Cal Sports Quarterly - Winter 2007-08 by Cal Media Relations

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SPORTS

CONTENTS

QUARTERLY

FEATURES

Old-School Walker Takes Cal to the Top

The basketball court is Ashley Walker’s own private spin class – every game she schools opponents with her signature move to the basket. Someday, Walker also hopes to become a teacher in the classroom, and perhaps one of the first lessons the 6-1 junior can teach her students is how she helped transform the Cal women’s basketball team into a national powerhouse.

Learning to Lead

Of all that DeVon Hardin has learned during his tenure as a student-athlete at the University of California, how to be a leader is right at the top of the list. And now that the 6-11 center is in the midst of his final collegiate campaign, he is using all the knowledge he has gathered to try to steer the Bears back into the NCAA Tournament.

California Combination

John McNellis remembers a different world when he attended Cal from 1969-73. The Vietnam War was in full swing, and students were questioning how particle physics and Chekov could be relevant. Today, John and his wife, Michele Robertson ’71, look back at their undergraduate years with fondness and remain committed to their undergraduate alma mater, doing more than their share as Bear Backers.

Smooth Transition

During the usually lazy days of mid-summer, the Cal men’s swimming program went through a flurry of activity, perhaps generating more attention than during the normal course of the year. But now that the Bears are embarking on the 2007-08 season, it is time to properly introduce new head coach David Durden, and to honor the program’s guiding force for over 30 years – Nort Thornton.

Degree of Difficulty

Last April, at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics West Regional, then-freshman Sophia Hocini competed on the uneven bars for the first time as a collegian. Her performances were gutsy, with Hocini having come back from meniscus surgery over the course of the season. But when it comes to toughness, no one could touch her father, Maurice, who passed away from cancer on Dec. 2.

Conquering a Lifelong Battle

Swimmer Emily Verdin keeps the plates and screws that were removed after her second surgery to have something tangible as a reminder of a procedure performed to correct a hip abnormality. While she continues to fight a constant battle with her condition in the athletic venue, Verdin unselfishly gives her time and effort to the University in numerous other ways.

DEPARTMENTS LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

SIDELINE REPORT

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

SEASON PREVIEWS

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

HOME EVENTS CALENDAR

30 winter 2007-08

LETTER from Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour Dear Friend of Cal Athletics:

appy Holidays! This is the time of year that each of us takes stock and reflects on all our good fortune and the wonderful people and organizations that we are so blessed to have in our collective lives. All of us associated with Cal Athletics have much to be thankful for. For those of us – student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators – who are fortunate enough to work and play as members of the University of California Intercollegiate Athletics Department, at the top of our list is to be thankful for the literally thousands of incredibly passionate ambassadors who provide financial, emotional, spiritual and human support on a daily basis. We are one of the preeminent athletic programs in the country, but we literally could not do it without you. Your support has provided us the ability to attract the best and the brightest and go from good to great! We are thankful and appreciative of a volleyball Final Four appearance, a men’s water polo national championship, our best finish ever (16th) in men’s cross country and a fifth consecutive bowl appearance for the first time in our history. I want to thank everyone who had a role in convincing Angie Pressey, Justin Forsett, Courtney Hooker, Jenny Crane, Michael Sharf, Luke Sassano, David Torrence and Rebecca Yau (among others!) that Cal was the place for them to come and challenge themselves academically and athletically. We have been blessed by their presence and been treated to more than our fair share of spectacular plays, unbelievable efforts, come-from-behind wins and displays of athleticism, emotion and determination. You will be in our hearts forever. On a very personal note, I thank my lucky stars every day for the opportunity to lead Cal Athletics. I am so fortunate to live in this fabulously diverse and energetic community, to represent the finest public university in the world, and to work side by side with the most dedicated and talented coaches, administrators and students known to mankind. Add to this that Cal boasts the most loyal, passionate and principled supporters that have ever existed – and it tells me every day that I have the best job in America! My best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous holiday season. Here’s to unparalleled success in 2008! Go Bears!

Sandy Barbour

WINTER 2007-08 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS: Sandy Barbour DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS: Steve Holton DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS/SWA: Teresa Kuehn Gould SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD/ INTERCOLLEGIATE SERVICES: Foti Mellis ASSOCIATE AD/HUMAN RESOURCES & FINANCIAL SERVICES: Dawn Whalin

EDITORIAL STAFF 349 Haas Pavilion Berkeley, CA 94720 EDITOR: Herb Benenson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Scott Ball, Dean Caparaz, Chris DeConna, Anton Malko, Tim Miguel, Anna Oleson-Wheeler, Debbie Rosenfeld-Caparaz, John Sudsbury DESIGN: Evan Kerr PHOTOGRAPHY: John Todd (www.goldenbearsports.com), Michael Pimentel, Michael Burns, Don Faria, Mollie McClure, John Dunbar, Evan Kerr, among others ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 195 Haas Pavilion Berkeley, CA 94720 510-642-2427 bearback@berkeley.edu ATHLETIC TICKET OFFICE (800) GO BEARS For daily updates on Cal Athletics, including schedules, press releases and player profiles, visit the department’s official website at www. CalBears.com. ON THE COVER Junior forward Ashley Walker is helping lead the Cal women’s basketball team to heights unseen in the history of the program.

Director of Athletics VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER: Solly Fulp (510) 642-8714 sfulp@ispsports.com

cal sports quarterly

SIDELINE REPORT Back-to-Back Champs!

Zac Monsees scored two goals against USC.

Men’s Water Polo Tops USC Again for NCAA Title

Head coach Kirk Everist celebrates Cal’s win.

n a rematch of the 2006 NCAA championship match, California men’s water polo accomplished the rare feat of winning back-to-back national championships when it upended USC for the 2007 title, this time by an 8-6 score on Dec. 2. The Golden Bears employed a focused defensive scheme to limit the Trojans’ offense and got crucial goalscoring elsewhere as USC devoted its attention to preventing top-scoring senior attacker Michael Sharf from finding the net. USC held a 2-1 lead in the second period and the match was deadlocked twice before senior defenseman Adam Haley notched the only goal in the third period, his second of the match, to put Cal ahead for good. Said head coach Kirk Everist after emerging from the pool from his second victory plunge in a row, “It’s extremely difficult to repeat. As a player I got to Cal on the heels of a championship, and we

had a team that really struggled in 1985. But I ended my (college playing) career winning back-to-back (titles), so I know how hard it is to focus, to put in the work, and it just doesn’t happen.” Sharf, MVP of the tournament, was joined on the tournament first team by three teammates: senior goalie Mark Sheredy (11 saves in final) and senior attackers Zac Monsees (2 goals in final) and Jeff Tyrrell. Spencer Warden received second-team honors.

Final Four! Cal Volleyball Caps Best Season in School History

hen the serve landed on the ground, giving Penn State an ace to cap a 3-0 victory over Cal in the national semifinals Dec. 13 at Sacramento’s Arco Arena, the best season in the history of Golden Bear volleyball came to an abrupt close. But the end result should not put a damper on an outstanding campaign that saw Cal reach a level of success it had never attained before. “This team went farther than any Cal team in history and we’ve accomplished so much this year, it’s a shame that every fairy tale doesn’t have a happy ending,”

said head coach Rich Feller. “I’m so proud of these guys, and these two seniors (Angie Pressey and Ellen Orchard) carried us on their shoulders all season long. They took on a leadership role that we asked them to do from last January, and physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually they grabbed this team and took them to the Final Four. I will always remember that.” The Bears, who finished 26-8 and set a school record for victories, were seeded 10th in the NCAA Tournament and began their run to the Final Four in Durham, N.C., where they defeated Liberty, 3-1, and host

Duke, 3-1. Cal then traveled to Madison, Wis., for the regional round. After sweeping Iowa State, 3-0, the Bears stunned defending NCAA champion Nebraska, 3-0, in the Elite Eight behind a regional MVP performance from sophomore Hana Cutura. Pressey earned first-team All-America honors this fall after registering 463 kills and 310 digs. She completed her career as a four-time All-Pac-10 performer and was named the 2007 Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for volleyball. Orchard, Cal’s all-time leader with 492 blocks, was twice chosen honorable mention All-Pac-10.

winter 2007-08

SIDELINE

REPORT

Fall Sports Round-Up: Another Successful Season for Golden Bears

ith an NCAA championship for men’s water polo, a Final Four appearance by volleyball and a fifth straight bowl game for the football program on New Year’s Eve to cap off the year, the 2007 fall season saw numerous conference titles, postseason berths and playoff victories for Cal Athletics.

Javier Ayala-Hil

Courtney Hooker

Men’s soccer won its second Pac-10 title in a row and made a seventh straight appearance in the NCAA College Cup, advancing to the second round. Senior midfielder Andrew Jacobson was voted the Co-Pac-10 Player of the Year and earned firstteam All-America honors, as did sophomore goalkeeper Stefan Frei. In addition, senior Luke Sassano was named first-team All-Pac-10 team, and Javier Ayala-Hil and Andrew Wiedeman were second-team choices. Head coach Kevin Grimes captured an unprecedented fourth Pac-10 Coach of the Year award (third consecutive). Women’s soccer also ad-

vanced to the second round of NCAAs under first-year head coach Neil McGuire, finishing with a 15-5-1 record. Senior defender Courtney Hooker was named a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, while senior midfielder Caitlin Hannegan earned a spot on the second team. Freshman Alex Morgan joined defender Megan Jesolva on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. Men’s cross country qualified for the NCAA team championships for the first time, placing 16th in the race. Led by the core group of senior David Torrence and juniors Yosef Ghebray and Mark Matusak, the team had the best season in its history,

David Torrence

reaching a highest-ever national ranking of No. 8. Torrence, Ghebray and Matusak were all selected to the NCAA All-West region team and the All-Pac-10 team. Ghebray, who paced the Bears at the Pac-10 championships (seventh) and the NCAA West Regional (eighth), made the all-conference first team while Torrence and Matusak were named to the second team. Field hockey tied for the NorPac Conference title in 2007, producing another winning season that included the Bears’ upset of then-No. 4 Michigan, 1-0, on Oct. 27 for their first victory against a top-five team in coach Shellie Onstead’s

Ashley Glosz

13-year tenure. Individual accolades included an All-America selection for junior forward Ashley Glosz. Glosz was one of three Bears on the NorPac first team, joining senior forward Jennifer Crane and junior midfielder Andrea Lo. Finally, football earned a berth in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, advancing to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year. Center Alex Mack, a first-team All-Pac-10 choice, received the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the conference. Tailback Justin Forsett, who rushed for more than 1,400 yards, was also voted first-team all-league.

