New Pauley Pavilion will officially open its doors beginning Sunday, Oct. 28 with the Pauley Pavilion Campaign of Champions Celebration. An All-Campus Sneak Peek will follow on Tuesday, Oct. 30 for UCLA faculty, staff and students, and the arena will be open to the public for the first time on Sunday, Nov. 4 for a free open-house event welcoming all UCLA alumni and Bruin fans for a tour of the building.
For an early look at the arena from various media entities, see links below.
UCLA Newsroom: Students and fans get first peek inside the new Pauley Pavilion (includes video, photos)
LA Times: Pauley Pavilion just about ready for its close-up (includes video, interactive views, and panoramas)
ESPN Los Angeles: Pauley Pavilion renovation comes into focus (includes video)
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.
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 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.
Rose Wernes Drake, widow of long
time UCLA trainer and track coach Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake, died peacefully in
her home in Santa Monica on January 23, 2012. She was 96. Rose was
born August 14, 1915 on the family farm in Friend, Nebraska. She was the
last of eight children to Homer and Ida Dreher.
She married Ducky, a childhood friend, in 1983,
beginning a wonderful relationship until Ducky's sudden death in December 1988.
Rose was an avid UCLA fan and she
became a "regular" singing and playing piano for UCLA sports events,
song-fests, parties, and memorials. She attended most football and
basketball games into her early 90's.
Rose was loved and adored by all who
knew her. She had no children and is survived by nieces and
nephews. Visitations will take place on February 6th from 5-7 pm and on February 7th
from 11 am - noon at Gates, Kingsley &
Gates, 1925 Arizona, Santa Monica, CA 90404. The Memorial Service is February 7th at 12:30 pm at Gates,
Kingsley & Gates. Interment will take
place at 2 pm at Woodlawn Cemetery, 1847 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA
90404.
In lieu of flowers, please send
donations to the Wooden Athletic Fund, UCLA Athletics, Morgan Center, 325
Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles CA 90095-1639.
UCLA student-athletes continue to succeed in the classroom, posting a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 83 percent, according to Statistics for the Graduation Success Rate released Tuesday by the NCAA.
Two Bruin squads - men's tennis and women's volleyball - had GSRs of 100 percent. Ten of UCLA's 20 sports programs (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track count as one program for each gender) had GSRs of 90 percent or higher, and 15 of the 20 sports were at 85 percent or higher. All 20 UCLA sports hold GSRs higher than the federal rate.
The GSR is the NCAA's more comprehensive calculation of student-athlete academic success and is based on student-athletes who entered college as freshmen in the 2001-02 through 2004-05 classes. It allows for the removal of those individuals who left UCLA in good academic standing prior to the completion of their athletic eligibility.
The NCAA's GSR includes transfer students and student-athletes who leave in good academic standing, unlike the federal rate, which does not count transfers. The GSR and federal rate calculations measure graduation over six years from initial college enrollment.
The GSR for female student-athletes is 92 percent, while the rate for male student-athletes is 75 percent.
The U.S. Olympic Committee, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, and the U.S. National Governing Bodies, have presented the U.S. Olympic Achievement Award to UCLA as of August, 2011.
This award is given to institutions whose student/athletes and coaches won medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games or 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
UCLA was recognized as one of a total of 41 schools in the nation. The ribbon for the medal was designed by Al Oerter, a four-time Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time NCAA Champion for the University of Kansas. The large scale medallion award is a presentation piece showcased as a memory of UCLA's contribution to Olympic success.
The medal (in box on the right of photo) is now in UCLA's Olympic Games display in the Athletics Hall of Fame. located on the first floor of the J.D. Morgan Center.
This past June, two members of UCLA's Athletic Video department earned a 2011 Telly Award for their hard work on John Wooden documentary.
Ken Norris, longtime director of the athletic video department, and Joe Plonsky, earned a Bronze Telly in the category TV for Documentary for their production of "In His Words." Norris (producer) and Plonsky (editor) produced the retrospective on legendary icon John Wooden that was shown at the conclusion of the memorial service for Coach Wooden on June 26, 2010. The documentary included numerous clips of interviews of Coach Wooden, interspersed with photos that traced his life from start to finish.
Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. Awards are presented in the Silver and Bronze categories.
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
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.
Tomorrow (July 1), the Pacific-10 officially becomes the Pac-12 with Colorado and Utah joining the conference. It is the first time since 1978 that the league has added schools.
"Everyone in the Pac-10, including the Bruins, has been looking forward to this day since Colorado and Utah accepted offers to join the conference last year. Both universities have established great traditions, both on the field of competition and in the classroom," said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero.
