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winter 2007-08 1

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CONTENTS

DePArtMentSLetter FrOM tHe DireCtOr OF AtHLetiCS 2

SiDeLine rePOrt 3

wHere Are tHeY nOw? 16

SeASOn PreViewS 18

AtHLetiC DeVeLOPMent 20

ACADeMiC ACHieVeMentS 35

HOMe eVentS CALenDAr 36

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FeAtUreSOLD-SCHOOL wALker tAkeS CAL tO tHe tOP 6The basketball court is Ashley Walker’s own private spin class – every game she schools opponents with her signature move to the basket. Someday, Walker also hopes to become a teacher in the classroom, and perhaps one of the first lessons the 6-1 junior can teach her students is how she helped transform the Cal women’s basketball team into a national powerhouse.

LeArning tO LeAD 10Of all that DeVon Hardin has learned during his tenure as a student-athlete at the University of California, how to be a leader is right at the top of the list. And now that the 6-11 center is in the midst of his final collegiate campaign, he is using all the knowledge he has gathered to try to steer the Bears back into the NCAA Tournament.

CALiFOrniA COMbinAtiOn 24John McNellis remembers a different world when he attended Cal from 1969-73. The Vietnam War was in full swing, and students were questioning how particle physics and Chekov could be relevant. Today, John and his wife, Michele Robertson ’71, look back at their undergraduate years with fondness and remain committed to their undergraduate alma mater, doing more than their share as Bear Backers.

SMOOtH trAnSitiOn 26During the usually lazy days of mid-summer, the Cal men’s swimming program went through a flurry of activity, perhaps generating more attention than during the normal course of the year. But now that the Bears are embarking on the 2007-08 season, it is time to properly introduce new head coach David Dur-den, and to honor the program’s guiding force for over 30 years – Nort Thornton.

Degree OF DiFFiCULtY 30Last April, at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics West Regional, then-freshman Sophia Hocini competed on the uneven bars for the first time as a collegian. Her performances were gutsy, with Hocini having come back from meniscus surgery over the course of the season. But when it comes to toughness, no one could touch her father, Maurice, who passed away from cancer on Dec. 2.

COnqUering A LiFeLOng bAttLe 32Swimmer Emily Verdin keeps the plates and screws that were removed after her second surgery to have something tangible as a reminder of a procedure performed to correct a hip abnormality. While she con-tinues to fight a constant battle with her condition in the athletic venue, Verdin unselfishly gives her time and effort to the University in numerous other ways.

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SPORTSQUARTERLY

24

2 CAL SPOrtS qUArterLY

LETTER fROm DiRECTOR Of AThLETiCS SANDy BARBOuR

Dear Friend of Cal Athletics:

Happy Holidays! This is the time of year that each of us takes stock and reflects on all our good fortune and the wonderful people and organizations that we are so

blessed to have in our collective lives. All of us associated with Cal Athletics have much to be thankful for. For those of us – student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators – who are fortunate enough to work and play as members of the University of California Intercollegiate Athletics Department, at the top of our list is to be thankful for the literally thousands of incredibly passionate ambassadors who provide financial, emotional, spiritual and human support on a daily basis. We are one of the preeminent athletic programs in the country, but we literally could not do it without you. Your support has provided us the ability to attract the best and the brightest and go from good to great!

We are thankful and appreciative of a volleyball Final Four appearance, a men’s water polo national championship, our best finish ever (16th) in men’s cross country and a fifth consecutive bowl appearance for the first time in our history.

I want to thank everyone who had a role in convincing Angie Pressey, Justin Forsett, Courtney Hooker, Jenny Crane, Michael Sharf, Luke Sassano, David Torrence and Rebecca Yau (among others!) that Cal was the place for them to come and challenge themselves academically and athletically. We have been blessed by their presence and been treated to more than our fair share of spectacular plays, unbelievable efforts, come-from-behind wins and displays of athleticism, emotion and determination. You will be in our hearts forever.

On a very personal note, I thank my lucky stars every day for the opportunity to lead Cal Athletics. I am so fortunate to live in this fabulously diverse and energetic community, to represent the finest public university in the world, and to work side by side with the most dedicated and talented coaches, administrators and students known to mankind. Add to this that Cal boasts the most loyal, passionate and principled supporters that have ever existed – and it tells me every day that I have the best job in America!

My best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous holi-day season. Here’s to unparalleled success in 2008!

Go Bears!

Sandy Barbour

Director of Athletics

winter 2007-08

AtHLetiC ADMiniStrAtiOnDireCtOr OF AtHLetiCS: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, Anton Malko, Tim Miguel, Anna Oleson-Wheeler, Debbie Rosenfeld-Caparaz, John Sudsbury

DeSign:Evan Kerr

PHOtOgrAPHY:John Todd (www.goldenbearsports.com), Michael Pimentel, Michael Burns, Don Faria, Mollie McClure, John Dunbar, Evan Kerr, among others

AtHLetiC DeVeLOPMent OFFiCe

195 Haas PavilionBerkeley, CA [email protected]

AtHLetiC tiCket OFFiCe(800) GO BEARSFor daily updates on Cal Athletics, including schedules, press releases and player profiles, visit the department’s official website at www.CalBears.com.

On tHe COVerJunior forward Ashley Walker is helping lead the Cal women’s basketball team to heights unseen in the history of the program.

ViCe PreSiDent & generAL MAnAger:Solly Fulp(510) [email protected]

winter 2007-08 3

SiDELiNE REPORTZac Monsees scored two goals against USC.

when the serve landed on the ground, giving Penn State an ace to cap a 3-0 victory over Cal in

the national semifinals Dec. 13 at Sacra-mento’s Arco Arena, the best season in the history of Golden Bear volleyball came to an abrupt close. But the end result should not put a damper on an outstanding cam-paign that saw Cal reach a level of success it had never attained before.

“This team went farther than any Cal team in history and we’ve accomplished so much this year, it’s a shame that every fairy tale doesn’t have a happy ending,”

said head coach Rich Feller. “I’m so proud of these guys, and these two seniors (Angie Pressey and Ellen Orchard) carried us on their shoulders all season long. They took on a leadership role that we asked them to do from last January, and physically, emo-tionally, mentally, spiritually they grabbed this team and took them to the Final Four. I will always remember that.”

The Bears, who finished 26-8 and set a school record for victories, were seeded 10th in the NCAA Tournament and began their run to the Final Four in Durham, N.C., where they defeated Liberty, 3-1, and host

FinAL FOUr!Cal Volleyball Caps Best Season in School History

in a rematch of the 2006 NCAA championship match, California men’s water polo accomplished

the rare feat of winning back-to-back national championships when it up-ended USC for the 2007 title, this time by an 8-6 score on Dec. 2.

The Golden Bears employed a fo-cused defensive scheme to limit the Trojans’ offense and got crucial goal-scoring elsewhere as USC devoted its at-tention to preventing top-scoring senior at-tacker Michael Sharf from finding the net. USC held a 2-1 lead in the second period and the match was deadlocked twice before senior defenseman Adam Haley notched the only goal in the third period, his second of the match, to put Cal ahead for good.

Said head coach Kirk Everist after emerging from the pool from his second victory plunge in a row, “It’s extremely difficult to repeat. As a player I got to Cal on the heels of a championship, and we

had a team that really struggled in 1985. But I ended my (college playing) career winning back-to-back (titles), so I know how hard it is to focus, to put in the work, and it just doesn’t happen.”

Sharf, MVP of the tournament, was joined on the tournament first team by three teammates: senior goalie Mark Sheredy (11 saves in final) and senior attackers Zac Monsees (2 goals in final) and Jeff Tyrrell. Spencer Warden received second-team honors.

bACk-tO-bACk CHAMPS!Men’s Water Polo Tops USC Again for NCAA Title

Duke, 3-1. Cal then traveled to Madison, Wis., for the regional round. After sweep-ing Iowa State, 3-0, the Bears stunned de-fending NCAA champion Nebraska, 3-0, in the Elite Eight behind a regional MVP per-formance from sophomore Hana Cutura.

Pressey earned first-team All-America honors this fall after registering 463 kills and 310 digs. She completed her career as a four-time All-Pac-10 performer and was named the 2007 Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for volleyball. Orchard, Cal’s all-time leader with 492 blocks, was twice chosen honorable mention All-Pac-10.

Head coach Kirk Everist celebrates Cal’s win.


Caleb Kirk, a member of Cal’s gymnastics team whograduated this past May with a degree in integrative biology, has been named a recipient of the World

Financial Group/Pac-10 Leadership Award, which recog-nizes student-athletes who have served as members of their school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).

Each year, one male and one female are selected for the award, which includes a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship.

In addition to competing for the Golden Bears, Kirk was active in Bear SAAC as a liaison with the gymnastics team to promote such events at the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Career Night, the Athletic Speakers’ Bu-reau and the Athlete Talent Show. He also was very involved in church activities, assisted at Cornell Middle School in Albany and designed specialized conditioning programs for the gymnastics team.

SiDE

LiN

E REPORTFALL SPOrtS rOUnD-UP: AnOtHer SUCCeSSFUL SeASOn FOr gOLDen beArS

with an NCAA championship for men’s water polo, a Final Four appearance by volleyball and a fifth straight bowl game for the football program on New Year’s Eve to cap off the year, the 2007 fall season saw numerous conference titles, postseason berths and playoff victories for Cal Athletics.

Gymnast Caleb KirK Wins PaC-10 leadershiP aWard

Men’s soccer won its second Pac-10 title in a row and made a seventh straight appearance in the NCAA College Cup, advanc-ing to the second round. Senior midfielder Andrew Jacobson was voted the Co-Pac-10 Player of the Year and earned first-team All-America honors, as did sophomore goalkeeper Stefan Frei. In addition, senior Luke Sassano was named first-team All-Pac-10 team, and Javier Ayala-Hil and Andrew Wiede-man were second-team choices. Head coach Kevin Grimes cap-tured an unprecedented fourth Pac-10 Coach of the Year award (third consecutive).