Gymnast Caleb Kirk Wins Pac-10 Leadership Award

aleb Kirk, a member of Cal’s gymnastics team who graduated this past May with a degree in integrative biology, has been named a recipient of the World Financial Group/Pac-10 Leadership Award, which recognizes student-athletes who have served as members of their school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC). Each year, one male and one female are selected for the award, which includes a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship. Caleb Kirk In addition to competing for the Golden Bears, Kirk was active in Bear SAAC as a liaison with the gymnastics team to promote such events at the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Career Night, the Athletic Speakers’ Bureau and the Athlete Talent Show. He also was very involved in church activities, assisted at Cornell Middle School in Albany and designed specialized conditioning programs for the gymnastics team. 4

cal sports quarterly

Former Cal Swimmer Micha Burden Wins U.S. Open Water Title

icha Burden, a member of the Cal women’s swimming team from 2002-04, qualified for the 2008 FINA Open Water World Championships by winning the 10-kilometer U.S. trials this past October in Ft. Myers, Fla. The top 10 finishers in this world event, which will be held Micha Burden in Seville, Spain, in April, will earn an automatic berth in the 2008 Olympic Games. “Needless to say this was the biggest race of my life,” Burden said. “I went into the race with the goal of winning, but knowing that it would take nothing less than the best race of my life to make that happen.” In the race, Burden and three other swimmers quickly moved ahead of the pack. At the 8.75K mark, Burden, who had been sitting in third place, made her move and grabbed the lead. She finished in 2:00:47.48, almost 18 seconds ahead of runner-up Kristen Groome. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, and now training in Mission Viejo, Calif., Burden helped Cal’s 800 free relay to a ninth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA championships and the 400 free relay to a third-place standing in 2004.

Bank of the West Extends Sponsorship Agreement through 2012

al Athletics and Bank of the West have agreed to a fiveyear corporate sponsorship extension through 2012. “In many ways Bank of the West has been the flagship sponsor for Cal Athletics,” Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said. “They have a long sponsorship history, and their reputation for excellence as a company based in the Bay Area with the Bear logo is a perfect fit for the Cal Golden Bears. We are proud that Bank of the West will continue to support the Bears for the next five years.” Bank of the West has been a longtime supporter of Cal Athletics, dating back to 1998 with sponsorship entitlements such as the Memorial Stadium video board, which is titled “Bank of the West Bear Vision.” Most notably branded as the “Official Banking Partner of Cal Athletics,” Bank of the West has also provided many services and memorable items for Cal fans, including ATM service in Memorial Stadium, football trading cards in 2006 and Joe Roth Memorial hats, which were distributed at the Cal-USC football game. “Bank of the West is especially proud to be prominently linked with the great tradition and future of Cal Athletics – not least because we share the bear icon,” said president and chief operating officer Michael Shepherd. “Our five-year contract extension continues a very happy association.” Founded in 1874, $59.4 billion-asset Bank of the West is the secondlargest commercial bank based in California. Bank of the West offers a full range of business, trust, international and personal banking services. The bank currently operates more than 700 branch and commercial banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states.

Bears Prepare for Life after Cal

al Athletics’ Student Services office produced four Career Month events during October to give Cal student-athletes a leg up on preparing for life after college. Ranging from an afternoon tea to a financial-planning session, the events focused on relating to the professional business world The first event was an Oct. 2 tea at the nearby Claremont Hotel, where female Cal athletes mingled with area businesswomen. The attendees included senior rower Onna Poeter, a business major who is interested in a management career. “It was great because it was a way to speak to professionals in a pretty casual setting,” Poeter said. “We were dressed up to look nice. We sat around a table, had tea and pastries and got to ask questions. The professionals I talked to were open to answering a wide range of questions, such as how graduate school fit into their careers and how having a family or children fits into their careers.” The Big C Society sponsored a Career Night on Oct. 8, when panelists from a variety of fields gave advice to student-athletes gathered in Haas Pavilion. The dining experience event on Oct. 15 at the Bancroft Hotel in Berkeley brought about 100 well-dressed athletes together for a four-course meal and a lesson in businessdinner protocol. The final event was the Hartford Playbook for Life on Oct. 23 in the Haas Club Room, where the Golden Bears

Golden Bears were all smiles at an afternoon tea in October.

learned about budgeting, smart spending and planning their financial futures. “It’s nice to have opportunities to go to those kinds of things, especially when they’re catered to athletes who don’t always have a lot of time to figure out things for themselves,” senior rower Mara Allen said. “They get you prepared for rest of the world when you’re so focused on your sport now. When your sport ends, you have to be able to thrive in the rest of the world.” – Dean Caparaz ’90 winter 2007-08

REPORT

SIDELINE

FEATURE

C H S O D OL L

WALKER Takes Cal to the Top

By Debbie Rosenfeld-Caparaz 6

cal sports quarterly

Ashley grew up surrounded by kids, as her mother and her best friend’s mother ran home daycares across the street from one another. Riding bikes, jumping rope and rollerblading were the main neighborhood activities. As Walker’s basketball skills developed, she joined several travel squads that helped prepare her for a successful high school career. As a senior at Grace Davis High School, Walker was ranked The basketball court is Ashley Walker’s own private spin class – every game she schools opponents with her signature move to 48th nationally by Mike White’s All-Star Girls Report and was the basket. Someday, Walker also hopes to become a teacher in the last of five players to commit to join Cal’s heralded 2005-06 freshman class. Blessed with outstanding leaping ability and overthe classroom. Perhaps one of the first lessons the 6-1 junior can teach her stu- all athleticism, Walker starred in basketball, volleyball and track dents is how she helped transform the California women’s basket- and field as a prep athlete and had offers to play basketball and volleyball in college. ball team into a national powerhouse. The Cal coaching staff can thank Golden Bear junior forward Before Walker, a forward/center, arrived on campus as part of Shantrell Sneed for helping to the No. 7 nationally-ranked secure Walker’s services. recruiting class in the fall of “Trell committed really early 2005-06, Cal had endured 12 to Cal,” said Walker of her forstraight losing seasons and mer AAU East Bay Xplosion hadn’t made an NCAA Tournateammate. “She kept asking me ment appearance since 1993. if I found a home yet. I went on Eight games into 2007-08, my recruiting trip to Cal and Cal was 7-1, owned program loved it. I called Trell up the all-time best rankings of 11th by next day and told her I found a the Associated Press and 12th in home. I told her I was going to the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ Cal.” poll and had its sights set on a Walker came to Cal under the third consecutive NCAA Tourradar, but she is right at home nament appearance for the first in Berkeley and in the national time in school history. spotlight as a 2006-07 AssociThe 2007-08 campaign has ated Press honorable mention built on last year’s momentum. All-American and a finalist for Behind Walker’s team-leading the U.S. Under-21 and Under17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per 20 National teams the last two game, Cal assembled one of the summers. best seasons in school history in After Cal beat No. 18 Vander2006-07, finishing with a 23-9 bilt, 67-59, to claim the Contra overall record and a third-place Costa Times Classic title Dec. Pac-10 showing at 12-6. 2, Walker’s stats through eight Walker, who grew up in games stood among the PacModesto about 85 miles from 10’s top two in six categories. campus, has many athletic and She topped the conference in academic accomplishments since scoring (21.0 ppg), reboundcoming to Cal and is motivated ing (11.9 rpg), double-doubles to influence children’s lives af(6), offensive rebounds (4.63 ter graduation. rpg) and defensive rebounds “I had some really good (7.25 rpg), and ranked second teachers,” said Walker, who was in blocks (2.25 bpg). a first-team All-Pac-10 honoree “Ashley and Devanei (Hampas a sophomore and is a preseason all-conference selection Ashley Walker earned All-Pac-10 honors after averaging 17.3 ppg and ton) have established themselves as one of the country’s this year. “People always say 8.7 rpg last year. that they remember their fourth- or seventh-grade teachers. I re- most dominant post combinations,” Cal head coach Joanne Boyle member all of my teachers and what they have done for me, so I said. “Ashley is one of our go-to players and worked hard in the offseason to develop her outside shot. Her accomplishments stand want to do that for other kids.” In the third grade, Walker, who already played indoor soccer, be- out as she often plays against players much taller than her and fregan competing in basketball in a YMCA league and showed natu- quently faces double and triple teams.” Even though Walker deserves her place in the national headlines, ral abilities despite a period of awkwardness and nervousness. “Her first game she had like 35 points and 25 rebounds,“ she is excited about the attention that has gone to fellow junior said Ashley’s father, Tiran Walker. “She said, ‘Cool, I like this teammates Hampton, the 2006-07 Pac-10 Player of the Year, and Alexis Gray-Lawson, the 2005-06 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. game.’” winter 2007-08