"We have a tremendous conference that has enjoyed unmatched success across the board and the addition of these two schools only increases the prestige and exposure of the Pac-12 Conference. Colorado and Utah have outstanding athletic programs and have combined to win 42 NCAA team championships. I know that all of our coaches, student-athletes and fans are excited to compete with our new conference rivals and I'm sure that everyone associated with these two great universities is as well.
"UCLA welcomes Colorado and Utah to the Pac-12 and we eagerly anticipate the conference's inaugural season this fall."
Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen selected five Bruins in his list of Top 10 athletes in the 33-season history of the Pac-10 Conference, including four in the Top 5.
Hansen, who has covered all 33 years of the Pac-10's existence, named UCLA Volleyball and Basketball star Natalie Williams as the No. 1 athlete. Williams was the first female athlete to be named a consensus All-American in both volleyball and basketball. She was also the Pac-10 Player of the Year in both sports, the National Player of the Year in volleyball twice, and a record-setting 16-time Pac-10 Player of the Week (eight honors in each sport).
Also ranked in Hansen's Top 10 are No. 3 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (track/basketball), No. 4 Kenny Easley (football), No. 5 (tied) Lisa Fernandez (softball) and No. 8 Gail Devers (track).
The members of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) have selected UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero to lead the Association in 2011-12. Guerrero replaces Dave Roach, director of athletics at Colgate University, who served as President in 2010-11.
The passing of the gavel took place in conjunction with the 46th Annual NACDA Convention, which took place June 16-18 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.
"NACDA had another outstanding Convention last week and I want to salute Dave for his leadership during the past year," Guerrero said. "It's an honor and privilege to be elected to serve as our Association's President."
Also elected to serve NACDA for the 2011-12 term were 1st Vice President Kevin Anderson, director of athletics at the University of Maryland; 2nd Vice President Mike Alden, director of athletics at the University of Missouri; 3rd Vice President Jim Phillips, director of athletics at Northwestern University; and Don Tencher, director of athletics at Rhode Island College, to the first year of a five-year term as secretary.
Congratulations to former UCLA golfer Brandt Jobe for tying for second place at the PGA Tour Memorial Tournament played at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Jobe recorded scores of 71-68-69-65--273 (-15) at the tournament and finished one stroke back of winner Steve Stricker. Overall, this was Brandt's best finish of his PGA Tour career.
Several UCLA alumni student-athletes will be honored tonight as the Los Angeles Unified School District inducts the inaugural class of the Los Angeles High School Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony is this evening at USC's Town and Gown Room.
Bruin alums being inducted tonight include Dick Bishop, gymnastics; Tom Bradley, track and field Sheila Cornell Douty, softball; Tom Fears, football; Jack Fernandez, wrestling; Gail Goodrich, basketball; Frank Lubin, basketball; Willie Naulls, basketball; Marques Johnson, basketball; Kenny Washington, football; and Bob Waterfield, football. In addition, Dodger star Don Drysdale, the late husband of UCLA four-time All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale; and assistant gymnastics coach Makoto Sakamoto are also scheduled for induction
To read more about the Los Angeles High School Sports Hall of Fame, click here.
In the June 1st edition of the Daily News, writer Jill Painter sat down with freshman golfer Patrick Cantlay and Head Coach Derek Freeman to talk about Cantlay's record-setting freshman year and what made him decide to come to UCLA.
By Sports Information on February 28, 2011 11:23 AM
At last Thursday's Sixth Annual LA Sports Awards dinner at the Beverly Hilton, Megan Langenfeld was honored as the Los Angeles Sportswoman of the Year.
UCLA softball's 2010 NCAA Championship was selected as the #8 LA sports moment of last year, while the remembrance of John Wooden's life and legacy was the #2 moment.
The LA Sports Awards are presented annually by the Los Angeles Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in sports in the Los Angeles/Orange County area.
The telecast of the event will be shown several times in the next few week on FS West and Prime Ticket. Here is the broadcast schedule:
March 4 - 10:45 pm (FS West) March 5 - 3:30 pm (FS West) March 5 - 10:30 pm (Prime Ticket) March 7 - 2:00 pm (Prime Ticket) March 8 - 6:30 pm (Prime Ticket) March 10 - 3:30 pm (Prime Ticket) March 11 - 10:00 pm (Prime Ticket) March 12 - 8:00 pm (FS West) March 16 - 10:00 pm (FS West) March 19 - 9:30 pm (Prime Ticket)
UCLA is the featured school in this week's episode of "Runnin' With The Pac." The show airs throughout the Pac-10 area and debuts on Prime Ticket tonight at 10:00 pm. It is also scheduled to air on Prime Ticket on Friday at 10:00 am, 11:30 am and 4:30 pm.
