July 2011 Archives
During the recently-ended NFL lockout, UCLA alum Matt Willis, a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, participated in G4's American Ninja Warrior. Ninja Warrior is a competition that started off in Japan, where competitors take on one of the toughest obstacle courses in the world - In 10 years, only 3 competitors have completed all 4 stages.
G4 has been broadcasting the original Ninja Warrior for a while, and in recent years has begun sending a collection of Americans to Japan to take on the course for the American Ninja Warrior show. Competitors must first tackle a qualifying course before 10 are selected to go to Japan.
The show premieres this Sunday night at 6 pm PT.
To read a story about Matt from ESPN.com, click here. To link to the American Ninja Warrior site, click here.
Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the top all-around players in UCLA history and is also one of the best running backs in the NFL.
Here is a look at an MJD workout, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports. To watch, click here.
Olathe, Kan. - Career Athletes is excited to announce the 2011-2012 National Collegiate Advisory Board. Comprised of individuals with experience in the area of student-athlete development, life skills, and academic services, the board's mission is to advance innovative software, creative ideas, and university partnerships to ultimately progress career education and professional networking for current and former collegiate athletes.
"Essentially, we are progressing the student-athlete experience by the way career development is viewed and embraced in collegiate athletics," said DJ Washington, Vice President of Training and Development at Career Athletes.
"Student-athletes experience the pressure to win both in the classroom and in competition. Unfortunately, the same pressure is nonexistent when it comes to career-readiness - perhaps the most important thing," explained Washington. "During our economic downturn, this is a tremendous problem that we must address right now. Fortunately, we have gathered the most respected and forward-thinking athletic administrators around the country that are committed to finding the solution."
The National Collegiate Advisory Board Members Include:
Nate Althouse, PhD - Penn State University - Academic Advisor/Career Development Coordinator
Ashlee Anderson - Boise State University - Director of Student-Athlete Development
Ashley Armstrong - University of California, Los Angeles - Director of Student-Athlete Development
Tierra Barber - Baylor University - Director of Student-Athlete Development
Tami Drummond - University of Massachusetts, Amherst - Assistant Director of Academic Support Services
Kim Lambert - University of Missouri - Assistant Athletics Director for Life Skills
Brandon Morris - Saint Louis University - Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Academic Services
Angie Seabeck - Kent State University - Director of Student-Athlete Development
Penny Semaia - University of Pittsburgh - Assistant Athletic Director of Student Life
Four current and former Bruins have survived the 36-hole cut in Stage One of the LPGA's Qualifying School in Florida this week.
Seniors Stephanie Kono and Brianna Do, incoming freshman Kyle Roig and former letterwinner Vanessa Brockett will play two more rounds at the LPGA International course in Daytona Beach, FL.
At the beginning of Thursday's third round, Kono was third at 136 (-8), Do was tied for 27th at 142 (-2) and Roig was tied for 34th at 143 (-1). Brockett, now a professional, was tied for 47th at 145 (+1).
One-third of top qualifiers from Stage I will advance to Stage II, scheduled for Sept. 27-30 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, FL.
Brett Hundley underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to remove part of lateral meniscus in his right knee this afternoon. Everything went fine and he is expected to return in three to four weeks.
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UCLA C/G Ryan Taylor, who started at center during the 2010 season, has signed a free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints. Long-snapper Christian Yount, two-time Playboy pre-season All-American, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday.
UCLA right-hander Trevor Bauer agreed to terms on a major league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, closing his memorable collegiate career with the Bruins.
This week, Bauer is slated to join the Visalia Rawhide, Arizona's single-A advanced affiliate in the California League. The right-hander from Valencia, Calif., is scheduled to make his first minor league start on Saturday against the Stockton Ports (7 p.m., PT) at Visalia's Recreation Ballpark.
Bauer set UCLA's career records in wins (34), strikeouts (460) and innings pitched (373.1), compiling a career 34-8 record with a 2.36 ERA. In 2011, he set the Pac-10 Conference's single-season strikeouts record (203), eclipsing USC's Mark Prior, who logged 202 for the Trojans in 2001. He won the 2011 Golden Spikes Award, presented annually by USA Baseball to the nation's premier amateur player.