Women’s soccer also ad-

vanced to the second round of NCAAs under first-year head coach Neil McGuire, finishing with a 15-5-1 record. Senior defender Courtney Hooker was named a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, while senior mid-fielder Caitlin Hannegan earned a spot on the second team. Freshman Alex Morgan joined defender Megan Jesolva on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team.

Men’s cross country qualified for the NCAA team champion-ships for the first time, placing 16th in the race. Led by the core group of senior David Torrence and juniors Yosef Ghebray and Mark Matusak, the team had the best season in its history,

reaching a highest-ever nation-al ranking of No. 8. Torrence, Ghebray and Matusak were all selected to the NCAA All-West region team and the All-Pac-10 team. Ghebray, who paced the Bears at the Pac-10 champion-ships (seventh) and the NCAA West Regional (eighth), made the all-conference first team while Torrence and Matusak were named to the second team.

Field hockey tied for the Nor-Pac Conference title in 2007, producing another winning season that included the Bears’ upset of then-No. 4 Michigan, 1-0, on Oct. 27 for their first victory against a top-five team in coach Shellie Onstead’s

13-year tenure. Individual ac-colades included an All-Amer-ica selection for junior forward Ashley Glosz. Glosz was one of three Bears on the NorPac first team, joining senior forward Jennifer Crane and junior mid-fielder Andrea Lo.

Finally, football earned a berth in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, advancing to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year. Center Alex Mack, a first-team All-Pac-10 choice, received the Morris Trophy as the top offensive line-man in the conference. Tailback Justin Forsett, who rushed for more than 1,400 yards, was also voted first-team all-league.

Javier Ayala-Hil Courtney Hooker David Torrence Ashley Glosz

Caleb Kirk

winter 2007-08 5

SiDELiNE REPORT

beArS PrePAre FOr LiFe AFter CAL

Cal Athletics’ Student Services office produced four Career Month events during October to give Cal student-athletes a leg up on preparing for life after college. Ranging from an

afternoon tea to a financial-planning session, the events focused on relating to the professional business world

The first event was an Oct. 2 tea at the nearby Claremont Ho-tel, where female Cal athletes mingled with area businesswomen. The attendees included senior rower Onna Poeter, a business major who is interested in a management career.

“It was great because it was a way to speak to professionals in a pretty casual setting,” Poeter said. “We were dressed up to look nice. We sat around a table, had tea and pastries and got to ask questions. The professionals I talked to were open to answering a wide range of questions, such as how graduate school fit into their careers and how having a family or children fits into their careers.”

The Big C Society sponsored a Career Night on Oct. 8, when panelists from a variety of fields gave advice to student-athletes gathered in Haas Pavilion. The dining experience event on Oct. 15 at the Bancroft Hotel in Berkeley brought about 100 well-dressed athletes together for a four-course meal and a lesson in business-dinner protocol. The final event was the Hartford Playbook for Life on Oct. 23 in the Haas Club Room, where the Golden Bears

Former Cal sWimmer miCha burden Wins u.s. oPen Water title

Micha Burden, a member of the Cal women’s swim-

ming team from 2002-04, qualified for the 2008 FINA Open Water World Champion-ships by winning the 10-kilome-ter U.S. trials this past Octo-ber in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The top 10 finishers in this world event, which will be held in Seville, Spain, in April, will

earn an automatic berth in the 2008 Olympic Games.“Needless to say this was the biggest race of my life,”

Burden said. “I went into the race with the goal of win-ning, but knowing that it would take nothing less than the best race of my life to make that happen.”

In the race, Burden and three other swimmers quickly moved ahead of the pack. At the 8.75K mark, Burden, who had been sitting in third place, made her move and grabbed the lead. She finished in 2:00:47.48, almost 18 seconds ahead of runner-up Kristen Groome.

Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, and now training in Mission Viejo, Calif., Burden helped Cal’s 800 free relay to a ninth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA champi-onships and the 400 free relay to a third-place stand-ing in 2004.

bAnk OF tHe weSt extenDS SPOnSOrSHiP AgreeMent tHrOUgH 2012

Cal Athletics and Bank of the West have agreed to a five-year corporate sponsorship

extension through 2012. “In many ways Bank of the West

has been the flagship sponsor for Cal Athletics,” Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said. “They have a long spon-sorship history, and their reputation for excellence as a company based in the Bay Area with the Bear logo is a perfect fit for the Cal Golden Bears. We are proud that Bank of the West will continue to support the Bears for the next five years.”

Bank of the West has been a longtime supporter of Cal Athletics, dat-ing back to 1998 with sponsorship entitlements such as the Memorial Stadium video board, which is titled “Bank of the West Bear Vision.” Most notably branded as the “Official Banking Partner of Cal Athletics,” Bank of the West has also provided many services and memorable items for Cal fans, including ATM service in Memorial Stadium, football trad-ing cards in 2006 and Joe Roth Memorial hats, which were distributed at the Cal-USC football game.

“Bank of the West is especially proud to be prominently linked with the great tradition and future of Cal Athletics – not least because we share the bear icon,” said president and chief operating officer Michael Shepherd. “Our five-year contract extension continues a very happy association.”

Founded in 1874, $59.4 billion-asset Bank of the West is the second-largest commercial bank based in California. Bank of the West offers a full range of business, trust, international and personal banking servic-es. The bank currently operates more than 700 branch and commercial banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states.

learned about budgeting, smart spending and planning their finan-cial futures.

“It’s nice to have opportunities to go to those kinds of things, es-pecially when they’re catered to athletes who don’t always have a lot of time to figure out things for themselves,” senior rower Mara Allen said. “They get you prepared for rest of the world when you’re so focused on your sport now. When your sport ends, you have to be able to thrive in the rest of the world.”

– Dean Caparaz ’90

Golden Bears were all smiles at an afternoon tea in October.

Micha Burden

By Debbie Rosenfeld-Caparaz

fEATuRE

OLD SCHOOL

Takes Cal to the Top WALKER


winter 2007-08 7

Ashley grew up surrounded by kids, as her mother and her best friend’s mother ran home daycares across the street from one an-other. Riding bikes, jumping rope and rollerblading were the main neighborhood activities. As Walker’s basketball skills developed, she joined several travel squads that helped prepare her for a suc-cessful high school career.

As a senior at Grace Davis High School, Walker was ranked 48th nationally by Mike White’s All-Star Girls Report and was the last of five players to commit to join Cal’s heralded 2005-06 freshman class. Blessed with outstanding leaping ability and over-all athleticism, Walker starred in basketball, volleyball and track and field as a prep athlete and had offers to play basketball and volleyball in college.

The Cal coaching staff can thank Golden Bear junior forward Shantrell Sneed for helping to secure Walker’s services.

“Trell committed really early to Cal,” said Walker of her for-mer AAU East Bay Xplosion teammate. “She kept asking me if I found a home yet. I went on my recruiting trip to Cal and loved it. I called Trell up the next day and told her I found a home. I told her I was going to Cal.”

Walker came to Cal under the radar, but she is right at home in Berkeley and in the national spotlight as a 2006-07 Associ-ated Press honorable mention All-American and a finalist for the U.S. Under-21 and Under-20 National teams the last two summers.

After Cal beat No. 18 Vander-bilt, 67-59, to claim the Contra Costa Times Classic title Dec. 2, Walker’s stats through eight games stood among the Pac-10’s top two in six categories. She topped the conference in scoring (21.0 ppg), rebound-ing (11.9 rpg), double-doubles (6), offensive rebounds (4.63 rpg) and defensive rebounds (7.25 rpg), and ranked second in blocks (2.25 bpg).

“Ashley and Devanei (Hamp-ton) have established them-selves as one of the country’s

most dominant post combinations,” Cal head coach Joanne Boyle said. “Ashley is one of our go-to players and worked hard in the offseason to develop her outside shot. Her accomplishments stand out as she often plays against players much taller than her and fre-quently faces double and triple teams.”

Even though Walker deserves her place in the national headlines, she is excited about the attention that has gone to fellow junior teammates Hampton, the 2006-07 Pac-10 Player of the Year, and Alexis Gray-Lawson, the 2005-06 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

OLD SCHOOL

TThe basketball court is Ashley Walker’s own private spin class – every game she schools opponents with her signature move to the basket. Someday, Walker also hopes to become a teacher in the classroom.

Perhaps one of the first lessons the 6-1 junior can teach her stu-dents is how she helped transform the California women’s basket-ball team into a national powerhouse.

Before Walker, a forward/center, arrived on campus as part of the No. 7 nationally-ranked recruiting class in the fall of 2005-06, Cal had endured 12 straight losing seasons and hadn’t made an NCAA Tourna-ment appearance since 1993.

Eight games into 2007-08, Cal was 7-1, owned program all-time best rankings of 11th by the Associated Press and 12th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll and had its sights set on a third consecutive NCAA Tour-nament appearance for the first time in school history.

The 2007-08 campaign has built on last year’s momentum. Behind Walker’s team-leading 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, Cal assembled one of the best seasons in school history in 2006-07, finishing with a 23-9 overall record and a third-place Pac-10 showing at 12-6.

Walker, who grew up in Modesto about 85 miles from campus, has many athletic and academic accomplishments since coming to Cal and is motivated to influence children’s lives af-ter graduation.

“I had some really good teachers,” said Walker, who was a first-team All-Pac-10 honoree as a sophomore and is a pre-season all-conference selection this year. “People always say that they remember their fourth- or seventh-grade teachers. I re-member all of my teachers and what they have done for me, so I want to do that for other kids.”

In the third grade, Walker, who already played indoor soccer, be-gan competing in basketball in a YMCA league and showed natu-ral abilities despite a period of awkwardness and nervousness.

“Her first game she had like 35 points and 25 rebounds,“ said Ashley’s father, Tiran Walker. “She said, ‘Cool, I like this game.’”

Ashley Walker earned All-Pac-10 honors after averaging 17.3 ppg and 8.7 rpg last year.


Hampton and Gray-Lawson arrived at Cal as the most rec-ognized names in that class.

