Cal Sports Quarterly - Summer 2009 by Cal Media Relations

SPORTS

CONTENTS

QUARTERLY

8 8

10 FEATURES Twin Engines

During the 2009 season, freshman outfielders Elia and Jamia Reid led a transformation of Cal softball that turned the team into a unit that relied heavily on speed and power. The sisters combined for 73 stolen bases and 13 home runs, helping the Bears set school records in both categories, and they don’t plan to let up anytime soon.

Like Father, Like Son

26 DEPARTMENTS etter from the L Director of Athletics 2 Sideline Report

For shortstop B.J. Guinn, Cal Athletics seems to have always been a part of his life. Not only did his father play baseball for the Bears, but his mother was a member of Jan Brogan’s tennis teams in the mid-1980s. From attending summer camps to using his family’s season tickets to serving as a ball boy at basketball games, Cal holds a special place for him.

Where Are They Now?

2008-09 Seasons in Review

Athletic Development

Academic Achievements

Economic Plan

Louis Vayo, a member of the Cal men’s swimming team from 2005-08, was recently awarded an Oscar Geballe Postgraduate Scholarship. Recipient of a degree in environmental economics, he plans to enter the Peace Corps before enrolling in graduate school. In this essay to the Geballe selection committee, Vayo provides first-person insight into his academic and athletic interests at Cal.

Grandfathers Clause

Phil and Marji Dunn are part of the lifeblood of Cal Athletics. They have ensured their place at the future Memorial Stadium with University Club memberships through the Endowment Seat Program, deepening roots that trace back to the origins of that one-of-a-kind venue at the foot of Strawberry Canyon and the mystique created there in part by their grandfathers.

Turning Heads

The term “break a leg” is often used to wish an actor good luck on stage. Just don’t utter the phrase to Cal sprinter Brook Turner. Although a film studies major who has aspirations of success in the entertainment industry, Turner suffered a couple of stress fractures that temporarily derailed her track & field exploits and caused her to appreciate different forms of well wishes.

A Long Road to Cal Crew

From almost any angle, Dan Dahlin clearly took a unique path to Cal men’s crew. He arrived in Berkeley by way of a four-and-a-half year stint in the U.S. Army followed by two terms at Orange Coast College. As a 27-year-old junior, he can speak of experiences his much younger teammates can only imagine.

30 summer 2009

LETTER

from

Director

Athletics Sandy Barbour

Dear Friend of Cal Athletics,

s the Cal Sports Quarterly arrives in your mailbox, our 27 intercollegiate teams have completed another year in grand fashion. We finished the year in championship style – literally! On the last attempt of our last student-athlete of our last Cal competition for the year, Martin Maric threw the discus one inch farther than his closest competitor to capture the 2009 NCAA national championship. Congratulations to Martin and our entire coaching staff.

Across our nation, our state and certainly our campus, we are all faced with challenges to address the issues that the economic downturn has foisted on our professional endeavors and our personal lives. It has indeed been a difficult year in light of the financial realities and future uncertainties. I know that I speak for all of our coaches, student-athletes and staff members in thanking you for standing by Cal Athletics. And you have stood by us and supported us in substantial numbers. We need you now more than ever. Your annual support of our teams and the phenomenal response to the launch of our Building Champions campaign and ESP program has given me tangible evidence of what I already knew. Cal has the most passionate, most generous and most loyal alumni and fans of any athletic program in America! In return, I hope that the performances of our teams and individual student-athletes have warmed your heart, given you cause for pride and celebration, and perhaps served (on a regular basis) as a momentary distraction from the serious challenges facing our country. Despite our economic burdens, our student-athletes performed at an all-time best, capturing 13 national championship titles, with 11 of our 27 programs ranked in their respective Top 10s, and another top-10 finish in the NACDA Directors’ Cup (our sixth in the last seven years). With your help, we will continue this upward trajectory in both our academic and athletic performance. Our student-athletes have never been more talented. Our coaching staffs have never been better suited for success at Cal. Our facilities and infrastructure improvements are becoming a reality and will make a huge difference in our ability to recruit and retain the very best the world has to offer. All thanks to you! These next few years will require that we summon all of our best skills in the areas of creativity, resilience, perseverance, diligence and discipline. Because I am so confident that our abilities are plentiful in these areas, I am certain that our best is yet to come. Rest up this summer. As always, we’ll need you ready and raring to go come fall. Go Bears!

SUMMER 2009 ATHLETICs 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, Eric Dezendorf, Melissa Dudek, Anton Malko, Kyle McRae, Tim Miguel, Anna Oleson-Wheeler, Jeremy Wu DESIGN: Evan Kerr PHOTOGRAPHY: John Todd (www.goldenbearsports.com), Michael Pimentel, Kelley Cox, Richard Erstad, John Dunbar, Evan Kerr, Zach Franzen, David Gonzales and Mollie McClure 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 Outfielders Jamia and Elia Reid have helped transform Cal softball into a program that relies on both speed and power. Photo by John Todd.

Sandy Barbour Director of Athletics

cal sports quarterly

General Manager: Mike Iaquinta (510) 643-1967 miaquinta@ispsports.com

Go Bears! Bank of the West is proud to be the official bank of CAL Athletics

Just like the Cal Bears, we play to win every time we take the field. For over a century, Bank of the West has offered consumers and companies of all sizes the strength and stability to help them bank with confidence. Combine this with our exceptional service that’s put our customers first since 1874 and you have a strong, wellcapitalized bank that knows what it’s about—taking care of you and your money. We look forward to being a part of your financial team.

Visit us online at bankofthewest.com or at your local branch.

Look for an exciting 2009 football season full of great promotions and giveways.... — Proud Sponsor of the Joe Roth Memorial Game on October 3, 2009 — Cal Football Fan of the Year Contest — The Oski Shuffle — Proud Sponsor of the Young Alumni section in Memorial Stadium

SIDELINE REPORT 2000s: A Championship Decade

hen Martin Maric captured the NCAA discus title on June 13 in Fayetteville, Ark., it gave Cal its 100th national championship of the current decade – double the total of any other decade in school history and more than triple the sum for the 1990s. So far in the 2000s, Golden Bears have won 19 team titles and 81 individual crowns, which include doubles teams, relay teams and non-varsity 8 men’s boats in rowing (In men’s rowing, the varsity 8 race determines the team national champion.). During the 2008-09 academic year, Cal claimed one NCAA team championship (women’s swimming) and 12 more individual crowns. With the fall seasons still go to before the end of the decade, the total could rise even higher. Prior to the year 2000, Cal’s best 10-year stretch came in the 1980s when the Bears won 50 titles. Cal also had 33 championships in the 1990s and 25 in the 1970s. NATIONAL champion

Maric Claims Discus Crown on Final Throw

enior Martin Maric stood in third place when he entered the circle for his final attempt at the NCAA Track & Field Championships June 13. And in the last throw of his collegiate career, he heaved the discus 196 feet, 3 inches (59.82m) to win the competition by a mere one inch over Arizona State’s Ryan Whiting. Maric, a member of Croatia’s Olympic team at the 2008 Beijing Games, became Cal’s first national champion in the event since Kari Nisula in 1988 and improved upon his eighth-place standing last spring. 4

cal sports quarterly

Golden Bear National Championships by Decade Decade 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

Team 7 5 2 2 4 8 15 15 19

Individual 8 8 12 7 11 17 35 18 81

Total 15 13 14 9 15 25 50 33 100

NATIONAL champions

Golden Bear Duo Captures NCAA Doubles Title

ophomore Mari Andersson and freshman Jana Juricova extended what is fast becoming a Cal tradition by capturing the NCAA women’s doubles championship with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Stanford duo of Hilary Barte and Lindsay Burdette on May 25. They became the fifth Cal doubles tandem to win the national title since 1998 and first since 2003. The NCAA crown capped off an outstanding season for the Bears under second-year head coach Amanda Augustus. Cal put together an 11-match winning streak that included a quarterfinal win over top-seeded Northwestern and a triumph over fifth-seeded Notre Dame in the semifinals. However, after reaching the final for the second year in a row, the Bears fell to Duke in their quest for the NCAA championship.

2009 2003 2000 1999 1998

Cal Women’s Tennis NCAA Doubles Champions Mari Andersson/Jana Juricova Raquel Kops-Jones/Christina Fusano Amy Jensen/Claire Curran Amanda Augustus/Amy Jensen Amanda Augustus/Amy Jensen

Bears Match Record Finish in Directors’ Cup

or the third time in the last four years, California finished seventh in the final Directors’ Cup standings, tying for the school’s highest placing in the history of the rankings. The Golden Bears were also seventh in Recent Cal Finishes in the Directors’ Cup 2006 and 2008. 2008-09.................. 7th During the 2008-09 seasons, Cal captured a national cham2007-08.................. 7th pionship in women’s swimming, finished as the NCAA runner2006-07.................. 9th up in women’s tennis and women’s rowing, and registered top2005-06.................. 7th five finishes in men’s swimming (4th), men’s gymnastics (4th) 2004-05................ 15th and volleyball (5th). Both rugby and men’s rowing also earned 2003-04.................. 9th second-place national finishes in 2009, but because they are not 2002-03.................. 9th sponsored by the NCAA, the Bears did not receive points for 2001-02................ 20th either of their results. 2000-01................ 12th The Directors’ Cup measures the best overall collegiate athlet1999-00................ 15th ics programs in the country based on each school’s finish in 10 NCAA-sponsored sports for men and women.

Cal Football Fan Appreciation Day August 29

al’s annual Football Fan Appreciation Day, when Golden Bear enthusiasts get a chance to interact with players and coaches, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Memorial Stadium. In addition to photo and autograph opportunities, the Cal dance team, Oski and members of the Cal Band will all be on hand. Check CalBears.com in the coming weeks for complete details.