Below is a selection of links to news articles about Bauer beginning his professional career.
MLB: Bauer Signs - The Signal
Diamondbacks Sign Bauer - Baseball America
Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Top Draft Pick Bauer - Arizona Republic
Notes on the Trevor Bauer Signing - Arizona Republic (blog)
Dbacks Agree to Deal With First Pick Bauer - Dbacks.com (includes video)
Diamondbacks Sign Top Draft Pick Bauer - FoxSportsArizona.com (includes video)
CBSSports.com basketball writer Gary Parrish has posted a nice column on UCLA head men's basketball coach Ben Howland.
The column focuses on Howland's ability to produce NBA-ready players and turning negative comments into positives.
To read the column, click here.
Four former UCLA water polo players either playing for or coaching USA Water Polo Senior National Teams are amidst the 2011 FINA World Championships.
On the men's side, UCLA's Adam Wright has helped the USA Men's National Team advance to the quarterfinal round of the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China. Wright currently serves as the UCLA men's water polo head coach and is among the most veteran players on the USA National Team. Team USA lost its first two preliminary matches, but rebounded with a 20-3 win over South Africa and a critical 17-4 victory against Canada on Sunday.
The men's team will face Hungary in a quarterfinal match on Tuesday (2 p.m. local time, 11 p.m. PST Monday) in a rematch of the gold medal final from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
On the women's side, UCLA's Kelly Rulon and Courtney Mathewson are competing for head coach Adam Krikorian, who played at UCLA from 1992-95 before serving as head coach of the men's and women's programs until May 2008.
The women's team lost to Russia, 9-7, in the quarterfinal round on Monday, halting Team USA's quest for a three-peat at the FINA World Championships. Leading 6-2 early in the third quarter, Team USA was blitzed by five straight Russian goals to give up a lead in which the United States would not regain. Team USA moves into the fifth through eighth place bracket, slated to face the loser of a Canada-China tilt on Wednesday (12:10 p.m. local time, 9:10 p.m. PST Tuesday).
The loss to Russia brings an end to a streak of five straight World Championships in which the United States played for a medal. Included in that run were three gold medals and one silver medal. It also signals the end of title in every major FINA Championship over the last two years - one World Championship gold medal, one World Cup gold medal, and three FINA World League Super Final gold medals.
Carl Kraushaar,
the starting center on Coach John Wooden's first two UCLA teams (1948-49 and
1949-50), has passed away. Kraushaar passed on Thursday, July 21st of natural
causes surrounded by family in Newport Beach. He was 84 years old.
A transfer
from Compton College, Kraushaar led the Bruins in scoring (9.35 points) as a
junior in 1948-49. UCLA set a school record for 22 victories (22-7) under
first-year coach Wooden and won the PCC Southern Division, then lost to
Northern Division champ Oregon State in the PCC playoff.
As a senior,
he earned All-PCC honors and was the team's third leading scorer (8.5), as UCLA
again set a school mark for victories (24-7). The Bruins won the school's
first-ever PCC Championship and UCLA advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the
first time in its history.
"(Wooden) was a real pleasure to
play for," Kraushaar told the Daily Pilot in 2003. "He was a
wonderful coach and a wonderful person. Those were his first two years at UCLA.
I couldn't have made a better choice for a coach." Kraushaar was selected in the 1950 NBA
draft by Rochester in the eighth round. He turned down the opportunity to play
professional basketball and decided to get into teaching and coaching, later moving
into various administrative positions. Kraushaar coached the UCLA
Freshman team in 1950-51 while obtaining his teaching credential. He
began his teaching/coaching career at Excelsior High School in 1953, capping
his career as a Vice Principal at Norwalk High School and retiring in
1987.
Kraushaar was married to his late
wife, Frances, for 45 years. He is survived by four grown children -- twin sons
Karl and Kurt, daughter Kandis and son Kory, five grandchildren, two of whom
played volleyball at UCLA (Kris and Kent), and three great grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for
Friday, July 29 at Voyagers Bible Church in Irvine at 1:00 pm.
