What's Bruin Blog Archive

June 12, 2009

The Athletic Department held its annual Student-Athlete Graduation Reception this afternoon in the Morgan Center. Over 75 graduating student-athletes and their families, as well as numerous coaches and athletic department staff members, attended the reception, held prior to the various graduation ceremonies scheduled throughout the weekend. The College of Letters & Science ceremony is at 5:00 pm today in Pauley Pavilion. UCLA alum Brad Delson, the lead guitarist for Grammy-winning band Linkin Park, is the keynote speaker.

Several student-athletes were honored for their academic achievements during the reception in the Morgan Center. Men's tennis player Michael Look and women's volleyball player Jade Machado were introduced as the senior student-athletes of the year. Machado, former women's tennis star Elizabeth Lumpkin and men's track/cross country performers Drew and Kyle Shackleton each earned a Pac-10 Post-Graduate Scholarship, worth $3,000 for graduate school.

Men's basketball player James Diefenbach and Machado were announced as the male and female winners of the Don Shepherd Scholarship, valued at $10,000 for graduate school.

Every graduating senior received the UCLA Student-Athlete Medal, to wear with his or her cap and gown during graduation ceremonies. In addition, four-year letter winners also received a new student-athlete ring. All the sports were well represented.

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Here is a clip of highlights from CoachesTour2009, the trip to the Middle East that several coaches, including Rick Neuheisel, took a couple of weeks ago. You don't see much of Neuheisel in this video, but it gives you an idea of what occured during the trip.

 

June 11, 2009

Head coach Valorie Kondos Field and the UCLA Gymnastics Team is now on Twitter. To follow UCLA Gymnastics, CLICK HERE.

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UCLA freshman right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer continues to gain national accolades. Already having earned Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year acclaim, Bauer has secured second-team All-America honors from Ping! Baseball. Additionally, Bauer and fellow freshman right-hander Gerrit Cole have earned Freshman All-America accolades from Ping!Baseball (Bauer, first team; Cole, second team). Last week, Bauer was named a first-team Freshman All-America honoree by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Linked are the national All-America selections from Ping!Baseball, in addition to the Freshman All-America selections.

 

June 10, 2009

More Bruin coaches to follow on Twitter: Head Women's Basketball Coach Nikki Caldwell and UCLA Women's Volleyball.

 

June 9, 2009

Bruin fans can now follow Head Men's Basketball Coach Ben Howland on Twitter. To access his Twitter page, CLICK HERE.

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Congratulations to former UCLA letterman Doug Batty for qualifying for the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, June 18-21. Doug posted scores of 74-70--144 at Saticoy Country Club in Somis, Calif. on June 8 to earn his first U.S. Open berth.

 

June 8, 2009

The UCLA baseball and men's tennis media guides were ranked No. 2 in the nation in the annual College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) publications contest. The baseball media guide was produced by UCLA Sports Information Assistant Alex Timiraos, who earlier received Best in the Nation honors for his men's water polo, women's water polo and women's rowing media guides. The men's tennis media guide was produced by Assistant Sports Information Director Danny Harrington, whose women's tennis media guide was named the Best in the Nation. Also receiving national acclaim was the men's basketball media guide (8th in the nation, 1st in the District), which was written and designed by Associate Sports Information Director Ryan Finney and Timiraos. That brings UCLA's total of award-winning publications to nine so far this year.

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Sophomore Cory Primm from the men's track and field team was featured in Sunday's Ventura County Star. To read the article, CLICK HERE.

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Seven former or current UCLA golfers are attempting to advance today in sectional qualifying to the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, June 18-21. They are Doug Batty, Erik Flores, Chris Heintz, Philip Francis, J.T. Kohut, Ken Tanigawa and Duffy Waldorf.

 

June 7, 2009

Congrats to UCLA football signee Randall Carroll. Saturday night in Clovis, he successfully defended his California state titles in both the 100 and 200 meters. Carroll was timed in 10.38 in the 100 finals and recorded a 20.18 in the 200. His 20 points enabled Cathedral to tie for the State championship. Last month, Carroll was timed in 10.30 for 100 meters, the fastest legal electronic time in California in 17 years.

Here is the video of Carroll's 100 meter win.