Head football coach Rick Neuheisel and safety Rahim Moore are featured in the "Pride of the Pac" segment. There is also a feature on the women's volleyball team and head women's tennis coach Stella Sampras Webster is featured in "Coach's Corner."
The show also has a tour of "John Wooden - The Den."
One of the segments on the latest edition of the Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly on Prime Ticket was a great piece on the athletic department's Academic & Student Services area. The piece highlights the various programs available to student-athletes at UCLA, including counseling, tutoring and mentoring.
Mike Wise of the Washington Post recently wrote an article about Bruin alum and Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson that is a very interesting read. Click here to read it.
UCLA freshmen express gratitude to U.S. troops worldwide with 'Bruin care packages'
WHAT: As part of UCLA's summer orientation program, incoming freshmen are assembling care packages filled with snacks, Bruin apparel, iTunes gift cards and personal letters of appreciation for U.S. service members deployed in hostile regions like Iraq and Afghanistan and on ships at sea. By the end of orientation, approximately 5,000 of these special Bruin care packages will have been shipped overseas.
The effort -- part of a campus-wide initiative to encourage a lifelong commitment to volunteerism among students -- is organized in association with Operation Gratitude, a volunteer-run nonprofit based in Van Nuys, Calif., that has sent more than 500,000 packages to troops around world. Everything in the UCLA packages is donated by outside sources.
During orientation, students are also introduced to UCLA's online Volunteer Center, where they can connect with a variety of volunteer opportunities; they are encouraged to attend the annual Volunteer Day, which will take place this year on Sept. 21. Last year, the inaugural Volunteer Day saw 4,300 new UCLA students fan out into the community to work on improvement projects at schools, beaches and parks and on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs facility in Westwood.
WHO: More than 300 incoming UCLA freshmen, as well as ROTC cadets and instructors, are participating in the care package effort.
WHEN: Care package assembly will take place at the following times:
• Thursday, Aug. 12, 1-4 p.m. • Thursday, Aug. 19, 1-4 p.m. • Tuesday, Aug. 24, 1-4 p.m. • Friday, Aug. 27, 1-4 p.m.
Fred Bohna, who won the 1979 NCAA wrestling championship in the heavyweight division as a UCLA senior, passed away on July 9 after battling illness since early this year.
Bohna starred at Clovis High School, winning the CIF State title as a senior in 1974. He earned a scholarship to UCLA and became one of UCLA's top wrestlers, culminating his Bruin career with his 1979 NCAA title and Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year honors.
Bohna continued to compete internationally following his Bruin career, representing the United States in the Pan American Games. He retired after the 1984 Olympic Games.
The UCLA family extends its sympathies to Bohna's mother Bonnie and other members of the family for their loss.
Student-athletes from UCLA's Bruin Athletic Council (BAC) are hosting the Bruin Academy this Sunday, May 2 at Spaulding Field from 1:30 - 4:00 pm.
The Bruin Academy will provide youngsters ages 13 and under the opportunity to learn about different sports and participate in fun activities.
Bruin student-athletes will facilitate activities that highlight the importance of sportsmanship, balance, effort, unity, leadership, competitiveness and skill.
The BAC is a select group of student-athlete leaders that serve an important leadership role in representing their peers to the athletic administration, while fostering a positive student-athlete image on campus and in the community.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has named its 12-member Hall of Fame class for 2010. Peter Dalis, who served as Athletic Director at UCLA from 1993 - 2002, is a part of that list.
The inductees will receive their awards on Wednesday, June 23 at the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Awards Luncheon, which will be held during NACDA's 45th Annual Convention at the Marriott Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.
Linked to each inductee's name below is a page that includes a photo and biographical information.
Inductee, Institution Rick Bay, University of Oregon Chuck Bell, Utah State University Peter Dalis, UCLA Rudy Davalos, University of New Mexico Fern Gardner, University of Utah Andy Geiger, The Ohio State University Sam Jankovich, University of Miami Dave Maggard, University of California Berkeley Mike McGee, University of Southern California, University of South Carolina Pete Pisciotta, Glendale Community College Joe Singleton, University of California Davis Larry Toledo, Pima Community College
About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 45th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations that come under the umbrella of the Athletics Director. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.
UCLA Director of Sports Medicine Dale Rudd MS, ATC, has been selected as one of the National Athletic Trainers' Association's 2010 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer (MDAT) award recipients.