Soccer … Italian Style

al’s women’s soccer team took advantage during its May 25June 4 visit to Italy to tour several historic sites, including the Colosseum in Rome (right). During their trip, the Bears won three games against local squads and enjoyed excursions to Vatican City, Venice, Milan, Lake Como and a brief jaunt into Switzerland. The trip was made possible by team fundraising efforts and private donations. NATIONAL champions

Single-Game Tickets Available for 2009 Football Season

D Varsity 4 Rows to IRA Championship

he foursome of Jovan Popovic, Benedict Tufnell, Jordan Sartor and Jarrod McClendon, plus coxswain Jack Zhou, edged runner-up Washington by nearly 1.5 seconds to win the IRA varsity 4 championship on June 6 at Lake Natoma. The Bears crossed the line in 6:32.645 in capturing the crown for the fourth time since 2001.

onors to the Athletic Department and current Cal football season-ticket holders have the opportunity to purchase singlegame tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Although several on-sale dates for higher end donors and seasonticket holders took effect prior to publication, three more are set to start in July. All season-ticket holders may begin ordering on July 7, while Cal Club donors (and above) may order starting on July 9. Single-game tickets go on sale to the general public July 14. Make sure to order tickets to the USC game early as a capacity crowd is expected for the Oct. 3 tilt. Fans can order tickets by visiting CalBears.com or by calling (800) GO BEARS. The Athletic Ticket Office is open MondayFriday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. summer 2009

SIDELINE

REPORT

Marilyn Chang

George Greenfield

Steve Heaston

Jim McManus

Frank Brunk

Cal Athletic Hall of Fame Class Announced

pair of Olympians, a Pac-10 Swimmer of the who has been a longYear and a National League Most Valuable time advocate for the Player are among the former student-athletes Golden Bear golf proand coaches who have been selected as the Class of grams. 2009 for induction into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame. With the addition Formal induction ceremonies are scheduled for Fri- of the six members, Jeff Kent day, Nov. 6, at the annual Hall of Fame banquet at the the Cal Athletic Hall Greek Orthodox Church conference center in Oak- of Fame now features land. The new inductees will also be honored at half- 234 individuals and six rowing teams. The school’s time of Cal’s Nov. 7 football game vs. Oregon State at Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 1986, with this Memorial Stadium. The Class of 2009 consists of swim- 2009 California Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees mer Marylyn Chiang, the 1999 Pac-10 Name Sport Years Swimmer of the Year; gymnast George Marylyn Chiang Women’s Swimming 1996-99 Greenfield and tennis player Jim McGeorge Greenfield Men’s Gymnastics 1969-71 Manus, who both represented the UnitSteve Heaston Men’s Water Polo Coach 1989-98 ed States in the Olympic Games; Jeff Jeff Kent Baseball 1987-89 Kent, who developed into of one MaJim McManus Men’s Tennis 1961, 63 jor League Baseball’s greatest second Varsity 8 Men’s Crew 1960 & ’61 baseman and was named the National League’s MVP in 2000; the late Steve 2009 Hall of Fame Service Award Heaston, who guided the Cal men’s water Frank Brunk ’50 polo team to three NCAA championships; and the 1960 & ’61 men’s varsity 8s that claimed back-to-back national rowing titles. year’s group representing the 24th class of inductees. In addition, the first Hall of Fame Service Award will Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner are $65. For be presented to Frank Brunk, a former football player more information, visit bigcsociety.org.

1960 & ’61 Men’s Crew Varsity 8

Golden Bears Feted at Annual Honors Luncheon

t its annual Academic Honors Luncheon in mid-May, the Cal Athletic Department recognized the academic, athletic and community service achievements of Golden Bear student-athletes for the 2008-09 year. The event was co-sponsored by the Big C Society and the Athletic Study Center. NCAA Swimmer of the Year Dana Vollmer and Alex Mack, who received the Draddy Trophy as the top scholar-athlete in all of college football, were honored as recipients of the Pac-10 Medal. Mack and Claire Ilcinkas of women’s tennis were given the Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Award for having the highest GPA among Cal’s graduating student-athletes.

cal sports quarterly

Golden Bear Team Award

Field Hockey (highest GPA, 3.198) Big C Most Improved Team Award

Men’s Golf (improvement in team GPA) Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarships

Rachel Moffitt, Field Hockey Kyle Brady, Men’s Gymnastics George Gandranata, Men’s Golf Brook Turner, Women’s Track & Field

Oscar Geballe Postgraduate Scholarships

Anna Key, Women’s Soccer Francesca Weems, Women’s Track & Field

Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Awards

(senior with highest GPA) Claire Ilcinkas, Women’s Tennis Alex Mack, Football

Pac-10 Medal

(outstanding senior student-athlete) Dana Vollmer, Women’s Swimming Alex Mack, Football Jake Gimbel Award

(Golden Bear spirit) Kyle Brady, Men’s Gymnastics Anna Espenschade Award

(Golden Bear spirit) Shannon Yocum, Women’s Golf Joseph McDonnell Kavanagh Award

(most improved student) Katie Knoche, Field Hockey Walter A. Haas Jr. Community Service Award

Mike Sample, Men’s Water Polo

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Twin Engines Jamia and Elia Reid’s Talents Bring New Elements to Cal Softball

s any Cal softball fan knows, there is nothing quite like the view from the stands at Levine-Fricke Field. Looking out at the lush beauty of Strawberry Canyon beyond the outfield walls, with the rolling hills, the stately green trees and the occasional family of foraging deer in the background, the serenity of the venue on a sunny weekend afternoon is truly unparalleled.

The action just inside the outfield walls this past season, however, was anything but quiet and serene. Blasting 55 home runs and scorching the base paths for 146 stolen bases, head coach Diane Ninemire’s 2009 squad set school records in both categories with a combination of speed and power never seen before in Blue and Gold. The stolen base mark blew away the previous record of 104 set 30 years ago in 1979. Though both achievements were team efforts, it is pretty easy to pick out two of the key elements to the Golden Bears’ explosive season: freshman outfielders Elia and Jamie Reid, who combined for 13 of the home runs and 73 of the stolen bases.

The trickier task is to be able to tell the two of them apart. Identical twins, the Reids were the sparkplugs igniting Cal’s offense and defense all season with Jamia patrolling left field and Elia in right. The lightning-fast sisters can run down just about any ball in the outfield and have been nearly impossible to stop on the basepaths. They were among the top hitters and fielders in the Pacific-10 Conference, and in the case of Jamia, the top base stealer in the league. “When I was first looking at them as potential recruits, I was drawn to their general athleticism,” said Ninemire. “They both have strong arms. They were fast. They were both still raw, but you could see

By Melissa Dudek 8

cal sports quarterly

the potential waiting to come out of them. They are growing and getting stronger every game they play.” The two were a very attractive recruit package deal coming out of Kennedy High School in Buena Park, Calif. Jamia held the all-time record for overall SPARQ rating (a measurement used to gauge recruits athletic training progress that includes a 20-yard dash time, a vertical jump height, a 20-yard shuttle, and a rotational power throw) and Elia was No. 2 on the list in 2008. The Reids comprised two-thirds of the all-freshman outfield for the Bears this past season. Frani Echavarria, another fast and talented defensive center fielder, rounded out the all-rookie outfield. Running three

collegiate novices into the outfield without a veteran anchor was a risk that Ninemire was willing to take. “I wasn’t really scared,” said Ninemire. “I thought it would be uplifting with that type of speed and that sort of youth out there. Freshmen are going to make mistakes. It is part of the growing process, but what an exciting next three years you have with them once you get through that first year.” The maturity came quickly. With both Reids penned into the starting lineup every day, the ability to read balls coming off the bat, to better target their occasional erratic throws and to run down and glove what seemed to be certain base hits when the ball left the bat came quickly. The two combined for just one error from March 24 through the end of the season, a span of more than two dozen games. It is easy to lump their accomplishments together, to talk about their combined numbers and their joint achievements as “the twins” or as “the freshmen,” monikers that make the Reids shudder every time they hear them, but there are some decided differences between the two. Jamia, who wears number 3 on her jersey, is a lefty slap hitter. Elia, wearing number 5, is a traditional right-handed batter. Both were members of the 2009 Pac-10 AllFreshman team, while Jamia also earned second-team All-Pac-10 and first-team AllPacific Region recognition. Through most of high school, the Reids both batted right-handed, defying the traditional logic of turning all speedsters into left-handed slap hitters to give them the extra first step toward first base. In their final years of club ball, however, they both became left-handed slap hitters. “Elia started slapping first,” Jamia said. “I figured, since I was the actual left hander, I should be slapping, too. So I did.” A sprained ankle and subsequent surgery, however, turned Elia back around to hitting from the right side of the plate. “When I first started hitting left-handed, it was easy,” said Elia, who hit one of three home runs in Cal’s opening NCAA Regional win over Mississippi State. “After taking those months off to recover from surgery, when I went back to try to do it again, it was suddenly hard. I was thinking about it, and suddenly it was way too difficult. I kept missing the ball and all the things you aren’t supposed to do, so I just went back to batting right-handed.” Both have power at the plate, with Elia belting six home runs and Jamia having

Record Smashing

ith Elia and Jamia Reid leading the way, Cal set team second records for both home runs and stolen bases in 2009. Jamia also shattered the school mark for individual steals. Below is a look at the top five seasons in school history in all three categories.

Team Home Runs 1.

2009

2007

2004

2006

1999

Elia Reid

Jamia Reid

Team Stolen Bases 1.

2009

146

1979

101

2005

100

2004

1980

Individual Stolen Bases 1. Jamia Reid (2009)

2. Shannon Thomas (2009) 33

seven home runs this season as a left-handed slap hitter. “She doesn’t try to power slap. It just happens,” explained Elia. “I try to hit for ground balls, but I really can’t control it,” Jamia laughed. “Once I hit a ball, I just start running , trying to get as many bases as possible. A lot of time with the home runs, I don’t even know they are home runs until I’m at third base.” Jamia may not be able to control it, but with a team-leading .361 batting average – including a 7-for-11 performance in the NCAA Regional – this is not necessarily a bad thing. Another of the differences between the two is their base stealing. Jamia set the Bears’ single-season mark this year with 47 stolen bases. Elia, slightly more reserved on the base paths, racked up 26. “I start with one foot on the bag and one foot behind, kind of like a track start,” Jamia said, describing her routine. “I watch the pitcher’s back foot. I’ll rock back as her legs are going back. I go once her back foot gets off the rubber. A lot of people go off the arms; when she’s at her midway point,

3. Keri Kropke (1992)

3. Erika Racklin (2008)

5. Elia Reid (2009)

they’ll start going as she is going. Sometimes pitchers have weird windups, so you can’t always do that. Their footing is always the same, so that is how I get my jumps.” Jamia also tries to anticipate pitches. Pitchers will often throw a rise ball when they predict that she will be stealing, bettering the catcher’s chances of throwing her out. “The change-up is the ideal pitch to steal on,” Jamia said with the satisfied smile of someone who ranked third in the nation in steals per game in 2009. Off the field, telling them apart is fairly simple. Ask anyone on the team, including the sisters themselves, the answer is the same: Jamia smiles more than Elia. “Jamia is always smiling, but she’s the mean twin,” Elia explained. “At least she is mean to me.” “We’re mean to each other,” Jamia added. They both smile identical, loving smiles as they answer. They may be “mean” to each other, but it is nothing compared to what they did to opposing teams this past spring and what lies in store for three more seasons yet to come. summer 2009

feature

Like Father, Like Son B.J. Guinn One of Three Baseball Players Whose Fathers Also Played at Cal By Herb Benenson

Brian Guinn

Cal Baseball 1981-83

B.J. Guinn

cal sports quarterly

or Cal baseball fans with a sense of history, seeing a Guinn and a Booker penciled into the starting lineup likely reminds them of a time nearly three decades ago when Rod Booker and Brian Guinn suited up on Evans Diamond.