 

 


(video courtesy of DyeState.com)

 

 

Here is the video of his 200 meter victory.

 

 


(video courtesy of DyeState.com)

 

 

 

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Saturday night's True Blue Celebration was a fun event for the fans who attended. There were lots of current coaches and student-athletes in attendance, including head coaches Rick Neuheisel, Nikki Caldwell, Ben Howland, Billy Martin, Andy Banachowski and Al Scates, just to name a few. Most sports had at least one-student athlete at the event and some had four to six. Among the football players in attendance were captains Logan Paulsen, Terrence Austin, Reggie Carter and Alterraun Verner, as well as Korey and Kyle Bosworth, Kevin Prince, Kevin Craft, Nick Ekbatani and Aaron Ware, among others.

Lynn Shackelford led a panel discussion, Fifty Years of Bruin Basketball, and the panelists were Keith Erickson, Marques Johnson, Ralph Jackson, Toby Bailey, Jason Kapono and head coach Ben Howland. It was interesting to hear what the stars of different decades had to say, but all agreed that coming to UCLA was the best decision for them and they gave different reasons why they chose Westwood. They also spoke about the "four letters" mean to them and the answers all seemed to center on respect and family.

The 1969 Basketball NCAA championship banner was auctioned of for $8,000, dinner with Ben Howland went for $3,750 - twice, Jason Kapono won the bidding for Pelican Hill Resort package, which included a one-night stay plus golf and dinner for four with Rick Neuheisel. There were other great items auctioned off, including football game-day experiences, dinner with the Johnsons - Marques, Kris and Josiah - and dinner with Olympic champion Rafer Johnson and his son Josh, a former Bruin track star. Rick Neuheisel auctioned off 30 home football jerseys for $200 each and promised each buyer a pre-game field pass for the San Diego State game.

Rafer Johnson, 1960 Olympic decathlon champ and the man who lit the Olympic Torch in Los Angeles in 1984, was in attendance. The crowd roared when Tyus Edney was introduced. The father-son football combo of George, a UCLA Hall of Famer, and Danny Farmer poured wine during the silent auction portion of the event. Other all-time greats in attendance included All-America pitcher Tim Leary, who enjoyed a fine major league career; Hall of Fame volleyball players Sinjin Smith and Liz Masakayan; Terry Donahue, the winningest football coach in Pac-10 history (league games); and former NCAA championship coaches Sue Enquist and Art Shurlock.

All in all, it was a great night to be a Bruin fan.

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Congrats to former UCLA left-hander David Huff, who notched his first major league victory on Sunday afternoon. Huff allowed three runs and four hits in 5.0 innings, leading the Cleveland Indians past the Chicago White Sox, 8-4, at U.S. Cellular Field. Making his fifth major league start of the season, Huff recorded three strikeouts and issued three walks. He improves his record to 1-2 on the season. Huff starred in UCLA's weekend rotation as a junior in 2006.

 

June 5, 2009

The 2009 Major League Baseball Draft will take place June 9-11. The MLB Network will broadcast all 32 first-round selections live on Tuesday, June 9, beginning at 3 p.m. (PT). Following the first round, live video streaming of the draft's second and third rounds on Tuesday will be available at mlb.com. The draft continues Wednesday, June 10 with rounds 4-30 (begins at 9 a.m., PT) and on Thursday, June 11 with rounds 31-50 (begins at 8:30 a.m., PT). Audio of the live conference call from MLB headquarters in New York on Wednesday and Thursday will be available online at mlb.com. Updated information about UCLA's baseball draftees will be available at uclabruins.com.

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UCLA redshirt freshman defensive end Damien Holmes underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment from his right elbow this morning. He is expected to begin light lifting and range of motion exercises immediately and should resume normal lifting in four-six weeks.

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Redshirt sophomore quarterback Chris Forcier has decided to transfer to Furman University.

 

June 4, 2009

UCLA women's basketball alumnae Michelle Greco (1999-2003) won the Italian League Serie A championship last month with her team, Cras Taranto. Winning the league title moved Cras Taranto up from the EuroCup to the EuroLeague next season. To read more about Greco in the Glendale News-Press, CLICK HERE.

