Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club Beat USC Breakfast Friday Nov 27th -- 7 am Coach Reggie Moore, receivers Coach Carnell Lake, secondary UCLA Football Players: #27 Aaron Ware, FS #90 Jerzy Siewierski, DT #18 Jeff Locke, P/KO #31 Trevor Theriot, FB #75 Nick Ekbatani, OG UCLA Spirit Squad Olympic Collection 11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle Blvd) Free Parking Cost: $25 includes buffet breakfast and program For more information call Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4ucla@yahoo.com GO BRUINS!
Former UCLA baseball standout Brandon Crawford recently completed his fall competing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Crawford batted .312 in 20 games, going 24-for-77 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and 18 runs. A three-year starting shortstop for the Bruins from 2006-08, Crawford posted a .396 on-base percentage for Scottsdale.
He ranked among the team's leaders in multiple offensive categories. Crawford finished second in runs scored (18), third in total bases (35) and on-base percentage (.396) and tie for third in hits (24). The Pleasanton, Calif., resident played 25 games for the San Jose Giants (high-A) before finishing his first full professional season playing in 108 contests for the Connecticut Defenders (108).
The Arizona Fall League is regarded as the most prestigious fall league for the minor leagues' top prospects. Scottsdale finished its fall season with a 15-16 record.
Sally Lee Harrick, 70, the wife of former UCLA head men's basketball coach Jim Harrick, passed away Friday from complications of scleroderma. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, three sons and three daughters-in-law, and nine granchildren.
She will be remembered at a service to be held on Tuesday, November 24th at 11:00am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 30522 Via Com Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
In lieu of flowers the Harrick family asks that any donations please be offered to the Schleroderma Foundation at www.schleroderma.org.
UCLA men's basketball player Nikola Dragovic has been suspended for tonight's game against Cal State Bakersfield following his arrest earlier today.
Dragovic was involved in an incident last month at a concert in Hollywood. He filed a report with the UCLA Police Department early the following week.
Following an investigation, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office filed a felony assault charge against Dragovic and he was informed of the charge this morning. He turned himself into UCPD and Hollywood Division detectives earlier today. He is currently out on bond.
"This is an unfortunate situation for Nikola," said head coach Ben Howland. "Our staff and players will do what we can to help him during this time. He made us aware of the incident when it occurred but until this morning, we did not know charges would be filed."
Dragovic's status for upcoming games will be determined as more information becomes available.
The UCLA men's volleyball team won its first match in the annual SAC Tournament Friday, sweeping Cal Baptist.
The Bruins won 30-19, 30-24, 30-24 in just more than an hour.
Kill leaders for the Bruins were sophomore Thomas Amberg and Garrett Muagututia with 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
Levi Cabral led CBU with 10 kills.
In the other match, UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Northridge, 21-30, 30-28, 30-25, 30-24.
On Saturday, the Bruins meet UCSB at 10 a.m. and CS Northridge at 3 p.m. CS Northridge plays Cal Baptist at 10 a.m. and UCSB and Cal Baptist meet at 3 p.m. Admission is free to and matches will be held at the Student Activities Center (Men's Gym).
Join UCLA Athletics at this annual event supporting the UCLA Football Foundation. For the second consecutive season, Revelry Before the Rivalry will bring together supporters of the UCLA Football program for a festive event prior to the annual UCLA vs. USC rivalry game.
This year's event at ESPN Zone in downtown LA will feature a hosted bar and appetizers. Revelry Before the Rivalry is the place to be before the UCLA vs. USC game this year.
UCLA Revelry Before the Rivalry II Saturday, November 28, 2009 ESPN Zone - LA Live 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
$75 Per Person All Proceeds Benefit the UCLA Football Foundation
Thousands of Bruin fans, joined by the UCLA Spirit Squad and the Bruin Marching Band, will gather on the UCLA campus for the traditional "Beat 'SC" bonfire and rally.