But in today’s world, Booker and Guinn reB.J. Guinn fer to a different pairing, as their sons Austin Booker and B.J. Guinn have been teammates in Berkeley the past couple of seasons. Toss in Marcus Semien, son of former wide receiver Damien Semien, and it’s quite clear that the Golden Bears currently sport a roster rife with Cal tradition. Rod Booker was an All-American shortstop from 1979-80 and helped Cal reach the College World Series during the ’80 campaign, while Brian Guinn was a threeyear starter at short from 1981-83. Up at Memorial Stadium, Damien Semien was part of three bowl teams from 1990-93. Now, their sons are getting a chance to prove what they can do for the Blue & Gold. Guinn, a shortstop, and Booker a second baseman/outfielder, recently completed their sophomore seasons for the Bears, and Semien just finished his freshman year at third base. “People are fiercely loyal to this university once they’ve gone through here,” baseball coach David Esquer said. “To have it passed off within a family makes it easier on the kids because they understand the value and the specialness of this school.” For B.J. Guinn, Cal Athletics seems to have always been a part of his life. Not only did his father play baseball for the Bears, but his mother, Wendy Driver, was a member of Jan Brogan’s tennis teams in the mid-1980s. From attending summer camps to using his family’s season tickets to serving as a ball boy at basketball games, Cal has become a special place for him.

“Growing up, I was always around Cal,” B.J. said. Only now instead of being a spectator, Guinn finds himself on the same playing field as his dad. During his sophomore year last spring, he started 51 of 53 games, batting .315 with a pair of home runs and 35 RBI. Perhaps more impressively, Guinn displayed his clutch hitting ability by leading the Bears with a .371 average with runners in scoring position and going an impressive 14-for-19 (.737) at the plate with a runner at third base. Guinn, though, nearly missed out on an opportunity to attend Cal right out of Berkeley High School. Named one of the Bay Area’s Top 100 athletes by the Contra Costa Times, Guinn was taken in the 10th round of the 2007 Major League Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Faced with perhaps his most important decision to date, Guinn sat down with his parents to figure out which course of action to take – go pro or commit to college for at least three years. “At 18 years old, your mind’s not really used to something happening so fast,” Guinn said. “You think you’re ready, but once it happens, it’s kind of like, ‘OK, I’ve got to slow down for a minute and weigh all the options.’” Ultimately, the choice was clear, and his father’s similar experience provided a big help. “If he had gotten drafted higher, it would have been a tougher decision because financially, it would have been a whole different ballgame,” said Brian Guinn, who earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Cal and a master’s through the sports

management program at USF. “I think the experience of going to college is so important. A lot of my closest friends are guys I met in college, and that bond you have will never go away. Baseball will be over at some point – I don’t care who you are – and after that, you still have to make a living. He’s a very bright young man who knows that if baseball doesn’t work out, he has to be able to do something.” Without a doubt, Esquer agrees with that assessment. Through his own playing career plus an additional 19 seasons as a collegiate coach, he knows too well the pitfalls of making the jump too soon to the professional ranks. Very few of those drafted ever make it out of the minor leagues, let alone earn the big-money contracts that allow for an early retirement. “B.J.’s family is as good of a family as I’ve ever been associated with,” Esquer said. “They really care about their son and they look after him. They really made a family decision. This is the environment they wanted him to go into before he becomes a professional.” Now two years into his tenure at Cal, Guinn, who declared early on his intent to major in landscape architecture, appreciates what he has learned at Cal, both in the classroom and on the field. He has clearly benefited from being able to mature in a college setting. “I’ve gotten used to being able to handle myself a little more,” he said. “When you’re just out of high school, everything’s so new you really don’t know which way to go. You’re floating a little bit. You get used to handling yourself and being grounded in a college situation.” Soon, though, Guinn will most likely have the chance to pursue his professional dreams, perhaps as early as next summer when he becomes eligible for the MLB Draft following his junior year. The skills that impressed scouts in high school have developed even further under the guidance of the Cal baseball staff. “He is as athletically gifted as anyone in the college game,” Esquer said. “You can tell by where he was drafted by professional baseball how highly thought of he is. That type of talent doesn’t come into the college game that often.” Guinn realizes that there are no guarantees and he has to continuously hone his skills to get himself ready for the next level. Even then, there is no slowing down. The drive to improve must be present every day. Going to college has provided him the

atmosphere to prepare physically and mentally for what is about to come. “If you want to be good, if you want to be great, you’ve still got to work,” B.J. said. “There’s never a day when you stop working. When you get to the pro level, there’s always somebody trying to take your job. You can never relax.” As a youngster, Guinn saw firsthand what could lie ahead after he leaves Cal. Although his family was always based in the East Bay, he and his mother would occasionally travel to watch his father play in the minors during a career that included stops with the Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox organizations. “He’s kind of grown up around profes-

sional sports,” Brian Guinn said. “He’s been in a Major League locker room; he’s been on the field. Sometimes you think, does he appreciate it? Does he know that’s what this is? When you sit and talk with him now as a young adult, he really does. He says, yeah, that was fun.” Before long, B.J. Guinn might be making his own memories in pro baseball, and at some point down the line, offer his children the same words of wisdom he received from his parents. The thought is not lost on the younger Guinn and Booker. “Austin’s dad played with my dad, so we’ve talked about how the generations formed,” Guinn said. “Maybe one day, our sons will play together, too.”

Rod Booker

Damien Semien

Cal Baseball 1979-80

Austin Booker

Cal Football 1990-93

Marcus Semien

summer 2009

Cal Partners with Hilton Garden Inn as Official Team Hotel

al Athletics is proud to announce the launch of a new hotel partnership with the Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge as the official team hotel.

The multi-media partnership provides financial support for Cal Athletics as well as essential budget reducing trade to the department. In exchange, the Hilton Garden Inn will receive significant exposure, including a premium presence on CalBears.com. “It is truly an honor to be selected as the official team hotel of the Cal Golden Bears,” said Hilton Inn general manager Tiffanie Caldwell. “This amazing college football program is steeped in tradition, and we intend to continue that winning tradition with our new partnership. Our doors have always been open to Cal Athletics and all of their dedicated and faithful fans. We look forward to a winning season and to a successful partnership. Go Bears!” The newly renovated hotel is known for outstanding customer service and is conveniently located with easy access to campus, San Francisco and the Bay Street Shopping Plaza. For reservations, call (510) 658-9300 and ask for the special Cal Rate.

The Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville is the new official team hotel for Cal Athletics. Pictured from left are general manager Tiffanie Caldwell and sales managers Derek Byrd and Dorota Wossner.

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Economic Plan Chosen Major Opens Up World of Possibilities for Former Cal Swimmer By Louis Vayo ’08 Louis Vayo, a member of the Cal men’s swimming team from 2005-08, was recently awarded an Oscar Geballe Postgraduate Scholarship. During his years with the Golden Bears, the Placentia, Calif., product earned first-team Pac-10 All-Academic honors twice. As a senior in 2008, he posted Cal’s fastest time in the 400 individual medley, as well as the second-fastest marks in the 200 freestyle and 200 IM. Vayo earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and policy in ’08 and is planning to join the Peace Corps before enrolling in graduate school. The following essay, written by Vayo to the Geballe Scholarship selection committee, provides first-person insight into his academic and athletic interests at Cal, in addition to his career plans.

Louis Vayo

want to share with you a short story about my endeavors at Cal.

It begins like this: “Son, are you sure you want to go to Cal?” said my mother, almost pleadingly. It was unlike her to discourage me, but she had not taken well to my fascination with Cal, when USC was so conveniently close and had offered me a full ride for swimming. My father chimed in, “You know, it is very difficult academically.” My parents were right. I didn’t give them much opportunity to have faith in me academically. I struggled in high school, especially with the rigors of swim training that wore on me daily, and my unweighted GPA of 3.0 was solid proof. Nevertheless, I was enthralled with Cal and no amount of resistance would sway my decision. My first semester was brutal. We had double practices every single day except Sunday, and it didn’t take me long to fall behind academically. I had been recruited to swim for Cal, so in my mind I had placed swimming as the greatest importance. Midday naps would take the place of attending classes, and my schoolwork would be done hastily, under the delirium of constant exhaustion. Perhaps the only academic motivation for me during that freshman year was to achieve above a 3.0 GPA, so I wouldn’t have to attend three mandatory hours of “study” at the ASUC per week, and I barely made it. I had a moderate amount of success that year in swimming, 14

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scoring among the top quarter of the team at Pac-10s and qualifying for NCAAs. My freshman year turned out to be a crash course in time and life management, and despite the rocky start, I learned enough to begin managing my athletics, academics and extracurricular activities with more success. I decided to major in economics after taking Econ 1 with the inspirational Professor Martha Olney. I had no idea what I would want to do with an economics degree, and my choice was more out of time pressure than anything else. The subject matter for economics was fairly intuitive for me, though I wasn’t particularly passionate about it. It was then I discovered the environmental economics and policy major, and more or less fell in love. This major began to broaden my understanding of the world and really challenge my all-toocomfortable lifestyle in the higher part of the socio-economic ladder in the wealthiest country in the world. Issues like poverty and the impotence for development in third world countries, the negative impacts of climate change, and environmental sustainability policies are among the many captivating and significant topics that I have taken away from my undergraduate years at Cal. Perhaps it was just maturity that comes with age or the leadership roles on the swim team that I had inherited as co-captain, but my interest in academics had taken a direct 180-degree turn from when I was coming in as a freshman. I finished with a 3.62 over-