This award recognizes outstanding dedication and service to the athletic training profession.Candidates for the award must have held the certified athletic trainer (ATC) credential, conferred by the Board of Certification, for at least 20 years; have been recognized for service to the profession of athletic training at the local, state, national and/or international level; exhibited distinguished service as a certified athletic trainer; and been recognized for unique contributions to the profession of athletic training not acknowledged elsewhere.
"Dedication, innovation, loyalty and leadership are common traits among MDAT recipients," said National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Executive Director Eve Becker-Doyle, CAE."Those who receive the honor serve as an inspiration to their peers and as role models to the next generation of certified athletic trainers."
"Dale is richly deserving of the award," said NATA Honors & Awards Committee Chair Rochel Rittgers, ATC."Dale Rudd has dedicated his career to providing quality health care services and to the betterment of the athletic training profession."
The MDAT presentation will be made on June 24, 2010, at NATA's 61st Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia in Philadelphia.
National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) -Health Care for Life & Sport: Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses. The National Athletic Trainers' Association represents and supports 30,000 members of the athletic training profession. Only 42 percent of high schools have access to athletic trainers. NATA members adhere to a code of ethics. NATA supports the right of all patients to have equal access to the services of athletic trainers through the Athletic Trainers' Equal Access to Medicare Act (H.R. 1137). Visit www.nata.org
Fans planning to watch UCLA Spring Football Practices should plan on coming to campus early or staying late to attend other athletic events.
The men's and women's tennis, baseball, softball, men's volleyball and men's and women's track and field teams all have competitions on at least one Spring Practice date. It's the perfect chance to create your own Bruin double or triple header.
The schedule for Spring Football practice is listed below, along with other on-campus athletic events on each date.
April 1, 20104:00-6:00 PM
Baseball vs. Stanford, 6:00 pm
April 2, 20104:00-6:00 PM
Men's Tennis vs. Cal, 1:30 pm
Baseball vs. Stanford, 6:00 pm
April 3, 201012:00 noon-2:00 PM
Men's Tennis vs. Stanford, 1:00 pm
Baseball vs. Stanford, 2:00 pm
April 6, 20104:00-6:00 PM
Baseball vs. Cal State Fullerton, 6:00 pm
April 8, 20104:00-6:00 PM
M/W Track & Field: Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invite, All Day
April 9, 20104:00-6:00 PM
M/W Track & Field: Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invite, All Day
Dan Guerrero from the University of California, Los Angeles, Dick Baddour from the University of North Carolina, Gene Bleymaier from Boise State University; Mal Moore from the University of Alabama and Gene Smith from Ohio State University have been selected as nominees in the Athletic Director of the Year category for the 2010 Sports Business Awards presented by Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily.
The Sports Business Awards recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period from January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010. Athletic directors from colleges and universities in the United States were eligible.
Winners will be announced at an awards gala that will be held Thursday, May 20, at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. Please click on the link below for the nominees in all 15 categories. http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/65118
Have you seen U.S. News & World Report's list of the "World's Best Universities"?
UCLA is ranked No. 32 on the publication's latest rankings.
In terms of U.S. universities on the list, UCLA ranks No. 16. In addition, it is the No. 2 public university. Only Michigan, at No. 13 among U.S. universities, is ranked higher among public schools.
Below is the list of the Top U.S. Universities on the list.
The top American universities in the poll by ranking are:
1. Harvard 2. Yale 3. Chicago 4. Princeton 5. MIT 6. Cal Tech (all of the above ranked in Top 10 in world rankings) 7. Columbia 8. Pennsylvania 9. John Hopkins 10. Duke 11. Cornell 12. Stanford 13. Michigan (top public university) 14. Carnegie Mellon 15. Brown 16. UCLA (No. 2 public university) 17. Northwestern 18. California
By Sports Information on February 12, 2010 5:26 PM
UCLA greats Bill Walton and Sinjin Smith will be inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, March 21 in the fourth annual event held at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry.
Walton, at 6-11, 235 pounds, is one of the all-time great centers in the game of basketball. At UCLA under John Wooden, he led the Bruins to two NCAA Championships (1972/1973), a record setting 88-game winning streak and was a three-time (1972-74) consensus All-American and national Player of the Year. In UCLA history, Walton is the school's No. 1 rebounder (1972-74, 1,370, 15.7rpg) and No. 11 scorer (1,767, 20.3ppg). The No. 1 selection in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers, Walton played13 years in the NBA, and is the only player in league history to win the NBA Finals MVP (leading Portland to the championship in 1977), the regular season Most Valuable Player honor (1978 with Portland) and the NBA Sixth Man Award (helping Boston win the NBA title in 1986). Walton, whose Bruin jersey No. 32 is retired, has also been inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (1984), Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame (1993) and GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame (1994) and in 1996 was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all-time.
