Oct. 2, 2012

(For those who may not have read the initial blog for this school year, please note that the format for Word from Westwood has changed slightly this year. It is now a communication vehicle for the units within the department to share their news with the Bruin Family, capped off by specific thoughts each week from Athletic Director Dan Guerrero.)

As the calendar turns from September to October, the attention of many on the UCLA campus turns to New Pauley Pavilion, slated to host its first official affair later this month on October 28. Pauley has hosted many important occasions in its history, and the New Pavilion will as well; its first 14 days are chock-full of events for everyone.

For a calendar listing of Pauley's first two weeks, please visit here.

Second Consecutive Road Game Awaits UCLA Football Team
After defeating Colorado, 42-14, last Saturday in Boulder, the #25-ranked UCLA football team will hit the road for the second-straight week, this time travelling north to face the Cal Bears at newly-remodeled Memorial Stadium.

The 7 pm PT game, pitting the 4-1 Bruins and the 1-4 Golden Bears, will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks and will also be live on the radio on AM 570 FOX Sports LA.

We understand and empathize with those of you who are unable to watch UCLA games that are featured on the Pac-12 Networks. Everyone in the Conference shares in the same frustrations, and the hope is that all parties involved can come to an agreement in the near future.

What can be done in the meantime to watch Saturday's game? Keep putting pressure on your television providers or watch at any area restaurants that carry the Networks, including Barney's Beanery.

Utah Game Time Set for 12 pm at the Rose Bowl on October 13
The football team returns to the Rose Bowl on Saturday, October 13 to face the Utah Utes. Earlier this week, the Pac-12 Conference announced that game will kick off at noon PT. Tickets for the game start at just $19 and can be purchased by calling 310-UCLA-WIN or visiting UCLABruins.com.

For those Bruin fans unable to make it to Pasadena that day, the game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

Olympic Sports Report

• The #6-ranked women's volleyball team dropped a close 3-2 match at Washington on Wednesday night before rebounding to sweep Washington State on Friday. The Bruins will host the Arizona schools on Friday (5:30 pm PT) and Sunday (2 pm PT), and both matches are live on the Pac-12 Networks.
• The #3-ranked women's soccer team defeated Arizona 2-1 on Saturday and defeated Arizona State 4-1 on Monday night. This week, they hit the road again, Friday night at Oregon and Sunday at noon (PT) at Oregon State, with that match being televised live on the Pac-12 Networks.
• The #2-ranked UCLA men's water polo team won three of its four matches in the SoCal Tournament in Santa Barbara last weekend and will face Cal and UC Davis on the road this coming weekend. Saturday's match against the Golden Bears will be a 12:30 pm (PT) start on the Pac-12 Networks. If you will be in Berkeley for the football game, please come out to the Spieker Aquatics Complex to support the water polo team as well.
• The #5-ranked men's soccer team opened its Pac-12 season with back-to-road wins against Stanford and Cal last weekend and continues its conference slate with a Friday afternoon home match against Oregon (3 pm PT) and a Monday evening home contest against Washington (7 pm PT), both of which will be live on the Pac-12 Networks.
• The women's golf team finished in ninth place at the Golfweek Collegiate Invitational at Red Sky Golf Club in Vail, Colorado, while the men's team placed fifth in the Ping/Golfweek Preview at Crabapple Golf Club in Woodstock, Georgia. Next up for the women is the Fall Preview at the University of Georgia, while the men split the squad to compete in both the Pac-12 Preview in North Plains, Oregon and the Firestone Grill Cal Poly Invitational in Nipomo, California. Additionally, men's golf seniors Pedro Figueiredo and Pontus Widegren will be competing for Portugal and Sweden, respectively, at the World Amateur Team Championships in Turkey this week. Last week, women's players Erynne Lee and Kyle Roig played in the World Amateur Team Championship for the U.S. and Puerto Rico, respectively.
• The men's tennis team will be competing all week in the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, while the women will be much closer to home, at the ITA/Riviera All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades. National rankings have yet to released for this season.

Donor Trip to Colorado a Rousing Success
This past weekend, Chancellor and Mrs. Block, along with Dan and Anne Marie Guerrero, hosted more than 150 generous supporters, on the ever-popular annual Wooden Athletic Fund Donor Trip, in conjunction with the UCLA-Colorado football game.

The trip began with donors, sponsors and media partners being greeted at LAX by the UCLA Spirit Squad and Joe Bruin. After boarding a chartered United Airlines flight to Denver on Friday, the group explored Coors Field in downtown Denver, enjoying a VIP "behind the scenes" tour of that great baseball facility and a reception. On Saturday, they attended the Bruin Bash pregame party and, of course, the game.

This year's successful 2012 Wooden Athletic Fund Donor Trip was filled with laughs, a whole lot of Eight Claps and, most importantly, an opportunity for UCLA Athletics to say thank you.

For more information on the Wooden Athletic Fund, or to become a member, visit www.wooodenathleticfund.com or call 310-206-3302.

Reminder: Hands for Africa Charity Benefit Oct. 4, Ben Howland Reception Oct. 10
Please remember the Hands for Africa Charity Benefit Dinner this coming Thursday, October 4 in the Morgan Center's Hall of Fame Press Room, to benefit the St. Ann Baby and Children's Home in Nakuru, Kenya.

For more information or to register for the event, please click here.

Additionally, men's basketball coach Ben Howland is speaking at a reception hosted by the Wooden Athletic Fund and the UCLA Alumni Association San Fernando Valley Network on Wednesday, October 10 at Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank. For more information or to sign up for the early registration rate, please click here.

As was mentioned in last week's Word from Westwood, the night before classes begin for the fall quarter each year, we host the annual student-athlete picnic for all of our teams at Drake Stadium. This is one of the few events each year during which our nearly 700 student-athletes gather and get to know one another.

During the program, we recognized our conference championship teams as well as Women's Volleyball, the 2011 NCAA national champion. We also took the opportunity to celebrate our London Olympians, including student-athletes, coaches and staff. In addition, one of the highlights every year is the announcement of the academic team awards. One of our great supporters, Don Shepherd, sponsors several GPA award including team with the highest overall GPA, the men's team with the highest GPA, the women's team with the highest GPA, and the most improved GPA overall. This is a very competitive group of student-athletes, both on the playing field and in the classroom, and congratulations are in order to women's soccer for winning the most improved GPA award and women's swimming and diving for the highest women's team GPA. Coach Billy Martin's men's tennis team, however, came away with double accolades, capturing both highest men's team GPA and highest overall team GPA honors.

In addition, as a department, we do all we can to make our incoming freshmen feel as welcome as possible, especially since many of them are away from home for an extended period of time for the first time. This year, one of the most creative minds I know, Ric Coy, Assistant Director of Student Services, created an amazing video featuring current student-athletes and set to the popular song "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. It has captured the fancy of many in the Bruin community, as well as though whose aspirations are to, one day, join the Bruin family.

If you haven't since this video yet, please click here and take a look at Ric's masterpiece. Kudos to him for producing such a cool piece and, of course, to all the returning student-athletes who took part.

Go Bruins!

Dan Guerrero
UCLA Athletic Director

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