Hampton and Gray-Lawson since Ingrid Dixson recorded arrived at Cal as the most rec103 blocks from 1991-94. ognized names in that class. A three-time all-conference “I don’t need the extra volleyball selection in high hype,” Walker said. “I’m just school, Walker credits her going to do what I do. I think shot-blocking prowess to her that is what makes me who I other sports passion. am today. I love Devanei and “I can block shots with eiLexi, and they deserve every ther hand,” Walker said. “I accolade they get, but I am jump according to a player’s perfectly fine being the one size and the direction they they forget about. They don’t face. I change my mind in the forget about me anymore. air which hand I’m going to Now, they know that I’m the use. It’s a science. That comes kid from Modesto. I like that. from volleyball. You jump It’s who I am.” with two hands to block.” It’s hard for opponents to Opponents sometimes ignore Walker when she has have a hard time envisionhad to play an increased role ing anything but Walker’s for the Bears the last two seatough on-court persona. Even sons as Hampton recovered sophomore guard Natasha from knee surgeries. A triVital was surprised to learn captain this season with Lauthat Walker is different away ren Greif and Krista Foster, from basketball. Walker brings an offensive “When I played against and defensive presence to the her in AAU in high school, I court, as well as her tradealways thought she was this mark high socks and knee really mean person,” Vital pads. said. “She always looked “I forced her to wear knee like she would hurt you on pads because she was always the court. When I met her diving on the court,” said when I came here, she was Walker’s father, who was an so sweet and nice.” assistant coach for Ashley’s Away from basketball, Check out SoBerkeley.com for up-to-date information, video highlights high school team. “I think Walker is just as driven with and interviews about Cal’s three All-America candidates – Ashley Walker, she went with the high socks her studies and other areas Devanei Hampton and Alexis Gray-Lawson. because it goes well with the of her life. Last year, the knee pads.” American studies major was Walker will graduate from Cal as selected the team’s Golden Bear Award winAshley is also known as “old school,” according to Boyle, for her patented spin one of the school’s best all-around ner for having the highest GPA on the team. move. Walker’s father also takes credit for players, so it won’t be surprising if she Walker also is an active participant in adding that offensive wrinkle to her game. has a chance to play in the WNBA. She the Bears’ “We Assist, You Assist” pro“It was a move I used in high school,” he has already joined Heli Toikka (1983-86) gram, which raised almost $10,000 last said. “I don’t know if she saw me do it, but as one of only two Cal players to post at season for the Berkeley Food and Housing I think she saw somebody demonstrate that least 1,000 points and 100 blocks. Heading Project and Lockwood Elementary School move sometime, and I told her that was one into the East Coast trip before finals to face in Oakland. of my signature moves. She took a while to Princeton and Rutgers, Walker ranked third “I’m proud that every day when I wake learn it, but she perfected it really well. Most in program history in blocks with 112 and up, I’m in Berkeley,” Walker said. “I’m at referees don’t see women make moves like 12th in scoring with 1,118 points. Cal and am pursuing something. Not every“In my opinion, there’s not a player in body has the chance to play college basketthat, so they always call it a travel, but its the nation that has done more for her team ball. Helping the community is something not. It’s a very effective move.” Ashley is proud that she and her older in the early part of the season than Ashley I’ve always done.” brother, Tiran, Jr., who plays and coaches has done for ours,” said Cal associate head Not all college players have the chance basketball in England, incorporated the coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who has mentored to build a program’s foundation and to win the Bears’ post players for three years. “She a national championship in the span of four spin move into their games. “My brother made his own version of it,” is talented beyond words, she understands years. Regardless of whether Cal claims an Walker said. “He spins and pulls up. I spin the game, and she has been a rock of con- NCAA title, Walker will be able to teach and go to the basket or spin into something sistency for us.” future Bears what made her team so speBefore Walker came to Cal, the Bears cial. Given her drive to help others, she’s else. We all have our own version of the hadn’t featured a dominant shot blocker destined to be an excellent teacher. spin, but it came from my dad.” 8

cal sports quarterly

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winter 2007-08

FEATURE

Learning to

Lead Senior Center DeVon Hardin Relishes Role in His Final Season as a Golden Bear

By Herb Benenson

cal sports quarterly

f all that DeVon Hardin has learned during his tenure as a student-athlete at the University of California, how to be a leader is right at the top of the list.

Since arriving on campus out of Newark Memorial High School in August of 2004, Hardin has seen his share of team leaders pass through the men’s basketball program – Richard Midgley, Leon Powe, Ayinde Ubaka to name a few – and has taken bits and pieces from each of them in order to develop his own style. And now that Hardin is in the midst of his final collegiate campaign, he is using all the knowledge he has gathered to try to steer the Golden Bears back into the NCAA Tournament. “It is a lot harder than it looks,” said Hardin, who is in his third year as Cal’s starting center. “When I first came here, my idea was that once you got older or once you are the best player, you are the team leader. People are supposed to respect you. That is not the way it goes at all. In order to get respect, you have to earn it. It was a transition to learn how to be an effective leader.” The physical and emotional maturity Hardin has developed over the past three years has been a prime factor in his growth. Not only has he become a 6-11, 250-pound force on the court, but he has also turned into a young adult who has earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches. “He came here as a slender player with a lot of potential,” head coach Ben Braun said. “He’s matured into a strong, dominant presence, working hard on his strength, conditioning and agility. Equally important is the maturity he has had as a person. He’s developed into a leader on the team and, as with a lot of seniors, is able to see the big picture.” Much of the credit for Hardin’s improvement can be directly traced to Powe, Cal’s 2006 All-American forward who averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds during his final season with the Bears two years ago. Battling against Powe every day in practice in 2005-06 allowed both players to improve their skills. During that one year the pair started together, Cal finished 20-11 overall, reached the final of the Pac-10 Tournament for the only time in school history and earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs. Hardin contributed with a team-best 48 blocks – the fifth-highest total in the Cal record book. When Powe left for the NBA, Hardin and the Bears hoped to maintain their high level of play and remain in the national spotlight. However, a series of injuries – including one to Hardin – derailed the team’s plans barely a month into last season, and Cal was forced to play shorthanded for most of 2006-07. The Bears jumped out to an 8-3 start, which included a championship in the Great Alaska Shootout, and were playing a tough style of defense that limited the opposition to 60 ppg and less than

41 percent field goal shooting, with Hardin averaging career bests of 10.7 ppg and 8.4 rpg at the time. But on Dec. 11, he suffered a stress fracture to his left mid-foot against Furman, and the ensuing surgery ended the big man’s season. Without its starting center clogging up the middle, Cal gave up nearly 13 more points per game the rest of the way and struggled to a 16-17 finish. As frustrated as he was, Hardin did not waste away his time on the sidelines. Instead, he used the opportunity from his seat on the bench to gain a new perspective on the game, similar to what Powe did two years earlier when he missed 2004-05 with a knee injury. “I tried to keep a smile on my face, even though it was difficult for me to do,” Hardin said. “I had never missed any games due to injury. I had never missed a single basketball game ever. I know my teammates went out and fought every single night, and

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they came up with some big wins.” None was bigger, of course, than the Bears’ 76-69 overtime upset of top-seeded UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament. Behind Ubaka’s 29 points and 18 points and eight rebounds from Ryan Anderson, Cal earned front-page mention on newspapers across the country.

“My dream my whole life has been to get into the NBA,” said Hardin, now one only four players in school history to block more than 100 shots. With his father, Michael, at his side, Hardin traveled at his family’s expense to venues around the league. He spent much of his time on the East Coast, working out for such

dence to be able to do things that impress men like Pat Riley.” The feedback Hardin received led him to believe that he had a chance to be a firstround pick. Faced with perhaps the most important decision of his life – whether to turn pro or go back to Cal for a last season – Hardin leaned on his father and coach Braun, among others, for help. Ultimately, he chose to remain a collegian and put off the professional world for another year. “Even though it was a huge temptation at the time, it was the best decision for me to come back to Cal,” Hardin said. “In the long run, it will be best for my Cal team and best for me and my family. The things that drew me back to Cal were mostly my teammates and my fans. There’s no place like playing in Haas Pavilion, and I believe this is one of the closest-knit groups of teammates that we’ve ever had at Cal.” “I think his decision to come back to Cal was a sign of maturity, toughness and confidence,” Braun said. “You don’t make that decision if you don’t have all those things. He’s got strong people around him, and Michael is a great parent in terms of putting things into perspective for DeVon. His family is, obviously, very strong and supportive.” Since fully re-committing to the Bears, Hardin has taken his newfound confidence and become a demonstrative leader. Not only is he the now typically the first “It was the best decision for me to come person in the weight room or on back to Cal. There’s no place like Unfortunately for Hardin, the floor for practice, but he is playing in Haas Pavilion, and I he didn’t quite make it to Los also one of the squad’s hardest Angeles to celebrate in person. workers. believe this is one of the closest“I was on my way to the Staples “For every jump we do, he jumps knit groups of teammates that Center, listening to it on the radio and the highest; for every run that we we’ve ever had at Cal.” driving down I-5 trying to get there,” he do, he runs the fastest,” said strength - Devon Hardin said. “When I heard about the UCLA win, & conditioning coach Mike Blasquez. I pulled over to the side of the road and was “If you ask me what the biggest difference screaming and yelling. That was a big win.” is between DeVon’s training from last year Cal’s season ended a day later with a teams as the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, to this year, it has been his consistency, his loss to Oregon in the Pac-10 semifinals, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks. effort and his willingness to buy into the and Hardin’s Golden Bear career nearly He also had sessions with the Golden State program. As a result, his voice is now being was over, as well. On April 9, 2007, Har- Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. heard among the team. They value his opindin declared for the NBA Draft, although “It was a little bit of wear, but it was ions and they value his thoughts. Every time he didn’t hire an agent in order to retain his the first time I had played basketball since his teammates see him, they see him give his collegiate eligibility in case he decided to December,” Hardin said of the process. “It best effort.” return to campus. was just fun to me. I was traveling around When the 2007-08 season is complete, Despite not having played in a game the country. I was with my dad, my favorite statistics will show that Hardin was one in nearly four months, Hardin wanted to person in the world. I was playing basket- of the greatest shot-blockers in school hisgauge his value on the professional level. ball and staying in nice hotels. There wasn’t tory. More importantly, his teammates and At last cleared to play, he began training for much more I could ask for. coaches will remember him for the leaderthe private workouts with scouts, coaches “I felt I did better than I expected in the ship and determination he brought to the and general managers. workouts,” he added. “It gave me confi- court every day. winter 2007-08

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Former Gymnast Dan Millman Follows the Peaceful Warrior’s Way By Jeremy Wu

f anyone understands the spirit, charm and allure that embody the magical feeling of the University of California, it is Dan Millman. In fact, the world-renowned author and motivational speaker has made a career out of sharing his experiences as a Golden Bear student-athlete.

