 nCaa Finish: 7thAfter winning national team titles in both 2005 and 2006, Cal finished seventh at this year’s NCAA cham-pionships in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Bears’ second varsity eight had the

highest finish among Cal’s boats, taking second in the grand final. Cal’s varsity four also reached the medal stand with a third-place showing, while the varsity eight placed 13th. At the Pac-10 regatta, the Bears won the second varsity race and were third in the varsity eight. Cal placed second behind USC in the team standings.

men’s Cross Country2006 Pac-10 Finish: 8thLed by David Torrence’s 13th-place showing, Cal finished 10th at the NCAA West Regional in the fall. Torrence, an all-region and second-team All-Pac-

10 choice, capped the season with his first appearance at the NCAA championships, where he was 92nd out of 250 runners. Torrence paced the Bears in all five races he competed in, recording four top-25 performances. Mark Matusak also stood out for Cal, finishing second among all Bears’ runners in all four of his races. Chris Chavez was tabbed first-team Pac-10 All-Academic, while Matusak was a second-team pick.

Devanei Hampton DeSean JacksonWomen’s Crew


summer 2007 21

men’s soCCer2006 record: 13-6-12006 Pac-10 Finish: 7-3-0/1stnCaa Finish: 3rd roundCal collected its first Pac-10 title and head coach Kevin Grimes received an unprecedented third Pac-10 Coach of the Year Award before the Bears began their NCAA College Cup campaign. The tournament’s 13th seed, Cal received a first-round bye and defeated New Mexico, 3-1, before falling at Virginia. Forward Javier Ayala-Hil, midfielder Eric Ebert, midfielder Andrew Jacobson and defender Steve Purdy earned first-team All-Pac-10 notice. Purdy, Cal’s second-leading scorer with five goals, was select-ed to several All-America teams, while Ayala-Hil paced the squad with 12 goals, which tied for second in the Pac-10.

women’s soCCer2006 record: 12-5-52006 Pac-10 Finish: 3-3-3/6thnCaa Finish: 2nd roundCal made its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and eighth in the last nine seasons in 2006. Behind two goals and an assist from Julia Schnugg, Cal defeated Auburn, 3-1, in the first round of NCAAs before falling to Florida State, 3-1. The Bears solidified their postseason fate by posting dramatic wins over No. 4 Santa Clara (1-0 OT) and No. 11 Stanford (1-0) during the final week of the regular season. Courtney Hooker, Nadia Al-Lami and Caroline Lea received first-team All-Pac-10 acco-lades. Kevin Boyd resigned as head coach after the year’s end and was succeeded by Neil McGuire, a for-mer head coach at Texas Tech and Mississippi State.

soFtbaLL2007 record: 34-322007 Pac-10 record/Finish: 7-14/8th2007 nCaa Finish: regionalsCal received its 22nd consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament – the longest active streak in the Pac-10 and second longest in the country. With a squad that featured seven fresh-men and faced the nation’s fourth-toughest schedule, the Bears had eight wins over Top 25 teams. Five play-ers earned all-conference recognition, including lone senior Alex Sutton, who nabbed second-team honors after pacing the squad with 12 home runs and 47 RBI. Gina Leomiti batted a team-high .354, while Cal set a school record with 322 runs scored on the year.

men’s goLF2007 Pac-10 Finish: 9th2007 nCaa regional Finish: 14thCal returned to the national scene by qualifying for the NCAA West Re-gional for the first time since winning

the national championship in 2004. The Bears posted their best performance of the season at the regional, but fell just short of advancing to nationals. Junior Michael Jensen stepped into a starring role in the spring, pacing the team in five of its eight events, includ-ing an impressive 18th-place finish at regionals. Junior Brandon Beck was also strong at regionals, tying for 30th. Chris Jensen led a trio of freshmen on the young Cal roster, averaging a 73.2 over seven tournaments.

women’s goLF2007 Pac-10 Finish: 5th2007 nCaa regional Finish: 19thCal earned its eighth consecutive bid for the NCAA regionals on the strength of a fifth-place showing at the

Pac-10 championships. Sophomore Allison Goodman was the Bears’ most consistent golfer, pacing the Bears in eight of their 11 events and finishing fifth at the Pac-10 Tournament. Both Goodman and freshman Sofia Janer were chosen honorable mention all-conference.

men’s gymnastICs2007 record: 11-102007 mPsF Finish: 3rd2007 nCaa Finish: 7thCal completed its season with a Top-10 NCAA championships finish for

the 11th time in the last 12 years with a seventh-place standing. Junior Tim McNeill captured two national titles, winning both the pommel horse and the parallel bars at the NCAA meet. He also won the pommel horse as a sophomore in 2006. In addition, junior Colin Christ and sophomore Kyson Bunthuwong earned All-Amer-ica honors. The Bears’ biggest team win was a victory over then-No. 3 Ohio State March 10 in Berkeley, while Cal also placed third at the MPSF championships.

women’s gymnastICs2007 record: 11-182007 Pac-10 Finish: 0-6/7th2007 nCaa regional Finish: 4th

Cal capped off the 2007 season with its highest ranking since 2004 when the Bears were ranked 26th at the end of the year. Cal hosted the NCAA West Regional in Haas Pavilion and captured fourth place on its home floor. The Bears posted their second-highest team score in school history when they totaled 196.500 in a quad meet at UC Davis. Sophomore Jessica Kelley continued to prog-ress, coming through with a career-best 39.450 in the all-around competition at Davis. Four gymnasts also scored 9.900 or higher in three different events this season.