Photo
Sophomore Patrick Cantlay made his fourth consecutive cut at a PGA Tour
event after posting a 143 (+3) for his first two rounds at the RBC
Canadian Open. Cantlay also made the cut at the AT&T National, the
Travelers Championship and the U.S. Open in recent weeks. Currently Patrick is seven strokes back of the leaders, who are at -4.
Alums Kevin Chappell and Scott McCarron also made the cut at the
tournament. McCarron shot a second round 65 (-5) and is one-under par
after two rounds, putting him in a tie for 12th place. Like Cantlay, Chappell posted a 143 (+3) for his first
two rounds and is seven shots off the lead.
UCLA alum Jordan Farmar, one of the keys to the Bruins' run to the 2006 NCAA championship game, is hosting his annual Hoop Farm camp on campus. Farmar is currently a member of the New Jersey Nets after playing his four four years in the NBA with the L.A. Lakers.
Normally held in Pauley, Hoop Farm is happening in the John Wooden Recreation Center.
To read about Farmar's camp, click here.
Former UCLA golfers Kevin Chappell, Scott McCarron, John Merrick, Tom Pernice Jr. and Duffy Waldorf, and current UCLA golfer Patrick Cantlay are all scheduled to participate in this weekend's PGA Tour RBC Canadian Open. Cantlay, who will be entering his sophomore year this season, is coming off a win at the SCGA Amateur Championship played at San Gabriel Country Club in San Gabriel, CA. Patrick also broke the PGA Tour record for lowest round by an amateur after he shot a 60 (-10) at the PGA Traveler's Championship. Finally, he made the cut at the U.S. Open and finished as the low amateur at the tournament, tying for 21st place. Kevin Chappell, who won the National Player of the Year Award for UCLA back in 2008, has two top-5 finishes on the Tour this year including a third place finish at the U.S. Open. Meanwhile, Tom Pernice is coming off of a second place finish at the Viking Classic in Madison, MS last week and John Merrick has four top-15 finishes on the Tour this year. For the complete field at the RBC Canadian Open, click here.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame and XOS Digital, Inc.,will stream live to the Web tonight the 2011 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Show from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT via the newly launched advanced XOStream service. The event will be available at www.footballfoundation.org or click here.
UCLA All-America offensive lineman Randy Cross is one of the players who will be enshrined tonight.
Widely-respected television analysts Charles Davis, currently with FOX Sports and NFL Network, and Jon Gruden, currently with ESPN, will co-host the Hollywood-styled show, which will take place at the Century Center in South Bend, Ind. The event will pay tribute to the storied careers of 20 of the game's greatest legends, and viewers of the event will see highlight footage of each hall of famer and hear their thoughts as they reflect on their careers and the meaning of achieving the sport's ultimate honor.
2011 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class
PLAYERS
• DENNIS BYRD* - North Carolina State, Defensive Tackle (1965-67)
• RONNIE CAVENESS - Arkansas, Center (1962-64)
• RAY CHILDRESS - Texas A&M, Defensive Lineman (1981-84)
• DEXTER COAKLEY - Appalachian State, Linebacker (1993-96)
• RANDY CROSS - UCLA, Offensive Guard (1973-75)
• SAM CUNNINGHAM - Southern California, Running Back (1970-72)
• MIKE FAVOR - North Dakota State, Center (1985-88)
• CHARLES HALEY - James Madison, Linebacker (1982-85)
• MARK HERRMANN - Purdue, Quarterback (1977-80)
• CLARKSTON HINES - Duke, Wide Receiver (1986-89)
• DESMOND HOWARD - Michigan, Wide Receiver (1989-91)
• MICKEY KOBROSKY* - Trinity (CT), Back (1933-36)
• CHET MOELLER - Navy, Defensive Back (1973-75)
• JERRY STOVALL - LSU, Halfback (1960-62)
• PAT TILLMAN* - Arizona State, Linebacker (1994-97)
• ALFRED WILLIAMS - Colorado, Linebacker (1987-90)
COACHES
• BARRY ALVAREZ - Wisconsin (1990-2005); 118-73-4 (.615)
• MIKE KELLY - Dayton (1981-2007); 246-54-1 (.819)
• BILL MANLOVE - Widener, Pa. (1969-91), Delaware Valley, Pa. (1992-95), La Salle (1997-2001); 212-211-1 (.655)
• GENE STALLINGS - Texas A&M (1965-71), Alabama (1990-96); 89-70-1 (.559)
* Deceased
Earlier this week, UCLA alum Kevin Love, a 2008 first-team All-American as a freshman, participated in the Gatorade Player of the Year ceremonies.