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UCLA soccer alumni had impressive performances in last weekend's MLS games. In his first game and start with the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday, Mike Zaher (2004-07) was a standout on defense and also assisted on the Earthquakes' first goal. Zaher's performance continued his string of strong showings at Buck Shaw Stadium. During his senior year in 2007, he scored a goal in each of the two games the Bruins played at Santa Clara. To read more about Zaher's debut with the Earthquakes, CLICK HERE. Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (1995-96), who holds the MLS records for career saves, wins and shutouts, made the MLS Save of the Week in a 1-1 tie against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. To see the play, CLICK HERE.

 

June 3, 2009

UCLA football alumnus Justin Hickman, who earned first team All-America honors in 2006 when he tied for fourth nationally with 12.5 quarterback sacks, is off to Canada. Hickman, a defensive end, will be playing for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL and was scheduled to arrive in Canada late this afternoon. In 2008, he played with the Los Angeles Avengers in the Arena League.

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UCLA alumnus Ryan Futagaki (1998-2002) has been added to the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team roster for the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships. Futagaki, who was the team co-captain of UCLA's 2002 NCAA Championship squad, joins Bruin alumni Zak Ibsen (1990-92) and Jason Leopoldo (2005-08) on the squad. The U.S. team, which is coached by current UCLA assistant Eddie Soto, opens the tournament against the Bahamas on June 17 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

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The Sporting News College Football pre-season magazine has named junior place kicker Kai Forbath to its All-America first team and junior defensive tackle Brian Price to the All-America second team. In addition, Forbath, Price and senior linebacker Reggie Carter were named first-team All-Pac-10 by the publication, which ranks UCLA fifth in the league.

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Read more about Coach Rick Neuheisel's trip to the Middle East with Coaches Tour 2009. Click on the following links for articles and photos from Air Mobility Command: Hospital Visit and Travel Preparation.

 

June 2, 2009

Phil Steele's College Football Preview has selected four Bruins to its pre-season All-America teams. Place kicker Kai Forbath was named first-team All-America by the magazine. Cornerback Alterraun Verner was named to the publication's second team, Terrence Austin was a third-team selection as a kickoff returner and defensive tackle Brian Price was named to the fourth unit.

Forbath, Verner, Price Austin and linebacker Reggie Carter were also named first-team All-Pac-10 by the magazine. Austin was also named Pac-10 second team as a wide receiver and punt returner and linebacker Akeem Ayers joined him on that squad. Defensive end Korey Bosworth was named third-team All-Pac-10 while tight end Ryan Moya and safety Rahim Moore were named to the fourth unit.

The publication also ranks UCLA 24th nationally.

 

June 1, 2009

Head football coach Rick Neuheisel is currently in the Middle East as part of Coaches Tour 2009, visiting U.S. military troops. For the latest update from football office intern David Raih, click here.

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Graduation Weekend is fast approaching at UCLA. Various graduation ceremonies will be held on campus from Friday, June 12 through Sunday, June 14. In addition, the Athletic Department is hosting a reception for graduating student-athletes in the Morgan Center between 2:00 and 4:00 pm on Friday the 12th. Each graduate receives a student-athlete medal at the reception.

In addition to the current student-athletes who are graduating, two of UCLA's top quarterbacks of the last 20 years will also be participating in graduation ceremonies - Troy Aikman, who completed his requirements last January, and Drew Olson, who is finishing his requirements this quarter. Congratulations to all of the graduates.

 

May 31, 2009

Former UCLA baseball standout Wes Whisler has been recalled to the Chicago White Sox, as announced by the organization on Saturday. Whisler compiled a 5-3 record and 2.81 ERA in 10 starts this spring for the Charlotte Knights (triple-A, International League). He starred at UCLA from 2002-04, earning All-America honors as a freshman (2002) and sophomore (2003). Exceling as a two-way player for the Bruins, Whisler logged an 11-14 career pitching record with a 4.99 ERA in 49 appearances (43 starts) and 259.2 innings. As a first baseman, Whisler registered a .304 career batting average with 34 home runs and 129 RBI in 177 games. Whisler is expected to pitch in relief for the White Sox, and has yet to make his major league debut.