I know most of these are all GPA, with roughly a 3.74 silly, and I often suggest GPA in my upper division them to my mother to prod classes in EEP. out some type of amusing My academic performance reaction from her. Realistihad not outpaced my swimcally, though, I find myself ming achievements, though. interested in a variety of I qualified for NCAAs all things in a variety of differfour years and achieved ent fields. Energy sustainboth All-America and Allability is of great interest to America honorable mention me, and the field is likely to status. I placed myself in grow and develop especially the record books under Cal’s as fossil fuel prices are flucall-time Top 10 lists in three tuating and causing adverse individual events, as well as consequences on all econoa school-record-breaking remies across the world. lay. The awards I am most Another passion I have is proud of are the Academic for childhood obesity, in our All-American honors in country as well as throughmy junior and senior year, out the world. Being an athand the multiple Pac-10 “I discovered the environmental economics lete since I was five years first- and second-team acaand policy major, and more or less fell in love. old, I have grown to love demic awards. These I never This major began to broaden my understanding exercise and being physithought possible. of the world and really challenge my all-toocally capable and healthy. If Though academics and comfortable lifestyle ...” this is the route I choose, a athletics at Cal consumed – Louis Vayo public health degree would a vast amount of my time follow suit. and energy, they were not A third route might be the only endeavors I have a professor of economics, been involved in. I became perhaps at a college or uniinvolved both with Athletes versity. I value education in Action and my church to extensively, and I would outreach to the community. find teaching an edifying On top of convalescent home endeavor. Pursuing a docvisits, homeless outreaches torate in the field of ecoand opportunities to build nomics (or whichever field with Habitat for HumanI find most compelling and ity, I was able to help tutor compatible with my educastudents at Willard Middle tion at Cal) at various uniSchool in my final semesversities would be the next ter as a student-athlete for a step. Whatever the choice couple hours weekly. may be, I feel that being a As hesitant as I am to list student-athlete at Cal has the different volunteer acempowered me, that I can tivities I have been involved tackle any task or challenge with (as it seems to lessen confidently. the purpose of it for me), My concrete plans from here are as follows: I am currently applythese activities have taught me so many essential lessons not only about the great need all around me, but they help me discover my ing for the Peace Corps, and as I work through the long application process, I plan to take the CBEST so I can become a substitute teacher. strengths and passions. One of the most popular questions for people at my stage in life I am also currently studying for the GRE so I can have the exam finis: “What next?” My honest answer to this question is: “I don’t ished when I am ready to begin applying to different schools. In the Peace Corps, I would like to do one of two things. One exactly know.” This answer for me is not the result of a lack of interest or desire for everything out there. On the contrary, it is the option is to work with or start up an organization for sustainable development, which seeks to educate people on sustainability as copious number of pursuits that I find challenging. Each summer when I go back home, I tell my mother about a well as implement policies that would lead to environmental pronew lifelong profession that had recently inspired me. Among tection. My other option would be to connect with a school and some of them: a nutritionist, a personal trainer, a waiter at one of teach various subjects as well as physical education and nutrition. those fancy restaurants that knows all the different wines, a profes- I believe these opportunities will guide me toward a passion which sional tennis player, a professor, a coach, a chef (Chef Louie has a I will pursue with all of my ability, just as my experience at Cal has taught me to do. nice ring to it). summer 2009

where are they now?

Rock-Solid Foundation 30 Years after Leading Cal to the NCAA Title, Peter Rocca Still Gives Back to Cal Swimming

By Scott Ball

Peter Rocca with his wife, Jeanne, and son, Nick

he University of California men’s swimming program has a national and international reputation that rivals any school in the nation, featuring 18 Olympic medalists from five different countries and numerous NCAA champions on its all-time roster. The genesis of the Golden Bears’ swimming supremacy dates back to the 1970s with the early accomplishments of two legends of Cal Aquatics, head coach Nort Thornton and standout backstroker Peter Rocca.

Now, 30 years after Cal captured its first national swimming title in 1979 during his senior season, Rocca remains very much involved in Cal Aquatics. Despite making his residence in Minneapolis, Minn., where he works as a money manager for Palisade Asset Management, Rocca, who has been described by many as Thornton’s first superstar, has been instrumental in establishing the Nort Thornton Scholarship. What better person than Rocca to instigate a scholarship in honor of his former coach? Listed in the Bears’ 1978-79 swimming media guide as “the foundation on which Thornton built the Cal swimming program into national prominence as he was the first big recruit to agree to come to Cal,” the Orinda native was a threetime All-American for the Bears. After his freshman year in ’76, Rocca shined at the Montreal Olympics, capturing the silver medal in both the 100- and 200-meter backstroke. From there, Rocca took his tremendous skills to help form the Bears into a championship-caliber team. In 1978, the Campolindo High School product won the NCAA 200 back in a time of 1:47.48 and swam the backstroke leg on Cal’s winning 400 medley relay, helping the squad to a third-place national finish. 16

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Nort Thornton poses former Golden Bears swimmers, from left, Pelle Holmertz, Par Arvidsson, Graham Smith and Peter Rocca.

Rocca captured NCAA 200 backstroke titles in both 1978 and ’79.

The next year in Cleveland, Ohio, proved even better for Rocca and the Bears when they achieved the ultimate prize in college swimming – the NCAA title. Powered by team captain Rocca’s victory in the 200

back, Canadian Graham Smith’s wins in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley, Swedish butterflyer Par Arividsson’s victories in the 100 and 200 butterfly, and finally Cal’s repeat triumph in the 400 medley relay, the Bears upstaged USC to win the school’s first NCAA crown in swimming. “Nort really helped put it all together,” said Rocca, whose father, Louis, attended Cal and whose son, Nick, is now a freshman in Berkeley. “He was the kind of coach who could get you to believe in yourself. We were a very unselfish team and all on the same page. I think we were also one of the best trained teams. The talent level in practice was so high that it brought out the best in everyone. We just believed. “One thing about Nort is that his ego has always been in check. He treats everybody equally. He was that way 30 years ago and he is that way today.” Today, Thornton is still on the pool deck of Spieker Aquatics Complex as head coach emeritus, working alongside head coach David Durden and assistant coach Greg Meehan. And, appropriately so, the Thornton Scholarship has been established with the help of Rocca, with the first recipient junior breaststroker Sean Mahoney. The wording of the scholarship is a perfect summation of the values instilled by the Bears’ first national championship squad of 1979: “The Nort Thornton Scholarship will be awarded annually to the swimmer who exemplifies the qualities of Discipline, Responsibility, Leadership, and Hard Work, and to help Create an Environment Where Champions are Inevitable.”

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summer 2009

sports reviews

2008-2009

Rachel Moffitt Debra Maier

Mark Canha

Men’s Crew Baseball Record: 24-29 Pac-10 Finish: 9-18/9th

Jerome Randle

Ashley Walker

Jarrod McClendon

Cal did not qualify for postseason play, but had some impressive individual performances with four players – sophomore first baseman Mark Canha, junior center fielder Brett Jackson, junior second baseman Jeff Kobernus and junior designated hitter Blake Smith – named to the All-Pac-10 team. Canha led the Bears with a .366 average and a teamhigh 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBI. Jackson (.321), Kobernus (.341) and Smith (.319) also had impressive averages and were selected in the Major League Amateur Draft in June.

Under first-year head coach Mike Teti, Cal captured the Pac-10 team and varsity 8 championships on May 17 at Lake Natoma near Sacramento. Nearly three weeks later, the Bears returned to the course for the 107th IRA Regatta. This time, Cal’s varsity 8 put in a strong effort and claimed second place behind Washington. The varsity 4 won the IRA crown, while the second varsity 8 took third and the freshman 8 finished fourth. Junior James Long-Lerno, a transfer from Orange Coast College, was named Pac10 Newcomer of the Year, while Nareg Guregian, Nick Lucey, Jan Tize and Nikola Zunic were voted All-Pac-10.

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Crew

Record: 22-11 Pac-10 Finish: 11-7/T3rd NCAA Finish: 1st Round

Predicted to finish eighth in the Pac-10, Cal greatly exceeded expectations with its third-place finish and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006. The nation’s best three-point shooting team all year (42.7%), Cal was led by guards Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher, both first-team All-Pac-10 selections. Randle set a school record with 82 three-pointers made on the season and led Cal in scoring, averaging 18.3 ppg. Christopher opened Pac-10 play with four consecutive 20-point performances and notched a career-best 29 points vs. USC.

Women’s Basketball Record: 27-7 Pac-10 Finish: 15-3/T2nd NCAA Finish: 3rd Round

Iva Obradovic

Cal finished the season with 27 wins and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The team spent four weeks ranked No. 3 in the country in both polls, its highest-ever ranking. Senior forward Ashley Walker ended her career as Cal’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,117 and second on the all-time scoring list with 2,142 points. She became the first Golden Bear to earn USBWA All-American honors, as well as the first Cal player ever taken in the WNBA draft, going in the first round to the Seattle Storm. Walker and junior guard Alexis Gray-Lawson were both named to the All-Pac-10 first team.

Yosef Ghebray

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Pac-10 Finish: 1st IRA Finish: 2nd

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Pac-10 Finish: 1st NCAA Finish: 2nd

Cal produced five All-Americans – seniors Lou Kinder and Iva Obradovic on the first team, and seniors Elena Humphreys, Lauren Nowinski and coxswain Katy Milton on the second team – from its varsity 8 after posting a second-place finish at the NCAA championships. At the national regatta, Cal placed third in the varsity 8, second in the second varsity 8 and fourth in the varsity 4 grand finals. The Bears’ second V8 and V4 both won Pac-10 crowns. Cal freshman Kristina Löfman, a member of Cal’s V8, was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year.

Men’s Cross Country Pac-10 Finish: 3rd NCAA Finish: 22nd

Led by All-American Yosef Ghebray and all-conference pick Mark Matusak, Cal made its second straight appearance as a team in the NCAA championships, placing 22nd overall. Ghebray’s 36th-place finish in a time of 30:10 was enough for him to garner the All-America honors. He led the Bears in four of the five races he competed in, and took seventh at the NCAA West Regional and sixth at the Pac-10 championships (23:43). Ghebray also made the All-Pac10 first team, while Matusak was named to the second team.