“I don’t need the extra hype,” Walker said. “I’m just going to do what I do. I think that is what makes me who I am today. I love Devanei and Lexi, and they deserve every accolade they get, but I am perfectly fine being the one they forget about. They don’t forget about me anymore. Now, they know that I’m the kid from Modesto. I like that. It’s who I am.”

It’s hard for opponents to ignore Walker when she has had to play an increased role for the Bears the last two sea-sons as Hampton recovered from knee surgeries. A tri-captain this season with Lau-ren Greif and Krista Foster, Walker brings an offensive and defensive presence to the court, as well as her trade-mark high socks and knee pads.

“I forced her to wear knee pads because she was always diving on the court,” said Walker’s father, who was an assistant coach for Ashley’s high school team. “I think she went with the high socks because it goes well with the knee pads.”

Ashley is also known as “old school,” according to Boyle, for her patented spin move. Walker’s father also takes credit for adding that offensive wrinkle to her game.

“It was a move I used in high school,” he said. “I don’t know if she saw me do it, but I think she saw somebody demonstrate that move sometime, and I told her that was one of my signature moves. She took a while to learn it, but she perfected it really well. Most referees don’t see women make moves like that, so they always call it a travel, but its not. It’s a very effective move.”

Ashley is proud that she and her older brother, Tiran, Jr., who plays and coaches basketball in England, incorporated the spin move into their games.

“My brother made his own version of it,” Walker said. “He spins and pulls up. I spin and go to the basket or spin into something else. We all have our own version of the spin, but it came from my dad.”

Walker will graduate from Cal as one of the school’s best all-around players, so it won’t be surprising if she has a chance to play in the WNBA. She has already joined Heli Toikka (1983-86) as one of only two Cal players to post at least 1,000 points and 100 blocks. Heading into the East Coast trip before finals to face Princeton and Rutgers, Walker ranked third in program history in blocks with 112 and 12th in scoring with 1,118 points.

“In my opinion, there’s not a player in the nation that has done more for her team in the early part of the season than Ashley has done for ours,” said Cal associate head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who has mentored the Bears’ post players for three years. “She is talented beyond words, she understands the game, and she has been a rock of con-sistency for us.”

Before Walker came to Cal, the Bears hadn’t featured a dominant shot blocker

Check out SoBerkeley.com for up-to-date information, video highlights and interviews about Cal’s three All-America candidates – Ashley Walker, Devanei Hampton and Alexis Gray-Lawson.

since Ingrid Dixson recorded 103 blocks from 1991-94. A three-time all-conference volleyball selection in high school, Walker credits her shot-blocking prowess to her other sports passion.

“I can block shots with ei-ther hand,” Walker said. “I jump according to a player’s size and the direction they face. I change my mind in the air which hand I’m going to use. It’s a science. That comes from volleyball. You jump with two hands to block.”

Opponents sometimes have a hard time envision-ing anything but Walker’s tough on-court persona. Even sophomore guard Natasha Vital was surprised to learn that Walker is different away from basketball.

“When I played against her in AAU in high school, I always thought she was this really mean person,” Vital said. “She always looked like she would hurt you on the court. When I met her when I came here, she was so sweet and nice.”

Away from basketball, Walker is just as driven with her studies and other areas of her life. Last year, the American studies major was

selected the team’s Golden Bear Award win-ner for having the highest GPA on the team.

Walker also is an active participant in the Bears’ “We Assist, You Assist” pro-gram, which raised almost $10,000 last season for the Berkeley Food and Housing Project and Lockwood Elementary School in Oakland.

“I’m proud that every day when I wake up, I’m in Berkeley,” Walker said. “I’m at Cal and am pursuing something. Not every-body has the chance to play college basket-ball. Helping the community is something I’ve always done.”

Not all college players have the chance to build a program’s foundation and to win a national championship in the span of four years. Regardless of whether Cal claims an NCAA title, Walker will be able to teach future Bears what made her team so spe-cial. Given her drive to help others, she’s destined to be an excellent teacher.

winter 2007-08 9

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GO BEARS!GO BEARS!GO BEARS!


Learning to

Senior Center DeVon Hardin Relishes Role in His Final Season as a Golden Bear

By Herb Benenson

Lead

fEATuRE


Of all that DeVon Hardin has learned during his tenure as a student-athlete at the University of California, how to be a leader is right at the top of the list.

41 percent field goal shooting, with Hardin averaging career bests of 10.7 ppg and 8.4 rpg at the time. But on Dec. 11, he suffered a stress fracture to his left mid-foot against Furman, and the ensuing surgery ended the big man’s season.

Without its starting center clogging up the middle, Cal gave up nearly 13 more points per game the rest of the way and struggled to a 16-17 finish.

As frustrated as he was, Hardin did not waste away his time on the sidelines. Instead, he used the opportunity from his seat on the bench to gain a new perspective on the game, similar to what Powe did two years earlier when he missed 2004-05 with a knee injury.

“I tried to keep a smile on my face, even though it was difficult for me to do,” Hardin said. “I had never missed any games due to injury. I had never missed a single basketball game ever. I know my teammates went out and fought ev-ery single night, and

Since arriving on campus out of Newark Memorial High School in August of 2004, Hardin has seen his share of team leaders pass through the men’s basketball program – Richard Midgley, Leon Powe, Ayinde Ubaka to name a few – and has taken bits and pieces from each of them in order to develop his own style. And now that Hardin is in the midst of his final collegiate campaign, he is using all the knowledge he has gathered to try to steer the Golden Bears back into the NCAA Tournament.

“It is a lot harder than it looks,” said Hardin, who is in his third year as Cal’s starting center. “When I first came here, my idea was that once you got older or once you are the best player, you are the team leader. People are supposed to respect you. That is not the way it goes at all. In order to get respect, you have to earn it. It was a transition to learn how to be an effective leader.”

The physical and emotional maturity Hardin has developed over the past three years has been a prime factor in his growth. Not only has he become a 6-11, 250-pound force on the court, but he has also turned into a young adult who has earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches.

“He came here as a slender player with a lot of potential,” head coach Ben Braun said. “He’s matured into a strong, dominant presence, working hard on his strength, conditioning and agility. Equally important is the maturity he has had as a person. He’s developed into a leader on the team and, as with a lot of seniors, is able to see the big picture.”

Much of the credit for Hardin’s improvement can be directly traced to Powe, Cal’s 2006 All-American forward who averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds during his final season with the Bears two years ago. Battling against Powe every day in prac-tice in 2005-06 allowed both players to improve their skills.

During that one year the pair started together, Cal finished 20-11 overall, reached the final of the Pac-10 Tournament for the only time in school history and earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs. Hardin contributed with a team-best 48 blocks – the fifth-highest total in the Cal record book.

When Powe left for the NBA, Hardin and the Bears hoped to maintain their high level of play and remain in the national spot-light. However, a series of injuries – including one to Hardin – de-railed the team’s plans barely a month into last season, and Cal was forced to play shorthanded for most of 2006-07.

The Bears jumped out to an 8-3 start, which included a cham-pionship in the Great Alaska Shootout, and were playing a tough style of defense that limited the opposition to 60 ppg and less than


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they came up with some big wins.”None was bigger, of course, than the

Bears’ 76-69 overtime upset of top-seeded UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament. Behind Ubaka’s 29 points and 18 points and eight rebounds from Ryan Anderson, Cal earned front-page men-tion on newspapers across the country.

Unfortunately for Hardin, he didn’t quite make it to Los Angeles to celebrate in person.

“I was on my way to the Staples Center, listening to it on the radio and driving down I-5 trying to get there,” he said. “When I heard about the UCLA win, I pulled over to the side of the road and was screaming and yelling. That was a big win.”

Cal’s season ended a day later with a loss to Oregon in the Pac-10 semifinals, and Hardin’s Golden Bear career nearly was over, as well. On April 9, 2007, Har-din declared for the NBA Draft, although he didn’t hire an agent in order to retain his collegiate eligibility in case he decided to return to campus.

Despite not having played in a game in nearly four months, Hardin wanted to gauge his value on the professional level. At last cleared to play, he began training for the private workouts with scouts, coaches and general managers.

“My dream my whole life has been to get into the NBA,” said Hardin, now one only four players in school history to block more than 100 shots.

With his father, Michael, at his side, Har-din traveled at his family’s expense to venues around the league. He spent much of his time on the East Coast, working out for such

teams as the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks. He also had sessions with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.

“It was a little bit of wear, but it was the first time I had played basketball since December,” Hardin said of the process. “It was just fun to me. I was traveling around the country. I was with my dad, my favorite person in the world. I was playing basket-ball and staying in nice hotels. There wasn’t much more I could ask for.

“I felt I did better than I expected in the workouts,” he added. “It gave me confi-

dence to be able to do things that impress men like Pat Riley.”

The feedback Hardin received led him to believe that he had a chance to be a first-round pick. Faced with perhaps the most important decision of his life – whether to turn pro or go back to Cal for a last season – Hardin leaned on his father and coach Braun, among others, for help. Ultimately, he chose to remain a collegian and put off the professional world for another year.

“Even though it was a huge temptation at the time, it was the best decision for me to come back to Cal,” Hardin said. “In the long run, it will be best for my Cal team and best for me and my family. The things that drew me back to Cal were mostly my teammates and my fans. There’s no place like playing in Haas Pavilion, and I believe this is one of the closest-knit groups of teammates that we’ve ever had at Cal.”

“I think his decision to come back to Cal was a sign of maturity, toughness and con-fidence,” Braun said. “You don’t make that decision if you don’t have all those things. He’s got strong people around him, and

Michael is a great parent in terms of putting things into perspective for

DeVon. His family is, obviously, very strong and supportive.”

Since fully re-committing to the Bears, Hardin has taken his new-found confidence and become a demonstrative leader. Not only is he the now typically the first person in the weight room or on the floor for practice, but he is also one of the squad’s hardest

workers.“For every jump we do, he jumps

the highest; for every run that we do, he runs the fastest,” said strength

& conditioning coach Mike Blasquez. “If you ask me what the biggest difference is between DeVon’s training from last year to this year, it has been his consistency, his effort and his willingness to buy into the program. As a result, his voice is now being heard among the team. They value his opin-ions and they value his thoughts. Every time his teammates see him, they see him give his best effort.”