LaCrosse2007 record: 7-102007 mPsF Finish: 2-3/4thCal reached the MPSF Tournament third-place game to cap its season. Senior Laura Cavallo ended her career as the Golden Bears’ all-time leader in both total points (202

points) and goals (145), while senior teammate Liz Rei-fsnyder wound up her career ranked second in assists (63) in Cal history. Cavallo and senior goalkeeper Hilary Lynch tied the mark for most games played as a Bear (73 each). Head coach Jill Malko retired from coaching after the season and accepted a position in the Univer-sity Relations office on campus.

rugby2007 record: 25-12007 national Finish: 1stEn route to their 37-7 repeat victory over BYU in the championship final, the Bears swept all collegiate compe-tition, including the British Columbia Thunderbirds, for their eighth “World

Cup” in the last 11 years. Cal lost its only match when the Bears fell six points short to the 2006 Rugby Super League champion OMBAC. In the national tournament, Cal beat its postseason opponents by the combined score of 166-10 for its 23rd championship and fourth collegiate title in a row. Sophomore Colin Hawley was honored as MVP of the championship.

Tim McNeill

Oski

Caroline Lea

summer 2007 21


men’s swImmIng & dIvIng2006-07 record: 5-32007 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd2007 nCaa Finish: 8thPatrick O’Neil won the 200 butterfly

at the NCAA championships in a school-record 1:42.98 to lead Cal to an eighth-place national finish, the 10th consecutive year the Bears have finished in the Top 10. At the Pac-10 meet, O’Neil (200fly), Dominik Meichtry (200 freestyle) and David Russell (100 backstroke) each captured a conference title. As a team, Cal was the league runner-up. Sophomore Sam Helvie was named the Pac-10 Diver of the Month for January, while Meichtry was the conference Swimmer of the Month for January, as well.

women’s swImmIng & dIvIng2006-07 record: 10-12007 Pac-10 Finish: 3rd2007 nCaa Finish: 3rdBehind individual titles from Dana Vollmer and Jessica Hardy,

plus three relay championships, Cal finished third at the NCAA meet – the highest placing in the program’s his-tory. Vollmer won the 100 butterfly, with Hardy repeating as champion in the 100 breaststroke. In addition, the Bears captured the 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay all in American-record times. Cal won nine Pac-10 titles – six individual and three relays – and placed third at the conference meet. Freshman diver Samantha Young was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year.

men’s tennIs2007 record: 14-102007 Pac-10 Finish: 4-3/t3rd2007 nCaa Finish: 1st roundFor the eighth year in a row, head coach Peter Wright guided Cal into the NCAA Tournament. The Bears,

however, lost a hard-fought match to Oklahoma in the first round, 4-3. During the regular season, Cal de-feated Stanford in both meetings, with the first contest a 7-0 sweep in Berkeley. The second victory was the regular-season finale that played a big part in Cal’s clinching a spot in the NCAA championships. Junior Pierre Mouillon earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors and was ranked in the Top 35 of the ITA singles rankings the entire year.

voLLeybaLL2006 record: 22-102006 Pac-10 Finish: 9-9/5th2006 nCaa Finish: sweet 16Cal made its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and ad-

vanced to the Round of 16 for the second time in school history. The Bears were ranked 13th in the final AVCA poll after defeating LSU and Cal Poly in the NCAA first and second rounds in San Luis Obispo, before falling to Stan-ford at regionals. Cal opened the year by winning 14 of its first 15 matches, capturing three in-season tournaments along the way. Junior outside hitter Angie Pressey, who had a team-high 487 kills, was chosen first-team All-Pac-10 for the third straight year, as well as a second-team All-American. Senior libero Jillian Davis completed her career with a school-record 1,810 digs.

men’s water PoLo2006 record: 31-42006 mPsF Finish: 6-2/1st2006 nCaa Finish: 1stCal won its NCAA-record 12th NCAA championship with a 7-6 victory over

USC on junior Jeff Tyrrell’s last-second shot in the national title match. Tyrell also scored the game-win-ner in the MPSF championship game when the Bears defeated the Trojans, 6-5, to give Cal an automatic bid in the NCAA field. Head coach Kirk Everist was named national Coach of the Year, while junior goalie Mark Sheredy was selected NCAA Tournament MVP. The Golden Bears had 10 All-Americans, including MPSF Tournament MVP John Mann. Mann paced Cal with 80 goals and finished his career as a three-time first-team All-American.

women’s water PoLo2007 record: 12-112007 mPsF Finish: 6-6/7thThe Cal women’s water polo program placed ninth in the MPSF Tourna-ment, concluding its season with a 9-

