Registration Issue 2011: Sports

P H OTO I L LU ST R AT I O N BY

ALEXA SMAHL

AND

BLAINE OHIGASHI/ DA I LY

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

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No more pain, just gains for Fauria

BY RYAN MENEZES Bruin Sports senior staff rmenezes@media.ucla.edu

BLAINE OHIGASHI/ DA I LY

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

Redshirt junior tight end Joseph Fauria is a great asset to UCLA’s ever-developing aerial attack. Despite limited playing time last year, he has stepped up this season, running for 110 yards against Houston.

Joseph Fauria got to enjoy only the dregs of games last season: garbage time. And for someone so tall, that was a quite a small role to play.

He caught three balls in 2010.

Two were for touchdowns, but meaningless ones – his first at Arizona State helped UCLA lose by three touchdowns instead of four, his last came in the finale against USC with 23 seconds left.

Combine that with a 2008 that saw him barely get off the bench as a freshman at Notre Dame and a 2009 that was lost because of a mandatory redshirt season after his transfer from the Fighting Irish to the Bruins, and the redshirt junior tight end was looking at three straight seasons without considerable playing time going into this fall.

“It was taxing on my will, and my drive,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. But I think in the long run, it made me a lot stronger.”

That put a damper on the perpetual happiness he normally exudes, but so far this year the 6-foot-8-inch Encino native is finally enjoying the success he had hoped for when he left Notre Dame to come back home, and he’s all smiles.

“I’m happier when I’m on the field helping my team,” Fauria said. “Once we win some more games, I’m going to be even hap-

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EDITOR’S NOTE Thanks for picking up a copy of the Daily Bruin Registration Issue. You may notice a lack of coverage of Saturday’s football game against Texas, and some other more recent news from the weekend isn’t present in this issue either. Because of the size of our Sports Registration Issue, the paper was sent to the printer on Wednesday. This prevented us from putting any of this weekend’s football coverage in this issue. Read about the Texas game and stay up-to-date with men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s water polo online at dailybruin.com/sports, on our blog at dailybruin.com/bruinsights and make sure to follow us on Twitter @DBSports.

Section to focus on reader engagement ERIC PECK Welcome to the 2011-2012 Da i ly Bruin Sports section. My name is Eric, and this year I, along with my trusted staff and editors Mansi, Jacob and Chris, will be working to deliver to you the UCLA sports news you so desperately crave.

You probably already have some idea of what we do here, but this brief introduction will hopefully give you some insight into what we’ve been up to over the summer.

O u r paper h a s sl i m med down – it’s leaner and more efficient, and we’re excited about that. We’ve been using our time during the summer to plan out our goals for this year, which include increasing our online presence, making greater use

of multimedia and graphics, and providing a wide variety of content. We want to increase coverage of club and intramural sports and will be working to find off-beat stories that are more than just stats and scores.

A big focus for us has been to engage our readers – whether it’s through an online poll or on Twitter, Facebook or our blog Bruin Sights. Online is the place to go for live game updates and breaking news, and we want to hear your feedback. We’re all students here, and we all have something to learn from each other.

So whether you’re powerwalking to class or stumbling back to your dorm on Thursday nights, keep an eye out for the Daily Bruin, and don’t hesitate to pick up a copy. Oh, and make sure you read the back page first.

Young women’s soccer team shows title potential

BY LEE WITBECK Bruin Sports contributor lwitbeck@media.ucla.edu The Karate Kid is a classic coming-of-age story. Young Daniel LaRusso moves from New Jersey to California, and is immediately bullied by the students of the Cobra Kai dojo. He is forced to grow up in a hurry, learns karate from Mr. Miyagi, and by the end, his opponents have to fight dirty to even have a chance.

What does this have to do with the UCLA women’s soccer

team? In a town where everything is either already a movie script or simply waiting to be, it has everything to do with women’s soccer.

You see, the UCLA women’s soccer team is going through its own coming-of-age story.

Twelve of the Bruins’ 28 players are youthful true freshmen from all over the United States (and one from New Zealand).

If the team is serious about its title aspirations, it will need the young girls to mature and mature fast.

Not to worry, according to

coach B.J. Snow. These 17- and 18-year-old girls are already grown-ups in the game of soccer.

“Age doesn’t matter. The game doesn’t know how old you are. So it doesn’t matter if you are 17 years old, 25 years old, 30 years old, a good soccer player is a good soccer player,” Snow said.

“Experience isn’t an issue. It’s not an excuse for us, and never will be an excuse for us.”