WHO:
Participants will include:
• Members of the UCLA football team
• UCLA Spirit Squad
• UCLA Bruin Marching Band
• UCLA students and alumni
WHEN:
9:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 23
WHERE:
Intramural Field, UCLA campus (map)
BACKGROUND:
The "Beat 'SC" bonfire and rally has become an annual tradition at UCLA, celebrating the schools' crossstown rivalry and getting fans excited for the UCLA-USC football game, which takes place this year on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The ING New York City Marathon 2009 men's champion and Bruin alum, Meb Keflezighi, the first American men's winner of the race since Alberto Salazar in 1982, will have a special ride in next week's 83rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
Keflezighi will ride aboard the Stature of Liberty float alongside Miss America 2009, Katie Stam. The parade will be broadcast nationally on NBC from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in each local time zone across the country.
Keflezighi ran a brilliant strategic race in New York, pulling away from four-time Boston Marathon Champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya in the final two miles to win in a personal-best time of 2:09:15. The win gave Keflezighi the USA marathon championship and his fourth national title of 2009.
He earned a total prize-money payday of $200,000, including $130,000 for the overall win, $30,000 for running sub-2:09:30, and an additional $40,000 for the U.S. title. He also finished atop the USA Running Series rankings for 2009, earning an additional $6,000.
Keflezighi's ride in the parade is just one of many honors he has enjoyed since breaking the 27-year American men's drought in the ING New York City Marathon. He was also a guest on Late Night with David Letterman, reading the Top 10 list, and was feted by city officials in his hometown of San Diego.
Those of us at UCLA who had the pleasure of working with Maurice Jones-Drew during his three years in Westwood know what a down-to-earth solid young man he is.
He is, and will always be, a great representiative of our University and we are thrilled with his success in the National Football League.
Friday's L.A. Times has a nice feature on MJD. To read the story, click on the link.
UCLA Athletics is comprised of 22 men's and women's sports.
Recently, a new photo was arranged featuring one student-athlete from each sport in their official uniforms to be displayed in the Morgan Center and to be used for internal publications.
UCLA women's soccer player Lauren Cheney was the subject of a recent feature story by NCAA.com's Amy Farnum. For the complete story, click http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/111909aab.html. Don't forget, the Bruins face Virginia this Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the NCAA Round of 16 at Drake Stadium.
Sixth-seeded UCLA (10-3-4) found out that its NCAA men's soccer second round opponent will be Sacramento State after the Hornets defeated host Loyola Marymount, 2-1 in overtime this afternoon.
The second round game will take place at Drake Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 5 pm. Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for students and youth.
Sacramento State (12-5-3), which earned the win at LMU on a Brian Baker header in the 97th minute, has never beaten UCLA in four attempts. The last time the two teams met was in 1998. UCLA won the game in Sacramento, 3-0. Sacramento State, which won the MPSF Championship, is making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club Friday Nov 20th -- 7 am Coach Chuck Bullough, Defensive Coordinator UCLA Football Players: #26 Andrew Abbott, CB #52 Jess Ward, DT #25 Kai Forbath, PK #14 Kevin Prince, QB #82 Taylor Embree, WR UCLA Spirit Squad Olympic Collection 11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle Blvd) Free Parking Cost: $25 includes buffet breakfast and program For more information call Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4ucla@yahoo.com GO BRUINS!
"Filipino Hoops and Heritage Night" will be held by the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 5:30pm during its game against the Indiana Pacers at the world famous STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles. The historic event is the first of its kind to be held by the LA Clippers.
UCLA Basketball alumnus Raymond Townsend '78, the first and only Filipino basketball player to ever play in the NBA, is teaming with the LA Clippers to produce a unique celebration of Filipino culture and heritage while promoting the game of basketball, one of the most popular sports in the Philippines and among Filipinos worldwide.
"It is my desire to bring the NBA to our Filipino communities to honor our rich heritage," says Raymond Townsend. "I was fortunate enough to realize my dream of playing basketball in the NBA, and my hope is to support the youth in our community and encourage them to follow their dreams as well."