A three-time All-American, Millman was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 for his achievements as a gymnast from 1964-68. His overall prowess earned him 10 top-six finishes at the NCAA championships, including the 1965 NCAA title in the vault. Among his many accomplishments, he holds the distinction of being the first-ever world trampoline champion. After suffering a serious leg injury in a motorcycle accident in 1967, Millman returned from extensive rehabilitation to lead the Bears to Cal’s first NCAA team championship during his senior year. It was while he was a college student that Millman discovered his love and passion for teaching and imparting the knowledge he had acquired. But it was during his rehabilitation that Millman began an intensive 20-year spiritual quest, one that would eventually lead him to develop his teachings in the form of what he calls the “Peaceful Warrior’s Way.” Since leaving school, his pursuit has taken him from coaching gymnastics to training others in martial arts; and from being a college professor to today spending much of his time giving lectures and speeches to men and women from all walks 16

of life and from all around the world. The beginning of Millman’s journey was as a youth volunteer, teaching kids gymnastics at the Berkeley YMCA. He credits his alma mater with quickening his ripening process, both physically and mentally, by providing the solid foundation for what every student and athlete can expect when they graduate. Most importantly, it

Peaceful Warrior, which was adapted for the silver screen as Peaceful Warrior in 2006. The narrative in the book is based upon incidents from Millman’s life and has been translated into 29 languages worldwide. In the movie, Millman’s character realizes one day that “the journey is what brings us happiness; not the destination.” During a recent speaking engagement on the road, Millman

it is his hope that the principles and perspectives he has gained from his own journey may help others experience joy in their own adventures just the same. “I share my experience in the best way I can,” Millman said. “All the wisdom has been expressed in the ancient classics, but few go back and read those, or dig deeply for those nuggets of wisdom. So every generation needs new voices to express perennial wisdom in a manner appropriate to that place and time. There’s one light, but many lamps. I’m just one of many voices.”

“Every generation needs new voices to express perennial wisdom in a manner appropriate to that place and time. There’s one light, but many lamps. I’m just one of many voices.” – Dan Millman

was the intensity of his athletic training that he said “called forth latent abilities, revealing a template for excellence in any endeavor.” Millman’s wisdom has manifested itself in his 13 books, including 1980’s Way of the

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himself realized that while he derives pleasure from visiting different places, seeing various sights and meeting new people, that his greatest reward is the work itself. Because of his belief that each of us seeks to leave the world a better place,

Today, Millman resides in San Rafael, Calif., with his wife, Joy. He has three grown daughters and is the proud grandfather of two grandsons. For more information and to read Millman’s blog, visit www.peacefulwarrior.com.

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winter 2007-08

sports previews

Winter 2007-08

Men’s Gymnastics 2008 Outlook Men’s Basketball 2007-08 Outlook

Led by senior center DeVon Hardin and sophomore forward Ryan Anderson, Cal features one of the best frontcourts in the country. Hardin has been named to several preseason first-team All-Pac-10 lists, while Anderson earned freshman All-America notice last year. The Bears will also get a boost in late December when Duke transfer Jamal Boykin becomes eligible. At point guard, Jerome Randle and Nikola Knezevic will battle to replace four-year starter Ayinde Ubaka.

Head Coach

Ben Braun, 12th year at Cal (202-138, .594) Braun enters the 2007-08 season ranked 10th among active Division I coaches with 535 career wins, which includes previous stints at Eastern Michigan and Siena Heights. He has guided the Bears to five NCAA Tournaments, as well as berths in the National Invitation Tournament two times, winning the title in 1999. Braun was the 1997 Pac-10 Coach of the Year and a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors in 2003.

Women’s Basketball 2007-08 Outlook

Cal is led by preseason All-Americans Devanei Hampton, Ashley Walker and Alexis Gray-Lawson. Hampton is also listed on the Wade Trophy Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30. The Golden Bears, who were ranked as high as No. 7 in the preseason, look to advance to their third straight NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Head Coach

Joanne Boyle, 3rd year at Cal (41-21, .661) Boyle, the 2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, enters the 2007-08 season with the best winning percentage of any Cal women’s basketball coach. She directed Cal to a 23-9 record last season, marking the program’s first 20-win season in 15 years. The Philadelphia native has led Cal to consecutive NCAA Tournament bids and has made five postseason appearances as a collegiate head coach.

Players to Watch

Ryan Anderson, F, SO – only player in Pac-10 to rank among top five in league in both scoring and rebounding last year ... DeVon Hardin, C, SR – leads all returning Pac-10 players with 95 career blocks ... Eric Vierneisel, F, SR – paced Cal in three-point shooting last season, making 38.8 percent of his attempts.

Devanei Hampton, F/C, JR – 2007 Pac-10 Player of the Year and second-team preseason All-America selection by The Sporting News ... Ashley Walker, F/C, JR – first-team All-Pac-10 selection last season after leading the conference with 12 double-doubles ... Alexis Gray-Lawson, G, JR – 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and honorable mention preseason All-American, according to CSTV.com.

Key Recruits

Players to Watch

Omondi Amoke, F – Oxnard HS (Oxnard, CA) Three-time Ventura County Player of the Year Harper Kamp, F – Mountain View HS (Mesa, AZ) Led team to three state championships and was state MVP as a sophomore Max Zhang, C – No. 4 Yantai HS (Yantai City, China) At 7-2, is the tallest player in school history

Important Home Dates

Kelsey Adrian, F – National Elite Development Academy (Langley, BC) Member of the Canadian National team Rachelle Federico, G – Flowing Wells HS (Tucson, AZ) Three-time honorable mention Street & Smith’s AllAmerican

Important Home Dates

Jan. 5 vs. UCLA Bears have won at least once in series last 9 years Feb. 9 vs. Oregon Cal has seven-game win streak in series in Berkeley

Dec. 28 vs. Washington Cal tips off Pac-10 play against Huskies Feb. 23 vs. Stanford Bay area rivalry heats up on Senior Day

2006-07 Review

Despite an injury-depleted roster that saw five players undergo surgery during the season, Cal reached the semifinals of the Pac-10 Tournament for the fourth time in the last six years, keyed by a 76-69 overtime upset of UCLA in the quarterfinals. Senior guard Ayinde Ubaka tied a personal high with 29 points in the game and finished his career with 1,194 points. Overall, the Bears ended the season with a 16-17 mark and were paced by Ryan Anderson’s 16.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg.

Cal assembled one of its best seasons ever, recording a 23-9 overall record to fall one win shy of matching the 1983-84 team for the most wins in Bears history. At 12-6, the Bears placed third in the Pac-10 for their best showing in the conference’s history. Ashley Walker (17.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Devanei Hampton (16.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg) were named first-team All-Pac-10 and emerged as one of the best post combinations in the country.

Did You Know?

Last season, Devanei Hampton and Ashley Walker became the first Cal players to earn All-America honors since Milica Vukadinovic in 1992-93.

Seven former Ben Braun players or assistant coaches are currently head coaches at the collegiate level, including Joe Pasternack, an assistant last year who is now at New Orleans.

Did You Know?

After taking third place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation last season, Cal has set its sights on a team national championship this year. With their best depth at every position in over a decade thanks to 13 returnees – including three NCAA finalists – and three key freshman recruits, the Golden Bears are poised for a strong season.

Head Coach

Barry Weiner, 17th year at Cal (234-77-1, .752) Weiner is largely credited with developing the Cal men’s gymnastics program into one of the best in the nation. He has had eight top-five national finishes and 10 NCAA individual champions in his first 16 seasons with the Bears. Weiner has twice been named MPSF and National Coach of the Year.

Gymnasts to Watch

Tim McNeill, SR – became the second-ever Golden Bear to win two national championships in one season last year – claiming his first title on the parallel bars and repeating on pommel horse … Colin Christ, SR – runner-up in high bar and third on parallel bars at the 2007 NCAA championships … Kyson Bunthuwong, SR – one of the most artistic gymnasts on the squad, has the potential to be an All-American on horizontal bars, pommel horse, parallel bars and floor exercise.

Key Recruits

Kyle Bunthuwong, AA – El Cerrito HS (El Cerrito, CA) An explosive member of the junior national team joins his older brother, Kyson Michael Del Junko, PH, PB, R, V – Servite HS (Santa Ana, CA) Poised to help Cal immediately on pommel horse and parallel bars Eric Hauessler, AA – Saint Francis HS (Mountain View, CA) Highly recruited, will add depth on the floor and vault

Important Home Dates

Jan 19 vs. Stanford Bears take on rival Stanford in home opener March 15 vs. Penn State Home finale against defending national champion Nittany Lions

2007 in Review

Cal boasted three NCAA finalists, with Tim McNeill earning his second and third titles, Colin Christ coming in second on high bar and third on parallel bars, and Kyson Bunthuwong finishing eighth on parallel bars. The Bears took third in the MPSF and seventh at nationals.

Did You Know?

Trent Wells (letterwinner 1994-97), who once scored two perfect 10.0’s in the same meet, invented two skills that are named after him.

Oski

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Women’s Gymnastics

Men’s Swimming & Diving

2008 Outlook

2007-08 Outlook

Head Coach

After a strong finish to the 2007 season, which included a fourth-place standing at the NCAA West Regional meet held in Haas Pavilion, Cal returns a veteran squad this year. Nine of the 15 gymnasts on the roster are juniors or seniors, and the Bears welcome three talented newcomers to the team. Cari DuBois, 6th year at Cal (46-58, .402) DuBois was named co-Pac-10 Coach of the Year and West Region Coach of the Year during her initial season at Cal in 2003. Last year, she guided the Bears to a fourth-place regional finish and a No. 26 national ranking. DuBois was an assistant at Cal from 1993-96 and at West Virginia from 1996-2002.