If early season results are any indication, Snow might just be right. Through the non-conference schedule so far, the Bruins

are 6-0-1, and freshmen have been featured throughout the starting lineup all season.

And none of this is a surprise to Snow.

“We’re the ones who recruited them, “ Snow said. “If we didn’t think they had the ability to step in right away, we wouldn’t have recruited them.”

Even so, one does not simply walk into college. Especially here at UCLA, where both athletics and academics are a far JOY JACOBSON/ DA I LY

W. SOCCER | Page 7

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

From left to right, Samantha Mewis, Katelyn Rowland and Abby Dahlkemper are all freshmen who are making big first impressions on the soccer field.

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DAILY BRUIN | Registration Issue 2011 | sports | dailybruin.com/sports

FOOTBALL

Video: A New Breed of Bruins

from page 3

JOY JACOBSON/ DA I LY

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

Fresh out of a summer training session with a strong focus on team-building, this year’s Bruins have their minds set on taking the Pac-12 championship. See players Joseph Fauria and Johnathan Franklin explain why they have what it takes at dailybruin.com/video

Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/DailyBruin

pier.”

He quickly helped by making his tall, long and rangy presence felt in the season opener against Houston. For UCLA, moving the ball downfield was as easy as lobbing a ball up toward Fauria, who grabbed everything with the ease of a center boxing out guards for rebounds on the hardwood.

W hen th i rd dow n rol led arou nd, the Br u i ns si mply looked for the guy a head above everyone else, hitting their tallest player for gains of 21, 26 and 29 yards to keep the chains moving. On one touchdow n drive, Fauria accounted for 56 of 80 yards and capped it with the score, a five-yard catch from Richard Brehaut.

The end results: six receptions – one for a touchdown – and 110 receiving yards, the most by a Bruin tight end since Marcedes Lewis, named the nation’s top tight end in 2005 and now a Pro Bowler in the NFL. His coach wasn’t surprised.

“He’s got such great length and range, he’s tough to cover,” coach Rick Neuheisel said after the game. “We anticipated what

we saw on the field with Joe.” Fauria then went out and matched his touchdown count from a year ago with a 14-yard score against San Jose State – on a third down, once again.

The pain of having to watch from the sidelines is gone, and so too is the pain from Fauria’s injured groin. Well, almost. The injury cost him the beginning of last season’s fall camp, which killed any momentum he had gained from a standout spring, and lingered during the season, destroying his chances of seeing the field.

Now, after an offseason spent responsibly taking care of the groin, it’s still in the back of his mind, but he’s nursed it back to the point where he can see playing time before the proverbial scraps are on the field.

UCL A’s ever- developi n g aerial attack sure could use a healthy Fauria. He’s the biggest target any quarterback could ever want, and it’s easy to get him the ball.

“If you throw it above my head, I’m going to jump for it, and no one else is going to get it besides me,” he said firmly.

If it keeps up, Fauria will have turned one season’s trash into another season’s treasure.

With reports from Sam Strong, Bruin Sports senior staff.

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Transfers in search of championship Lee, Munoz ready to assist with title hopes after leaving other programs for UCLA’s high-level play

BY DANIEL KHAYAT Bruin Sports reporter dkhayat@media.ucla.edu Ryan Lee and Victor Munoz are from two different walks of life, let alone sides of Earth.

Born in Charlottesville, Va., and raised in Cleveland, Lee starred at Orange High School and played 35 games for the Ohio State men’s soccer team over the past two seasons, advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament last winter.

Munoz, a 21-year-old native of Madrid, Spain, spent eight years rising through the ranks of the youth tea m at Rea l Madrid, plus one at that of Celta de Vigo.

“When you reach the highest level of youth teams (in Spain),” Munoz said, “you have to either continue to play soccer at the highest level or you have to study. You cannot do both.”

And since he was dissatisfied

with the contract offered to him

by Celta de Vigo, Munoz chose instead to come to America to continue his soccer career and pursue a higher education at Iona.

While Munoz and Lee may lack similarities in their backgrou nds, they do have one thing in common: They both transferred to UCLA to contend for a national championship with the rest of the No. 16 Bruins (2-2-1).

“The soccer here is second to none,” Lee said. “UCLA is one of those programs that has so much history and respect. That was a big draw.”

Though Lee has only cracked coach Jorge Salcedo’s starting lineup once through the first five games of the season, he said that he would prefer to be a role player on a team that can contend for a national championship than a more prominent player on a team that wasn’t in the national title picture.