Townsend, whose mother Virginia Marie Rugnao hailed from Taal, Batangas in the Philippines, was a first round NBA draft pick in 1978, and played in the NBA from 1978-1982 for the Golden State Warriors and then the Indiana Pacers. Townsend also played college basketball at UCLA from 1974-1978, and was a member of the 1975 UCLA Basketball National Champions under legendary Coach John Wooden.
The theme of Filipino Hoops and Heritage Night is "Follow Your Dreams", and will highlight an array of talented young performers from the Filipino community during pre-game festivities and at halftime. Philippine cultural dances will be performed by Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts, while the national anthem will be performed by nine-year-old Filipina singing sensation Ciana Pelekai. The evening will also feature "Follow Your Dreams" video vignettes played on the scoreboard video screen, featuring Filipino celebrities who have realized their dreams in several fields.
The evening starts with a meet and greet reception from 5:30pm - 6:30pm at the City View Terrace inside STAPLES Center. The meet and greet will be attended by Filipino cultural performers, celebrities, basketball legends, and Raymond Townsend himself. Attendees will have the opportunity for autographs and photos throughout the reception. Pre-game entertainment begins at 6:30pm, with tipoff at 7:30pm.
UCLA redshirt sophomore linebacker Akeem Ayers has been named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week.
In the win at Washington State, he made interceptions on WSU's first and third possessions, setting up Bruin touchdowns for an early 14-0 lead. He also tied his career-high with 2.0 sacks (14 yards) and made four tackles, tied for the team lead.
On the year, Ayers is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles, is second with 4.0 sacks (T-12th in Pac-10), tied for second with three interceptions (T-fourth in Pac-10), fifth with 6.0 tackles for loss and fifth with 49 tackles.
UCLA redshirt freshman Jeff Locke is one of 10 semifinalists for the The 2009 Ray Guy award, which identifies the nation's top collegiate punter, the Augusta Sports Council announced today.
Locke is currently ranked 10th in the NCAA and second in the Pac-10 with his average of 44.57 yards per kick. He has 10 kicks of at least 50 yards, including an 81-yard punt at Arizona. He has also put 14 inside the opponent 20-yard line. UCLA also ranks sixth nationally in net punting.
This year 42 punters were nominated for the honor. The nominees were evaluated on their overall statistics and contribution to the team. Particular emphasis was placed on the following statistics: net average, percentage of total punts inside the 20-yard line, and percentage of punts not returned.
This year's semi-finalists:
Drew Butler (So.) Georgia Peter Caldwell (Jr.) Utah State Desi Cullen (Sr.), Connecticut Ryan Donahue (Jr.) Iowa Johnny Hekker (So.) Oregon State Chas Henry (Jr.) Florida Jeff Locke (Fr.), UCLA Rob Long (Jr.) Syracuse Zoltan Mesko (Sr.) Michigan Matt Reagan (Sr.) Memphis
A national voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches, sports information directors, national media, and former Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists, who will be named on November 23. Voters will then cast a second round of ballots to decide the winner.
The winner of the 10th Ray Guy Award will be announced live on ESPN during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards show on Thursday, December 10. The winner will again be honored at the All Area Football Banquet presented by the Augusta Sports Council and The Augusta Chronicle in late-January 2010.
About the Ray Guy Award The Greater Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia-native and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy. The Ray Guy Award winner is determined by a national selection committee of football writers, FBS college coaches, sports information directors, and past Ray Guy Award winners. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team's success.
About the Augusta Sports Council The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization, established in 1992 to market the Augusta-area as a major amateur sports destination. Annually, the Augusta Sports Council attracts, supports, and manages numerous competitions and activities for all levels of participation.
About the National College Football Awards Association The Ray Guy Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association's official Web site, www.NCFAA.org.
Earlier today, Bruin alum Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced that he is battling a rare form of leukemia.
The greatest player in college basketball history made the announcement to draw attention to the importance of early detection of the illness. He stated that he is currently in remission and managing his disease.
