UCLA

Baca, Franklin Visit Mattel Children's Hospital

2012-05-14T23:54:56Z

UCLA football players Jeff Baca and Johnathan Franklin visit children every week at Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA. Fox Sports West came along during one of their recent weekly visits:

&lt;br /&gt; &lt;A href="http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?videoid=e95740e8-7ff7-4925-a4d6-7bac1f54350a&amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="Bruins reach out"&gt;Video: Bruins reach out&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

Thea Lemberger Honored

2012-05-11T20:11:37Z

Thea Lemberger was recently named to the Jewish Sports Review's 2011-12 College All-America Basketball team. She started 29 of the Bruins 30 games last season and averaged 12.0 points per contest (15th in the Pac-12 Conf.). She was also listed in the conference rankings in assists (13th-3.0/g), free throw percentage (9th-.713), three-point field goals made (10th-1.3/g) and minutes played (5th-34.6/g).

Two Bruins Inducted into Compton College Athletic Hall of Fame

2012-05-10T22:50:33Z

UCLA's men's basketball player Larry Hollyfield, who lettered on three John Wooden NCAA Championship teams (1971-73), and Bruin men's track & field jumper George Henry Brown, Jr., a member of the 1952 U. S. Olympic team, are among the inductees into the Compton Community College Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 26. The event will be held at the Lakewood Country Club beginning with a 5 p.m. reception and silent auction. The dinner and program follow at 6:30.

Hollyfield attended Compton College in 1969-70 before transferring to UCLA the following season. As a three-year letterman and 6-4 senior starting guard in 1972-73, Hollyfield helped lead the Bruins to three consecutive national championships and an overall three-year record of 89-1, including unbeaten 30-0 seasons in 1972 and 1973. During his Bruin career, he appeared in 71 games and averaged 7.9 points and 2.7 rebounds. In the 1973 NBA Draft, he was a seventh round selection by the Portland Trailblazers.

Brown attended Compton College prior to enrolling at UCLA in 1951. As a Bruin under head coach Elvin C. 'Ducky' Drake, Brown was the NCAA long jump (broad jump) champion in 1951 and 1952 and the USA Track & field long jump champion for three consecutive years (1951-53). Brown's Bruin best 26-3 ¼ (1952) is No. 4 on the UCLA all-time long jump list, and he was a 2007 inductee into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

Joyner-Kersee Among Top 100 U.S. Olympic Moments

2012-05-10T17:21:49Z

Sports Illustrated began a recent feature on its website which looks back at the Top 100 U.S. Olympic Moments in pictures. Bruin Jackie Joyner-Kersee, one of the all-time greatest female track & field athletes, won her sixth and final Olympic medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. After pulling out of the heptathlon due to injury, Joyner-Kersee focused on the long jump; her final jump of 22-11 3/4 earned her the bronze medal, making her the most decorated female athlete at the time.

Gardner, Team USA Wrap up Tour with Win

2012-05-09T20:31:31Z

Team USA wrapped up its international women's basketball tournament in China with a 65-55 win over the Chinese National "B" team. The Americans, which featured several players from the Pac-12 conference, including UCLA's Rebekah Gardner, finished with an 8-1 record on the tour.
Gardner was named MVP of the Zhongxian stage of the tournament and was named All-Tournament in the first stage of the event in Fuling, China. She averaged 11.7 points on the trip and scored in double digits in seven contests.

Morris, Quinn - WNBA Season Right Around the Corner

2012-05-08T16:40:21Z

The start of the new WNBA season is right around the corner for former Bruins Darxia Morris and Noelle Quinn. Morris was signed by the Los Angeles Sparks during the off-season and scored four points and handed out five assists in a 98-71 exhibition win over the Chinese National team over the weekend. The Sparks will host the Japanese National team on May 10 at LA Southwest College before starting the regular season on May 18 at the Seattle Storm. Quinn was traded to the Washington Mystics over the off-season and her new team will be in action on May 10 in an exhibition contest at the Chicago Sky. The Mystics open the regular season versus Chicago on May 19.

Gardner Leads USA to Two More Wins

2012-05-07T20:47:40Z

Rebekah Gardner helped lead Team USA to a couple of wins over the weekend in the Xiangyang stage of an international women's basketball tournament being played in China. The Americans defeated Austrailia 66-39, with Gardner scoring six points and grabbing four boards. The USA added an 84-36 win over New Zealand, which up its record on the trip to 7-1. Gardner scored eight points in that second contest. The All-Star team will wrap up its trip to China with a game against the "B" team from the Chinese National squad.

Larimore Named to Lott Award List

2012-05-07T18:00:52Z

Senior linebacker Patrick Larimore has been named to the Watch List for the Lott Impact Award. Larimore led the Bruin team in tackles last season with 81 stops (17th in Pac-12). The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year in college football. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. The award, which equally recognizes the personal character of the winning player as well as his athletic excellence, is presented on Dec. 9 in Newport Beach,CA.