Gymnasts to Watch

Keiko Nakamura, BB, SR – scored her best mark on beam last year at the Pac-10 championships (9.650) ... Siobhan Luce, AA, SR – one of the most consistent and experienced members of this year’s squad ... Jessica Kelley, AA, JR – scored an all-around mark of 38.950 at the NCAA West Regional.

Key Recruits

Avery Gee, AA, FR – Los Altos HS (Los Altos, CA) Won all-around, vault and beam at 2007 Western Nationals Stefanie Cheng, AA, FR – St. Francis HS (San Jose, CA) Placed eighth on beam at the 2006 Junior Nationals

Important Home Dates

Feb. 10 vs. Oregon State Beavers finished ranked 11th in the country last year Feb. 17 vs. UCLA Bruins come to Berkeley as the defending Pac-10 champions

2007 Review

Cal finished the season with an 11-18 overall record and an 8-9 regular-season record. The Bears earned a final national ranking of 26th, their highest in three years, and advanced to the NCAA West Regional for the first time since 2004. Five Cal gymnasts were selected as Academic All-Americans.

Did You Know?

Siobhan Luce spent the summer of 2004 interning in the office of U.S. Congressman Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.).

A new era in Cal men’s swimming begins this season, as David Durden takes over the reigns of the program from Nort Thornton, who retired as head coach after 33 years at the helm. The Bears feature eight returning All-Americans, including Dominik Meichtry, the 2007 Pac-10 champion and national runner-up in the 200 freestyle. David Durden, 1st year at Cal (0-0, .000) Durden joined the Cal staff in August after spending the previous two seasons as head men’s and women’s coach at Maryland. He also served as an assistant coach for the powerhouse Auburn teams for five years, helping the men’s and women’s squads to three NCAA team titles each.

Swimmers & Divers to Watch

Dominik Meichtry, SR – the 2007 Pac-10 champion and the national runner-up in the 200 free was also on All-American 800 free relay ... David Russell, JR – the 2007 Pac-10 champion in the 100 back has the school’s second-best all-time mark in the 200 back ... Sam Helvie, JR – the school record-holder in the one-meter, three-meter and platform diving competitions.

Key Newcomers

Sean Mahoney, Breast, SO – West Virginia (Rio Vista, CA) Transfer helped West Virginia to 2007 Big East title Martti Aljand, IM, FR – Kristung HS (Tallinn, Estonia) Member of the Estonian National team

Important Home Dates

Jan. 25 vs. Arizona Wildcats bring Top 5 ranking to Berkeley Jan. 26 vs. Arizona State Cal topped ASU, 185-115, last season

2007 Review

After placing second at the Pac-10 championships, the Bears finished in eighth place at the NCAA meet – the 28th time in the last 33 years Cal has been in the top 10 at the national championships. Senior Patrick O’Neil brought home the Bears’ 35th individual national crown when he captured the 200 butterfly in a school-record time of 1:42.98. Cal also took second at the Pac-10 meet, led by individual titles by O’Neil (200 fly), Dominik Meichtry (200 free) and David Russell (100 back).

Did You Know?

Since 1976, 48 Cal athletes have won a total of 29 Olympic medals in men’s swimming, including 14 gold, 10 silver and five bronze.

Siobhan Luce

Sam Helvie

Women’s Swimming & Diving 2007-08 Outlook

Building off a program-best third-place finish at the NCAA championships last season, Cal returns seven All-Americans, including 2008 Olympic hopefuls Dana Vollmer and Emily Silver. Mix in a talented freshman class and second-year performers, such as Blake Hayter, Alexandra Ellis and Courtney Eronemo, and the Bears should once again be considered a favorite to capture an NCAA title.

Head Coach

Teri McKeever, 16th year at Cal (132-43, .754) Regarded as one of the best swimming mentors in the United States, McKeever begins her 16th year as head coach at Cal. Under her watch, the Bears have produced five Pac-10 Swimmers of the Year, including three-time winner Natalie Coughlin, and 11 consecutive Top 10 NCAA finishes.

Swimmers to Watch

Dana Vollmer, JR – 2007 NCAA butterfly champ was part of five Pac-10 titles at last year’s meet ... Emily Silver, SR – set a school record in the 50 free (21.99) at the 2007 NCAA meet … Rachel Ridgeway, SR – NCAA finalist in the 200 fly holds Cal top-10 marks in both individual medley events.

Key Recruits

Sara Sun, Free, FR – Crescenta Valley HS (La Crescenta, CA) Three-time all-area Swimmer of the Year in high school Erica Dagg, Back, FR – Isidore Newman HS (New Orleans, LA) A four-time All-American and all-state performer

Important Home Dates

Jan. 25 vs. Arizona A key dual meet between two of the Pac-10’s best Jan. 26 vs. Arizona State Final home meet for the Bears

2006-07 Review

The 2007 campaign was one of Cal’s finest under McKeever’s tutelage. The Golden Bears claimed five national titles, set three American records and boasted 10 AllAmericans at the NCAA championships. Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, was named team MVP after capturing the national title in the 100 butterfly and swimming on three championship relays.

Did You Know?

Natalie Coughlin set her most recent world record when she swam the 100-meter backstroke (short course) in 56.61 at the FINA World Cup on Oct. 29, 2007.

Rachel Ridgeway

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Athletic Development Bear Backer News

he Cal Athletic Hall of Fame added nine new members the weekend of Nov. 9-10 with its 22nd induction ceremonies. Former basketball player Jennifer Bennett (left) and former water polo player Maggi Kelly, pictured above, were joined by Bob Albo (basketball, baseball), Don Anderson (track & field), Lisa Arce (volleyball), Loren Hawley (rugby, football), Matt Luke (baseball), Monte Upshaw (track & field) and Mike White (football, rugby, track & field). To order photos from the banquet, visit goldenbearsports.com.

he Sons of California, Cal’s football alumni group, helped welcome the 2007 team onto the field for the Arizona game in September by forming a human tunnel on the Memorial Stadium turf. Among the former Golden Bears who returned to campus for the annual reunion were (from left): Paul Larson, Joe Kapp, Jack Hart and Andy Segale.

New Faces in Development Office Tod Bannister Executive Director, Bear Backers

s executive director, Tod Bannister ensures service to the existing base of Bear Backers while seeking to double its size over the next 10 years. Bannister spent 2006-07 as assistant athletic director of external affairs at the University of the Pacific, where he managed the chief fundraising arm of Pacific Athletics. Previously, he worked at Pacific’s School of Engineering and Computer Science as an assistant professor and director of the co-op program. Bannister also spent six years as an assistant basketball coach at Pacific with both the men’s and women’s programs. After his coaching days, he served as the color analyst for the Tigers’ men’s basketball broadcasts and spent one year as co-host of the Cal men’s basketball postgame radio show.

Alicia Rowell Major Gifts Officer, Aquatics

Nick Parsons Development Associate, Alicia Rowell has joined the Athletic Annual Giving

Development Office as a major gifts officer for aquatics, a role in which she will oversee the creation of a $40 million endowment for the water polo and swimming programs. Rowell, who previously volunteered as a fundraiser for aquatics, attended Cal from 1987-91, earning bachelor degrees in both English and history. As a member of the swim team, she was named an All-American four times, serving as co-captain her senior season. She competed in the 100 and 200 butterfly and 50 and 100 freestyle events. 20

cal sports quarterly

Nick Parsons assumed his new position this fall after joining the staff as an intern in June of 2006. Parsons, who spent 2005-06 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as a development associate in the Victors Club, earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alabama and an M.Ed. in sport administration from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., where he also served as an events intern for the Nashville Sports Council.

From left: Katie Bundschu, Nick Parsons, Tod Bannister and Alicia Rowell

Katie Bundschu Development Associate, Stewardship

Katie Bundschu works closely with the execution of events and the implementation of stewardship programs. She first joined the Cal Athletic Department as an intern in August of 2006 after working in the advertising industry with the agencies McCann Erickson and DraftFCB. She also has experience working for Maloof Sports and Entertainment and Florida Citrus Sports. She earned her B.A. in journalism from the University of Colorado.

Kevin checks out attblueroom.com/sports for an inside look into his favorite basketball players’ lives. Now he can study up on them even more because someday they’ll be his competition.

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Athletic Development Golden Bear Memory

Pappy’s Boy Glenn Gulvin

Recalls the Thrill of Three Rose Bowls

Before Glenn Gulvin Jr. became one of Pappy’s Boys for the 1950, ’51 and ’52 seasons, he was in the stands as a high school senior invited to usher at the 1949 Rose Bowl featuring the Golden Bears and Northwestern. On his way to earning a B.A. in political science from California in 1955, Gulvin played freshman football and traveled with the varsity to the 1950 Rose Bowl, then started in the 1951 edition of what has been called “the granddaddy of them all.” Gulvin, a member of the Big C Society, Order of the Golden Bear, Benjamin Ide Wheeler Society and, of course, Pappy’s Boys, resides in Modesto with his wife, Robin.

ore than 50 years have passed since my days at the University. Pappy Waldorf probably said it best many years ago at a dinner gathering of many of his players from the Rose Bowl teams. He said, “Memory is like a big velvet cloud. You can reach into it and retrieve old memories. You only bring out the best and warmest ones; the rest remain a little hazy.” My Golden Bear memories started in January of 1949 with Cal playing in the Rose Bowl. Some members of my high school football team were asked to be ushers for the game. It was a thrill to be there. I was a freshman at Cal in 1950, and we were not allowed to play on the varsity, so we acted as the scrimmage team for that Rose Bowl team and traveled to Pasadena with them. My fondest “memory moment” came on Jan. 1, 1951, when I ran onto the turf as a starting tackle on the team that represented the University of California in that Rose Bowl. It is amazing how the friendships and camaraderie developed among those teammates under Pappy’s tutelage. Many of these friendships are renewed annually and some only after many years. My wife, Robin, says, “You greet a teammate that you haven’t

cal sports quarterly

seen in years and the two you go on like you saw one another last week.” Pappy’s Boys loses a few members each year now, but those of us still able go annually to renew the spirit and trade lies with our old teammates. Robin and I are retired and live in Modesto. We moved to this area so that we could build a facility to train our dogs. We compete in field trials with our Labrador Retrievers. The dog trials go from Friday to Sunday, and we are gone about half of the weekends of the year. We miss many of the Cal athletic events as a result. But we do manage to get to several of the football games. Cal was good to my wife and me, and I have given substantially to the football program. Go Bears!

winter 2007-08

Athletic Development Bear Backer Spotlight

CALIFORNIA Combination John and Michele McNellis Spread Their Love for Cal

ohn McNellis remembers a different world when he attended the University of California from 1969-73. The Vietnam War was in full swing, and students were questioning how particle physics and Chekov could be relevant, as campus riots protesting the war became so heated that the University had to periodically shut down.