When the 2007-08 season is complete, statistics will show that Hardin was one of the greatest shot-blockers in school his-tory. More importantly, his teammates and coaches will remember him for the leader-ship and determination he brought to the court every day.

“It was the best decision for me to come back to Cal. There’s no place like

playing in Haas Pavilion, and I believe this is one of the closest-

knit groups of teammates that we’ve ever had at Cal.”

- Devon Hardin


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it is his hope that the principles and perspectives he has gained from his own journey may help others experience joy in their own adventures just the same.

“I share my experience in the best way I can,” Millman said. “All the wisdom has been ex-pressed in the ancient classics, but few go back and read those, or dig deeply for those nuggets of wisdom. So every generation needs new voices to express pe-rennial wisdom in a manner ap-propriate to that place and time. There’s one light, but many lamps. I’m just one of many voices.”

Today, Millman resides in San Rafael, Calif., with his wife, Joy. He has three grown daughters and is the proud grandfather of two grandsons. For more information and to read Millman’s blog, visit www.peacefulwarrior.com.

Peaceful Warrior, which was adapted for the silver screen as Peaceful Warrior in 2006. The narrative in the book is based upon incidents from Millman’s life and has been translated into 29 languages worldwide.

In the movie, Millman’s character realizes one day that “the journey is what brings us happiness; not the destination.” During a recent speaking en-gagement on the road, Millman

himself realized that while he derives pleasure from visiting different places, seeing various sights and meeting new peo-ple, that his greatest reward is the work itself. Because of his belief that each of us seeks to leave the world a better place,

Former Gymnast Dan Millman Follows the Peaceful Warrior’s Way

of life and from all around the world.

The beginning of Millman’s journey was as a youth volun-teer, teaching kids gymnastics at the Berkeley YMCA. He credits his alma mater with quickening his ripening process, both physically and mentally, by providing the solid founda-tion for what every student and athlete can expect when they graduate. Most importantly, it

was the intensity of his athlet-ic training that he said “called forth latent abilities, revealing a template for excellence in any endeavor.”

Millman’s wisdom has mani-fested itself in his 13 books, including 1980’s Way of the

If anyone understands the spirit, charm and allure that embody the magical feeling of the University of California, it is Dan Millman. In fact, the world-renowned author and motivational speaker has made a career out of sharing his experiences

as a Golden Bear student-athlete.

By Jeremy Wu

A three-time All-American, Millman was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 for his achievements as a gymnast from 1964-68. His overall prowess earned him 10 top-six finishes at the NCAA championships, including the 1965 NCAA title in the vault. Among his many accomplish-ments, he holds the distinction of being the first-ever world trampoline champion. After suffering a serious leg injury in a motorcycle accident in 1967, Millman returned from extensive rehabilitation to lead the Bears to Cal’s first NCAA team championship during his senior year.

It was while he was a col-lege student that Millman dis-covered his love and passion for teaching and imparting the knowledge he had acquired. But it was during his reha-bilitation that Millman began an intensive 20-year spiritual quest, one that would eventu-ally lead him to develop his teachings in the form of what he calls the “Peaceful Warrior’s Way.” Since leaving school, his pursuit has taken him from coaching gymnastics to training others in martial arts; and from being a college professor to to-day spending much of his time giving lectures and speeches to men and women from all walks

WhERE ARE ThEy NOW?

“Every generation needs new voices to express perennial wisdom in a manner appropriate to that place and time. There’s one light, but many lamps. I’m just one of many voices.”

– Dan Millman

winter 2007-08 17

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sports previews winter 2007-08

wOMen’S bASketbALL

2007-08 OutlookCal is led by preseason All-Americans DevaneiHampton, Ashley Walker and Alexis Gray-Lawson. Hampton is also listed on the Wade Trophy Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30. The Golden Bears, who were ranked as high as No. 7 in the pre-season, look to advance to their third straight NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Head CoachJoanne Boyle, 3rd year at Cal (41-21, .661)Boyle, the 2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, enters the 2007-08 season with the best winning percentage of any Cal women’s basketball coach. She directed Cal to a 23-9 record last season, marking the program’s first 20-win season in 15 years. The Philadelphia native has led Cal to consecutive NCAA Tournament bids and has made five postseason appearances as a collegiate head coach.

Players to watchDevanei Hampton, F/C, JR – 2007 Pac-10 Player of the Year and second-team preseason All-America selec-tion by The Sporting News ... Ashley Walker, F/C, JR – first-team All-Pac-10 selection last season after lead-ing the conference with 12 double-doubles ... Alexis Gray-Lawson, G, JR – 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and honorable mention preseason All-American, according to CSTV.com.

key recruitsKelsey Adrian, F – National Elite Development Academy (Langley, BC)Member of the Canadian National teamRachelle Federico, G – Flowing Wells HS (Tucson, AZ)Three-time honorable mention Street & Smith’s All-American

important Home DatesDec. 28 vs. WashingtonCal tips off Pac-10 play against HuskiesFeb. 23 vs. StanfordBay area rivalry heats up on Senior Day

2006-07 reviewCal assembled one of its best seasons ever, recording a 23-9 overall record to fall one win shy of matching the 1983-84 team for the most wins in Bears history. At 12-6, the Bears placed third in the Pac-10 for their best show-ing in the conference’s history. Ashley Walker (17.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Devanei Hampton (16.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg) were named first-team All-Pac-10 and emerged as one of the best post combinations in the country.

Did You know?Last season, Devanei Hampton and Ashley Walker became the first Cal players to earn All-America honors since Milica Vukadinovic in 1992-93.

Men’S gYMnAStiCS

2008 OutlookAfter taking third place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation last season, Cal has set its sights on a team national championship this year. With their best depth at every position in over a decade thanks to 13 returnees – including three NCAA finalists – and three key fresh-man recruits, the Golden Bears are poised for a strong season.

Head Coach Barry Weiner, 17th year at Cal (234-77-1, .752)Weiner is largely credited with developing the Cal men’s gymnastics program into one of the best in the nation. He has had eight top-five national finishes and 10 NCAA individual champions in his first 16 seasons with the Bears. Weiner has twice been named MPSF and Na-tional Coach of the Year.

gymnasts to watchTim McNeill, SR – became the second-ever Golden Bear to win two national championships in one season last year – claiming his first title on the parallel bars and repeating on pommel horse … Colin Christ, SR – run-ner-up in high bar and third on parallel bars at the 2007 NCAA championships … Kyson Bunthuwong, SR – one of the most artistic gymnasts on the squad, has the potential to be an All-American on horizontal bars, pommel horse, parallel bars and floor exercise.

key recruitsKyle Bunthuwong, AA – El Cerrito HS (El Cerrito, CA)An explosive member of the junior national team joins his older brother, KysonMichael Del Junko, PH, PB, R, V – Servite HS (Santa Ana, CA)Poised to help Cal immediately on pommel horse and parallel bars Eric Hauessler, AA – Saint Francis HS (Mountain View, CA)Highly recruited, will add depth on the floor and vault

important Home DatesJan 19 vs. StanfordBears take on rival Stanford in home openerMarch 15 vs. Penn StateHome finale against defending national champion Nittany Lions

2007 in reviewCal boasted three NCAA finalists, with Tim McNeill earn-ing his second and third titles, Colin Christ coming in second on high bar and third on parallel bars, and Ky-son Bunthuwong finishing eighth on parallel bars. The Bears took third in the MPSF and seventh at nationals.

Did You know?Trent Wells (letterwinner 1994-97), who once scored two perfect 10.0’s in the same meet, invented two skills that are named after him.

Men’S bASketbALL

2007-08 OutlookLed by senior center DeVon Hardin and sophomore forward Ryan Anderson, Cal features one of the best frontcourts in the country. Hardin has been named to several preseason first-team All-Pac-10 lists, while An-derson earned freshman All-America notice last year. The Bears will also get a boost in late December when Duke transfer Jamal Boykin becomes eligible. At point guard, Jerome Randle and Nikola Knezevic will battle to replace four-year starter Ayinde Ubaka.

Head CoachBen Braun, 12th year at Cal (202-138, .594)Braun enters the 2007-08 season ranked 10th among active Division I coaches with 535 career wins, which includes previous stints at Eastern Michigan and Siena Heights. He has guided the Bears to five NCAA Tour-naments, as well as berths in the National Invitation Tournament two times, winning the title in 1999. Braun was the 1997 Pac-10 Coach of the Year and a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors in 2003.

Players to watchRyan Anderson, F, SO – only player in Pac-10 to rank among top five in league in both scoring and rebounding last year ... DeVon Hardin, C, SR – leads all returning Pac-10 players with 95 career blocks ... Eric Vierneisel, F, SR – paced Cal in three-point shooting last season, making 38.8 percent of his attempts.

key recruitsOmondi Amoke, F – Oxnard HS (Oxnard, CA)Three-time Ventura County Player of the YearHarper Kamp, F – Mountain View HS (Mesa, AZ)Led team to three state championships and was state MVP as a sophomoreMax Zhang, C – No. 4 Yantai HS (Yantai City, China)At 7-2, is the tallest player in school history

important Home DatesJan. 5 vs. UCLABears have won at least once in series last 9 yearsFeb. 9 vs. OregonCal has seven-game win streak in series in Berkeley

2006-07 reviewDespite an injury-depleted roster that saw five players undergo surgery during the season, Cal reached the semifinals of the Pac-10 Tournament for the fourth time in the last six years, keyed by a 76-69 overtime upset of UCLA in the quarterfinals. Senior guard Ayinde Ubaka tied a personal high with 29 points in the game and fin-ished his career with 1,194 points. Overall, the Bears ended the season with a 16-17 mark and were paced by Ryan Anderson’s 16.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg.

Did You know?Seven former Ben Braun players or assistant coaches are currently head coaches at the collegiate level, in-cluding Joe Pasternack, an assistant last year who is now at New Orleans.