During his UCLA career, he led the Bruins to three consecutive NCAA championships and a three-year record of 88-2 while earning multiple national Player of the Year Awards. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and six-time MVP with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.
He is also a noted author and scholar.
Everyone at UCLA wishes our friend good luck in his fight against his illness.
"Kareem is one of the most revered figures in our athletics history for his success both on and off the court, and we were shocked to hear the news of his illness," said UCLA director of athletics Dan Guerrero. "He is a man of great dignity and knowing Kareem, I am sure that he will win this battle and all of UCLA is in his corner."
"Kareem is the ultimate competitor and with the fight he has, he'll beat this thing," said UCLA head men's basketball coach Ben Howland. "Everyone in the UCLA family is praying and pulling for him."
The Nov. 21 UCLA football home game versus Arizona State will kick off at 1 pm and will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net (Prime Ticket in Los Angeles).
This Saturday's game at Washington State is set for a 2 pm kickoff. The game will be televised live on Fox College Sports (digital cable and DirecTV sports packages). Prime Ticket will show a replay at 7 pm that night.
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has released its 20 semi -finalists for the 2009 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl. These twenty place-kickers have all excelled throughout the season in earning their places as semifinalists.
This year's list of candidates for the 18th annual Award is led by UCLA's Kai Forbath, who has made 21 of 23 field goals, and 2008 semi-finalist Leigh Tiffin.
Semi-finalists will be voted on by all Division 1 Head Coaches and SID's, along with national, regional and local football writers and others who will select the three (3) finalists. These finalists will be honored at the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 8 in West Palm Beach, FL. The winner will be announced live on the nationally televised Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on the evening of December 10, 2009.
The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in football history, Lou Groza. Groza played 21 seasons for the Cleveland Browns setting numerous franchise records, including most games played, most points scored, and an amazing 107 consecutive games in which he scored a point. The 1,608 career points he scored is still a Browns' franchise record, and he ranks third all-time in league. Groza was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
Past Groza finalists include current NFL kickers, Nate Kaeding, Sebastian Janikowski, Mike Nugent, Martin Gramatica, Jason Elam and Mason Crosby.
For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to follow the season progress, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Kris Pursell, Event Manager at the Palm Beach County Sports Commission at (561) 233-3124 or kpursell@palmbeachsports.com.
1967 Heisman Trophy winner was at the Morgan Center today for a luncheon with former teammates and donors. He spoke with the Bruin football team later in the day and will be the honorary captain for Saturday's Homecoming contest vs. Washington.
Beban brought his 1967 jersey with him. Here are a couple of pictures of Beban with his jersey and a shot of Beban's 1967 jersey with one of the Throwback jerseys.
Kansas City Wizards defender and UCLA soccer alumnus Jimmy Conrad was selected to receive the 2009 U.S. Soccer Foundation/MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year Award, along with Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause. This marks the first time that two players have shared the honor.
Conrad, who hails from Temple City, Calif., is an 11-year MLS veteran, five-time MLS All-Star and former MLS Defender of the Year. He transferred to UCLA from San Diego State and joined the team as a walk-on in 1996. By his senior season, he became a key member of the Bruin squad that won the NCAA Championship in 1997.
Conrad continues to be active in philanthropic efforts throughout the Kansas City area and is being recognized as an exemplary role model within the community for his involvement with local schools, youth organizations and MLS W.O.R.K.S. initiatives. He regularly speaks with students at local schools about teamwork and the importance of setting goals in presentations that he designed.
For a second consecutive year, Conrad served as a spokesperson for Athletes Against Autism and the Child Protection Center, actively partaking in efforts to raise money and awareness for the organizations. This season he participated in an appearance at the Kick It 3v3 Championships to raise awareness for the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign, and also raised funds for the campaign locally through autograph sessions in Kansas City.