8 victory over host Arizona State. Senior Elsie Windes was named second-team All-MPSF, despite missing five matches during the year when she was with the gold medal-winning USA National team at the World Cham-pionships. In addition, Darby Anderson was selected to the MPSF All-Freshman squad. Freshman GraceReynolds paced Cal with 43 goals and junior Molly Hayes was the March 13 MPSF Player of the Week.

women’s tennIs2007 record: 23-72007 Pac-10 Finish: 5-3/4th2007 nCaa Finish:

semifinalsCal upset second-ranked Georgia in the quarterfinals of the NCAA

Tournament to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2003 and the sixth time in the history of the program. The Bears ended the season ranked No. 5 and featured three All-Americans. Susie Babos andZsuzsanna Fodor earned All-America honors in both sin-gles and doubles, and the tandem was named the Pac-10 Doubles Team of the Year. Freshman Nina Henkel was also an All-American in singles and a second-team All-Pac-10 selection. In addition, head coach Jan Brogan retired after 29 seasons at the helm of the program.

men’s traCK & FIeLd2007 Pac-10 Finish: 9th2007 nCaa Finish: 68thIn a year that included a Top-20 finish at the NCAA indoor championships, Cal had a slew of outstanding individ-

ual performances. Most notably, junior David Torrence broke a 50-year-old record in the mile, running 3:58.62 on Edwards Track. Junior Ed Wright was an indoor and outdoor All-American in the high jump with a sixth-place finish at both NCAA meets. Senior Kevin Davis also fin-ished 10th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:41.51) at the NCAA outdoor championships.

women’s traCK & FIeLd2007 Pac-10 Finish: 8th2007 nCaa Finish: 8thBehind championships from junior Alysia Johnson (800 meters) and senior Kelechi Anyanwu (discus),

Cal finished a program-record eighth at the NCAA out-door meet. Johnson ran the third-fastest collegiate time ever in the 800, finishing in 1:59.29, while Anyanwu’s toss of 188-11 was also a school record. In addition, se-nior Carrie Johnson was sixth in the shot put and soph-omore Inika McPherson claimed sixth in the high jump. At the NCAA indoor championships, Johnson’s title in the 800 meters propelled the Bears to 15th place.

David Torrence

400 medley relay champions (l-r): Emily Silver, Dana Vollmer, Lauren Rogers, Jessica Hardy

Molly Hayes


summer 2007 23

aThlETiC dEvElOPMENT Bear Backer News

Mark Long Hired as Fulltime Fundraiser Based in Southern Californiamark Long ’86, a two-year football starter at Cal (1983-84), has joined the Office of

Athletic Development as the Director of Development for Southern California. His ap-pointment establishes an important beachhead to cultivate support in the lower half of

the state as the Athletic Department continues to evolve to meet its ambitious fundraising goals.Residing in Orange County with a diverse background in fundraising and athletics from Berke-

ley to Baton Rouge to Barcelona, with an eight-year stint in between with the USC Athletic Department, Long is a perfect choice to further the mission of Cal Athletics as a fulltime

member of the Southern California community who comes from the Golden Bear family.

“Being a student-athlete at Cal taught me so many things. I took away great lessons about character for life after graduation,” said Long. “I hope though my work the people of Southern California will feel better connected to the University.”

Big Change for Big GameStanford’s Smaller Stadium Forces New Seating Plan

For 109 years, a rivalry like no other was also able to have a ticket arrangement like no other. But with the reduced size of the new Stan-ford Stadium, those golden days are over.

Of the 71,743 fans at Stanford for the 2005 Big Game, almost 40,000 purchased tickets though the Cal Athletic Ticket Office. But the 2007 meet-ing at the Farm between the Bears and Cardinal marks the unfortunate dawning of a new age, with Cal allotted only 15,000 tickets to fill the new 50,000-capacity Stanford Stadium.

“I don’t know of another rivalry that’s anything like the Big Game in terms of seating arrangements,” said Hunt Holsapple, Cal’s Director of Ticket Operations. “Even the 15,000 is much larger than what any other school gets.”

With this significant reduction in allotment, the ticket office had to bear down to face the new math. Limited availability meant a plan had to be created that could distribute tickets in a manner that reflected a sensible approach to an imbalanced equation.

As a result, season-ticket plans for 2007 do not automatically include a ticket to the 110th Big Game on Dec.1. The highest levels of donors with season tickets, Pappy Waldorf and above, were able to purchase six tickets beginning June 1, with subsequent donor levels able to purchase two or four tickets at later dates in June, ending with availability of remaining tickets to the general public on July 15 (see chart).

“What Cal is doing as far as allotment and on-sale dates is no different than any other Division I institu-tion,” said Holsapple. “Forty-thousand just does not go into 15,000.”


aThlETiC dEvElOPMENT Favorite GoldeN Bear MeMory

Rugby Experience Makes Lasting Impression on Tom Hornaday

Tom Hornaday ’63 and his wife, Ruth Ann ’61, are longtime Bear Backers who also founded the Greater Good Science Center on campus. A member of the football and rugby teams while a student at Cal and now a university trustee, Tom quickly recalls the 1959 men’s basketball team, which won the NCAA championship his freshman year, as well as The Play, which he witnessed in 1982, when prompted to list some favorite Golden Bear memories. But two unforgettable rugby coaches also left a lasting impression on the future real estate developer who now resides in Scottsdale, Ariz.