Oski


winter 2007-08 19

wOMen’S gYMnAStiCS

2008 OutlookAfter a strong finish to the 2007 season, which included a fourth-place standing at the NCAA West Regional meet held in Haas Pavilion, Cal returns a veteran squad this year. Nine of the 15 gymnasts on the roster are ju-niors or seniors, and the Bears welcome three talented newcomers to the team.

Head CoachCari DuBois, 6th year at Cal (46-58, .402)DuBois was named co-Pac-10 Coach of the Year and West Region Coach of the Year during her initial sea-son at Cal in 2003. Last year, she guided the Bears to a fourth-place regional finish and a No. 26 national rank-ing. DuBois was an assistant at Cal from 1993-96 and at West Virginia from 1996-2002.

gymnasts to watchKeiko Nakamura, BB, SR – scored her best mark on beam last year at the Pac-10 championships (9.650) ... Siobhan Luce, AA, SR – one of the most consistent and experienced members of this year’s squad ... Jessica Kelley, AA, JR – scored an all-around mark of 38.950 at the NCAA West Regional.

key recruitsAvery Gee, AA, FR – Los Altos HS (Los Altos, CA)Won all-around, vault and beam at 2007 Western NationalsStefanie Cheng, AA, FR – St. Francis HS (San Jose, CA)Placed eighth on beam at the 2006 Junior Nationals

important Home DatesFeb. 10 vs. Oregon StateBeavers finished ranked 11th in the country last yearFeb. 17 vs. UCLABruins come to Berkeley as the defending Pac-10 champions

2007 reviewCal finished the season with an 11-18 overall record and an 8-9 regular-season record. The Bears earned a final national ranking of 26th, their highest in three years, and advanced to the NCAA West Regional for the first time since 2004. Five Cal gymnasts were selected as Aca-demic All-Americans.

Did You know?Siobhan Luce spent the summer of 2004 interning in the office of U.S. Congressman Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.).

Men’S SwiMMing & DiVing

2007-08 OutlookA new era in Cal men’s swimming begins this season, as David Durden takes over the reigns of the program from Nort Thornton, who retired as head coach after 33 years at the helm. The Bears feature eight returning All-Ameri-cans, including Dominik Meichtry, the 2007 Pac-10 champion and national runner-up in the 200 freestyle.

Head CoachDavid Durden, 1st year at Cal (0-0, .000)Durden joined the Cal staff in August after spending the previous two seasons as head men’s and women’s coach at Maryland. He also served as an assistant coach for the powerhouse Auburn teams for five years, helping the men’s and women’s squads to three NCAA team titles each.

Swimmers & Divers to watchDominik Meichtry, SR – the 2007 Pac-10 champion and the national runner-up in the 200 free was also on All-American 800 free relay ... David Russell, JR – the 2007 Pac-10 champion in the 100 back has the school’s second-best all-time mark in the 200 back ... Sam Hel-vie, JR – the school record-holder in the one-meter, three-meter and platform diving competitions.

key newcomersSean Mahoney, Breast, SO – West Virginia (Rio Vista, CA)Transfer helped West Virginia to 2007 Big East titleMartti Aljand, IM, FR – Kristung HS (Tallinn, Estonia)Member of the Estonian National team

important Home DatesJan. 25 vs. ArizonaWildcats bring Top 5 ranking to BerkeleyJan. 26 vs. Arizona StateCal topped ASU, 185-115, last season

2007 reviewAfter placing second at the Pac-10 championships, the Bears finished in eighth place at the NCAA meet – the 28th time in the last 33 years Cal has been in the top 10 at the national championships. Senior Patrick O’Neil brought home the Bears’ 35th individual national crown when he captured the 200 butterfly in a school-record time of 1:42.98. Cal also took second at the Pac-10 meet, led by individual titles by O’Neil (200 fly), Dominik Meichtry (200 free) and David Russell (100 back).

Did You know?Since 1976, 48 Cal athletes have won a total of 29 Olympic medals in men’s swimming, including 14 gold, 10 silver and five bronze.

wOMen’S SwiMMing & DiVing

2007-08 OutlookBuilding off a program-best third-place finish at the NCAA championships last season, Cal returns sev-en All-Americans, including 2008 Olympic hopefuls Dana Vollmer and Emily Silver. Mix in a talented fresh-man class and second-year performers, such as Blake Hayter, Alexandra Ellis and Courtney Eronemo, and the Bears should once again be considered a favorite to capture an NCAA title.

Head CoachTeri McKeever, 16th year at Cal (132-43, .754)Regarded as one of the best swimming mentors in the United States, McKeever begins her 16th year as head coach at Cal. Under her watch, the Bears have produced five Pac-10 Swimmers of the Year, including three-time winner Natalie Coughlin, and 11 consecutive Top 10 NCAA finishes.

Swimmers to watchDana Vollmer, JR – 2007 NCAA butterfly champ was part of five Pac-10 titles at last year’s meet ... Emily Silver, SR – set a school record in the 50 free (21.99) at the 2007 NCAA meet … Rachel Ridgeway, SR – NCAA finalist in the 200 fly holds Cal top-10 marks in both individual medley events.

key recruitsSara Sun, Free, FR – Crescenta Valley HS (La Crescenta, CA)Three-time all-area Swimmer of the Year in high schoolErica Dagg, Back, FR – Isidore Newman HS (New Orleans, LA)A four-time All-American and all-state performer

important Home DatesJan. 25 vs. ArizonaA key dual meet between two of the Pac-10’s bestJan. 26 vs. Arizona StateFinal home meet for the Bears

2006-07 reviewThe 2007 campaign was one of Cal’s finest under McK-eever’s tutelage. The Golden Bears claimed five nation-al titles, set three American records and boasted 10 All-Americans at the NCAA championships. Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, was named team MVP after capturing the national title in the 100 butterfly and swimming on three championship relays.

Did You know?Natalie Coughlin set her most recent world record

when she swam the 100-meter backstroke (short course) in 56.61 at the FINA World

Cup on Oct. 29, 2007.

Rachel RidgewaySam HelvieSiobhan Luce

winter 2007-08 19


Athletic Development Bear Backer News

New Faces in Development OfficeTod BannisterExecutive Director, Bear Backers

A s executive director, Tod Bannister ensures service to theexisting base of Bear Backers while seeking to double its size over the next 10 years.

Bannister spent 2006-07 as assistant athletic director of external affairs at the University of the Pacific, where he managed the chief fundraising arm of Pacific Athletics. Previously, he worked at Pacific’s School of Engineering and Computer Science as an assistant professor and director of the co-op program.

Bannister also spent six years as an assistant basketball coach at Pa-cific with both the men’s and women’s programs. After his coaching days, he served as the color analyst for the Tigers’ men’s basketball broadcasts and spent one year as co-host of the Cal men’s basketball postgame radio show.

Alicia RowellMajor Gifts Officer, Aquatics

Alicia Rowell has joined the Athletic Development Office as a major gifts offi-cer for aquatics, a role in which she will oversee the creation of a $40 million en-dowment for the water polo and swimming programs.

Rowell, who previously volunteered as a fundraiser for aquatics, attended Cal from 1987-91, earning bachelor degrees in both English and history. As a member of the swim team, she was named an All-American four times, serving as co-captain her senior season. She competed in the 100 and 200 butterfly and 50 and 100 freestyle events.

Nick ParsonsDevelopment Associate, Annual Giving

Nick Parsons assumed his new position this fall after joining the staff as an intern in June of 2006. Parsons, who spent 2005-06 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as a development associate in the Victors Club, earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alabama and an M.Ed. in sport administration from Belmont Uni-versity in Nashville, Tenn., where he also served as an events intern for the Nashville Sports Council.

Katie Bundschu Development Associate, Stewardship

Katie Bundschu works closely with the execution of events and the implementation of stewardship programs. She first joined the Cal Athletic Department as an intern in August of 2006 after working in the adver-tising industry with the agencies McCann Erickson and DraftFCB. She also has ex-perience working for Maloof Sports and Entertainment and Florida Citrus Sports. She earned her B.A. in journalism from the University of Colorado.

From left: Katie Bundschu, Nick Parsons, Tod Bannister and Alicia Rowell

The Cal Athletic Hall of Fame added nine new members the weekend of Nov. 9-10 with its 22nd induction cer-

emonies. Former basketball player Jennifer Bennett (left) and former water polo player Maggi Kelly, pictured above, were joined by Bob Albo (basketball, baseball), Don Anderson (track & field), Lisa Arce (volleyball), Loren Hawley (rugby, football), Matt Luke (baseball), Monte Upshaw (track & field) and Mike White (foot-ball, rugby, track & field). To order photos from the banquet, visit goldenbearsports.com.

The Sons of California, Cal’s foot-ball alumni group, helped welcome the 2007 team onto the field for the

Arizona game in September by forming a human tunnel on the Memorial Stadium turf. Among the former Golden Bears who returned to campus for the annual reunion were (from left): Paul Larson, Joe Kapp, Jack Hart and Andy Segale.

winter 2007-08 21

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Pappy’s Boy Glenn Gulvin Recalls the Thrill of

Three Rose Bowls

My Golden Bear memories started in January of 1949 with Cal playing in the Rose Bowl. Some members of my high school foot-ball team were asked to be ushers for the game. It was a thrill to be there.

I was a freshman at Cal in 1950, and we were not allowed to play on the varsity, so we acted as the scrimmage team for that Rose Bowl team and traveled to Pasadena with them.

My fondest “memory moment” came on Jan. 1, 1951, when I ran onto the turf as a starting tackle on the team that represented the University of California in that Rose Bowl.

It is amazing how the friendships and camaraderie developed among those teammates under Pappy’s tutelage. Many of these friendships are renewed annually and some only after many years. My wife, Robin, says, “You greet a teammate that you haven’t

seen in years and the two you go on like you saw one another last week.”

Pappy’s Boys loses a few members each year now, but those of us still able go annually to renew the spirit and trade lies with our old teammates.

Robin and I are retired and live in Modesto. We moved to this area so that we could build a facility to train our dogs. We compete in field trials with our Labrador Retrievers. The dog trials go from Friday to Sunday, and we are gone about half of the weekends of the year. We miss many of the Cal athletic events as a result. But we do manage to get to several of the football games.