Conrad also receives support for his philanthropic efforts from his wife, Lyndsey. While he is busy supporting community groups, Lyndsey, serves as the President of the Kansas City Wizards Wives Club. Their biggest project this season was a school supply drive at CommunityAmerica Ballpark called "Stuff the Bus." As part of the event, Conrad and his wife set up a soccer clinic for inner-city children with other MLS players. They donated school supplies collected during "Stuff the Bus" and spoke to the children about the importance of staying in school.
Conrad is the second UCLA alumnus to win this award, joining Chris Henderson, who was honored in 2004.
The All Sports Association announced today the nominees for the 2009 Wuerffel Trophy. The nominations received represented over 70 universities in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision. Senior tight end Logan Paulsen was nominated by UCLA.
The nominees included 2008 Wuerffel Trophy Finalist Tim Hiller (Western Michigan - QB). Notable first time nominees include Chris Stewart (Notre Dame - OL), Steve Aponavicius (Boston College - K), Moses Harris (Fresno State - DB), Jevan Snead (Mississippi - QB), Jordan Shipley (Texas - WR), Christian Ponder (Florida St. - QB), Colin Peek (Alabama - TE) and Andrew Sendejo (Rice - DB).
"This year's Wuerffel Trophy nomination class is awesome!" commented All Sports Association President Robert McEachern. "We received the most nominations ever and believe this shows the tremendous growth of the Wuerffel Trophy nationally. A large majority of the nation's colleges and universities, as well as every conference in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision is represented. The All Sports Association is extremely proud of all of these young men and their accomplishments."
Named after former Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually to the Football Bowl Subdivision player that best combines exemplary community service, with academic and athletic achievement.
The 2009 Wuerffel Trophy finalists will be announced on November 11, 2009 and distributed to the award's National Selection Committee for voting. Formal announcement of the winner will occur on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. Presentation of the 2009 Wuerffel Trophy will be at the All Sports Association's 41st Annual Awards Dinner on February 19, 2010, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Past winners of the Wuerffel Trophy are: (2008) Tim Tebow, QB, Florida; (2007) Paul Smith, QB, Tulsa; (2006) Joel Penton, DL, Ohio State and (2005) Rudy Niswanger, OL, Louisiana State.
Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club Friday Nov 6th -- 7 am Guest Speakers: Angus McClure, Director of On-Campus Recruiting Mike Sherrard, UCLA receiver 1982-1985 UCLA Football Players: #10 Akeem Ayers, LB #83 Nelson Rosario, WR #66 Ryan Taylor, OG UCLA Spirit Squad Olympic Collection 11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle Blvd) Free Parking Cost: $25 includes buffet breakfast and program For more information call Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4ucla@yahoo.com GO BRUINS!
Men's soccer player Kyle Nakazawa will be featured in this week's Bruin Sports Report on Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket.
The first airing of the Bruin Sports Report is Tuesday night during the Anaheim Ducks' postgame on Prime Ticket. The Ducks game starts at 7 pm. The Bruin Sports Report is also scheduled to air during the LA Kings' postgame show on Nov. 5 (Fox Sports West, 7:30 pm) and at halftime of the LA Clippers' game on Nov. 6 (Prime Ticket, 7:30 pm).
Bruin alum and 2009 New York City Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman last night as he read the "Top 10 Thoughts That Go Through Your Mind When Running the New York City Marathon."
Saturday's football game at the Rose Bowl is the thirteenth annual UCLA Veterans and Armed Forces Appreciation Day. Veterans and armed forces personnel are eligible to receive either one (1) free general admission ticket or can purchase Buy-One-Get-One Free Reserved Tickets (up to 4 total tickets). Valid ID or uniform is required.
This offer can be redeemed three ways: One, visit the UCLA CTO (M-F, 10am-4pm) or the Rose Bowl Ticket Office on game day (11/7/09); two, call the UCLA CTO at (310) UCLA-WIN during business hours; and three, visit the football ticket tab at UCLABruins.com to redeem the reserved ticket offer online (a promo code is needed for online transaction- secure from your military supervisor or call UCLA Marketing at 310-206-5992).