I played freshman football at Cal in 1958 and spring ball in ’59, and I was on the JV rugby team that spring, as well. But I temporarily transferred to UCLA because my mother had cancer and lived down south in Chula Vista.

Our freshman football line coach at Cal was Jim “Truck” Cullom, also an assistant under rugby head coach Miles “Doc” Hudson. Truck was a great guy, a heck of an athlete, feisty, and he liked to scrimmage with the rugby team during practice.

I came back to Memorial Stadium while playing rugby for UCLA in the spring of 1961. During the game, a fracas broke out and everybody was still jostling after the whistle. Even though he was a coach, Truck came into it off the sideline, and I happened to be the first guy in his path.

All of a sudden he stopped and said, “Hornaday, jeez, what happened to you? I didn’t know you were at UCLA!” We’re shaking hands with this melee going on all around us, and Truck and I are in the middle of it talking about old times.

I came back to Cal and Marv Levy let me walk on as a redshirt for football in the fall ’61. That spring, in ’62, I played rugby for the Bears, and we had a flyhalf named Steve Nesbitt who was an All-Black (New Zealand National Team). Doc, of course, was from New Zealand and had great respect for that.

We were playing in the Monterey Rugby Tournament, and I was playing No. 8. Pete Olson, our scrumhalf, got sent off and Steve told me to move to Olson’s spot. I’m over there putting the ball into the scrum, and Doc yells from the sideline, “Hornaday! What are you doing?”

I said, “I’m playing scrumhalf!”He said, “Who in the hell told you to do that?”“Well, Nesbitt did!”“Oh,” was all he said. I guess if the All-Black had told me to play scrumhalf, that was good

enough for Doc.After I graduated, I lived in San Francisco and played rugby for the Olympic Club. We came to

Cal, and once again I was on the other side in 1966. Cal had the great team that had gone to Australia and was crushing all the college teams, but we tied them, 11-11, I think it was.

After the game, Doc came up to me. “Hornaday,” he said, “you’re not looking too bad ... yet.”

1982 Big Game

Jim “Truck” Cullom

Miles “Doc” Hudson

Ruth Ann and Tom Hornaday flank their son, Jim, at the Grand Canyon.

At the 1982 Big Game, moments before The Play, are (L-R) Ted Falk (with binoculars), a left-handed pitcher for the Bears and now a dentist in Fresno, Tom Horna-day, Ruth Ann (Hague) Hornaday and Marcia (Samuelson) Falk.

Karen Biestman is wheeling a giant piece of luggage down Bancroft Way. It’s mid-May and not yet time for her 25th wedding anniversary trip; first, she has to grade all the papers inside the rolling archive, give

two more exams and attend graduation ceremonies. She looks across to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, where her older son, Ross,

served two terms as president over the past four years, and where husband, Mark, was presi-dent when they fell in love as undergrads on the Berkeley campus.

There’s barely time to acknowledge that their eldest son is taking his last exam as a Cal student this morning, but Karen’s hectic life seems a happy one, too, and she makes time to sit and talk about Cal Athletics.

“Athletics is not only compatible with the mission of the university, but furthers it,” Karen said. Her vantage point as a faculty member and parent of a rugby scholar-athlete offers a particularly informed perspective. The lecturer in American Studies earned her B.A. from Cal and J.D. from the Boalt School of Law before immediately taking a post as a lecturer of Native American Studies in 1983. Her career at Berkeley, also nearing 25 years, has included many academic and administrative leadership positions.

Inside a restaurant on the corner of College Avenue, Mark joins the conversation and harks back to their days as Cal students.

“Back then, Cal football was still a pretty big deal,” he said of his arrival as a freshman in the fall of 1976. “The Bears were coming off their Pac-8 championship, with players like (quarterback) Joe Roth, (running back) Chuck Muncie and (offensive lineman) Jack Clark.”

It was an era of football that wouldn’t be seen at Cal again until recent times.

Celebrating Their Son’s Graduation and Their 25th Wedding Anniversary, Mark & Karen Biestman Believe in the Bears

By Anton Malko


Mark and Karen Biestman with their son Ross

self-respect and their respect for the institution,” she said. “I believe coach Jack Clark has a saying, ‘Entitled to noth-ing; grateful for everything.’”

Grateful their son certainly is. For a springtime speech to the Big C Society, clad in his varsity rugby sweater – you’re unlikely to see a rugger represent his school at a function without one –- Ross reflected on the powerful al-liance between Cal’s athletic and academic standards.

“Academics and athletics are the dual jewels in the University’s crown,” Ross said in his speech. “Athletics unites the University community and alumni in spirit. Ac-ademics come first in the lives of students, but we are bet-ter students and citizens because of what athletics teaches us. When we graduate, both experiences shape and enrich our lives in ways none of us starting as freshmen could have anticipated.”