Cal was good to my wife and me, and I have given substantially to the football program. Go Bears!

More than 50 years have passed since my days at the University. Pappy Waldorf probably said it best many years ago at a dinner gathering of many of his players from the Rose Bowl teams. He said, “Memory is like a big velvet cloud. You can reach into it and retrieve old memories. You only bring out the best and

warmest ones; the rest remain a little hazy.”

Before Glenn Gulvin Jr. became one of Pappy’s Boys for the 1950, ’51 and ’52 seasons, he was in the stands as a high school senior invited to usher at the 1949 Rose Bowl featur-ing the Golden Bears and Northwestern. On his way to earning a B.A. in political science from California in 1955, Gulvin played freshman football and traveled with the varsity to the 1950 Rose Bowl, then started in the 1951 edi-tion of what has been called “the granddaddy of them all.”

Gulvin, a member of the Big C Society, Or-der of the Golden Bear, Benjamin Ide Wheeler Society and, of course, Pappy’s Boys, resides in Modesto with his wife, Robin.

Athletic Development GoldeN Bear MeMory


winter 2007-08 23

John McNellis remembers a different world when he attended the University of California from 1969-73. The Vietnam War was in full swing, and students were questioning how particle physics and Chekov could be relevant, as campus riots protesting the war became so heated that the University had to periodically shut down.

Athletics were also questioned for relevancy. Football games garnered only smatterings of students on Saturdays, and McNel-lis recalled protestors occasionally running onto the field during games to wave the North Vietnamese flag.

Today, John and his wife, Michele Robertson ’71, look back at their undergraduate years with fondness. Although they didn’t meet while students in Berkeley, the Cal alumni would team up to create a life together when fate stepped in four years after John’s graduation and the two met as lawyers in San Francisco.

John would go on to become a real-estate developer, founding McNellis Partners in 1982. Four years later, the McNellises had the first of three daughters, settling in Atherton. Today, John and Michele remain committed to their undergraduate alma mater, do-ing more than their share as Bear Backers.

Athletic Development Bear Backer spotliGht

By Anton Malko

John and Michele McNellis Spread Their Love for Cal

“We want Cal to remain as affordable an option as possible and hope that other students will have an opportunity, as we have, to transform their lives through education,” John said. “Surprisingly, Cal does not have a huge endowment. That’s why it’s so important for alumni to remember their roots.”

While a student, McNellis took to the water, first as a member of the rowing team his freshman year, and later as a lifeguard work-ing for the legendary Pete Cutino at the Harmon Gym pool, where he also played intramural water polo. “Athletics led the way for me,” he said. “It requires a tremendous amount of effort, discipline and determination.”

As a result of John’s aquatic experience, Cal Athletics is a bene-ficiary of much of the McNellis’ generosity. The College of Letters & Science is also a recipient. At Cal, John majored in journalism,

CALIFORNIACombination


while Michele earned Phi Beta Kappa in English.The two Cal undergrads first crossed paths at a continuing

education course offered to junior lawyers in San Francisco. John had just been hired by the prestigious law firm of Landels, Rip-ley and Diamond, and Michele was working at the renowned firm of Bancroft, Avery and McAllister. Though they’d never met in Berkeley, they shared professional interests and had the same com-mitted work ethic Cal had demanded throughout those turbulent times.

The 1970s have fast-forwarded to the late-2000s, and some parts of history may seem to be repeating themselves. But today’s war protests are woven into a different climate driven by an increas-ingly wired-in world that may, perhaps, yield a less in-your-face brand of political protest than John and Michele encountered as students.

Everyone connected with Cal Athletics, however, knows protest is alive and well in Berkeley as the University makes progress to-ward the Student-Athlete High-Performance Center.

“Berkeley is, as always, the extreme case, but it’s not unique,” John. “Often when one is trying to do land development, adjacent neighbors act as if it is they, and they alone, who should decide the property’s fate, as if they – and not the developer – were the owner of the property.”

The bottom line is that the McNellises want to support today’s exceptional student and student-athletes who are striving the same way they did to reach the rewarding milestone of a Cal degree. “I feel an enormous debt of gratitude to the University,” John said. “I received a great education there. One business friend says he prefers to hire Cal grads over Stanford’s, because he knows the Cal kids are tough enough to get through without falling through the cracks.”

That Golden Bear toughness has generated remarkable success in athletics, as well, which has in turn energized the campus com-munity. The positive impacts range from the wonderful student-athletes who emerge from Cal as highly successful people to the raised profile a successful program can garner for the University as a whole. But in the dawn of the 1970s, the equation wasn’t so clear-cut.

“The word ‘relevant’ was beaten to death in the early ’70’s,” John said of his era as an undergrad. “Everything had to be rel-evant. With the world coming to an end around us, the only ‘rel-evant’ course of action was to stop the war. That was the cry over and again.”

Even in the midst of that united cry to effect change, participa-tion in athletics was an anchor for John’s experience. “Let’s face it,” he said. “With Cal the size of most U.S. cities, it’s a huge boost for a freshman to be a member of any student organization, wheth-er athletics or the band or the chess team. It gave me a sense of place and identity.”

John continues to enjoy challenging himself in the pool. After becoming a competitive swimmer while working for Cutino, Mc-Nellis went on to swim for the Olympic Club, and today he takes time to swim during the lunch hour with the Stanford Masters near his Palo Alto office.

“Swimming in the middle of a sunny, warm day, cracking out 3,000 meters with a great group of guys and holding the pace, that’s the best,” McNellis said. “At the end of a long, hard work-out, the endorphin release is an intensely peaceful feeling. I love doing that.”

None of their daughters is en route to Berkeley for their under-graduate years, but that doesn’t affect John and Michele’s com-mitted to Cal. Said John, “Michele and I think the University is fabulous.”

No doubt Cal would be less fabulous if not for the hard work of people like John and Michele. Bear Backers like them make Cal’s reputation for drive and determination a deserved one.

winter 2007-08 25

During the usually lazy days of mid-summer, the California men’s swimming program went through a flurry of activity, perhaps generating more attention than during the normal course of the

year. But now that the Golden Bears are embarking on the 2007-08 season, it is time to properly introduce new head coach David Durden, and to honor the program’s guiding force for over 30 years – Nort Thornton.

Since taking over the reins of the team, Durden has spent long hours getting to know his swimmers and surroundings, all with the assistance of Thornton, who continues to add his support on deck after retiring as Cal’s fulltime head coach.

“I think coach Durden is doing a great job,” said Jernej Godec, one of 12 seniors on the Bears squad that began the season seventh in the national poll. “No one knew what was going to happen when we heard about the coaching change, but we knew David was a great coach and we were pleased when we heard he was coming.”

When co-head coach Mike Bottom left the program to join an elite swimming camp in Florida, it kicked off a series of events that resulted in what Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour called a perfect fit for Cal Aquatics. Soon after the Aug. 27 announcement of his hiring, Durden affirmed that Thornton would continue in his role working with the program as the head coach emeritus.

“I was at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis with a group of six athletes when asked if I would be interested in having a conversation with Sandy Barbour,” explained Durden. “At the time, one of my long-term goals in coaching was to lead a men’s-only program in pursuit of a national title. In stepping back and looking over the landscape of college environments around the country, I have always felt that there are a handful of programs that, with university resources behind them, could pursue a national title year in and year out. Cal definitely fit that profile.”

Durden certainly had impressive credentials to bring to Berkeley – two seasons as head men’s and women’s coach at Maryland and five years as an assistant coach at Auburn, where he helped the Tigers to six NCAA team championships (three men, three women).

Smooth TransitionWith Nort Thornton Still on Deck, David Durden Begins a New Era in Men’s Swimming

By Scott Ball

fEATuRE

David Durden

winter 2007-08 27

tions at Cal and the campus,” said Durden. “I always leave each day with a nugget of information from Nort, whether through a technical aspect of swimming or the psy-chological make-up of developing a team. His presence on the deck in working with the guys is tremendously appreciated.”

The 2007-08 Bears squad looks to contin-ue the long-time success of one of the Ath-

letic Department’s most accomplished programs, and this year’s edition of Cal men’s swimming and diving features nine re-turning All-Americans.

“Our top returnees this season fall primarily within our senior class,” said Durden. “Dominik Meichtry is coming off a second-place finish at NCAA’s in the 200 freestyle. Mark Eckert and Louis Vayo return as NCAA scorers in the IM events. Will Cope-land, Joe Whittington and Jernej Godec anchor our

sprint core, and junior backstroker David Russell is coming off of a successful sum-mer in which he represented the U.S. at the Japan International Meet in August.

“The guys have been absolutely fantastic to me and my wife, Cathy, in our transition to Cal. Their investment in this program su-

persedes any personal glory that they will take away from their Cal experience. I have been fortunate to be on the receiving end of their selflessness.”

Godec, who was recruited by Durden to Auburn before ultimately deciding to pur-sue his education at Cal, may have the best sense of anyone on the Bear squad what the new head coach ultimately will mean to the program.

“I think David will do a lot of wonderful things here,” he said. “David knows where he wants to take us, and he knows how to get us there.”

While with the SEC school, Durden mentored several world and NCAA record holders, and in 2004, he coached multiple athletes that competed at the Olympic Games. He also served as the head coach for the Panama team at the 2004 Olympics and the 2003 Pan American Games.

Before joining the Auburn program, Dur-den was an assistant for the highly regarded Irvine Novaquatics under Dr. Dave Salo. As a com-petitor at UC Irvine, Dur-den was the 1997 Big West Conference champion in the 200 butterfly before earning his degree in elec-trical engineering in 1998.

Now at Cal, Durden has embraced the pres-ence of Thornton and the leadership he provides in and out of the water. Associated with Golden Bear men’s swimming since 1974-75, Thornton guided Cal to the pinnacle of the sport in just a few short years, leading the team to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1979 and 1980.

Throughout his 33 years at the helm of Cal swimming, Thornton’s squads won more than 230 dual meets, captured 48 in-dividual and relay NCAA crowns and won 108 Pac-10 individual, relay and diving

championships. His teams ranked in the fi-nal Top 10 in the national polls 28 times.