Love was interviewed by Fox Sports West's Courtney Jones and talks about how he stays in contact with people at UCLA and the team's prospects for the future.
Click here to watch the video.
UCLA baseball's Trevor Bauer earned the "Best Male College Athlete" ESPY, as announced earlier this week by ESPNLosAngeles.com in the website's version of the L.A. ESPY Awards.
Bauer had a phenomenal junior season for the Bruins in 2011, going 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA while leading the country in both strikeouts (203) and complete games (10). The junior right-hander from Valencia, Calif., is one of three finalists for the 2011 Golden Spikes Award, to be announced on MLB Network in a live presentation Friday at 3 p.m. (PT).
Bauer was not the only UCLA-related mention in the list of L.A. ESPY award winners. Jasmine Dixon of the women's basketball team was named the honorable mention in the "Best Female College Athlete" category. Former UCLA women's basketball head coach Nikki Caldwell was tabbed the honorable mention for the "Best Coach" award.
UCLA's football team captured the award for "Best Upset" as the Bruins defeated Texas, 34-12, in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 25, 2010. The men's basketball program was also highlighted with an honorable mention in the "Best Moment" category, as Tyler Trapani (great grandson of coach John Wooden) scored the final basket in the old configuration of Pauley Pavilion in a 71-49 rout of No. 10-ranked Arizona.
To view the complete list of L.A. ESPYs from ESPNLosAngeles.com, click here.
In the July 14th edition of the Orange County Register, writer Mark Whicker sat
down
with senior golfer Brianna Do to talk about her big win at the U.S. Women's Amateur Publinks and her father caddying for her. To read the story, click here.
In her first U.S. Women's Open, former UCLA golfer Ryann O'Toole put together a solid performance by finishing in 9th place with a score of 3-over par. O'Toole recorded scores of 69-72-75-71--287 (+3) and finished six strokes back of the leaders. This was Ryann's best finish on the LPGA tour. Fellow UCLA alumnus Marijao Uribe also made the cut at the U.S. Women's Open and finished tied for 55th place at +15.
There is a nice interview three-year starting UCLA standout point guard Darren Collison, who helped the Bruins reach three NCAA Final Fours (one championship game) during his four years as a Bruin on ESPN.com's Land O' Lakers blog.
Collison, now the starting point guard for the Indiana Pacers, had this to say about how his game evolved under UCLA head coach Ben Howland:
" I think Coach Howland made me realize the physical attributes I have, as far as quickness. I knew I was quick, but he used to always to express, "You're extremely quick." I'd be like, "Okay, I know that." And he'd be like, "No. Seriously. I don't think you know how quick you are." That says a lot, because once you believe your physical attributes, that's all the things you can rely on, as far as the NBA. You're either real quick, or real athletic, or you can really shoot the ball. I definitely started understanding how quick I really was and using it more to my advantage."
To read the entire story, click here.
The scorecard, golf ball and autographed flag pin from sophomore Patrick Cantlay's record-breaking round at the Travelers Championship are to be enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida. During the second round of the PGA Travelers Championship, Cantlay shot a 10-under 60 to set a new record for lowest round by an amateur in a PGA Tour event. Patrick also broke the course record and tied the tournament record with his round. For more information on the World Golf Hall of Fame and Patrick's record-breaking round, click here.