Concurrent to Ross’ four years at Cal has been a re-markable run of success for Cal Athletics, and his father

applies an economist’s eye when he traces the ripple effects of a successful athletic program that is nurturing extraordinary student-athletes.

“You can see the formula for success, from the growth of fans, the expansion of the University as a brand, down to the sales of food and beverage; all the shirts and hats,” Mark said. “It’s all part of what I call ‘the forced mul-tiplier effect.’ The University demands excellence, abso-lutely nothing less, and it’s great that it’s reflected in our Athletic Department. The net-net is that everybody feels better about themselves.”

And with Bear Backers like the Biestmans, these good times for California Athletics are bound to get better and better.

Karen served as the 1978 Big Game Queen, a tradition that end-ed the following year. “It was quite an extensive process of inter-views with faculty, administrators and students,” she recalled. “It really connected me with the institution, the pride and the history associated with it.”

Mark was in Pasadena for the 1979 Rose Bowl festivities when a Los Angeles Times photographer begged him to pose for the paper surrounded by bowl queens.

“The Michigan guy was late and the USC guy didn’t show up for the photo shoot,” he said, “so the photographer offered me the chance to pose at the front of the float, but it would be with a USC jacket on. I said, ‘If my friends saw me, I’d never be allowed to go back to Cal.’”

Mark declined the offer to appear in the newspaper wearing a rival school’s attire and returned home safely to graduate with his economics degree, taking a detour after Cal to earn his MBA from the Stanford Executive Program. Karen also found herself on the Farm, contributing several years as a lecturer and the Stanford

Law School’s Assistant Dean of Students.After business school, Mark embarked on what has become al-

most 30 years in the information technology sector. He has held vice-president positions at both Netscape and Commerce One, par-ticipating in both of their initial public offerings, and also served as CEO of Seven Networks and Real Clear Technologies. In 2005, he launched his own company, LinksMark Media, serving digital advertising to the international golf community and the broader sporting goods retail market.

In addition to his service on the executive board of the Missile Defense Advocacy & Alliance, Mark is also a member of the UC Foundation and a board member of the Cal Football Grid Club.

Karen, a native Oklahoman with Cherokee heritage, has been a consultant for more than 10 years to the National Indian Justice Center, the Center for American Indian Research and Education, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She enjoys active board memberships on the American Council of Education, the Office of Women in Higher Education and the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center.

Throughout Mark and Karen’s careers, the family has remained loyal to the Golden Bears. They are longtime football and bas-ketball season-ticket holders who have no plans to stop enjoying rugby at Witter Rugby Field after Ross flips his tassel, either.

Karen is “impressed only partially by the national champion-ships” in her experience observing Cal’s rugby team on and off the field. “I’m more impressed by the leadership, the humility, the

aThlETiC dEvElOPMENT Bear Backer spotliGht

summer 2007 27


Epidemiology is defined as the study of the distribution and causes of disease in populations. Senior distance runner Elizabeth Mayeda can be defined as one of the

most determined, patient, hard-working and successful student-athletes at Cal.

How do the two relate?Already accepted into the School of Public Health at Columbia University, Mayeda will

soon pursue her dream of working in a medical field where she can apply her experiences at Cal to better the welfare of society for the future.

An Oakland native with strong ties to the East Bay, Mayeda faced a difficult decision to move across the country to attend graduate school. After all, she has a sister, Mary, who recently completed her second year at Cal, one of her grandfathers attended Cal, and her parents met in a master’s program at Cal.

“I decided that it would be beneficial to try someplace different.” Mayeda said. “Plus, it is only two years, so it is a safe move, as well, because I will be in a new place with other people that are new (to the program). I’ve been in the Bay Area my whole life, so I thought it would be nice to try something different.”

Mayeda first thought about possible career in public health when she was considering a statistics major to complement her integrative biology major. Lectures on the subject made the distinction between clinical medicine and public health really stand out in her mind and she ultimately decided to add public health as a second major.

Mayeda’s coursework, combined with her volunteer hours as a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood in Oakland, led her to realize that while clinical health care was es-sential, the preventative aspect of public health was a more appealing route.

“Epidemiology is the study of epidemics and it looks at disease patterns,” said Mayeda. “So I will be pulling at everything that I have been learning with my biology major into doing research on infectious diseases. The reason why I like public health is because you

‘ER’ Plans Career in Public Health

are trying to learn things to try and prevent people from getting sick in the first place – so you are looking at people who are sick in order to prevent other people from get-ting sick.”

Although not on the same scale, Mayeda learned first hand the benefits of health care and hard work during her early years at Cal. After suffering an injury her senior year at Aptos High School, she walked onto Tony Sandoval’s cross country team with chronic tendinitis in her knees, which limited her time competing and increased her time in rehabilitation.

“I had a physical therapist who I was working with and Tony, who was really supportive, even though I was a walk-on redshirt,” said Mayeda, who did not run for the Bears as a freshman due to her injury. “I think in most programs I wouldn’t have been given a chance because I didn’t have the high credentials when I came in from high school. And on top of that, I was in-jured. I believed that if Tony was not go-ing to cut me and believed that I was going to come back (from injury) then that was enough for me to focus and be a part of a winning program at Cal.”