“That wasn’t in our reach was more ahead at (Ohio State) (at Ohio State),” Lee said. “But than I am here.” it’s the goal here every year at But if the going ever seems UCLA.” to get too tough, Munoz and Munoz, a sophomore attack- Lee can look to Matt Wiet, who ing midfielder who brings both was in their shoes a season ago. flair and vision to the Bruins Wiet, a center defender who when he’s on the field – last sea- is starting his second year for son, he was second in the Bruins after assists for Iona with one at I nd i a n a , five – envisions himsaid that while his I wanted to new tea m mates self lifting the College play here in the Cup as well. may not be play“I wanted to play U.S. ... and UCLA ing quite as much here in the U.S. at the as they’re used to, highest level, and I has probably one they will get their knew that UCLA has of the top ... proopportunities. probably one of the grams.” “ K e e p w o r ktop f ive prog r a m s ing, and keep tryh e r e i n s o c c e r,” Victor Munoz i n g,” Wiet sa id.

Munoz said.

Sophomore midfielder “(Munoz and Lee) Athletic hopes and a re bot h re a l ly a spi r at ion s a side, good, and it’s just transferring from one school to a matter of time before they get another is never an easy ordeal, their shot.” academically or socially.

Even thou g h the Br u i ns “One of the ha rd th i n gs sputtered out of the gate to about transferring here was start this season, Salcedo can going away from my family and be confident that he has two away from my friends,” Lee newcomers who are detersaid. mined to help the team achieve “It’s always a pain in the butt the ultimate goal waiting in the for credits to transfer, and I wings.

BLAINE OHIGASHI/ DA I LY

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

Junior Ryan Lee and sophomore Victor Munoz both transferred to the UCLA men’s soccer team at the beginning of this year.

Not just teammates, but friends

BY SAM STRONG Bruin Sports senior staff sstrong@media.ucla.edu T he r u n n i n g g a me h a s been key to UCLA’s success in nearly every game coach Rick Neuheisel has won since he changed to the pistol offense before the 2010 season.

A big reason for that has been redshirt junior running back Johnathan Franklin, the Bruins’ leading rusher through the first two games and a member

of several watch lists for postseason awards.

Another key, a less heralded key, to UCL A’s success on t he g r ou n d h a s JOHNATHAN been sen ior FRANKLIN Derrick Coleman. Coleman gets fewer carries than Franklin but he makes the most of them,

averaging more yards per carry than h i s sm a l ler, quicker backf ield mate.

Coleman won’t show up on any watch lists but he’s DERRICK developed a C OLEMAN reputation as a powerf u l back.

On Sept. 10 against San Jose State, Coleman saved his team from what would have been an embarrassing loss by leading the team in rushing with 14 carries for 135 yards, all of them coming after halftime.

“A bigger guy is able to carry his pads with more force,” Neuheisel said after the game.

“That’s why Derrick was so important to today’s win.”

Coleman is the bruiser, the

FRIENDS | Page 7

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Corruption: the ugly side of athletic success Combination of hero-worship, football’s popularity is breeding ground for scandals at elite programs RYAN ESHOFF

ESH PRINTS The tattoo parlor I’ve selected is somewhat nondescript.

Still, though, it fits in perfectly with its surroundings – tucked into the same shopping plaza as a car repair service, a pet store and an adult store with inflatable dolls in the window, it’s just one body shop in a sea of many.

This tattoo parlor – whose name I will withhold – is the site of a grand experiment.

A f ter a l l, one of t he most bemusing college football scandals in a year that has seen so many came out of Ohio State University, where a number of star players were found to have exchanged memorabilia and awards for body art.

Don’t we all want to know

FRIENDS from page 6 muscle, the thunder of UCLA’s backfield.

“When you start hitting them in the mouth, there are two different types of people,” Coleman said. “There’s the type of people who will respond to it and the type of people who will back off, and we’re not the type of team to back off. We decided to hit them back in the mouth and that’s what my job is.

“They gave me the role to go out there and get those tough yards, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Franklin; the speed, agility and quickness of the running back corps, likes stepping in against a defense that has been wor n dow n by Coleman’s downhill running style.

In a game last season against Washington State, Franklin gobbled up 216 yards on the ground but Coleman did the dirty work. He scored three

what it feels like to be an elite college football player? Most of us won’t have the chance to come storming out of stadium tunnels on a fall Saturday, but maybe a sociological experiment will help us understand.

There’s one guy working at the parlor, and he’s had more experience with ink than Will Shakespeare. (On first glance, I think I see Othello tattooed on his neck. Upon closer inspection, though, it’s only Hendrix, looking like he’d just gotten his wisdom teeth taken out. Disappointing.)