Smith, one of the record-setting volleyball players in collegiate and beach history, as a freshman at UCLA in 1976 helped lead UCLA to an NCAA title and as a senior in 1979, he directed the Bruins to an unbeaten (30-0) NCAA Championship season and was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. As a Bruin, he was a three-time All-Conference player, a two-time All-American and led UCLA to a four-year overall record of 85-9. In beach volleyball, he and partner Randy Stoklos ruled for more than a decade. The pair won a record 114 open beach tournaments, earned more than $1.6 million and was responsible for the tremendous popularity of the sport. A member of the 1980 (U. S. boycott) and 1996 U. S. Olympic teams, Smith, whose UCLA jersey No. 22 was retired in 1992, has been inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (1991) and the Volleyball Hall of Fame (2003).
Joining Walton and Smith into the 2010 class are pro football greats Merlin Olsen (Los Angeles Rams) and Oakland Raider standouts Jim Otto and Fred Biletnikoff, tennis great Billie Jean King and honored KCBS Channel 2 sportscaster Jim Hill. Also in the 2010 class is high jumper Dwight Stones, who attended UCLA as a freshman in 1972, placing third in the high jump on the Bruins' NCAA championship team. Stones then transferred to Long Beach State and following his collegiate career, would go on to become one of the greatest high jumpers in U. S. history. In his 16-year T & F career, Stones won 19 national championships, was a three-time World record holder and a two-time Olympic bronze medalist.
Walton and Smith join seven other Bruins in the California Sports Hall of Fame - 2007 - Jackie Robinson (baseball), John Wooden (basketball), Rafer Johnson (T &F), Jackie Joyner Kersee (T&F); 2008 - UCLA Bruins men's basketball program (team category); 2009 - Ann Meyers Drysdale (basketball), Mike Powell (T & F), Karch Kiraly (volleyball).
On March 21, the California Sports Hall of Fame event is an all-day affair, starting with a golf tournament (registration 9 a.m.) at the Industry Hills Golf Club. Following the golf, the induction ceremony will take place at the Pacific Palms Resort, starting with a 5 p.m. reception and dinner at 7 p.m. For more information, call 909-481-3541 or go to www.californiasportshalloffame.org.
Tonight at the NCAA Convention in Atlanta, GA, UCLA icon Jackie Joyner-Kersee was among the honorees.
JJK was one of the Silver Anniversary Award winners. That award is presented to former student-athletes who completed their careers 25 years ago and have gone on to achieve greatness and make an impact since their collegiate careers.
In the attached photo, Jackie is presented her award by UCLA Senior Associate Athletic Director Petrina Long.
By Sports Information on December 24, 2009 5:18 PM
In the latest issue of UCLA Magazine, alumni student-athletes are featured in two separate stories.
"Bruins In Blue" features several UCLA alumni in the Los Angeles Police Department. Two of the Bruins highlighted are former basketball star Anita Ortega, now a captain in the LAPD, and officer Ryan Lee, an NCAA soccer champion during his playing days. To read that story, click here.
"Stunts and Circuses" features five UCLA alumni gymnasts currently involved with the TV show, Make It or Break It, as well others in the stunt industry. To read that story, click here.
These stories once again illustrate the success of our student-athletes following their days at UCLA.
By Sports Information on November 19, 2009 5:12 PM
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.
By Sports Information on October 23, 2009 11:33 AM
In case you missed this on the University's homepage or UCLA's YouTube site, here is a great video about what makes UCLA unique from the perspectives of faculty, staff and students across campus.
By Sports Information on September 16, 2009 4:03 PM
The following is a statement released by UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero this afternoon on the passing of NCAA President Myles Brand:
"I am profoundly saddened to learn of the death of Myles Brand. This is a tremendous loss for higher education as well as the athletics and sports community. Myles was a true inspiration, a tireless and dedicated professional with a constant energetic and positive presence at the NCAA. On a personal level, I am especially grateful to him for his willingness to provide me with the opportunity to serve our association in a leadership capacity on several NCAA committees and initiatives. In Myles, I saw a bold and visionary leader and an individual deeply committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience during his time as president. His legacy will be remembered as such. My heart goes out to Myles' family during this time."