By Mayeda’s second year in Berkeley,

WOMEN’s TraCk & FiEldelizabeth mayeda

By Chris DeConna

Cal Experience Helps Elizabeth Mayeda Choose Her Professional Path

summer 2007 29

reer plans. “What I like about research is that you can learn new things, and in public health, you are learning new things to make people healthier.”

As her coach, Sandoval has gotten to know Mayeda well during her tenure with the cross country and track & field teams, and he believes she has a successful career ahead of her.

“I know she’s going to give back one hundred fold from what she got here at Cal,” Sandoval said. “Early on when she was in rehab, I asked her about the name Elizabeth. She didn’t want to be called ‘Betty,’ and ‘Liz’ didn’t seem right. And I asked her what her middle name was and she said ‘Rose’ and I said, ‘Oh, my God, you’re just like a rose.’ So I just started say-ing ‘ER’ for Elizabeth Rose.”

It’s only fitting that “ER” will continue to blossom as a person and chase her dreams in the medical profession.

she finally got the chance to compete at the level she always imagined. By her junior season, she was regularly scoring at meets and earned the team’s most improved award. Furthermore, Mayeda earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors three times and received the Alumni Association Leader-ship Scholarship, which recognizes a stu-dent-athlete’s leadership role and commu-

nity service. Most recently, she was awarded an Oscar Geballe scholarship, which will help cover her costs of graduate school at Colum-bia.

“I’ve really learned about determination and working through difficult situations,” Mayeda said. “It took a lot of patience, and it also it taught me how to manage my training and, in a sense, help me manage everything else. You have to do all the extras to come back from an injury. When you are told you can run again, you have to hold back and not run too hard so you don’t get injured again. I think it took a lot of focus in order to do that. It’s that focus I can apply to other things (in life).

“It’s really rewarding and has ended up working out for me,” Mayeda added. “It shows that even though it was really hard being on the sidelines for so long and being alone and away from my teammates in the training room, it was the persistence that paid off for me.”

The adversity Mayeda faced during her rehabilitation taught her to fully appreciate her athletic ability and the opportunity she had to compete at Cal. She has used that experience to help mentor younger student-athletes who are going through similar situations, many of whom are enduring their first setbacks just as they are trying to prove themselves at the collegiate level.

“I know how hard and lonely it was to be in that position,” said Mayeda.

Mayeda has gone so far as to pass along advice to the first-year Bears on subjects ranging from how to man-age and balance aca-demics and athletics successfully to the

importance of attaining internships that can enrich classroom experiences and spark further interest in their chosen field.

For her own line of work, Mayeda sup-plemented her classroom assignments by becoming a research assistant in an exer-cise physiology lab on campus. Under the guidance of Professor George Brooks, she helped examine the effects of exercise on post-menopausal women.

“The type of research I will be doing is laboratory based,” Mayeda said of her ca-

WOMEN’s TraCk & FiEld

Elizabeth Mayeda, who had Cal’s best time in the 3000 meters in 2007, competes at Edwards Stadium during her senior year this past spring (left). Below, she is all smiles at the integrative biology graduation ceremony. At left, Mayeda poses with her parents, Robert ’75 and Dorothy, and grandpar-ents, Paul ’39 and Elizabeth. She also shows off her diploma with Professor George Brooks.

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Focused AttentionRower Andre Bastos Looks at Ways of Understanding Our Minds

MEN’s CrEWandre bastos

By Herb Benenson


Four years ago, when Andre Bastos entered the University of California as a freshman, he had no idea he would become a student-athlete. Now that he is graduating with a degree in

cognitive science, he couldn’t imagine it any other way.Along the way, Bastos discovered a link between rowing for the Golden Bears and his

chosen academic field that has expanded his intellectual horizons.The recipient of a prestigious Oscar Geballe Postgraduate Scholarship, Bastos has com-

pleted his honors thesis on how the brain can sustain focused attention in activities such as rowing, meditation, dance and music. Eventually, he plans to obtain a Ph.D. in neurosci-ence and pursue a career as a professor and researcher.

Like many Cal students, Bastos arrived on campus with strong academic credentials and a family that emphasized scholarly pursuits. His mother, Eugenia, earned a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina, and his father, Sergio, has had a longtime interest in computer science and psychology.

Those two fields comprise much of the cognitive science discipline, which also incor-porates linguistics, philosophy and physiology. In essence, it examines trying to under-stand the mind.

With his curiosity already piqued, Bastos knew he would take a good, strong look at cognitive science as a major when he enrolled at Cal from Walnut Creek’s Northgate High School in the fall of 2003. But what he didn’t anticipate was earning a spot on the Cal rowing team.

Through a recommendation of a friend of his mother – a former rower she knew while in school at North Carolina – Bastos decided to check out Cal crew once he moved to campus. He called freshman coach Geoff Bond, who put his name on the roster right away.