I make my personal body art request – the Statue of Liberty holding a lightsaber on my lower back – and he names his price. I counter: “Instead of paying you in cash,” I begin, “I have this writing award that I won last year.

Best Collegiate Sports Columnist in the southwestern United States. Here’s the plaque, it’s all

touchdowns, all of them from inside the 10-yard line.

“They don’t want to hit that big boy,” Franklin said. “They don’t want to come up and make those hits that they did early in the game. They have no energy and they don’t want to initiate the contact.”

I n t he s e a s o n op e ner, Franklin had success getting around the edges and burning Houston’s defensive front for 128 yards.

San Jose State saw that tape and weren’t allowing Franklin to have the corner, making way for Coleman to shed tacklers up the middle. He broke off a 42-yard run in that game that included a forearm shiver to a Spartan defensive back. Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson is glad to have both backs at his disposal for whatever type of play-calling situation he finds himself in.

“Each game is different,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you’re going to have breakout runs and you want Johnathan and sometimes you have to grind it out. We’ll use whoever

yours. Straight-up exchange?” their screw-ups discovered Crickets. He stares at the next? award like it’s a failed health Par t of the problem at a i nspection cer ti ficate. The place such as Ohio State is experiment has hit a snag. regional. College football is How crazy has this sport a way of life in many parts of gotten? Those Ohio State play- the country, not just a onceers were able to trade their a-week hobby. The Buckeye gear for tattoos. Athletes at the players are local heroes, easily University of Miami recognizable icons had a booster prowith whom tattoo v id i n g them w ith artists are readily At what prostitutes, yacht willing to reach an pa r t ies a nd h a rd point does it arrangement. cash. It’s been an become unhealthy I spent some ugly, ugly stretch to hold these time in the Midwest for college football, earlier this month and these are tat- college athletes in and spent an entire toos on the integ- such high esflight listening to rity of the sport that teem? middle-aged busiwill be difficult to nesswomen breakremove. i n g dow n thei r One of the most disconcert- respective teams. i ng aspects of the trend of At what point does it become scandals is that they’re occur- unhealthy to hold these college ring at landmark programs. athletes in such high esteem?

USC has had its fair share of It’s not the kind of atmosphere problems. Ohio State, Miami … that we’ve had to con front who knows which elite schools here at UCLA, where we’re will be next to screw up? Or both victims and beneficiaries perhaps the better question: from a lack of success. When Which elite school will have the Bruins start reaching Bowl

we have to use to win but both of those guys will be key for us.”

Franklin as No. 1 on the depth chart and Coleman as No. 1A seems commonplace to anyone who has been around the program for the last two seasons but it wasn’t always that way.

At the outset of the 2008 season, Coleman and Franklin were competing for playing time with fellow freshmen Aundre Dean and Milton Knox as well as redshirt freshman Raymond Carter. Dean transferred to TCU after the 2008 season while Carter took off to Colorado State. Knox would later transfer to Fresno State following the 2009 season.

“Me and Coleman have competed and put our egos to the side,” Franklin said. “We were patient and we waited our turn.

We came out here daily and worked and believed in ourselves. We knew we would be on that field one day to take this team where it needs to be.

“That’s my bro right there,” he said, pointing in Coleman’s direction. “I love him.”

W. SOCCER from page 3 cry above those of high school, it’s a distinction the freshmen class has noticed.

“Here, they treat us like professionals,” said Katelyn Rowland, a freshman who has been starting in the net for UCLA. “They expect so much from you every day, so you have to come focused and ready to play.”

You’d think that for girls whose high school graduation was a scant few months ago, coming to UCLA and being pressed i nto ser v ice ea rly against tough non-conference foes on the road, like highly ranked Tennessee and Florida, would provide extraordinary pressure.

It’s proven thus far, however, no more pressure than the Bruin freshmen can handle. In fact, they even seem to like it. “I think it’s good pressure. You want to do well, not only for yourself, but for the team. Everyone holds each other account-

Championship Series games, expect the parasites to come a-swarming.

Sure, it’s hard to imagine the kind of college football hero-worship often seen in the Midwest and the South taking place in Los Angeles, home of Kobe, Blake Griffin and Hollywood. But look what happened across town. USC has taken serious hits to its program in the wake of the Reggie Bush scandal.

Success breeds excess. Rose Bowls attract insects.

The potential for UCLA to rise as a college football power – something that its fans desire, undoubtedly – comes wrapped in caution tape. I hesitate to call it a double-edged sword, because a consistently successful football team is incredibly beneficial to a school.