On yesterday's broadcast of the Petros and Money Show, Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith talked with sophomore golfer Patrick Cantlay about his life on the UCLA campus and the upcoming SCGA Amateur Championship. To listen to interview, click here.
UCLA softball player Grace Murray has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2010-11 John McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) on Thursday. The winners will be announced later this month.
The winners will each receive a $10,000 scholarship to be used towards postgraduate studies in athletics administration. The John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to senior-level minority students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration. Students were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level.
Murray was a three-time All-Pac-10 Academic selection, earning first-team honors in 2011 and honorable mention accolades in 2009 and 2010. Awarded an NCAA Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics in February, Murray graduated last month with a degree in psychology (minor in education) with aspirations to become an athletic director.
In the July 4th edition of the Los Angeles Times, writer Ben Bolch sat
down
with sophomore golfer Patrick Cantlay to talk about him staying at UCLA rather than deciding to turn professional. To read the story, click here.
This past Tuesday, reporter Jaime Maggio of KCBS2/KCAL9 sat down with Ed O'Bannon to discuss the 1995 NCAA Player of the Year's return to UCLA to earn his degree.
The story covers his decision to return, his feelings about being older than his classmates, having to leave his family from Monday night through Thursday night to commute to Los Angeles and living with his parents while attending classes.
To view this outstanding piece, click here.
As Bruin fans know,the Rose Bowl and Pauley Pavilion are both undergoing exciting renovation projects.
The Rose Bowl project is scheduled to be completed prior to the 2013 season, but a lot of work will have occurred by the 2011 opener versus San Jose State. The new video board is up and looked great at the Gold Cup soccer finals and some of the end zone tunnels have been widened. More work will be completed in the next nine weeks.
To see the latest on the Rose Bowl renovation, click here. Make sure to check out the photo galleries.
The Pauley Pavilion project is on schedule to be completed in the fall of 2012. During the holiday weekend, take a few minutes to check PauleyCam by clicking here. The camera takes a new shot every 15 minutes from the roof of the Wooden Center, located across from the northeast corner of Pauley and has a time-lapse feature.
By scoring 567 points in spring sports, UCLA finished the 2010-11 year 11th in the final standings of the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup with a final total of 1,020.25 points.
Points are awarded to schools based upon the finishes of sports in NCAA competition (in football, the final poll plus bowl results are used). Each school is allowed to score points in up to 10 men's and 10 women's sports.
UCLA scored 100 points by winning it's 107th NCAA title in women's golf. The Bruins also placed second in women's gymnastics, third in women's water polo and women's tennis (tied), fifth (tied) in men's golf and men's soccer, ninth (tied) in men's tennis and women's soccer, 17th (tied) in men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball and women's volleyball and 20th in women's swimming.
UCLA has finished in the Top 5 in 15 of the 18 years of the Directors' Cup competition. UCLA is one of just five schools to finish in the Top 20 in all 18 years of the survey (Florida, North Carolina, Stanford and Texas are the others).
Five Pac-10 schools finished among the Top 20 this year - Stanford, 1; California, 3; UCLA, 11; USC, 14 and Arizona 16. To see the final standings, click here.
Here are some interesting outtakes from Jon Wilner's College Hotline column in the San Jose Mercury-News. To read the whole column, click here.
Action: UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt and guard Malcolm Lee picked in second round of NBA Draft.
Reaction: Time for another quick rant: No, Ben Howland's system doesn't allow for gaudy statistics and SportsCenter-worthy highlights, but his players understand the game, they're tough, and they play defense ... and this has been the case for years. The notion that his coaching style would adversely affect UCLA players in the NBA and negatively impact recruiting -- a notion first proposed by the Lavin camp, by the way -- has always been nonsense. Action: The Arizona Republic's Doug Haller lists the best basketball teams of the Pac-10 era.
Reaction: Haller has Arizona '88 on top, followed by UCLA '95. I'd flip 'em -- the Bruins, who won 19 in a row to end the season, were the best team of the era and would have been a matchup nightmare for the Wildcats in a hypothetic showdown. Otherwise, it's tough to find fault with Haller's list. Well done.
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