Athletics were also questioned for relevancy. Football games garnered only smatterings of students on Saturdays, and McNellis recalled protestors occasionally running onto the field during games to wave the North Vietnamese flag. Today, John and his wife, Michele Robertson ’71, look back at their undergraduate years with fondness. Although they didn’t meet while students in Berkeley, the Cal alumni would team up to create a life together when fate stepped in four years after John’s graduation and the two met as lawyers in San Francisco. John would go on to become a real-estate developer, founding McNellis Partners in 1982. Four years later, the McNellises had the first of three daughters, settling in Atherton. Today, John and Michele remain committed to their undergraduate alma mater, doing more than their share as Bear Backers.

By Anton Malko 24

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“We want Cal to remain as affordable an option as possible and hope that other students will have an opportunity, as we have, to transform their lives through education,” John said. “Surprisingly, Cal does not have a huge endowment. That’s why it’s so important for alumni to remember their roots.” While a student, McNellis took to the water, first as a member of the rowing team his freshman year, and later as a lifeguard working for the legendary Pete Cutino at the Harmon Gym pool, where he also played intramural water polo. “Athletics led the way for me,” he said. “It requires a tremendous amount of effort, discipline and determination.” As a result of John’s aquatic experience, Cal Athletics is a beneficiary of much of the McNellis’ generosity. The College of Letters & Science is also a recipient. At Cal, John majored in journalism,

while Michele earned Phi Beta Kappa in English. The two Cal undergrads first crossed paths at a continuing education course offered to junior lawyers in San Francisco. John had just been hired by the prestigious law firm of Landels, Ripley and Diamond, and Michele was working at the renowned firm of Bancroft, Avery and McAllister. Though they’d never met in Berkeley, they shared professional interests and had the same committed work ethic Cal had demanded throughout those turbulent times. The 1970s have fast-forwarded to the late-2000s, and some parts of history may seem to be repeating themselves. But today’s war protests are woven into a different climate driven by an increasingly wired-in world that may, perhaps, yield a less in-your-face brand of political protest than John and Michele encountered as students. Everyone connected with Cal Athletics, however, knows protest is alive and well in Berkeley as the University makes progress toward the Student-Athlete High-Performance Center. “Berkeley is, as always, the extreme case, but it’s not unique,” John. “Often when one is trying to do land development, adjacent neighbors act as if it is they, and they alone, who should decide the property’s fate, as if they – and not the developer – were the owner of the property.” The bottom line is that the McNellises want to support today’s exceptional student and student-athletes who are striving the same way they did to reach the rewarding milestone of a Cal degree. “I feel an enormous debt of gratitude to the University,” John said. “I received a great education there. One business friend says he prefers to hire Cal grads over Stanford’s, because he knows the Cal kids are tough enough to get through without falling through the cracks.” That Golden Bear toughness has generated remarkable success in athletics, as well, which has in turn energized the campus community. The positive impacts range from the wonderful studentathletes who emerge from Cal as highly successful people to the raised profile a successful program can garner for the University as a whole. But in the dawn of the 1970s, the equation wasn’t so clear-cut.

“The word ‘relevant’ was beaten to death in the early ’70’s,” John said of his era as an undergrad. “Everything had to be relevant. With the world coming to an end around us, the only ‘relevant’ course of action was to stop the war. That was the cry over and again.” Even in the midst of that united cry to effect change, participation in athletics was an anchor for John’s experience. “Let’s face it,” he said. “With Cal the size of most U.S. cities, it’s a huge boost for a freshman to be a member of any student organization, whether athletics or the band or the chess team. It gave me a sense of place and identity.” John continues to enjoy challenging himself in the pool. After becoming a competitive swimmer while working for Cutino, McNellis went on to swim for the Olympic Club, and today he takes time to swim during the lunch hour with the Stanford Masters near his Palo Alto office. “Swimming in the middle of a sunny, warm day, cracking out 3,000 meters with a great group of guys and holding the pace, that’s the best,” McNellis said. “At the end of a long, hard workout, the endorphin release is an intensely peaceful feeling. I love doing that.” None of their daughters is en route to Berkeley for their undergraduate years, but that doesn’t affect John and Michele’s committed to Cal. Said John, “Michele and I think the University is fabulous.” No doubt Cal would be less fabulous if not for the hard work of people like John and Michele. Bear Backers like them make Cal’s reputation for drive and determination a deserved one.

winter 2007-08

FEATURE

Smooth Transition With Nort Thornton Still on Deck, David Durden Begins a New Era in Men’s Swimming

By Scott Ball

uring the usually lazy days of mid-summer, the California men’s swimming program went through a flurry of activity, perhaps generating more attention than during the normal course of the year. But now that the Golden Bears are embarking on the 2007-08 season, it is time to properly introduce new head coach David Durden, and to honor the program’s guiding force for over 30 years – Nort Thornton.

Since taking over the reins of the team, Durden has spent long hours getting to know his swimmers and surroundings, all with the assistance of Thornton, who continues to add his support on deck after retiring as Cal’s fulltime head coach. “I think coach Durden is doing a great job,” said Jernej Godec, one of 12 seniors on the Bears squad that began the season seventh in the national poll. “No one knew what was going to happen when we heard about the coaching change, but we knew David was a great coach and we were pleased when we heard he was coming.” When co-head coach Mike Bottom left the program to join an elite swimming camp in Florida, it kicked off a series of events that resulted in what Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour called a perfect fit for Cal Aquatics. Soon after the Aug. 27 announcement of his hiring, Durden affirmed that Thornton would continue in his role working with the program as the head coach emeritus. “I was at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis with a group of six athletes when asked if I would be interested in having a conversation with Sandy Barbour,” explained Durden. “At the time, one of my long-term goals in coaching was to lead a men’s-only program in pursuit of a national title. In stepping back and looking over the landscape of college environments around the country, I have always felt that there are a handful of programs that, with university resources behind them, could pursue a national title year in and year out. Cal definitely fit that profile.” Durden certainly had impressive credentials to bring to Berkeley – two seasons as head men’s and women’s coach at Maryland and five years as an assistant coach at Auburn, where he helped the Tigers to six NCAA team championships (three men, three women). David Durden

While with the SEC school, Durden 1995 with his induction into the Internamentored several world and NCAA record tional Swimming Hall of Fame. holders, and in 2004, he coached multiple “It was a great experience working with athletes that competed at the Olympic Nort over the past four years,” said PatGames. He also served as the head coach rick O’Neil, the 2007 NCAA champion for the Panama team at the 2004 Olympics in the 200-yard butterfly. “I know many and the 2003 Pan American Games. people have enjoyed the same experience Before joining the Auburn program, Dur- and would say it’s one of the greatest times den was an assistant for the highly regarded they’ve ever had. He has taught me not Irvine Novaquatics under Dr. Dave Salo. As a competitor at UC Irvine, Durden was the 1997 Big West Conference champion in the 200 butterfly before earning his degree in electrical engineering in 1998. Now at Cal, Durden has embraced the presence of Thornton and the leadership he provides in and out of the water. Associated with Golden Bear men’s swimming since 1974-75, Thornton guided Cal to the pinnacle of the sport in just a few 2007-08 California men’s swimming team short years, leading the team to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1979 only a great deal about swimming, but a and 1980. great deal about life.” Throughout his 33 years at the helm of Another part of the Thornton legacy is Cal swimming, Thornton’s squads won how well his teams have performed in the more than 230 dual meets, captured 48 in- classroom. Over 30 of his athletes have dividual and relay NCAA crowns and won been named Academic All-Americans and 108 Pac-10 individual, relay and diving numerous Cal swimmers have been award-

tions at Cal and the campus,” said Durden. “I always leave each day with a nugget of information from Nort, whether through a technical aspect of swimming or the psychological make-up of developing a team. His presence on the deck in working with the guys is tremendously appreciated.” The 2007-08 Bears squad looks to continue the long-time success of one of the Athletic Department’s most accomplished programs, and this year’s edition of Cal men’s swimming and diving features nine returning All-Americans. “Our top returnees this season fall primarily within our senior class,” said Durden. “Dominik Meichtry is coming off a second-place finish at NCAA’s in the 200 freestyle. Mark Eckert and Louis Vayo return as NCAA scorers in the IM events. Will Copeland, Joe Whittington and Jernej Godec anchor our sprint core, and junior backstroker David Russell is coming off of a successful summer in which he represented the U.S. at the Japan International Meet in August. “The guys have been absolutely fantastic to me and my wife, Cathy, in our transition to Cal. Their investment in this program su-

David Durden (right) now heads the Cal men’s swimming and diving program, which was led by Nort Thonton (left) for 33 years.

championships. His teams ranked in the final Top 10 in the national polls 28 times. Thornton’s resume boasts an impressive collection of Olympians, including multitime Olympic medalist and world recordholder Matt Biondi; Anthony Ervin, who won the gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; and Duje Draganja, a silver-medalist in the 50 free at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Under his guidance, Cal swimmers captured 29 Olympic medals – 14 gold, 10 silver and five bronze. The veteran coach was honored for all of his accomplishments in May

ed postgraduate scholarships and earned advanced degrees. Last season’s squad had a team GPA of 3.019 and featured four Academic All-Americans – Richard Hunter, Louis Vayo, Graham Lentz and Justin Pollard. Yet, in typical modest fashion, when asked about the keys to his success and his career highlights, Thornton simply said, “Good recruiting of excellent young men and the day-to-day association with wonderful people.” “Nort has been fantastic in helping me get up to speed with our athletes, the tradi-

persedes any personal glory that they will take away from their Cal experience. I have been fortunate to be on the receiving end of their selflessness.” Godec, who was recruited by Durden to Auburn before ultimately deciding to pursue his education at Cal, may have the best sense of anyone on the Bear squad what the new head coach ultimately will mean to the program. “I think David will do a lot of wonderful things here,” he said. “David knows where he wants to take us, and he knows how to get us there.” winter 2007-08