But col lege footba l l ha s become such a powerful socioeconomic force that the possibility of corruption is always lurking.

Even the benchmark of collegiate athletic success – the

UCLA basketball team’s run of success in the ’60s and ’70s under John Wooden – is somewhat tainted by the presence of Sam Gilbert, the booster whose relationship with many Bruins would have today’s NCAA ad m i n i strators r ush i n g to cleanse themselves.

We’re really at a crossroads of sorts for college football. The sport’s popularity and exposure are at all-time highs, and yet, the postseason system is under constant dispute, the actions of the NCAA are often farcical, and scandals threaten to rip apart the country’s most storied programs.

These days, can you trust a booster to act with integrity?

Can you trust a player to treat hero-worship with humility?

Can you trust a tattoo artist to accurately draw a permanent image on your body?

It’s all a bit, well, sketch.

able,” freshman defender Abby Dahlkemper said. Dahlkemper has been a fixture in the Bruin backline, stepping into the big shoes left by departed senior Lauren Barnes. “I think that’s what you need to be successful.”

Successful? At UCLA, success is measured in championships. Could a team full of freshmen really win a national championship?

That’s an important question for senior forward and leading scorer Sydney Leroux. For a player whose soccer future is certainly far from over, her UCLA career nearly is.

“This is my last season. More than ever I want a national championship,” Leroux said.

“UCLA has never won a championship, and that’s why I came here, because I wanted to do something about it. I think that’s why they came here as well.”

Have no fear, Leroux. This freshmen class is on the same page.

“Our class wants to be part of history,” Rowland said.

“I think this is the year we can really potentially win it all,”

Dahlkemper added.

“Going into college, everyone wants to win a national championship. So we all came in here thinking this is the place,” freshman midfielder Samantha Mewis said. “It’s a mutual goal for us.”

Snow is there, too.

“People come to school here because they want to play for national championships every year. That’s not something we have to talk about because they all came in with that expectation,” Snow said.

And to think, this is year one with these freshmen. The future is clearly bright, and UCLA looks as if it is ready to resume its dominant identity. “The goal of our program is to continue to have success every year. It’s not like they were brought in to build something; the success was already here,” Snow said.

Of course, the Bruins still have no women’s soccer championship banners. But if all goes according to script this year, UCLA will leave Johnny from Cobra Kai on the mat, and walk away with the title.

If you want to know whether or not he ended up getting tatted, email Eshoff at reshoff@media.ucla.edu.

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Rugby tries to expand team It’s not all about brawn as the club hopes to recruit diverse athletes for different positions

BY MANSI SHETH Bruin Sports senior staff msheth@media.ucla.edu

BY LIZ SCHNEIDER Bruin Sports contributor lschneider@media.ucla. edu David Martini did not come to UCLA planning to play rugby.

He picked up the sport at the end of sophomore year, after playing two seasons as a wide receiver for the Bruins, because he was “just looking for something to do.”

“My brother told me to try playing rugby,” Martini said.

“He told me, ‘You know how to run, you know how to tackle – it’s a fun game.’”

In June, Martini graduated from UCLA and headed to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista to play in the USA Rugby Men’s All-Star Sevens Championship as one of the 18 best collegiate players in the country.

Consider i ng the m i nute number of high school rugby programs in the U.S., these crossover athletes have been integral to the growing success of the UCLA men’s rugby club.

T wo years ago, a Br u i n squad, half comprised of players with no pre-college exper ience, placed 16th i n the National Collegiate Playoffs.

So when the UCLA men’s rugby club hosts its first annual

Emotions run high on IM Field

C O U RT E SY O F

LEONARD BRAGG

The UCLA men’s rugby club will hold tryouts at the beginning of the year in its search for more quality athletes to fill the wide variety of positions on the 15-man team.

training camp this week, they and in place, so that we can know it will be much more than really attract people by showan opportunity to refine their ing how professional our team skills. is.”

The team needs T h i s sen se of to attract athletes pr ofe s s ion a l i s m What you to a spor t that becomes even more they’ve probably do have to be is important considnever played, or committed and ering rugby’s repueven seen played, driven.” tation in the U.S. before. as a less-padded, “Most of ou r Dave Anders-Richard more brutal verrecruiting happens UCLA men’s rugby club sion of footba l l. in zero week,” said A nd while rugby vice president players don’t deny third-year physiological science stuthe game’s physical dent Dave Anders-Richard, the intensity, they are also quick to team’s vice president. “It’s good mention that there is more to a to have our platform developed good rugby player than sheer

muscle.