“I basically walked on, no strings attached,” Bastos recalled. “The first three months were really difficult. My body wasn’t used to it. I came in at 168 pounds and now I’m at 185. I’ve put on a lot of endurance muscle. I developed my body a lot that first year.”

Because the long hours and physical demands of crew began to affect his grades, Bastos considered dropping the sport. However, a conversation with former Cal rower Andreja Stevanovic ’00 convinced him to stick with it.

“I saw that Andreja majored in mechanical engineering and did very well academi-cally,” Bastos said. “So, I had an example that it’s possible to do both. Obviously, my mind was more on academics when I came in. Athletics was more of a hobby. It’s much

summer 2007 33

“Rowing allows me to drop other stuff and just focus on one thing and then go with that for a while,” Bastos said. “Hav-ing focused attention enables me, so that when I come back to the present, I can have a freshened perspective.”

That outlook will no doubt enhance his development in his scientific field.

operate when they are in a focused, attentive state and when they are in a wandering or unco-ordinated mode.

“Our minds have a mind of their own,” Bastos said. “They take over at a particular time and go without any real attention from us. That’s what I’m interested in.

“It relates to rowing because when you’re out on the water, you start looking at the blade and start focusing on different physical sensations, everything from your balance to your body position to where your hands are,” he added. “Once you start bringing your at-tention to that, all these other things –- ‘What am I going to eat to-day?’ ‘I got a bad grade on a test.’ – move to the background, and what comes to the fore-ground is this particular moment.”

For his graduate school work, Bastos envisions studying how directed attention can be fostered in people who have difficulty focus-ing, such as those with Attention Deficit Disor-der. Ultimately, his ca-reer goal is to become a neuroscience professor and explore the inter-section of attention and neuroplasticity, or how intentionally focusing attention can cause the brain to reorganize it-self to compensate for injury, disease or environmental changes in ways that promote health and well-being.

Whether in rowing or the classroom, single-mindedness and dedication to de-tails has helped guide much of Bastos’ life. And if he hadn’t persevered through four years of Cal crew, perhaps, he wouldn’t have developed as keen an interest in his career path.

more than that now. It’s become an integral part of my life.”

With a renewed commitment to the sport, Bastos capped off his freshman year with an IRA national title in the open four. He also achieved a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester.

“I silenced any doubts in myself and my parents that I was capable of being a suc-cessful student-athlete and made the natu-ral decision to keep rowing,” he said.

Bastos’ athletic career, though, took a step back midway through his junior year. During the winter of 2006, a disk bulged in his lower back during training camp, and Bastos began to question whether he would ever return to the sport.

Bastos took on the injury as just another challenge and less than five months later, he was back on the water. Then, just two days before the Pacific Coast Rowing Champi-onships, head coach Steve Gladstone asked Bastos if he wanted to row in the Open 8.

“Heck yes!” was the immediate and en-thusiastic response.

With a boat comprised of freshmen and varsity rowers, the Cal crew proceeded to cover the course in 6:01.8 – 20 seconds ahead of its nearest challenger.

On the academic front, Bastos continued to excel and cited one class in particular that convinced him to major in cognitive science. The course, titled “Mind, Brain and Behavior,” is taught by Dr. David Pres-ti, a lecturer in Molecular and Cell Biology who was awarded the 2006 Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching. The com-bination of the teacher and the topic moti-vated Bastos to pursue a career the field.

By the end of his junior year at Cal, Bas-tos had completed all of his coursework in cognitive science, with a concentration in computational modeling. He was able to then spend his senior year concentrating on his chosen path – neuroscience – finish his thesis and work in a neuropsychology lab on campus.

With two of his favorite interests being rowing and meditation, Bastos decided to bring them together for his thesis topic. He collected brain recordings from 12 people, including several rowers, and after analyz-ing the data, will present the results this summer at the Mind and Life Summer Re-search Institute. If his preliminary results are confirmed, he plans to publish them in a scientific journal.

In the experiment, Bastos looked to see if there were any differences among row-ers and non-rowers in the way their brains

MEN’s CrEW

Among Andre Bastos’ many accomplishments at Cal are an IRA title in the open four as a freshman (above and middle) and a Golden Bear Award for having the highest GPA on men’s crew as a senior.


Liz Reifsnyder’s wanderlust will put her future on hold.

aCadEMiC aChiEvEMENTLiz reifsnyder

Liz ReifsnyderTrades Lacrossefor Global InterestsSenior Liz reifSnyder

By Dean Caparaz ’90

The midfielder for the Califor-nia lacrosse team initially chose to go to school 3,000 miles away from her Washington, D.C., home, and now that she’s gradu-ated from college, she will trade in her studies for more travels, at least for a little while.

Reifsnyder wrapped up her playing career in May, when Cal reached the third-place game of the MPSF championship tournament.

Off the field, Reifsnyder col-lected the Golden Bear Achieve-ment Award for recording the highest grade-point average (3.623) on the 2007 lacrosse team. She also earned All-MPSF and MPSF All-Academic honors twice each during her career and was named to the 2006 Honor Roll by the women’s lacrosse coaches’ association.