Alex Mack

Women’s Cross Country Pac-10 Finish: 8th

The Cal women’s cross country team, although a young and inexperienced squad, was able to find a fair amount of success in 2008, placing seventh at the NCAA West Regional and fourth at the Stanford Invitational. Missing its 2007 standout Chelsea Reilly (redshirted the 2008 season), some of the Cal freshmen stepped up to fill the void, including Debra Maier who paced the Bears at both the Pac-10 championships (21:25, 41st) and the NCAA West Regional (21:13, 39th).

Field Hockey Record: 13-5 NorPac Finish: 5-1/1st

Cal claimed its 10th straight conference regular-season title with a 5-1 NorPac record. However, the Bears lost to Stanford in overtime in the tournament final. Senior Rachel Moffitt earned the NorPac Defensive Player of the Year award and joined fellow seniors Ashley Glosz and Andrea Lo on the All-West Region team, with Glosz and Moffitt claiming first-team berths and Lo taking a second-team spot. Moffitt collected 15 assists to make her Cal’s all-time career leader with 36. Five Bears – Glosz, Lo, Moffitt, defender Carolina Bistue and goalkeeper Kelly Knoche – garnered spots on the allconference first team.

Football Record: 9-4 Pac-10 Finish: 6-3/4th

Cal captured its fifth consecutive bowl game with a 24-17 victory over Miami in the Emerald Bowl and earned a final No. 25 ranking in the ESPN coaches’ poll. Center Alex Mack, a first-team AllAmerican and the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, won the Draddy Trophy as the top scholar-athlete in all of college football. He was later selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Tailback Jahvid Best rushed for 1,580 yards and a school-record-tying 15 touchdowns, and was named Offensive MVP of the Emerald Bowl after going for 186 yards and two scores on the ground. Cal’s defense allowed just 19.9 ppg and intercepted 24 passes – most at the school in 60 years. Both linebacker Zack Follett and cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson were voted first-team AllPac-10.

Oski

John Murphy

Men’s Golf Pac-10 Finish: 7th NCAA Regional Finish: 9th

Cal ended the year with its 14th NCAA regional appearance in Austin, Texas, where sophomore Eric Mina finished 10th. Junior John Murphy became the fifth Bear in program history to crack the top 5 at the Pac-10 championships. He and seniors George Gandranata and Michael Jensen were voted All-Pac-10 honorable mention. Freshman Devin Hexner advanced to the sectional qualifying rounds as an amateur for the 2009 U.S. Open, and freshman James Coré made it to the final round of the San Francisco City Championship.

Women’s Golf Pac-10 Finish: 5th NCAA Regional Finish: 9th

For the 10th consecutive season, Cal earned a postseason berth at the NCAA Regionals. The Bears started the year strong, repeating as champions at the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic Tournament in Colorado and ending the regular season with a fifth-place finish at the Pac10 Tournament and a No. 25 GolfWeek team ranking. Cal just missed qualifying for the NCAA championships, finishing in a tie for ninth at the regional with the top eight teams advancing. Pia Halbig, who set the Cal sophomore scoring mark with a 73.0 average, earned first-team AllPac-10 honors.

Men’s Gymnastics Record: 17-8 MPSF Finish: 3rd NCAA Finish: 4th

Cal finished the 2009 campaign with a 17-8 overall record for its most wins since 1998 and boasted a 3-1 record over eventual NCAA champion Stanford during the regular season. Individually, senior Evan Roth won the NCAA title on still rings, marking the sixth straight year a Bear has captured a national championship. Seven Bears combined for nine AllAmerica honors – freshman Glen Ishino and junior Bryan del Castillo on high bar; Ishino on pommel horse; Roth and Brady on rings; Roth on vault; and Brady, Ishino and freshman Jim Kerry on parallel bars. The Bears led the league with six All-MPSF academic honors.

Pia Halbig

Women’s Gymnastics Record: 2-20 Pac-10 Finish: 7th

Cal sent three athletes to NCAA Regionals, the 26th time in the last 27 seasons that the Bears have had at least one gymnast advance to the postseason. Junior Sophia Hocini, a second-team All-Pac-10 honoree, finished 10th in the all-around competition at regionals, the second consecutive year she ended her season in the Top 10. Senior Bridgette Glass was the top performer for the Bears at the Pac-10 championships, earning a 9.850 on the beam to finish 10th. She competed at regionals on the uneven bars. Sophomore Avery Gee, the Bears’ top scorer on the floor exercise, earned a 9.775 for her regional routine.

Lacrosse Record: 8-11 MPSF Finish: 4-2/T2nd

Cal reached the MPSF Tournament final before losing to end the year. Included in its season-ending run was a 13-12 overtime upset over No. 18 Oregon. Senior attacker Sam Price, junior defender DennaFaye Herald and junior midfielder Alex Tickner earned spots on the AllMPSF team, while junior midfielder Alyse Kennedy joined Herald and Tickner on the MPSF All-Tournament team. Price paced Cal in both total points (49) and assists (22). Other Cal statistical leaders included Kennedy (41 draw controls), Tickner (35 goals) and senior goalkeeper Morgan Dyson (25 ground balls).

Rugby Record: 30-2 Pacific Coast Finish: 6-0/1st National Finish: 2nd

The Bears won their fourth straight UCLA Tournament and 10th “World Cup” series in the past 13 years vs. UBC, defeated reigning Rugby Super League champion New York Athletic Club and locked up the top national playoff seed with a road win at Saint Mary’s before dropping their only loss of the regular season by one point, 24-23, at British Columbia. Cal defeated Minnesota and Cal Poly in the Rounds of 16 & 8 and advanced to the final with a win over Army, but fell in the national championship to BYU, 25-22, on a lastminute penalty kick. Eight Bears were named USAR All-Americans.

Evan Roth

Men’s Soccer

Bridgette Glass

Record: 12-4-5 Pac-10 Finish: 5-2-3/2nd NCAA Finish: 3rd Round

Led by six All-Pac-10 selections, including goalkeeper Stefan Frei and forward Andrew Wiedeman, Cal advanced to the third round of the NCAA College Cup. The Bears knocked off UC Santa Barbara in a double-overtime thriller in the second round. Wiedeman, a third-team All-American, finished the 2008 season with a team-best 29 points (12 goals, 5 assists) and scored Cal’s last three goals of the campaign. Frei, who went on to become the first keeper selected in the 2009 MLS Super Draft, collected nine shutouts and earned a goals-against average of 0.77.

Sam Price

Women’s Soccer Record: 10-9-1 Pac-10 Finish: 3-5-1/6th NCAA Finish: 1st Round

The 2008 Bear squad recorded the program’s 23rd winning season, finishing 10-9-1 overall and going 3-5-1 in Pac10 play to finish sixth in the competitive league. The 2008 campaign also saw Cal earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for its fifth consecutive and 16th overall trip to the postseason. The Bears fell, 2-1, to No. 7 Florida in Gainesville, Fla., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore forward Alex Morgan, who scored the eventual gamewinner to lead the U.S. to a gold medal in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in December, led the Cal in points (23) and goals (nine). The team had nine players named to the Pac-10’s All-Academic team.

Colin Hawley

Stefan Frei

Softball Record: 38-20 Pac-10 Finish: 10-10/5th NCAA Finish: Super Regional

Cal qualified for the postseason for the 24th consecutive season in 2009, the second-longest streak in the nation and the longest in the Pac-10. The Bears won their NCAA regional at Florida State before falling at top-seeded Florida in the Super Regionals. Over the course of the year, Cal broke team records for stolen bases (146) and home runs (55). Freshman outfielder Jamia Reid also set the individual season stolen base mark (47) while also leading the team in hitting with a .361 average. Sophomore pitcher/ first baseman Valerie Arioto earned firstteam All-Pac-10 and All-Pacific Region

Megan Jesolva

Valerie Arioto

summer 2009 SPRING 2009

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Hana Cutura

Nathan Adrian

honors. She also became Cal’s first softball All-American since the 2006 season, earning third-team All-American honors.

Men’s Swimming & Diving Record: 6-2 Pac-10 Finish: 2nd NCAA Finish: 4th Dana Vollmer

Pedro Zerbini

Led by 2009 Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year Nathan Adrian, Cal placed fourth at the NCAA championships for the second year in a row. Adrian captured national titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle, both in American-record times, while sophomore Damir Dugonjic won the 100 breaststroke in an NCAA-record time. The Bears also had runner-up performances by Sean Mahoney in the 200 breast and David Russell in the 100 backstroke, while the 200 medley relay claimed second place, as well.

Women’s Swimming & Diving Record: 4-4 Pac-10 Finish: 1st NCAA Finish: 1st

Jana Juricova

With a clinching victory in the 400 freestyle relay, Cal captured the 2009 NCAA championship – the first national title in the history of the program. Senior Dana Vollmer, who won NCAA crowns in the 100 and 200 free, was named the NCAA and Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year, while head coach Teri McKeever, the first woman to guide a team to the NCAA title, was selected NCAA and Pac-10 Coach of the Year. In addition to Vollmer, Amanda Sims was victorious in the 100 butterfly, and the 400 and 800 free relays claimed NCAA titles. Liv Jensen, a member of the 800 free relay team, was voted Pac10 Freshman of the Year.

Men’s Tennis

Michael Coe

Record: 11-11 Pac-10 Finish: 2-4/T5th NCAA Finish: 1st Round

Cal earned a spot in the NCAA tournament for a school-record 10th consecutive season. Sophomore Pedro Zerbini was named the ITA West Region’s Player to Watch as he garnered first-team AllPac-10 honors. Zerbini, who also earned a pair of conference player-of-the-week awards and led the Bears with a 24-9 singles record, teamed with senior Geoff Chizever to win the Wilson/ITA Northern Cal doubles title. The tandem earned a bid to the NCAA doubles championship, where they advanced to the round of 16.