With such a wide variety of positions on the 15-man team – from the large, strong forwards to the shrewd, tenacious scrum-half – the diversity needed to form a successful team lends itself to a spirit of acceptance.

“The most important thing to dismiss is that you have to be ‘big,’” Anders-Richard said. “What you do have to be is committed and driven. You have to have a cool head and patience. Many of the football players who’ve joined us love

RUGBY | Page 11

high school and they have been playing their whole lives, so it is kind of an outlet to get out their competitive side when they don’t An outraged athlete, red- have a structured team anyfaced and defiant, storms over more,” said IM sports supervito the official and unleashes a sor and fourth-year mechanical string of insults. engineering student Ian WeinT h e r e f e r e e r e m a i n s berg, who has been officiating unmoved and the player’s frus- IM sports for three years. “I’ve tration mounts. seen people who have gotten The scene plays like a broken really fired up.” record, and on UCLA’s IntramuAs the ones making, and ral Field, the song is no different. sometimes missing, the calls, “If you haven’t gotten mad at referees most often bear the a ref yet while playbr u nt of players’ ing IM sports, you aggression. Because probably just haven’t IM officials are also If you p l a y e d e n o u g h ,” students, the age fourth-year econom- haven’t gotten mad barrier that usually ics student Marshall divides older referat a ref yet while Gut tenberg s a id. ees and young ath“Mistakes happen, playing IM sports, letes doesn’t exist, and sometimes you you ... haven’t a nd re spect c a n get caught up in the played enough.” be difficult to earn moment.” among equals.

They may not be “When you miss Marshall Guttenberg playing for national the little calls, peoFourth-year ple get frustrated championships or economics student a n d i t e n d s u p Olympic gold medals, but many of the becoming a bigger UCLA students who play IM deal,” Weinberg said. “The main sports are not joking around. thing is preventative refereeing, The most serious competition calling things early, and if you takes place in A-league and top- know someone is getting an attilevel fraternity games, where tude, then talk to them from the the players are usually experi- beginning. Make sure to stay on enced in the sport. The intensity top of the situation.” is often tinged with nostalgia, But in the heat of the moment, motivated by memories of a time tempers still flare. when the stakes were higher “I remember playing indoor than an IM sports champions T-shirt.

IM SPORTS | Page 9 “People are coming out of

Golf wastes no time getting back on course After finishing eighth at NCAA Championships last year, team members continued to play all summer

BY MANNY REDRUELLO Bruin Sports reporter mredruello@media.ucla. edu For most college students around the country, summer is a time to kick back, relax and enjoy some time to themselves.

Don’t count the UCLA men’s golf team as part of that group.

While the rest of UCLA was

looking for open seats in Powell Library and cramming as much information as they could for June finals, the UCLA men’s golf team had to balance academics while competing in the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla. Although the Bruins were the No. 1 seed heading into the final match play portion of the tournament, they finished eighth after an early

loss to Duke.

With their season officially in the books, Bruin golfers wasted no time in getting back on the course as individual amateurs.

“They’re enjoy i n g themselves and playing well and doing what they need to be doing,” said coach Derek Freeman.

“It’s good for them to get out on their own schedule, they do things how they want and it’s not a team setting. I think they enjoy their time away but they

also look forward to coming back.”

Ta ke sophomore Patr ick Cantlay, who rose to be the No. 1-ranked amateur golfer in the country after a stellar freshman season.

After finishing second in the country at the NCAA Championships, Cantlay competed in the U.S. Open as an amateur, where he finished twentieth UCLA ATHLETICS

M. GOLF | Page 13

Sophomore standout Patrick Cantlay was ranked the No. 1 amateur golfer in the country last year after finishing second in the NCAA championship.

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Sights set on second consecutive NCAA title As defending national champions, the team feels pressure, excitement for upcoming year

BY MANNY REDRUELLO Bruin Sports reporter mredruello@media.ucla. edu

UCLA ATHLETICS

Junior Tiffany Lua helped the women’s golf team to an NCAA championship last year.

Sophomore Ani Gulugian stood on the edge of the 18th green, watching in anticipation as junior Tiffany Lua lined up what would be the last putt of the Bruins’ 20102011 season.

When Lua’s putt finally dropped, Gulugian and the rest of the Bruins stormed the green in frenzied excitement – they had just won UCLA’s 107th national championship.

“It was kind of surreal, we were all shaking,” Gulugian said.