Thornton’s resume boasts an impressive collection of Olympians, including multi-time Olympic medalist and world record-holder Matt Biondi; Anthony Ervin, who won the gold medal in the 50-meter free-style at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; and Duje Draganja, a silver-medalist in the 50 free at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Under his guidance, Cal swimmers captured 29 Olympic medals – 14 gold, 10 silver and five bronze. The veteran coach was hon-ored for all of his accomplishments in May

1995 with his induction into the Interna-tional Swimming Hall of Fame.

“It was a great experience working with Nort over the past four years,” said Pat-rick O’Neil, the 2007 NCAA champion in the 200-yard butterfly. “I know many people have enjoyed the same experience and would say it’s one of the greatest times they’ve ever had. He has taught me not

only a great deal about swimming, but a great deal about life.”

Another part of the Thornton legacy is how well his teams have performed in the classroom. Over 30 of his athletes have been named Academic All-Americans and numerous Cal swimmers have been award-

ed postgraduate scholarships and earned advanced degrees. Last season’s squad had a team GPA of 3.019 and featured four Ac-ademic All-Americans – Richard Hunter, Louis Vayo, Graham Lentz and Justin Pol-lard.

Yet, in typical modest fashion, when asked about the keys to his success and his career highlights, Thornton simply said, “Good recruiting of excellent young men and the day-to-day association with won-derful people.”

“Nort has been fantastic in helping me get up to speed with our athletes, the tradi-

David Durden (right) now heads the Cal men’s swimming and diving program, which was led by Nort Thonton (left) for 33 years.

2007-08 California men’s swimming team


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last April, at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics West Regional hosted by California, then-freshman Sophia Hocini competed on the uneven bars for the first time as a collegian, scoring a 9.6, followed by a 9.65 on balance beam and a 9.75 on vault

to help the Golden Bears finish fourth and continue the program’s upward climb.Her performances were gutsy, with Hocini having come back from meniscus surgery over the course of

the season while maintaining a 3.5 GPA to land Academic All-America honors.But Hocini, now a sophomore, would never call herself brave, nor would she term her road to the re-

gionals last year particularly tough.Because when it comes to toughness, no one could touch her father. After an accident at work in 2002 involving an electric shock, Maurice Hocini was given a full-body

MRI to check for damage. What doctors subsequently found, Sophia said, was “quite a surprise” – a tu-mor on his spine. Maurice was diagnosed at age 48 with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow typically found in people 70 and over.

His fight persisted for five years, continuing beyond the prognoses of doctors who at one point gave him 24 hours to live, until he passed away on Dec. 2.

fEATuRE

by anton malko

degre

eof difficulty

Sophia Hocini Sets Bar High to Honor Father

Sophia Hocini continues to draw strength from her father, Maurice (right).

winter 2007-08 31

Throughout his fight, Maurice never wavered in his passion for seeing his children continue to achieve in the face of adversity. He, Sophia and the Hocini family have inspired everyone con-nected to Cal Athletics.

“We’re here for a purpose,” explained Mr. Ho-cini just six weeks before his death. “I think we’re achieving our purpose on a daily basis with our kids, our family, our lives.”

His message to his daughter: “Be yourself, fo-cus, listen to your coaches, be a team player and take advantage of this great institution.”

That’s exactly what Sophia has proceeded to do.

“She’s just an amazing individual. She’ll give you everything she’s got,” said head coach Cari DuBois. “She’s so clean, execution-wise, and her presentation is phenomenal.”

Added teammate Kendall Zdvorak, who has known Sophia since eighth grade at the Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy in Temec-ula: “Her humility and graciousness have always stood out to me. She has natural talent, but she is also always pushing herself and striving to im-prove. Her discipline in the gym is contagious.”

Hocini flourished in the faces of fear and uncer-tainty that accompanied her father’s cancer. Her family was one year into its fight when Sophia nabbed the level 9 national beam and all-around titles in 2003. Two years later, she notched her two level 10 championships. She maintained her top academic standing throughout high school and began the college recruitment process as her father went through a transplant and various surgeries.

Sophia had stirred interest from top gymnastics programs, including Alabama, Iowa and North Carolina, but with the Golden Bears closer to her Murrieta home, she knew the best choice for her would be Berkeley.

Mulling her options for college, Hocini found herself on the international radar, as well. A dual citizen of the United States and Algeria, where both parents were born, she was invited in the spring of 2006 to join Algeria’s national team at the World Cup in Belgium. Then she agreed to join the Algerian team again over Thanksgiv-ing break for the ’06 Africa Championships in Cape Town.

Sophia was joined by DuBois, assistant coach Scott Ryan, her sister and father on the trip to South Africa. When she felt discomfort in her knee on the way over, she preferred not to worry about it. After all, her dad was toughing it out.

“He was really tired from it, but he wanted to make that trip,” she said about Maurice’s last journey by plane. “It was really fun, and I’m glad we got to do it.”

But the swelling in her knee worsened on ar-rival and Hocini was unable to compete, watching

in frustration as Algeria took second. On return to the States, she learned her meniscus was torn, leading to surgery that stalled her gym activities.

In February, with the season underway, Sophia got word from her mother that Maurice had been given 24 hours to live. “The coaches were wonderful when we called,” Emma Hocini said. “They took her to the airport, and she was on a flight home right away. That’s a team.”

“Cal gymnastics, above everything else, is a fam-ily,” said captain Keiko Nakamura. “Every single member of this team, including the coaches, is here to give Sophia support in their own unique way. Sophia is an inspiration to this team every single day.”

Maurice stabilized, and soon Sophia was back in Berkeley. After missing the first few meets of the season, she was back in action.

“He loved it when we were with him but he didn’t want us to be held back by his situation,” Sophia said. “He always told me to stay focused and keep doing my best in school and gymnastics.”

When she felt knee pain after resuming activities with the team, Sophia figured it was just residual effects of her surgery. She stayed diligent with her treatment in the training room and took medication as prescribed, in daily amounts equal to about an hour’s worth of her dad’s pain-management medicines.

Further examination of Sophia’s knee revealed that she had a second, separate meniscus tear. Hocini would need a second surgery – but first, she was go-ing to compete in the NCAA regional with her par-ents in attendance.

Throughout his ordeal, Maurice had always willed his way to attend her big events, and it was a no-brainer to be there to support Sophia and her gym-nastics family at regionals.

“We’ve always supported Sophia in setting high goals and having a passion for gymnastics and aca-demics,” said Maurice. “It’s a family affair and not something we take very lightly.”

A weight may have been lifted now that Maurice no longer suffers, but his loss is a tragic challenge for Sophia and her family. “We’ve always known his time is limited but we tried to stay optimistic,” she said. “We try and keep every day positive. And he was really, really strong. He was the one who helped us stay positive.

“It’s important to set goals to achieve and for im-provement, but with my dad, I’ve realized how impor-tant every day is, just to take it one day at a time because you never know what’s going to happen in the future.”

Right now, Sophia is working toward a pre-med degree in integrative biology. “I want to be some sort of doctor, but we’ll see,” she said. “After these sur-geries on my knee, I’ve gotten interested in ortho-pedic medicine, and I’m also interested in cancer research.”

Whatever she chooses as a future career, Sophia is sure to be a success. And wherever she goes, her father will surely be there in spirit, watching proudly.

degre

e

Conquering a LifeLong BattLe

fEATuRE

By tim Miguel

emily Verdin’s Support network Helping Her get Back in the Pool

was different this time because I was hurting more than I had ever before, with

pain when I was walking or even lying in bed. Dealing with my hip discomfort in years past, I never would have guessed that I would have to have a major hip surgery to correct it. I never thought I would be going to school and swimming for a top 3 team in Cali-fornia either.”

During the summer of 2005, Verdin started contacting different doctors to see what could be done. What shocked her most wasn’t the idea of surgery, but the notion from her dad that it might be best to take the semester off from school and return home to Virginia for the fall. Verdin wasn’t sure about leaving school and the team for an extended period of time.

Still, she followed her father’s advice and spent that fall semes-ter in Virginia after surgery was performed in Tacoma, Wash. It definitely wasn’t the best of times for Verdin, as she was confined to a hospital bed in her room, for the most part.

Verdin returned to Berkeley in January 2006. Before she could even begin to think about getting back in the pool, she found that just getting into a day-to-day routine was difficult enough.

“During my freshmen year everything was great,” Verdin said. “I was swimming faster than I had ever swum before. Then I came back after surgery and a semester off, and I was exhausted from simply a day on campus. At first, it was hard to walk up and down the hills in Berkeley with my crutch. I learned to adjust to the new challenge by leaving extra time before going somewhere or by planning my schedule so that I would stay on campus for the day instead of walking back and forth from home to class and

California women’s swimmer Emily Verdin kept the plates and screws that were removed after her second surgery to have something tangible as a reminder of such a difficult time in her life.

The souvenirs came as a result of a pair of procedures performed to correct a hip abnor-mality that held her back from achieving her dreams in the pool.

While she continues to fight a constant battle with her condition in the athletic venue, Verdin unselfishly gives her time and effort to the University in numerous other ways. A member of the Pac-10 All-Academic team as a molecular and cell biology major, she has taken on active roles at Cal as a mem-ber of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as a peer advi-sor through the Athletic Study Center.

When she was a newborn, Verdin developed an infection in her hip, known as a septic hip, which caused structural growth abnor-malities resulting in degenerative changes and femoral acetabular impingement (too much friction in the hip joint). When she moved from her home in Alexandria, Va., to Berkeley in the fall of 2004, she didn’t think at the time that any major surgery would be neces-sary.

Despite having a strong freshman campaign, earning honorable mention All-America status in the 200-yard backstroke, Verdin could tell something was wrong with her hip by the end of the season.

“I never pushed the limits of what my hip would allow me to do until I came out to school,” Verdin said. “After starting training again, following a short break after my first collegiate season, I noticed a change in the degree of pain in my hip. I knew something

Emily Verdin


rehab. My roommates also helped me out a lot by driving me when they could.”