Kimyon Broom

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Spencer Warden

Women’s Tennis Record: 22-5 Pac-10 Finish: 7-1/2nd NCAA Finish: 2nd

The Bears made their 28th straight appearance in the NCAA championship and rode a season-high 11-match winning streak to a second consecutive berth in the title match. Cal finished as runner-up to champion Duke as a team, but celebrated its fifth NCAA doubles title as sophomore Mari Andersson and freshman Jana Juricova took home the crown. The Bears were represented by five players on the All-Pac-10 team, including Juricova as the conference Freshman of the Year. Marina Cossou, Andersson and Bojana Bobusic were second-team choices, with Claire Ilcinkas receiving honorable mention. Head coach Amanda Augustus was selected to lead the USTA’s Summer Collegiate Women’s Team.

Men’s Track & Field Pac-10 Finish: 7th NCAA Finish: T25th

Senior Martin Maric ended his collegiate career by winning both the NCAA and the West Regional championships in the discus. Earlier in the year, sophomore Michael Coe set the school record in the mile at 3:56.18, while junior Yosef Ghebray clocked the program’s best 10,000-meter time at the Stanford Invitational (28:32.27). Junior Ryan Young topped the Cal record books in the javelin with his throw of 250-10. The Bears were ranked in the Top 25 throughout the campaign, ending the season at No. 23. During the indoor season, Coe earned All-America honors in the 3000, and the distance medley relay finished third at the NCAA meet.

Women’s Track & Field Pac-10 Finish: 7th

The Bears claimed two titles at the Pac-10 championships – senior Inika McPherson in the high jump and junior Kimyon Broom in the 100-meter hurdles. At the conference meet, Broom clocked a school-record time of 13.02 en route to her crown. McPherson also earned All-America honors in the indoor season. Eight athletes, plus the 400-meter relay, all qualified for the NCAA championships in Arkansas. Indoors, sophomore Alison Greggor tallied school indoor records in the 3000 (9:36.26) and the 5000 (16:30.56).

Paige Lorenz

Volleyball Record: 26-7 Pac-10 Finish: 13-5/3rd NCAA Finish: Regional Final

The Bears received the No. 6 ranking in the final Bison/AVCA poll after completing 2008 with the best record in school history at 26-7 (.788). Cal also recorded a program-best 13 victories in conference play (defeating every team at least once for the first time). The Bears advanced to the NCAA regional final for the second consecutive year where they fell to eventual champion and top-seeded Penn State. Outside hitter Hana Cutura earned her second AVCA All-America award with a place on the first team, and setter Carli Lloyd was selected to the All-America second team. In addition, outside hitter Tarah Murrey and middle hitter Shannon Hawari were voted to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team.

Men’s Water Polo Record: 19-9 MPSF Finish: 4-4/7th

Paced by junior All-American Spencer Warden, Cal finished 19-9 overall and a No. 7 national ranking. Warden, who had a team-high 40 goals and 68 steals, was named a 2008 second-team AllAmerican by the water polo coaches, while three other Golden Bears - seniors Frank Reynolds and Trent Calder, and sophomore Brian Dudley - were tabbed honorable mention All-Americans. Dudley, Mike Sample and Scott Cruikshank and Charlie Steffens were also named to the coaches’ All-Academic team.

Women’s Water Polo Record: 31-8 MPSF Finish: 3-4/4th

Cal set a school record for victories in a season, finishing the 2009 campaign with a 31-8 overall mark. The Bears also scored the most goals in program history, in addition to posting its highest pergame goals average (12.54 gpg). Cal was ranked among the Top 10 nationally for the entire season, spending eight weeks at No. 5. Junior driver Meghan Corso led the Bears with 66 goals and 22 multi-goal games, while freshman Emily Csikos was second (65 goals) followed by junior utility Camille Hewko (54 goals).

Athletic Development Bear Backer News

Cal Football Alumni Enjoy Reunion Weekend

Craig Morton, Doug Brien, Natu Tuatagaloa, Justin Forsett

Mike White,Tony Gonzalez, coach Jeff Tedford

Mick Luckhurst meets with kickers

Adimchinobe Echemandu and coach Ron Gould

Joe Cooper, Mick Luckhurst, Harvey Salem, Rich Stachowski

early 40 Cal football alumni returned to campus for a reunion weekend April 10-11. Great Golden Bears such as Tony Gonzalez, Andre Carter, Dave Barr, Na’il Benjamin, Hardy Nickerson, Chidi Iwuoma, Justin Forsett, Dameane Douglas, Mick Luckhurst and Mike White enjoyed a round of golf and attending a reception Friday night. Many visited spring football practice the next day. To view photos of reunion weekend and other collections of images at CalBears. com, click “Fan Zone” on the top navigation bar and “Photo Galleries” from the drop-down menu to access the main Photo Gallery page, then choose football under “View by Sport” to see all the galleries available.

Andre Carter and Jeff Tedford

Marlon McWilson, Jerry DeLoach, Reynard Rutherford, Bobby Shaw, Todd Stewart

Gridiron Classic Supports Football Program

he 12th annual Gridiron Golf Classic ed fund, which is limited to the sole use for took place on April 13 at the Blackhawk operational needs of the program. Country Club in Danville with over 160 Among the former players on hand for the participants, including donors, football event was Zack Follett, a new member of the coaches and staff, and former Cal football NFL’s Detroit Lions, who presented an array players. of his paintings, many of which he sold. The day, consisting of a round of golf, reception, dinner and live auction, is the lead fundraising event benefiting the football program. Proceeds went to the Cal football restrict- Blackhawk Country Club hosted the Gridiron Classic, where participants also learned more about the Building Champions campaign. 22

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Athletic Development Bear Backer News

Development Staff Volunteers at Alameda Food Bank

Development Office staff Tim Rice and Lani Romero (above), Joe Bertoletti and Nate Pine (below) and Tod Bannister (right) volunteered at the Alameda Food Bank in February.

n February, the Office of Athletic Development devoted a day to volunteering at the Alameda Food Bank, where the staff divided into two shifts to help prepare deliveries to the needy in what was a significant team-building experience for the office. “It was quite rewarding as a staff to give back to the community with our work at the Alameda Food Bank,” said David Rosselli, Associate Athletic Director for Development. “We were all touched by the good work of the staff there and the worthwhile mission that they achieve on a daily basis.”

The Cal development staff was given a tour by the food bank staff, who also delivered a presentation illustrating the impact volunteers have on the organization’s work in Oakland and the East Bay. The effort proved to synchronize perfectly with Cal’s mission to be responsible citizens in the community. “It’s a great place,” said development assistant and trip organizer Barbara Oseroff. “Being there, you’re really doing something useful for the community.” Visit AlamedaFoodBank.org to learn more about the organization.

summer 2009

Athletic Development Bear Backer Spotlight

Grandfathers Clause Phil and Marji Dunn Support the Future of Cal Athletics and a Memorial Stadium Replete with Family Memories By Anton Malko

Phil and Marji Dunn are part of the lifeblood of Cal Athletics. They have ensured their place at the future Memorial Stadium with University Club seat memberships through the Endowment Seat Program and hosted an ESP presentation at their home, deepening roots that trace back to the origins of that oneof-a-kind venue at the foot of Strawberry Canyon and the mystique created there in part by their grandfathers. Phil’s mother went to Cal, as did his grandfather George W. Howson, who graduated in 1909 with a degree in civil engineering and later helped to build Memorial Stadium for its opening in 1923. Marji’s parents both attended Stanford, and her grandfathers were both football players, with Myron Brown suiting up for the Bears as a member of the 1924 and ’25 squads that constituted the last two years of Cal’s Wonder Teams. “My Cal grandparents always dressed me in blue and gold,” said Marji, “much to my parents’ chagrin.” Phil went to many Cal football games during the Pappy Waldorf era, including the contest against USC on Oct. 15, 1949, 26

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that was highlighted by the 102-yard kickoff return for a TD by Frank Brunk. “I was standing on the bottom walkway in the end zone where he caught the ball,” Phil recalled. He also recalled fondly a marathon drive as a student to the 1959 Rose Bowl against Iowa. The four Delta Tau Delta fraternity brothers included Bill Ausfahl, now the chairman of the UC Berkeley Foundation, behind the wheel. This is the second marriage for both Phil and Marji. Phil has a son and daughter from his first marriage who both attended USC, while Marji was previously married to Tim Lucas, a linebacker at Cal who was on the field for The Play to culminate his college career in 1982. Phil and Marji met in 1985 at Lincoln Senior Elementary School, where she was a seventh-grade teacher and he was a member of the school’s board. Five years later they were married. They’ll be celebrating their 20th anniversary on Sept. 30, a date, Marji said, “that was chosen to work within the Cal football

home schedule, and a time that started after that day’s game.” Their son, Patrick, attends boarding school in South Wales, N.Y., where he is an avid tennis player and follows Cal from afar. Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said, “The Dunns are true blue fans, hoping and cheering for victory. But more importantly, they are ardent supporters of our studentathletes and their education. We are so fortunate that they have chosen to devote their time and philanthropy to Cal. “I just love being around them,” Barbour added. “They’re wonderful people.” The Dunns feel equally fortunate to be around the student-athletes and staff of the department. After Barbour, the list of Cal staffers the longtime football season-ticket holders admire continues with head coach Jeff Tedford. “In Tedford’s program, you’re a student first and an athlete next,” said Phil. “Jeff and his program stress that the kids make responsible decisions off the field as well as on the field.” Tedford praised the Dunn’s “unwavering

Marji, Patrick and Phil Dunn at California Memorial Stadium to watch the Golden Bears

in 2006, Dunn confronts the difficult economic challenges as a member of the Audit Committee and Program Committee. “In these economic times and in the foreseeable future, private giving will be increasingly necessary to keep Cal as the number one public university in this country,” Phil said. Phil is also a founding member of the Athletic Director’s Advisory Board launched by Barbour. “Phil has been an integral part of the Director’s Advisory Board,” she said. “He is always ready with thoughts and ideas on how