“It was ver y emotional because we all worked really hard throughout the entire year, and then at the end, when we realized we had

won, there were no words to describe the feeling we were feeling.”

Heading into this year with a No. 1 preseason ranking, five golfers ranked in Golfweek’s Top 50, a team that on ly lost one player from last year’s championship roster and a coach in Carrie Forsyth who has won two national championships during her time at UCLA, expectations are high.

T he cha l len ge for the 2011-2012 Bruins will be to live up to those expectations and deliver another championship to Westwood.

Forsyth has taken a proactive approach in managing those expectations, making sure to let her team know that their performance, not their ranking, define how good they are.

“At the end of the day, we’re goi n g to have lots

of conversations about it,” said Forsyth. “It’s great to be considered a great team, but the rankings don’t mean anything until you actually earn the ranking through your performance and your play.”

That walk-the-walk mentality has taken root in the minds of her golfers.

Lua, now a jun ior who finished in a tie for fourth place as an indiv idual at the NCA A Championship, echoed a similar statement when asked about this season’s expectations.

“P res su re i s w h at we make of it … we’re all just going to work hard and focus on our own games and our ow n improvements,” said Lua, who has been working on her short game throughout the summer.

Lua said that she’s seen at least two teammates at ever y t ou r n a ment she’s played in this summer, making it seem as if the season never ended.

Kendo Club hones art, seeks to grow

BY PATRICIA LEE Bruin Sports contributor plee@media.ucla.edu Walk into the Gold Room at the Wooden Center and one can observe unidentified masked figures using swords to attack one another. The sounds of the bamboo rods clashing against each other fills the room. What the common observer cannot see or hear, however, is the amount of effort it takes to appreciate and understand every step and swing each player takes.

Kendo really is much more than whacking others with a weapon. Some may even argue that it is more of an art than a sport.

“It’s a type of art that’s completely new,” said Stephanie Huang, president of the UCLA Kendo Club and third-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student. “It’s hard because there is a lot of etiquette involved that is brand

new, a whole different culture from the American society.”

But Kendo is not all about good manners.

“We’re definitely competitive,” said second-year Design | Media Arts student and equipment manager Jordan Davenport. “Our coach is always pushing us to be the best.”

Attending tournaments is one of the final steps for an aspiring kendo artist. Most students are completely unfamiliar with the sport when they come to UCLA. Even Huang joined Kendo Club fall quarter of her first year on a whim. Like many students, she just wanted to find something new to do. It is the swords that really grab the attention of most newcomers.

“I really liked the idea of swords,” third-year economics student and vice president Mike Seitz said. “I wasn’t too keen on fencing because I’ve seen it so much, and kendo seemed like something different and inter-

C O U RT E SY O F

JULIA WANG

The UCLA Kendo Club practices in the Wooden Center. They participate annually in the largest intercollegiate kendo competitions in the country.

esting to try.”

New members without any prior experience are welcomed with open arms.

Practice goes for two to three hours twice a week, and the Kendo Club offers a completely different experience from what most students are

used to.

“It definitely teaches discipline,” Seitz said. “You have to go to practice. You have to put the suit on, as well as your armor. You have to run around a

KENDO | Page 12

In addition to seeing their teammates, Bruin golfers were likely to see Forsyth at their summer tournaments.

The coach is often able to keep in touch with her current golfers while recruiting future Bruins at the same tournaments.

That recruiting has netted two new Bruins who are expected to contribute right away, Erynne Lee and Kyle Roig.

“I t h i n k t hey ’r e b ot h going to play quite a bit.

They are ver y, ver y good players,” Forsyth said. “We have more depth this year on the team than we did last year, so that’s a good thing.”

Lee and Roig will likely make their debuts at the upcoming Fall Preview on Sept. 23, the Bruins’ first tournament of the year.

Seniors Brianna Do and Stephanie Kono will both be absent from Bruins’ lineup, as they will be qualifying for next summer’s Futures Tour that weekend.

IM SPORTS from page 8 soccer a couple years ago, and we were playing this team that was trying to run down the clock because they got a cheap goal,” said fourth-year electrical engineering student Jeff Norsen, recalling a time when he lost his cool because a team was being unsportsmanlike. “You know, emotions can run high.”

Not all IM sports elicit the same amount of intensity from players. Weinberg believes softball is the most laid-back whereas basketball generates the most heated competition.

“It is fast-paced and a difficult game to catch everything,” said Weinberg, who estimates that he plays on 16 to 18 IM teams every year. “The official plays are hard to predict, and people take it very seriously, especially at UCLA.” Guttenberg disagrees, citing flag football as the most intense IM sport.