 

May 29, 2009

UCLA freshmen Thomas Amberg, Kyle Caldwell and Nick Vogel were selected to try out for the U.S. Men's Junior National Team in advance of the 2009 FIVB World Championship, July 31-Aug. 9 in Pune, India. Click here for more information.

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UCLA senior golfer Erik Flores was named to the American squad for the Palmer Cup at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, June 3-5. For more information click here.

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Rising junior Jacob Murphy of the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected to the Team USA roster for the 2009 World University Games, slated to take place July 1-12 in Belgrade, Serbia. For more on Murphy's selection to the U.S. team, click here.

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MaxPreps has a feature on men's track and field signee Mason Finley, who set the national high school record in the discus this spring with a throw of 236-6. To read the article, click here.

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The awards keep coming for UCLA's media guides. Three media guides were named Best in the Nation by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for their respective sports - Women's Rowing, Men's Water Polo and Women's Water Polo. And each placed in the Top 10 amongst 59 entries in the Single Sport Guides category, with rowing placing fourth, men's water polo fifth and women's water polo ninth. Congratulations to SID Assistant Alex Timiraos for crafting the award-winning guides and receiving best in the nation honors for all three for the second consecutive year. Also receiving national recognition were Assistant SIDs James Ybiernas for softball (4th in the nation) and Liza David for men's soccer (5th in the nation).

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A total of five UCLA men's and women's soccer signees were named to the 2009 ESPN RISE Winter All-America teams. On the men's side, forward Dakota Collins (Temecula, CA/Great Oak HS) earned first-team honors, while midfielder Evan Raynr (Calabasas, CA/Viewpoint HS) received second-team acclaim. On the women's side, three incoming freshmen were named to the second team - forward Courtney Lovelace (San Diego, CA/Westview HS), defender Sophie Metz (Pleasanton, CA/Foothill HS) and goalkeeper Alana Munger (Honolulu, HI/Punahou HS). Earlier this month, Chandler Hoffman (Birmingham, AL/Oak Mountain HS) was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year for Alabama for the second consecutive year.

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Normally at this time of year, UCLA all-time great Bill Walton is all over ESPN's coverage of the NBA playoffs. However, he has been out of action while recovering from back surgery. To see what he thinks of the Lakers-Nuggets series, read today's media column by Tom Hoffarth of the L.A. Daily News by clicking here.

 

May 28, 2009

Former UCLA left-handed pitcher David Huff (2006) made his third career major league start Thursday afternoon for the Cleveland Indians, helping guide the Tribe to a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay at Progressive Field. Huff tossed four scoreless innings, scattering four hits, before being forced out of the contest due to a rain delay. Huff, who recorded two strikeouts and issued one walk, did not earn a decision and still seeks his first major league victory.

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Men's soccer head coach Jorge Salcedo was interviewed by 101soccer.com on Monday and talked about last season, the upcoming season and this year's recruiting class. To listen to the interview CLICK HERE.

 

May 27, 2009

UCLA men's soccer signee Amobi Okugo started and played all 90 minutes in the U.S. Under-18 National Team's 1-0 win over Finland on Wednesday at the Lisbon International Tournament. The U.S., which is 3-0-1 in international games this year, will next face Germany on Thursday. 

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Six current or former UCLA golfers have advanced to Sectional Qualifying for the 2009 U.S. Women's Open at Saucom Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, PA, July 9-12. On May 26 at the Industry Hills Eisenhower Course, Tiffany Joh (72), Stephanie Kono (73), Brianna Do (74) and Glory Yang (75) all qualified. Former All-American Hannah Jun qualified at Staley Farms GC in Kansas City, MO by posting a score of 70 and in Phoenix, senior Ryann O'Toole advanced with a score of 76 at the Phoenix Country Club.

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On Tuesday, UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel went on the radio with the "Loose Cannons" - Steve Hartman and Chris Myers - to discuss his upcoming trip to the Middle East on Coaches Tour 2009. To listen to the interview, click here. It is the first interview of the segment.

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UCLA has earned top honors for best media guide and best media guide cover for women's tennis in the annual College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) publications contest. Assistant Sports Information Director Danny Harrington wrote and designed the award-winning guide, which placed first amongst 29 national entries. Click here to view or download the 2008-09 UCLA women's tennis media guide.