“The Dunns are true blue fans, hoping and cheering for victory. But more importantly, they are ardent supporters of our student-athletes and their education.” – Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour support of Cal Athletics both financially and as fans, especially during the difficult economic climate we are facing today. I appreciate and respect the loyalty and support that Phil and Marji Dunn have provided as friends of our football program.” Also among the Dunn’s friends within the football program is running backs coach Ron Gould, who sat with Phil and Patrick for an hour in his office to chat last season, drawing the high schooler into a deep conversation about his interests and aspirations. “Ron got him to talk like I’d never heard anyone get him to talk – about himself, what he thought he wanted to do,” said Phil. “I was very impressed.” Football is not the only sport that the Dunns support. They also hold season tickets to men’s basketball and have become big supporters of women’s gymnastics, too. “Marji is amazing,” said women’s gymnastics head coach Cari DuBois, who started a friendship with the family through their proximity at football games. “It’s really fun to have her as part of our crew. She

works hard to get fans into the stands.” “The enthusiasm and spirit are contagious,” Marji said of gymnastics. “It’s a sport that you can really get close to the athletes, getting to know them and their families.” Phil brings a unique skill set as a member of the Cal Athletics family to his perspective on the Memorial Stadium renovation. He worked for two different heavy engineering construction companies after getting his civil engineering degree before forming DSS Company, specializing in aggregate material resources, with two other partners in 1977. DSS was acquired in 1999 by Knife River Corporation, a subsidiary of MDU Resources. Phil now works as a consultant to KRC and other private civil engineering firms in Northern California. Of the stadium project, Phil said, “From an engineering viewpoint it’s complicated, and it will also be a difficult challenge to do it economically.” But Phil is in a position to help steer Cal on the correct path to succeed. A UC Berkeley Foundation trustee elected

to make Cal Athletics a better experience for student-athletes, fans and the community alike. In addition, he’s never hesitated to encourage us to make the difficult decision, keeping in mind the long-term best interest of the department and the institution.” By hosting an ESP presentation at their home, the Dunns sent a message to the entire Cal community that they are on board with the future of Cal Athletics. Tod Bannister, executive director of Bear Backers, said, “Our ability to promote the ESP program and spread the information about it depends largely on the efforts of the Dunns and families like them who believe in its importance.” The Dunns’ support of this mission, said Barbour, “speaks volumes to student-athletes and coaches about the importance of intercollegiate athletics to the pulse of the campus community and the need to support these endeavors.” With a Golden Bear pulse that’s been in their families for generations, Phil and Marji Dunn are at the heart of why the future of Cal Athletics is in good hands. summer 2009

feature

Turning Heads Track & Field’s Brook Turner Hopes to Make Change in an Entertainment Career

By Tim Miguel

he term “break a leg” is often used to wish an actor good luck on stage. Just don’t utter the phrase to Cal sprinter Brook Turner.

Brook Turner was the recipient of a Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarhip in 2009.

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Although a film studies major who has aspirations of success in the entertainment industry, Turner suffered a couple of stress fractures that temporarily derailed her track & field exploits and caused her to appreciate different forms of well wishes. Despite the physical setbacks that temporarily forced her out of competition for a year, Turner wrapped up her final season competing for Cal this spring and earned her bachelor’s degree in May. Now armed with a Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship presented to her in the spring, she hopes to use the award to continue her education in the areas of directing, screenwriting and acting. A three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and twice named to the track coaches’ academic team, Turner views the scholarship award as an exclamation point on her academic career at Cal. While in school in Berkeley, Turner took advantage of any

opportunity she could find to help further The 2009 season was filled with a num- turned in a season-best 53.73 in the 400, her career choice and enjoyed her role as a ber of strong performances on the track for finishing in fifth place. production assistant for several non-profit Turner, who had to redshirt the 2008 season Although she has gained individual acand independent films and programs. Her because of the stress fractures in her foot. claim in the 400, Turner said the 4x400 reresponsibilities have included being in She even took off from school for the fall lay is her favorite event “because you are charge of project development, casting and ’08 semester in order to have a healthy fi- with all of your teammates and it’s really scheduling. She is also working on her first nal term this past spring. exciting to run right next to people, as opscreenplay for submission to the Samuel After rejoining the team in January, posed to just being in your lane. It makes Goldwyn Writing Awards. Turner posted Cal’s fastest 400-meter time track more of a contact sport.” Turner said she plans to take what she’s of the indoor season, covering the distance Turner was a staple of the relay the past sevlearned at Cal and use those tools to attempt in a school-record 54.31 when she took sec- eral years and in 2007 ran leadoff when the to change the way racial Bears set a school record minorities are portrayed with a time of 3:35.46 at in television shows and the California Collegiate movies. She believes Challenge. the curriculum in graduSecond-year assisate school will give her tant coach Mike Gipthe support necessary son, who oversees the to develop more roles sprinters and hurdlers, and relevant projects has seen Turner grow for people of color that and mature since he arintegrate them with the rived at Cal. mainstream, not alien“Since my first day ate them. here, Brook has been “I have been so disa leader,” Gipson said. appointed by efforts “Even with the foot towards diversity made injury that ended her within the entertainindoor and outdoor ment industry,” Turner seasons last year, she said. “Numerous telestill stuck with the team vision shows have preand was a mentor to the dominantly Caucasian freshmen and the rest lead casts and minority of the underclassmen. roles are usually tempo“This year, she was rary or walk-on. Hownot in school in the fall ever, films and televi- Brook Turner and her mother, Judith, celebrate Brook’s graduation in May with a degree in because she put off her sion shows with a large film studies. graduation from a year minority cast have been ago to come back for “A lot of people look to me to answer questions. I make placed in a very small her fifth year. So with myself available whenever younger athletes on the team niche. They are targeted only one semester to have questions or need advice, but they also provide me specifically towards the go, she pushed that with a lot of information and help me out.” minority group they semester to the spring. represent.” She had to work out ei– Brook Turner on her leadership role After originally dether on her own or onebating whether to study medicine when she ond place at the conference championships. on-one with me. That’s kind of difficult to first came to Cal, Turner realized that the She also didn’t waste any time in becoming do, but she progressed very well.” field wasn’t a passion of hers and decided an NCAA outdoor regional qualifier in the As a strong student who also excelled to follow a dream she had since she was 400, as she clocked a time of 54.35 at the on the track, Turner relished the leaderlittle. Her mother, Judith, got her involved Cal Outdoor Opener in March. ship role that came with being a fifth-year with theater, ballet and modeling at the age “That win was pretty good, based on senior. of five, and Turner’s interest in entertain- time,” Turner said. “My goal for that meet “A lot of people look to me to answer ment was sparked. was just to get the regional qualifier out of questions,” Turner said. “I make myself Turner’s decision to trek across the coun- the way, and it wasn’t a bad opener for me. available whenever younger athletes on the try to Berkeley from her native Beach- It bodes well for the rest of the season.” team have questions or need advice, but wood, Ohio, came about because she felt In April, Turner put on a good show at they also provide me with a lot of informaCal provided the perfect mix of athletics the track in her final collegiate home meet tion and help me out.” and academics. An important factor in the at Edwards Stadium, posting a season-best Even though her track career at Cal came decision was the fact she could train year time of 24.60 in the 200m to take top hon- to an end in June, rest assured Turner has round in California, away from the snow of ors and prevailing in the 400m in 54.12. not concluded her final act. The curtain is her home state. Later at the Pac-10 championships, Turner just now rising on the aspiring director. summer 2009

feature

Dahlin Takes Long Road to Cal Crew Army Veteran Winds His Way to Berkeley via Tours in Kosovo and Iraq By Dean Caparaz ’90 Dan Dahlin

Joining the Army

pon graduating from Edison High School, Dahlin felt he was not prepared to go to a four-year college. He did consider attending Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa because it was close to home, but at the time, the lure of the military was stronger than that of higher education. Dahlin enlisted at the age of 18 and was in the Army from July 2000 through December 2004 during his active service; he is now a part of the inactive reserve. After graduating from basic training and the U.S. Army Airborne School, he was stationed with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in upstate New York for a year before deploying to Kosovo in November of 2001. A member of a scout/recon platoon for his battalion, he spent six and a half months in Kosovo, where his mission was to stop the smuggling of black market goods, mainly cigarettes, in the mountains between Macedonia and Kosovo. “It wasn’t real exciting, but it was different,” Dahlin recalled. Dahlin returned to Fort Drum for about a year and then deployed to Iraq, where he was stationed for another 12 months, spending much of his time as an alpha team leader in support of his squad and platoon. A tragedy back home led Dahlin to leave active service. While in Iraq, one of his brothers was killed in an automobile accident. “My parents lost a son in an unexpected manner, and here they have another son deployed in Iraq, and there’s all this news about soldiers dying,” Dahlin said. “The military allowed me to go home for two weeks for emergency leave, so I was there for the funeral. But it’s tough to look at your mom or your dad and try and promise

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rom almost any angle, Dan Dahlin clearly took a unique path to California men’s crew. The Huntington Beach, Calif., product arrived in Berkeley by way of a four-and-a-half year stint in the U.S. Army followed by two terms at Orange Coast College. Now as a 27-year-old junior with the Bears, he can speak of experiences his much younger teammates can only imagine. “He’s a dedicated guy, and he’s a great team guy,” head coach Mike Teti said. “I could see why he was a good soldier – he’s at practice every day, on time, gives 100 percent every time he comes down here. Not only do I notice it, but his teammates notice it, too.” Assistant coach Luke Agnini, just one year Dahlin’s senior at age 28, agreed. “He’s great with the other guys,” Agnini said. “If their attitude goes bad, he’ll speak up and get everyone united. He’s very organized, has a very high GPA and is a balanced guy. As far as physical maturity, there’s no difference between him and his younger teammates. In rowing, it’s in your 30s when you start peaking out.” For someone who has been rowing for just four years, it’s been quite a journey, and in many ways, it has only just begun.

them, ‘Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll be back,’ which is the promise I made, of course, with all intention of making it back. But you never know.” A sergeant at that point, Dahlin had considered pursuing officer training. But a few months after returning from Iraq, he decided it was best to stay home.

Dan Dahlin rides in a Black Hawk helicopter in Kosovo during his stint in the Army.