Gardner Named MVP of China Tournament

2012-05-04T19:50:40Z

Team USA member Rebekah Gardner was named the MVP of the Zhongxian stage of the international women's basketball tournament being played this week in China. She scored 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in the final game of the tournament, a 90-58 win over Australia on May 3. Gardner scored in double-digits in each contest in this three-game stage of the event, including a double-double (10/10) in a win over China. Earlier in the week, Team USA bested New Zealand, 83-36, behind 15 points from Gardner, in a game played before over 3,000 fans.

UCLA Student-Athletes Participate in Bruin 5k Run/Walk

2012-05-04T01:06:05Z

Several UCLA student-athletes participated in the 13th annual Bruin 5k Run/Walk on Sunday, Apr. 29, benefiting the Chase Child Life Program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.

Sophomore rower Deanna Wong put together a team of rowers to run the race. Joining her were teammates Erin Wenzel, Katie Shurtleff, Kate Miller, Emma Murray, Nicole Sung-Jereczek and Carolina Paini.

Additionally, other student-athletes such as football's Jeff Baca and Johnathan Franklin, men's basketball's Tyler Trapani, swimming's Anna Senko, men's volleyball's Joel Blocksom and rowers Audrey Calandra and Kristin Snook volunteered at the Kids Corner booths for the event and led the participants in an 8-clap at the start of the race.

Gardner Helps Team USA to Pair of Wins

2012-05-03T18:19:12Z

Rebekah Gardner helped lead Team USA to a pair of wins in the second stage of an international women's basketball tournament in China. The Americans defeated China 66-43 on Wednesday, May 2, in a game played in Zhongxian City. Gardner recorded her first double-double of the tournament with 10 points and 10 rebounds in that contest. Earlier in the week, Team USA bested New Zealand, 83-36, behind 15 points from Gardner, in a game played before over 3,000 fans.

Video Update from New Pauley Pavilion

2012-05-02T19:27:02Z

UCLA Newsroom took a tour of Pauley Pavilion last week and got an inside look at the construction progress. Watch the video and read more about the upgrades to the historic facility here.

UCLA Video Operations Director Ken Norris Honored with Pioneer Award

2012-05-02T16:04:46Z

UCLA Athletics Video Operations Director Ken Norris will be honored with the inaugural Pioneer Award at the College Sports Video Summit in Atlanta, Ga. on June 7.

Norris, who has been at UCLA since 1989, is considered one of the most innovative and respected minds in his profession, having been named National Video Coordinator of the Year by his peers in the Collegiate Sports Video Association.

"Ken Norris was the obvious choice to be the recipient of the inaugural SVG College Sports Video Summit Pioneer Award," said CSVS Chairman Tom Buffolano. "He is widely acclaimed as an innovator and thought leader in the development of technology, platforms, and production workflow for video, not only for UCLA and the Pac-12, but for all of college sports."

Norris oversaw the development and implementation of the I2 Internet Exchange Program, which he implemented in the then Pacific-10 Conference. That venture was ahead of its time and now allows the conference's 12 football programs to exchange coaching films through the Internet, bypassing the use of videotape. Norris is currently assisting other sports and other athletic conferences in implementing the I2 program.

"[Ken's] influence extends to those who are now in similar positions in both college and professional sports, and he is seen as a mentor to many who now pursue video production as a career," adds Buffolano. "Ken approaches his craft with passion and humility, and he sets a high standard for those who will receive this award in the future."

Norris and his staff are also responsible for filming instructional and highlight footage for almost every UCLA athletic program. They create many of the teams' year-end highlight films.

Norris began his career working for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams at age 13, splicing and editing 16mm film.

Gardner Named All-Tournament in China

2012-04-30T18:08:44Z

UCLA's Rebekah Gardner was selected to the All-Tournament team after the conclusion of the three-day event in Fuling, China. Team USA finished with a 2-1 record in the tournament. The Americans bested New Zealand on Saturday by a score of 73-42, behind 12 points and two steals by Gardner. On Sunday, the host Chinese team came from behind and topped the USA 60-58. Gardner scored 16 points in that contest against the host team and grabbed four rebounds. The competition for the USA All-Star team, which features several players from Pac-12 schools, continues this week in another Chinese city.

Gardner Leads Team USA to Win

2012-04-27T18:25:41Z

Rebekah Gardner helped lead Team USA to a win over Australia in the first round of an international women's basketball tournament in Fuling, China on April 27.

Gardner, who led the Bruins in scoring in her senior season with a 15.9 ppg average, poured in 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three steals in the 77-47 victory over the Aussies.

The USA team, which features several players from Pac-12 schools, will play New Zealand on Saturday in the second game of the three-game event before meeting the host squad from China.