ISP REPORT

Peterson Tractor Extends Exclusive Corporate Partnership Agreement with Cal Athletics through 2012

al Athletics has agreed to a five-year corporate partnership “Peterson Tractor is honored to share a partnership with Cal extension with Peterson Tractor through 2012. Athletics, as their preferred heavy equipment supplier, represent“Peterson Tractor has been an excellent partner with ing Caterpillar,” said Shannon Thomas, director of marketing for Cal,” Director of Athletics Sandy Peterson Tractor. “This alignment Barbour said. “They are part of has already proven valuable, our team and help us provide the with increased visibility to our financial support needed to run a marketplace through the exposure university intercollegiate athletof our north tunnel sign in Memoics program at the championship rial Stadium. Combine this examlevel. We are proud that Peterson ple with the on-campus spirit and Tractor will continue their assofirst-class representation of ISP ciation with the Bears for the next Sports, and you have the ingredifive years.” ents for a strong, long-lasting relaWith its contract extension, tionship. Go Bears!” Peterson will be the exclusive Peterson Tractor is part of equipment, engine and generator Caterpillar’s worldwide dealer supplier of Cal Athletics. In adnetwork serving more than 30,000 dition, Peterson Tractor will be square miles of Northern Califorthe new title sponsor of the Cal Representatives from Peterson (left to right): Duane Doyle Jr., Jerry nia with 10 stores located from Football Spring Scrimmage held Lopus, Duane Doyle Sr., Jeff Goggin and Tom Bagwell Santa Clara County in the south to annually in April, as well as receive enhanced radio, signage and the Oregon border in the north. For more information on Peterson in-game exposure at football games. Tractor, call 888-PETERSON or visit petersontractor.com.

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winter 2007-08

FEATURE

e e of r g e difficulty d

Sophia Hocini continues to draw strength from her father, Maurice (right).

Sophia Hocini Sets Bar High to Honor Father

ast April, at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics West Regional hosted by California, then-freshman Sophia Hocini competed on the uneven bars for the first time as a collegian, scoring a 9.6, followed by a 9.65 on balance beam and a 9.75 on vault to help the Golden Bears finish fourth and continue the program’s upward climb. Her performances were gutsy, with Hocini having come back from meniscus surgery over the course of the season while maintaining a 3.5 GPA to land Academic All-America honors. But Hocini, now a sophomore, would never call herself brave, nor would she term her road to the regionals last year particularly tough. Because when it comes to toughness, no one could touch her father. After an accident at work in 2002 involving an electric shock, Maurice Hocini was given a full-body MRI to check for damage. What doctors subsequently found, Sophia said, was “quite a surprise” – a tumor on his spine. Maurice was diagnosed at age 48 with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow typically found in people 70 and over. His fight persisted for five years, continuing beyond the prognoses of doctors who at one point gave him 24 hours to live, until he passed away on Dec. 2.

by anton malko 30

cal sports quarterly

Throughout his fight, Maurice never wavered in his passion for seeing his children continue to achieve in the face of adversity. He, Sophia and the Hocini family have inspired everyone connected to Cal Athletics. “We’re here for a purpose,” explained Mr. Hocini just six weeks before his death. “I think we’re achieving our purpose on a daily basis with our kids, our family, our lives.” His message to his daughter: “Be yourself, focus, listen to your coaches, be a team player and take advantage of this great institution.” That’s exactly what Sophia has proceeded to do. “She’s just an amazing individual. She’ll give you everything she’s got,” said head coach Cari DuBois. “She’s so clean, execution-wise, and her presentation is phenomenal.” Added teammate Kendall Zdvorak, who has known Sophia since eighth grade at the Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy in Temecula: “Her humility and graciousness have always stood out to me. She has natural talent, but she is also always pushing herself and striving to improve. Her discipline in the gym is contagious.” Hocini flourished in the faces of fear and uncertainty that accompanied her father’s cancer. Her family was one year into its fight when Sophia nabbed the level 9 national beam and all-around titles in 2003. Two years later, she notched her two level 10 championships. She maintained her top academic standing throughout high school and began the college recruitment process as her father went through a transplant and various surgeries. Sophia had stirred interest from top gymnastics programs, including Alabama, Iowa and North Carolina, but with the Golden Bears closer to her Murrieta home, she knew the best choice for her would be Berkeley. Mulling her options for college, Hocini found herself on the international radar, as well. A dual citizen of the United States and Algeria, where both parents were born, she was invited in the spring of 2006 to join Algeria’s national team at the World Cup in Belgium. Then she agreed to join the Algerian team again over Thanksgiving break for the ’06 Africa Championships in Cape Town. Sophia was joined by DuBois, assistant coach Scott Ryan, her sister and father on the trip to South Africa. When she felt discomfort in her knee on the way over, she preferred not to worry about it. After all, her dad was toughing it out. “He was really tired from it, but he wanted to make that trip,” she said about Maurice’s last journey by plane. “It was really fun, and I’m glad we got to do it.” But the swelling in her knee worsened on arrival and Hocini was unable to compete, watching

in frustration as Algeria took second. On return to the States, she learned her meniscus was torn, leading to surgery that stalled her gym activities. In February, with the season underway, Sophia got word from her mother that Maurice had been given 24 hours to live. “The coaches were wonderful when we called,” Emma Hocini said. “They took her to the airport, and she was on a flight home right away. That’s a team.” “Cal gymnastics, above everything else, is a family,” said captain Keiko Nakamura. “Every single member of this team, including the coaches, is here to give Sophia support in their own unique way. Sophia is an inspiration to this team every single day.” Maurice stabilized, and soon Sophia was back in Berkeley. After missing the first few meets of the season, she was back in action. “He loved it when we were with him but he didn’t want us to be held back by his situation,” Sophia said. “He always told me to stay focused and keep doing my best in school and gymnastics.” When she felt knee pain after resuming activities with the team, Sophia figured it was just residual effects of her surgery. She stayed diligent with her treatment in the training room and took medication as prescribed, in daily amounts equal to about an hour’s worth of her dad’s pain-management medicines. Further examination of Sophia’s knee revealed that she had a second, separate meniscus tear. Hocini would need a second surgery – but first, she was going to compete in the NCAA regional with her parents in attendance. Throughout his ordeal, Maurice had always willed his way to attend her big events, and it was a nobrainer to be there to support Sophia and her gymnastics family at regionals. “We’ve always supported Sophia in setting high goals and having a passion for gymnastics and academics,” said Maurice. “It’s a family affair and not something we take very lightly.” A weight may have been lifted now that Maurice no longer suffers, but his loss is a tragic challenge for Sophia and her family. “We’ve always known his time is limited but we tried to stay optimistic,” she said. “We try and keep every day positive. And he was really, really strong. He was the one who helped us stay positive. “It’s important to set goals to achieve and for improvement, but with my dad, I’ve realized how important every day is, just to take it one day at a time because you never know what’s going to happen in the future.” Right now, Sophia is working toward a pre-med degree in integrative biology. “I want to be some sort of doctor, but we’ll see,” she said. “After these surgeries on my knee, I’ve gotten interested in orthopedic medicine, and I’m also interested in cancer research.” Whatever she chooses as a future career, Sophia is sure to be a success. And wherever she goes, her father will surely be there in spirit, watching proudly. winter 2007-08

FEATURE

Conquering a Lifelong Battle

Emily Verdin’s Support Network Helping Her Get Back in the Pool

By Tim Miguel

alifornia women’s swimmer Emily Verdin kept the plates and screws was different this that were removed after her second surgery to have something time because I was hurting more than I tangible as a reminder of such a difficult time in her life. had ever before, with

The souvenirs came as a result of a pair of procedures performed to correct a hip abnormality that held her back from achieving her dreams in the pool. Emily Verdin While she continues to fight a constant battle with her condition in the athletic venue, Verdin unselfishly gives her time and effort to the University in numerous other ways. A member of the Pac-10 All-Academic team as a molecular and cell biology major, she has taken on active roles at Cal as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as a peer advisor through the Athletic Study Center. When she was a newborn, Verdin developed an infection in her hip, known as a septic hip, which caused structural growth abnormalities resulting in degenerative changes and femoral acetabular impingement (too much friction in the hip joint). When she moved from her home in Alexandria, Va., to Berkeley in the fall of 2004, she didn’t think at the time that any major surgery would be necessary. Despite having a strong freshman campaign, earning honorable mention All-America status in the 200-yard backstroke, Verdin could tell something was wrong with her hip by the end of the season. “I never pushed the limits of what my hip would allow me to do until I came out to school,” Verdin said. “After starting training again, following a short break after my first collegiate season, I noticed a change in the degree of pain in my hip. I knew something 32

cal sports quarterly

pain when I was walking or even lying in bed. Dealing with my hip discomfort in years past, I never would have guessed that I would have to have a major hip surgery to correct it. I never thought I would be going to school and swimming for a top 3 team in California either.” During the summer of 2005, Verdin started contacting different doctors to see what could be done. What shocked her most wasn’t the idea of surgery, but the notion from her dad that it might be best to take the semester off from school and return home to Virginia for the fall. Verdin wasn’t sure about leaving school and the team for an extended period of time. Still, she followed her father’s advice and spent that fall semester in Virginia after surgery was performed in Tacoma, Wash. It definitely wasn’t the best of times for Verdin, as she was confined to a hospital bed in her room, for the most part. Verdin returned to Berkeley in January 2006. Before she could even begin to think about getting back in the pool, she found that just getting into a day-to-day routine was difficult enough. “During my freshmen year everything was great,” Verdin said. “I was swimming faster than I had ever swum before. Then I came back after surgery and a semester off, and I was exhausted from simply a day on campus. At first, it was hard to walk up and down the hills in Berkeley with my crutch. I learned to adjust to the new challenge by leaving extra time before going somewhere or by planning my schedule so that I would stay on campus for the day instead of walking back and forth from home to class and