Verdin also benefited from hav-ing her sister, Erica, a member of the Cal lacrosse team from 2003-06, on campus.

“It definitely was a struggle to watch my sister go through her surgery and recovery,” Erica said. “To see the pain and every-day struggles she went through just to do basic tasks during the initial recovery was hard. Emily has al-ways been a fighter, and I knew she would fight back and pick up right where she left off.”

Following a second surgery in June 2006 to remove a plate from her hip, Verdin returned to action in the pool in October. Getting back into the water, though, pro-vided a new hurdle in Verdin’s or-deal, and she sometimes losing her perspective on her situation when she wasn’t swimming as well as she would have liked. However, her father, an orthopedic surgeon, often reminded her that most peo-ple who have had the same surgery are not Division I athletes.

Verdin’s teammates and her coach have never lost sight of the tremendous steps she’s made.

“When she came back after having the surgery, seeing her walk-ing with a cane, the four-to-five months of training just to get back into the water, and how patient she had to be due to her limitations was a very hard thing to watch,” head coach Teri McKeever said. “It shows her commitment to be a part of the team as a contributing

athletic member, and everybody acknowledges how hard she’s working to make that happen.”

Added senior Emily Silver: “The fact that she has been able to come back and is getting stronger every day inspires me every time I look at her. She is a fighter; she won’t give up on herself or this team, and I know this because she is here today.”

Verdin continues to raise the bar for herself as she tries to soak up as much of the Cal experience as she can. She is driven to succeed in the pool, in the classroom and on campus through her efforts with SAAC and as a peer advi-sor. Her surgery helped her realize that she wanted to do more at Cal besides swimming and school.

“My sister is a perfect model of what a Cal student-athlete is,” Erica said of Emily. “She is so devoted to and successful in her studies, sports and school. She was such a great role model to have around that I could look up to as I finished up my final years at Cal.”

Verdin appreciates the fact that she may not be where she is today

if it wasn’t for those who care for her.“I couldn’t have gotten back to where I am now without the love

and support from both my family and friends,” she said. “I feel so fortunate to have such amazing support from my coaches, team-mates and the medical staff at Cal.”

The Cal community also feels fortunate to have Emily as a member of the Golden Bear family.

“the fact that she has been able to come back and is getting stronger every day inspires me every time i look at her. She is a fighter; she won’t give up on herself or this team, and i know this because she is here today.”

-teammate emily Silver

winter 2007-08 33


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winter 2007-08 35

Instead of spending her summer inside the classroom, Golden Bear senior midfielder Caroline Lea opted for a different form of

summer school – taking lessons in the boardroom and at sporting events as an event management intern with IMG World.

Caroline Lea Takes A Different Kind of Summer School

By Anna Oleson-Wheeler

Lea first heard of the opportunity to work for IMG, an international sports marketing and events firm, through a former Golden Bear. After trading numerous e-mails and phone calls with her future employer, which Lea attributed to IMG testing her desire to work for the company, she earned one of IMG’s competitive summer internships.

IMG put the Lakewood, Colo., native to work immediately, gather-ing sponsors and helping plan the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon and the Bank of the West Tennis Classic, the world’s longest-running wom-en’s-only professional tennis tour-nament. Lea transitioned from cold calling potential sponsors to forming working relationships with them and taking responsibility for fulfilling their needs.

“Cold calling was very nerve-wracking, but it got to a point where it didn’t faze me anymore,” Lea said. “I came away with a lot of confidence, especially in making initial contacts with people and putting yourself out there because before, I think I was a little im-mature in that respect. I was too nervous.”

ACADEmiC AChiEVEmENT

In addition to rehabilitating her knee af-ter offseason surgery, Lea worked a 40-hour week at IMG’s office in downtown San Francisco. She handled a variety of tasks, such as writing for and updating the events’ websites, and arranging for event entertain-ment and other details integral to the events’ success. Lea noted that her studies at Cal provided her with a strong background for her internship.

“I think being a rhetoric major translated very well into the business world,” Lea said. “It teaches you effective communication, effective writing and being able to think on your own.”

In addition to working in the IMG office, Lea and her fellow interns also logged count-less hours at the events themselves. Lea said that putting in hours both in the office and in the field provided her with a unique and beneficial learning experience. While at the triathlon and tennis tournament, Lea solved crises that arose, and she attributes her abil-ity to do so with minimal stress to being a Golden Bear student-athlete.

“I noticed that my time as a student-ath-lete, especially being here at Cal, trains you to go into the business world,” said Lea, a three-time All-Pac-10 player who scored four goals this past season. “I felt I adapted to certain adverse situations faster than I would have otherwise. I think be-

ing a student-athlete helped me deal with adversity, react and stay calm.”

Upon graduation, the senior midfielder is considering a business-related career or graduate school.

FEBRUARySunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

MTEN vs. USC WWP vs. San Jose StateWBB vs. USC WTEN vs. UC DavisWTEN vs. USF MTEN vs. UCLA

WWP vs. Sonoma StateWTEN vs. USF & UC Davis

WWP vs. HawaiiMBB vs. Oregon St.

MBB vs. OregonMTEN vs. Utah

WGYM vs. Oregon State RUG vs. Sacramento St.

WBB vs. Arizona State

WBB vs. ArizonaRUG vs. St. Mary’s

WGYM vs. UCLAWLAX vs. Northwestern

SB vs. Netherlands Olympic Team

WTEN vs. StanfordRUG vs. UBC

BAS vs. Kansas State WBB vs. StanfordBAS vs. Utah Valley State (DH)WLAX vs. StanfordRUG vs. Utah

BAS vs. Kansas State MBB vs. Washington State

MARCHSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

WWP vs. UC IrvineMBB vs. Washington

WLAX vs. Ohio StateWWP vs. Long Beach State

BAS vs. Stanford

RUG vs.Santa Clara

WTEN vs. William & Mary

WTEN vs. Arizona State WTEN vs. ArizonaWWP vs. USC

RUG vs. Texas A&M WLAX vs. PennMTEN vs. PennBAS vs. USFSB vs. Sac. St.

BAS vs. Loyola MarymountWLAX vs. Quinnipiac

BAS vs. Loyola Marymount (DH)MGYM vs. Portland State

WGYM vs. Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis, SJSUBAS vs. Loyola Marymount

MTEN vs. UNLVBAS vs. Sac. St.

WLAX vs. George WashingtonRUG vs. Durham (UK)

WTEN vs. BYU WWP vs. Cal State Northridge

MWP in MPSF Championship SB vs. UC Riverside

BAS vs. PacificWLAX vs. DenverSB vs. Pacific

BAS vs. Long Beach StateMTEN vs. ArizonaSB vs. Arizona State

BAS vs. Long Beach StateMTEN vs. Arizona StateSB vs. ArizonaCRW Windermere Regatta

WWP vs. HartwickBAS vs. Long Beach StateSB vs. Arizona WWP vs. BrownCRW Windermere Regatta

JANUARySunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

MBB vs. USC MBB vs. UCLA

WBB vs. Oregon

WBB vs. Oregon State

RUG vs. Humboldt State

MBB vs. Arizona State

MGYM vs. StanfordWTEN Cal Winter Invitational

MBB vs. ArizonaWTEN Cal Winter InvitationalRUG vs. Stanford

WTEN Cal Winter InvitationalWGYM vs. Arizona State

RUG vs. UC Santa Cruz

MSD vs. ArizonaWSD vs. Arizona

MBB vs. StanfordMTEN vs. RenoMTEN vs. St. Mary’sMSD vs. Arizona StateWSD vs. Arizona State

WBB vs. UCLA

home eventsWGYM Women’s Gymnastics (Haas Pavilion)LAX Lacrosse (Memorial Stadium)RUG Rugby (Witter Rugby Field)SB Softball (Levine-Fricke Field)MSD Men’s Swimming & Diving (Spieker Pool)

6

13

20

27

7

14

21

28 29

22

15

8 9

16

23

30

24

17

10 11

18

25

5

12

19

26

21

3 4 5 6 7 98

10 11 12 13 14 1615

17 18 19 20 21 2322

24 25 26 27

1

3 4 5 6 872

10 11 12 13 1514

16 17 18 19 20 2221

23 24 25 26 27 28

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

9

BAS Baseball (Evans Diamond)MBB Men’s Basketball (Haas Pavilion)WBB Women’s Basketball (Haas Pavilion)CRW Crew (Redwood Shores)MGYM Men’s Gymnastics (Haas Pavilion)

31

1 2 3 4

28 29

29

30 31

WSD Women’s Swimming & Diving (Spieker Pool)MTEN Men’s Tennis (Hellman Courts)WTEN Women’s Tennis (Hellman Courts)T&F Track & Field (Edwards Stadium)WWP Women’s Water Polo (Spieker Pool)

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FAX: 212-968-0539

UC BerkeleyHaas School of Business

Center for Executive Development

Leading Through Innovation

Strategic Execution. Leadership Mindset. Effective Change.

Berkeley Executive Leadership Series

The UC Berkeley Executive Leadership Series focuses on the most critical build-ing blocks of successful leadership:• Strategic Execution • The Leader’s Mindset• Change Management • Leading Innovation

Designed for senior manager, director, VP, and C-level executives, each of thefour one-week programs in the Berkeley Executive Leadership Series providesaccess to the tools, knowledge and networks you need to master your uniqueorganizational challenges.

Practice leadership under the expert guidance of world-renowned Haas Schoolof Business faculty, leverage the expertise of peer colleagues, and leave with theability to make skillful, confident leadership decisions within today’s complexglobal economy.

Space is limited. For more information and to register, contact the Center forExecutive Development at UC Berkeley. Call Bart Decker at (510) 642-9167,

email: [email protected], or visit online at http://execdev.haas.berkeley.edu/BEXL1.

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDBERKELEY, CA

PERMIT #1

Athletic Development OfficeIntercollegiate AthleticsUniversity of California195 Walter A. Haas Jr. PavilionBerkeley, CA 94720-4424

cal sports quarterly - winter 2007-08

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