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UCLA sophomore Drew Gordon is one of four returning USA Basketball veterans among 17 of the nation's most talented 19-and-younger basketball players who have been selected to attend the 2009 USA U19 National Team Trials, held June 16-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The athletes, born on or after Jan. 1, 1990, will compete for one of 12 roster spots on the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team. The trials invitations were extended by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by NCAA representative Jim Boeheim (head coach, Syracuse University).

Following the trials, the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee is expected to announce finalists for the 12-member USA U19 World Championship Team roster. Training camp for the selected finalists will begin June 19, with the 12-member USA roster being announced prior to the teams' departure for New Zealand on June 25.

Gordon played on the 2007 Youth Developmental Festival Red Team that finished 5-0 and captured the gold medal and the 2008 USA Junior Select Team that defeated the World Select Team 98-78 in the 2008 Nike Hoop Summit.

 

May 26, 2009

The Fourth Annual True Blue Celebration is less than two weeks away! TBC captures the spirit and tradition of UCLA Athletics by bringing together fans, student-athletes, coaches, and alumni to help raise funds for the program and celebrate everything Bruin. This year's event will feature both silent and live auctions as well as "50 Years of Bruin Basketball", an interactive panel discussion featuring panel members from each of the last 5 decades of UCLA Basketball. Confirmed panel guests include: Panel host Lynn Shackelford, Marques Johnson, Ralph Jackson, Jason Kapono, and current Head Coach Ben Howland. RSVPs are still being accepted. For more information please click here.

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Mark your calendars. UCLA's 2009 pre-season football scrimmage has been set for the evening of Saturday, August 22. It will be held at Drake Stadium on the UCLA campus. The scrimmage is tentatively scheduled for 5:00 pm. Gates at Drake Stadium will open at 4 pm.

The Bruins will open practice on Monday, August 10. In accordance with NCAA rules, the Bruins will practice once a day in the afternoon through Friday, August 14, the first day of full pads. They will practice twice a day on Saturday, August 15, as well as the following Monday (17th), Wednesday (19th) and Friday (21st) and once a day on the other afternoons. All practices prior to the August 22nd scrimmage will be open to the public. Following the scrimmage, head coach Rick Neuheisel and the Bruins will be available for autographs and photographs.

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To watch a 2009 UCLA football ticket commercial, click here. This commercial will be running on Prime Ticket.

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The first two pre-season football magazines are on the stands, and both selected Bruins to their All-America teams.

Athlon's National Preview has selected place kicker Kai Forbath and defensive tackle Brian Price to its All-America second team and cornerback Alterraun Verner to its third team. Verner, Price, linebacker Reggie Carter and wide receiver Terrence Austin (as a receiver and a kickoff returner) were named first-team All-Pac-10. Forbath, safety Rahim Moore and linebacker Akeem Ayers to the magazine's All-Pac-10 second team.

Athlon, which features linebacker Reggie Carter on its UCLA-USC cover, lists seven of UCLA's incoming freshmen - Randall Carroll (5), Morrell Presley (8), Xavier Sua-Filo (15), Richard Brehaut (21), Marlon Pollard (22), Damien Thigpen (24) and Keenan Graham (25) are ranked among the Top 25 newcomers in the Pac-10.

Lindy's College Football Preview named Forbath to its All-America first team. In addition, Verner was listed No. 5 nationally among cornerbacks, Carter was listed No. 9 among inside linebackers and Price was listed No. 9 among defensive tackles. Verner, Carter, Price, Forbath and Austin (all-purpose) were selected first-team All-Pac-10 while Ayers was named to the second team. Quarterback Kevin Prince was named the league's Newcomer of the Year.

Lindy's has UCLA ranked No. 48 nationally and No. 6 in the Pac-10. Athlon has the Bruins No. 51 overall and No. 6 in the Pac-10.

Earlier this Spring, Carter and Verner were named to the "Watch List" of the Lott Trophy, presented to the nation's top defensive player. Price was named to the Rotary Lombardi Award "Watch List." Players considered for that award are down linemen or defensive players who lineup within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

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