rehab. My roommates also helped athletic member, and everybody me out a lot by driving me when acknowledges how hard she’s they could.” working to make that happen.” Verdin also benefited from havAdded senior Emily Silver: ing her sister, Erica, a member of “The fact that she has been able to the Cal lacrosse team from 2003come back and is getting stronger 06, on campus. every day inspires me every time “It definitely was a struggle I look at her. She is a fighter; she to watch my sister go through won’t give up on herself or this her surgery and recovery,” Erica team, and I know this because she said. “To see the pain and everyis here today.” day struggles she went through just Verdin continues to raise the bar to do basic tasks during the initial for herself as she tries to soak up recovery was hard. Emily has alas much of the Cal experience as ways been a fighter, and I knew she can. She is driven to succeed she would fight back and pick up in the pool, in the classroom and right where she left off.” on campus through her efforts Following a second surgery in with SAAC and as a peer adviJune 2006 to remove a plate from sor. Her surgery helped her realize her hip, Verdin returned to action that she wanted to do more at Cal in the pool in October. Getting besides swimming and school. back into the water, though, pro“My sister is a perfect model of vided a new hurdle in Verdin’s orwhat a Cal student-athlete is,” Erica deal, and she sometimes losing her “The fact that she has been able to said of Emily. “She is so devoted to perspective on her situation when come back and is getting stronger and successful in her studies, sports she wasn’t swimming as well as every day inspires me every time I look and school. She was such a great she would have liked. However, at her. She is a fighter; she won’t role model to have around that I her father, an orthopedic surgeon, give up on herself or this team, and I could look up to as I finished up my often reminded her that most peo- know this because she is here today.” final years at Cal.” ple who have had the same surgery Verdin appreciates the fact that -Teammate Emily Silver are not Division I athletes. she may not be where she is today Verdin’s teammates and her coach have never lost sight of the if it wasn’t for those who care for her. tremendous steps she’s made. “I couldn’t have gotten back to where I am now without the love “When she came back after having the surgery, seeing her walk- and support from both my family and friends,” she said. “I feel so ing with a cane, the four-to-five months of training just to get back fortunate to have such amazing support from my coaches, teaminto the water, and how patient she had to be due to her limitations mates and the medical staff at Cal.” was a very hard thing to watch,” head coach Teri McKeever said. The Cal community also feels fortunate to have Emily as a “It shows her commitment to be a part of the team as a contributing member of the Golden Bear family.

winter 2007-08

cal sports quarterly

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Caroline Lea Takes A Different Kind of Summer School

By Anna Oleson-Wheeler

nstead of spending her summer inside the classroom, Golden Bear senior midfielder Caroline Lea opted for a different form of summer school – taking lessons in the boardroom and at sporting events as an event management intern with IMG World.

Lea first heard of the opportunity to work for IMG, an international sports marketing and events firm, through a former Golden Bear. After trading numerous e-mails and phone calls with her future employer, which Lea attributed to IMG testing her desire to work for the company, she earned one of IMG’s competitive summer internships. IMG put the Lakewood, Colo., native to work immediately, gathering sponsors and helping plan the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon and the Bank of the West Tennis Classic, the world’s longest-running women’s-only professional tennis tournament. Lea transitioned from cold calling potential sponsors to forming working relationships with them and taking responsibility for fulfilling their needs. “Cold calling was very nervewracking, but it got to a point where it didn’t faze me anymore,” Lea said. “I came away with a lot of confidence, especially in making initial contacts with people and putting yourself out there because before, I think I was a little immature in that respect. I was too nervous.”

In addition to rehabilitating her knee after offseason surgery, Lea worked a 40-hour week at IMG’s office in downtown San Francisco. She handled a variety of tasks, such as writing for and updating the events’ websites, and arranging for event entertainment and other details integral to the events’ success. Lea noted that her studies at Cal provided her with a strong background for her internship. “I think being a rhetoric major translated very well into the business world,” Lea said. “It teaches you effective communication, effective writing and being able to think on your own.” In addition to working in the IMG office, Lea and her fellow interns also logged countless hours at the events themselves. Lea said that putting in hours both in the office and in the field provided her with a unique and beneficial learning experience. While at the triathlon and tennis tournament, Lea solved crises that arose, and she attributes her ability to do so with minimal stress to being a Golden Bear student-athlete. “I noticed that my time as a student-athlete, especially being here at Cal, trains you to go into the business world,” said Lea, a three-time All-Pac-10 player who scored four goals this past season. “I felt I adapted to certain adverse situations faster than I would have otherwise. I think being a student-athlete helped me deal with adversity, react and stay calm.” Upon graduation, the senior midfielder is considering a business-related career or graduate school. winter 2007-08

home events BAS MBB WBB CRW MGYM

Baseball (Evans Diamond) Men’s Basketball (Haas Pavilion) Women’s Basketball (Haas Pavilion) Crew (Redwood Shores) Men’s Gymnastics (Haas Pavilion)

WGYM LAX RUG SB MSD

Women’s Gymnastics (Haas Pavilion) Lacrosse (Memorial Stadium) Rugby (Witter Rugby Field) Softball (Levine-Fricke Field) Men’s Swimming & Diving (Spieker Pool)

WSD MTEN WTEN T&F WWP

Women’s Swimming & Diving (Spieker Pool) Men’s Tennis (Hellman Courts) Women’s Tennis (Hellman Courts) Track & Field (Edwards Stadium) Women’s Water Polo (Spieker Pool)

J anuar y Sunday

Monday

WTEN Cal Winter Invitational WGYM vs. Arizona State

Tuesday

Wednesday

16 RUG vs. Humboldt State

RUG vs. UC Santa Cruz

Thursday MBB vs. USC WBB vs. Oregon MBB vs. Arizona State

WBB vs. UCLA

Friday

Saturday MBB vs. UCLA

WBB vs. Oregon State

MGYM vs. Stanford WTEN Cal Winter Invitational

MBB vs. Arizona WTEN Cal Winter Invitational RUG vs. Stanford

MSD vs. Arizona WSD vs. Arizona

MBB vs. Stanford MTEN vs. Reno MTEN vs. St. Mary’s MSD vs. Arizona State WSD vs. Arizona State

F ebruary Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday MTEN vs. USC

WGYM vs. Oregon State

12 RUG vs. Sacramento St.

WGYM vs. UCLA WLAX vs. Northwestern

19 SB vs. Netherlands Olympic Team

WWP vs. Sonoma State WTEN vs. USF & UC Davis

BAS vs. Kansas State

WTEN vs. Stanford RUG vs. UBC

7 WWP vs. Hawaii MBB vs. Oregon St.

WBB vs. Arizona State

28 MBB vs. Washington State

BAS vs. Kansas State

Saturday

2 WWP vs. San Jose State WBB vs. USC WTEN vs. UC Davis WTEN vs. USF MTEN vs. UCLA MBB vs. Oregon MTEN vs. Utah

WBB vs. Arizona RUG vs. St. Mary’s

WBB vs. Stanford BAS vs. Utah Valley State (DH) WLAX vs. Stanford RUG vs. Utah

M arch Sunday

Monday

WLAX vs. Ohio State WWP vs. Long Beach State RUG vs. Texas A&M

WGYM vs. Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis, SJSU BAS vs. Loyola Marymount MWP in MPSF Championship

WWP vs. Hartwick BAS vs. Long Beach State SB vs. Arizona WWP vs. Brown CRW Windermere Regatta

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

11 WLAX vs. Penn MTEN vs. Penn BAS vs. USF SB vs. Sac. St.

18 MTEN vs. UNLV BAS vs. Sac. St.

20 WLAX vs. George Washington RUG vs. Durham (UK)

SB vs. UC Riverside

cal sports quarterly

BAS vs. Stanford

RUG vs. Santa Clara

BAS vs. Pacific WLAX vs. Denver SB vs. Pacific

WTEN vs. William & Mary

WTEN vs. Arizona State

BAS vs. Loyola Marymount WLAX vs. Quinnipiac

WTEN vs. BYU

BAS vs. Long Beach State MTEN vs. Arizona SB vs. Arizona State

Saturday

7 14

21 28

WWP vs. UC Irvine MBB vs. Washington

WTEN vs. Arizona WWP vs. USC

BAS vs. Loyola Marymount (DH) MGYM vs. Portland State

WWP vs. Cal State Northridge

BAS vs. Long Beach State MTEN vs. Arizona State SB vs. Arizona CRW Windermere Regatta

For a complete schedule, pick up a Cal schedule card at any home event or visit the official Cal website at www.CalBears.com.

Leading Through Innovation

Haas School of Business

UC Berkeley Center for Executive Development

Strategic Execution. Leadership Mindset. Effective Change.

Berkeley Executive Leadership Series The UC Berkeley Executive Leadership Series focuses on the most critical building blocks of successful leadership: • Strategic Execution • The Leader’s Mindset • Change Management • Leading Innovation Designed for senior manager, director, VP, and C-level executives, each of the four one-week programs in the Berkeley Executive Leadership Series provides access to the tools, knowledge and networks you need to master your unique organizational challenges. Practice leadership under the expert guidance of world-renowned Haas School of Business faculty, leverage the expertise of peer colleagues, and leave with the ability to make skillful, confident leadership decisions within today’s complex global economy. Space is limited. For more information and to register, contact the Center for Executive Development at UC Berkeley. Call Bart Decker at (510) 642-9167, email: decker@haas.berkeley.edu, or visit online at http://execdev.haas.berkeley.edu/BEXL1.

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BERKELEY, CA PERMIT #1 Athletic Development Office Intercollegiate Athletics University of California 195 Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion Berkeley, CA 94720-4424

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