An American studies major who graduated on May 17, Reif (pronounced: REEF), as she’s known, had a variety of academic interests, including law, business and globalism, at Cal. She didn’t decide on a major until her junior year because, as she put it, “I literally liked everything that I took. I was freaking out about picking my major in my sophomore year.”

Reifsnyder almost chose to major in political economies of in-dustrial societies, which examines the relationship between poli-tics and economics in modern societies.

She doesn’t know for sure what kind of career she’ll pursue, though she may follow in her mother’s footsteps; Sarah Hall is a zoning and land-use lawyer in northern Virginia.

Liz Reifsnyder plans to tour Europe next fall with former Golden Bear teammates Meghan Bushnell and Laura Cavallo.

“It’s funny: Being from D.C., everyone’s a lawyer there, and my mom’s a lawyer,” Reifsnyder said. “Everyone just assumed that I’d go to college and go to law school. I don’t know if that’s ingrained in me, but it is something that I’d be interested in. I’m also very interested in business. I think an MBA is a possibility.”

But Reifsnyder wants to see more of the world before pursuing her postgradu-ate plans. Next fall, she plans to backpack around Europe with Meghan Bushnell and Laura Cavallo, her teammates and fellow recent grads. As freshmen, Bushnell and Reifsnyder discovered that they are both descendants of the McLeod clan in Scot-land. Among their many stops throughout their travels, the Bears plan to visit the Isle of Skye to dig into their roots.

“I’m just going to wander around until I run out of money,” Reifsnyder said. “After that, my plans are up in the air. There’s a good chance I may move back here (to the Bay Area).”

Reifsnyder departs Cal high atop the Bears’ record charts in several categories. Following the just-completed spring sea-son, she ranks No. 2 on the Bears’ all-time scoring list with 177 points, behind Caval-lo’s 202, and No. 2 on the career-assist list

with 63 assists, behind Colleen O’Mara’s 83.“Some days, I’ll be walking around when it’s really nice here,

when it’s probably snowing at home, and I’ll soak it all in,” Reif-snyder said. “I love the view of the Bay. That’s probably what I’ll miss the most, just looking down and seeing the water and seeing The City. That’s awesome. I’ll miss being a part of a team. I’ll miss it all.”

aCadEMiC aChiEvEMENT


The tactics that have brought Daniel Sebescen success on the tennis courts have also helped him prosper in his academics. Sebescen, a senior and key player for the Golden Bears’ men’s tennis team since

joining the squad in the spring of 2004, recently was awarded a Pac-10 postgraduate scholarship.

aCadEMiC aChiEvEMENTdaniel sebescen

Daniel Sebescen Understands the Value of Sacrifice

match each time he goes on the court and that he carries that same attitude with him in the classroom.

Wright feels as though Sebescen has passed one of the toughest chal-lenges for a student-athlete by effec-tively coordinating his class and team priorities.

“He has demonstrated the ability to manage the time and organization-al demands required with being a stu-dent-athlete at Cal,” Wright said. “He knows the value of sacrifice in order to succeed. He’s put in a lot of hard work in his academics and athletics. He is an extremely focused player on the court, his energy level is amazing.

Sebescen began his senior season by teaming with Pierre Mouillon to capture the ITA Northwest Regional doubles title last fall. The pair racked up five wins to take the crown, in-cluding an 8-3 victory over Stanford’s Blake Muller and Paul Morrissey in the championship match.

“We had a great run in that tourna-ment,” said Sebescen, who missed the first half of the spring 2007 cam-paign with a back injury. “We were playing pretty good tennis. It was a great feeling to win that tournament with him. We were working hard and we were prepared to play well in that tournament.”

The struggles and hardships over the past three and a half years were worth it to Sebescen, who said he will miss competing with the Bears.

“I’ve had a great time at Cal,” Sebescen. “It’s been a great ex-perience to be on the tennis team. We’ve had a lot of good seasons and we had some wins against really good teams. I really enjoyed being on the team.”

On course to graduate next December with a degree in Polit-ical Economies of Industrial So-cieties (PEIS), Sebescen doesn’t have his future mapped out yet, although he knows he wants to pursue a career in business.

“I liked PEIS because it’s a very contemporary major,” Sebescen said. “I like the top-ics and the professors. Usually people who study this major speak some other language than English. There are some famous international professors in this major. I really enjoy studying economics and politics.”

Although he had lived in the United States before, Sebescen came to Berkeley with English as his fourth language, after German, Hungarian and Croatian. For the Yugoslavia native, he approached it as just another challenge to overcome.

“It was pretty difficult,” Seb-escen said. “It’s not easy to be a student-athlete. It’s pretty hard to practice and go to class, but I think I have good time manage-ment skills. I was able to man-age my time wisely and I’m very studious. I’ve had some really good academic results so far.”

Sebescen has been described as a very focused student-athlete by head coach Peter Wright, who said he knows Sebescen is into every

Senior danieL SebeScen

By Tim Miguel

Playing predominately on the fourth court in singles, Daniel Sebescen helped Cal to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

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cal sports quarterly - summer 2007

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