“He’s a dedicated guy, and he’s a great team guy. I could see why he was a good soldier – he’s at practice every day, on time, gives 100 percent every time he comes down here. Not only do I notice it, but his teammates notice it, too.” – head coach Mike Teti

Right Place, right time

Right

ahlin spent three months working at an old job before enrolling at Orange Coast College, where we was a parttime student during the 2005-06 academic year. Then in the fall of 2006, a chance encounter with Coast freshman crew coach Pat Gleason altered his course. “He said, ‘You’re over 6-feet and you don’t appear to have any health issues, and you’re certainly not overweight, so why don’t you join crew?’” Dahlin said. Dahlin found crew intriguing and signed on despite lacking a rowing background. He spent much of the fall semester catching up to the other Pirates before enjoying his first race in the spring of ’07. “I made it into the first novice boat, and that was really a big deal for me and for OCC, because that group of guys was one of the better ones to come through OCC for a while,” Dahlin said. “We ran the board in the big races for us. We didn’t win the San Diego Crew Classic. But we got second (behind Cal in the novice 8 grand final), beating Stanford, Northeastern and these other big crews.” In 2008, he was a co-captain and a member of the varsity 8, which earned a spot in the second varsity 8 race at the IRA Regatta. The Pirates finished fifth. “It was great that they allowed OCC to race (its V8 in the 2V8 race), because we were the only junior college with a crew program,” Dahlin said. “That group of guys, the bond with them was really special. That’s what really cemented crew for me and was just like a massive transition point from the Army to college.”

A Stepping Stone to Berkeley

owing for Coast provided the foundation for his next transition: going to Cal. Through the years, many OCC alumni have rowed for the Bears, including current Stanford coach Craig Amerkhanian, Penn coach Fred Honebein and Wisconsin coach Chris Clark. What also helped was that Dahlin’s OCC teammates James Long-Lerno and Will Prioleau decided to enroll at Cal with him. Moving again wasn’t difficult for Dahlin. There is a difference between OCC and Cal academically, but he’s on course to graduate next year with a political science degree and hopes to pursue law school. The learning curve for Cal crew has been steeper. Dahlin has had to work hard to earn a spot on the fourth varsity 8. He is committed to reaching higher. “Coach Teti runs a rigorous program,” Dahlin said. “He demands a level of fitness that is higher than at Orange Coast and at any other college that I can imagine. It’s amazing. He can make boats row at ridiculous speeds. Our two top boats, the varsity and JV 8s, are some of the fastest boats that I’ve ever seen. “Next year, I want to find a way to be in that top-16 guys, to scratch, claw, do whatever it takes. I’m not at retirement age yet.”

Dan Dahlin and his Cal teammates after defeating Stanford in the 2009 Big Row at Redwood Shores

summer 2009

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Model of Consistency Tennis’ Claire Ilcinkas Earns Cal’s Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Award By Jeremy Wu

alifornia women’s tennis All-American Claire Ilcinkas put in countless hours of Ilcinkas knew she faced a challenge when she study to reach the academic levels she first joined the Golden Bears. But with a little time, attained, but asserts that her decision to select Cal came naturally because of mixed in with a lot of motivation and determination, she the quality in academia and athletics. had become a solid model of consistency four years “I wanted to go to a school that later when she received her degree. had both a great tennis program and

This past May, Ilcinkas earned a bachelor’s a great academic level. Berkeley was excellent at both levels,” degree in economics with a cumulative grade- said Ilcinkas. point average of 3.69. Although her collegiate tennis career has In competition, Ilcinkas put her brilliance on display early on come to an end, she has already mapped out plans for her post-Cal as she notched 25 wins in both singles and doubles competition as academic path. Shortly after helping the Bears to a runner-up finish a freshman. Her performance level would never diminish as she at the NCAA championships, Ilcinkas boarded a plane for her native reached the 20-win mark in singles each of her four years to finFrance, where she interviewed for admission to several of Paris’ top ish with a 111-41 record. In dual matches only, she maintained graduate programs in management. a .766 winning percentage, claiming a Facing the next step with a plan in mind four-year record of 59-18. is nothing new to Ilcinkas. When she first As a senior, Ilcinkas finished 11-0 in arrived in Berkeley, she navigated unduals from the fourth and fifth singles charted waters with ease because she was courts and racked up a 20-4 overall reprepared. cord. Also strong as a doubles partner, “My two priorities were tennis and acaIlcinkas posted at least 25 wins every demics,” said Ilcinkas, “so I tried to be orseason to put up a 107-49 doubles mark. ganized and use my time as efficiently as Ilcinkas led the Bears during her junior possible in order to be successful in both.” year with a 35-9 singles record and While she admits that it took some time earned ITA All-American status and a to adjust to the effort required in both the second-team spot on the Pac-10 Allclassroom and on the tennis courts, what Conference team. she produced with those efforts brought her Her strong play helped the Bears to success on a consistent basis. As a sophothe most successful three-season stretch more, Ilcinkas was selected to the Pac-10 in school history with two consecutive All-Academic second team. She would subNCAA runner-up finishes and a schoolsequently be chosen for first-team honors record final ranking of No. 3 in 2008. in her junior and senior years. One of her The accomplishments have not changed highest academic honors came at the May Ilcinkas, who consistently revisits what Academic Honors Luncheon when she rebrought success in the first place. ceived the Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Award “I think achieving consistency for having the highest GPA among Cal’s Claire Ilcinkas’ effort helped the Bears to their most just takes a lot of motivation and successful three-year stretch in school history. graduating female student-athletes. determination,” she said. Claire Ilcinkas

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ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Zero Opportunity Cost Shannon Yocum Excelled On and Off the Tee during Her Golden Bear Career

By Eric Dezendorf

uring her four-year career at Cal, women’s found that the pressures of the added time comgolf senior Shannon Yocum hit the library mitment forced her to set a more rigid schedule that kept her more focused in the classroom. as hard as she hit a golf ball. “During the offseason, it’s a lot harder to

The co-captain not only led the Golden make a good schedule because you end up relaxing,” Yocum said. Bears with some stellar performances, but she “You end up procrastinating everything. So I feel like the rigidity also turned in a cumulative 3.52 grade-point of the golf schedule and coach being on you to get your stuff done average and earned her bachelor’s degree in adds a bit of pressure, but it makes it easier.” Shannon Yocum Her teammates and coaches became her best friends, also helpeconomics May. Opportunity cost – the value of the next-best alternative given up ing to keep her accountable for her responsibilities in the classas the result of choosing something else — is a thought that never room. Through it all, Yocum maintained that finishing college will have a much bigger impact on her than entered Yocum’s mind. She gave up neifinishing her career as a member of the ther academics nor golf as a collegian, and Cal team. instead excelled at both. “I have worked hard and the end of the “I’ve never been able to settle,” Yocum tunnel is finally here,” Yocum declared. said, “so I really wanted to push myself in “There is no more studying, going to both golf and school.” classes or tutor sessions. My life can beThis hardworking attitude propelled gin, for better or worse! In golf, the culYocum to an average of 74.3 strokes per mination of my college career does mean round in her senior campaign, second that I have to leave my friends and teamon the team, as well as an opportunity to mates and go off and succeed on my own write an honors thesis in economics titled with no coaches or team support. HowThe Economic and Social Impact of Immiever, I have wanted to be a professional gration: An Empirical Analysis of Develgolfer for many years now and I am reoped Countries. Yocum said that handing ally excited to see how far I can go on it in was the best academic moment of her my own without the stress of school.” time at Cal. Yocum should be ready to take her “I felt really honored to be in such great game and compete as a pro. She won company,” recalled a beaming Yocum. the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic back on “People here at Berkeley are ridiculously Sept. 9, 2008, and has been one of the smart. To have the opportunity to be part Golden Bears’ top golfers throughout her of that and write about something I was collegiate years. really passionate about was awesome.” Yocum truly made the most of her Golf and academics have gone hand opportunities while at Cal. Succeeding in hand for Yocum as far back as she can academically came at no cost to her remember. The chance to excel at one has Shannon Yocum learned to succeed in golf and golf game. never meant sacrificing the other. She even academics without sacrificing either endeavor. summer 2009

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Renaissance Woman Track & Field’s Mackenzie Pierce Finds Fulfillment at Cal

By Anna Oleson-Wheeler

ollegiate sports have never been a world lacking motivation or ambition. Despite the demands of training, competition and academics being ever present for student-athletes, California senior track & field star Mackenzie Pierce found new avenues for both success and inspiration outside the realm of her athletic endeavors.

national and world champions, living in the Bay Area and benefitting from what she terms the “holistic education” at Cal has proved to be everything she hoped it would be. “Cal’s reputation precedes itself with its amazing academics,” Pierce said. “The area is beautiful. To be a Golden Bear – what an amazing opportunity In addition to excelling on the track, Pierce – sometimes I think about how I lucked out to come to school made time in her busy schedule to take an ac- here. I’m blessed to have had four years at Cal – I wish I could tive role in Cal’s Student-Athlete Advisory have eight.” For Pierce, majoring in peace and conflict studies provided the Committee (SAAC) and help at a unique café with a community purpose, as well as finish perfect combination of political science and economics with a little bit of psychology. She especially enjoyed a practicum in small her degree in peace and conflict studies. Pierce noted that a highlight of her time at Cal group management in which she studied mediation, negotiation, verbal and written agreements, and conflict was assisting with Karma Mackenzie Pierce resolution. Kitchen, a volunteer-run “You can’t find anything like the peace and restaurant that offers food free of charge and inconflict studies department here at Cal,” Pierce vites its guests to “pay it forward” in any manner said. “It is the school’s ultimate department. We they can. get so many great and mature individuals. We “My involvement in this gift-economy experilearn to dissect, be objective and listen to what ment at Karma Kitchen has pushed me beyond people are saying. It has been a truly rewardwhat I once believed to be my boundaries both ing experience to connect with the people and physically and emotionally,” Pierce said. faculty.” In addition, Pierce’s involvement with SAAC Pierce, who is trilingual in English, French allowed her to grow as a person, aid her comand German, is closing her Cal academic camunity and prepare her for the challenges in the reer with two classes this summer. She has her classroom and on the track. sights set on graduate school and hopes to work “SAAC has invigorated and expanded not at an international corporation. No matter what only my ability, but my drive, to make a differthe future holds, she reflected that she is preence,” she said. “In many ways, SAAC has been pared for anything. a saving grace for it has shown me that I am a “Cal has been the most amazing experience that bigger and a more capable person that I would if I could thank the coaches, teammates, friends have ever imagined myself to have been.” and staff that I’ve had at Cal for the rest of my Pierce, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Mackenzie Pierce said she will leave has never once regretted her decision to come Cal “with a sense of fullness that is just life, it wouldn’t be enough,” Pierce said. “I leave with a sense of fullness that is just wonderful.” cross-country to attend Cal. Training with wonderful.” 36

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