“Football is meant to be a contact sport so changing that into a game where you pull a little

With their first tournament just around the corner, Gulugian is confident in her team’s chances for success this season.

“We all worked very hard this summer,” Gulugian said.

“We all have a lot of confidence, ever ybody played well this summer coming into the season.”

Gulugian and her teammates have every right to be confident. They are the defending national champions and are coming off strong summer performances in tournaments across the country.

But the Bruins cannot let that confidence turn into complacency.

“It’s nice to be considered highly, but it doesn’t mean anything right now and we know that,” Forsyth said.

As long as Forsyth is leading the Bruins, there’s no reason they can’t be No. 1 when it counts the most – on the 18th green of the 2012 NCAA Championship.

flag off someone’s hip can create a lot of tension,” he said. “It’s a tough atmosphere to make a contact sport into a non-contact one. People expect a lot out of football.”

However, the intensity of IM sports is not all bad. Screaming at a referee is one extreme, but on the opposite end of the spectrum lies indifference, which can be equally as damaging.

Because many students have made emotional investments into IM sports, the program has become an important part of campus life.

“I think that it is awesome that people get intense,” Weinberg said. “I’m very intense when I play too. As long as they are under control and aren’t doing it in a disrespectful way, it’s great for the different sports that people take it seriously, and that makes it more fun for everyone.”

So what is the best way to play IM sports at the appropriate level of intensity?

For Guttenberg, the answer is simple: Just play more.

“You get used to it after awhile and stop caring so much.”

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DAILY BRUIN | Registration Issue 2011 | sports | dailybruin.com/sports

JOY JACOBSON / DA I LY

C O U RT E SY O F

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

BRAD WRIGHT

JOY JACOBSON/ DA I LY

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

C O U RT E SY O F

BRAD WRIGHT

Radio: Former UCLA athlete bounces back Brad Wright played as a center for the UCLA basketball team in the mid-1980s and got the chance to practice alongside players such as Bill Walton and Reggie Miller. After retiring in 2000, he went into coaching, but just a few years ago, doctors found tumors in his throat and neck. His future looked uncertain, but he miraculously recovered. Now, he’s the commissioner of the Venice Streetball League. Listen to his story online at dailybruin.com/radio Top left: This is a photo given to Wright, signed by John Wooden, whom he affectionately refers to as “Coach.” It reads, “For Coach Brad Wright. John Wooden. Purdue 1930.”

Bottom left: Wright is pictured here in action for UCLA. Top right: Wright’s office at his home in Woodland Hills is filled with photos, jerseys and other memorabilia from his playing days.

Center: Wright is pictured seated at his home office.

Bottom right: Wright emcees a game for the Venice Streetball League.

By Armen Madikians, Daily Bruin senior staff.

C O U RT E SY O F

BRAD WRIGHT

dailybruin.com/sports | sports | Registration Issue 2011 | DAILY BRUIN

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Libero anchors women’s volleyball Senior Lainey Gera’s selfless defense enables team’s offensive production

BY ERIC PECK Bruin Sports senior staff epeck@media.ucla.edu

DA I LY B R U I N F I L E P H OTO

Redshirt sophomore utility player Chris Wendt was one of three Bruins to represent the United States at the FINA Junior Water Polo Championships in Greece this summer.

Bruins play for Team USA Three UCLA men’s water polo athletes don the red, white and blue for international championship

BY CHRIS NGUYEN Bruin Sports senior staff cnguyen@media.ucla.edu Three Bruins on the men’s water polo team traded in their blue and gold caps for ones with red, white and blue this summer as they represented the United States at the FINA Junior Water Polo Championships in Greece.

Junior utility player Josh Samuels, redshirt sophomore utility player Chris Wendt and redshirt freshman attacker Alex Wherry all made the trip overseas to compete against some of the world’s best young talent.

Water polo is considerably more popular in Europe than in the United States, so these players were able to immerse themselves in an entirely different sports culture while abroad.

“Goi n g to Greece w a s a lot of fun. For me, I aspire to

play overseas and it gave me a chance to see what kind of player I need to become if I want to be able to play over there,” Samuels said.

“It’s always a high competition level when you’re playing other countries’ national teams,” Wendt added. “The level of play is higher especially because they’re playing yearround and with professional teams.”

Other adjustments in terms of playing style had to be made as well because of the high level of international play.

“The trainings weren’t too different, but the style of play was different in the sense that there’s not as much movement and we had to deal with guys overseas with a lot of experience because these guys have been playing for a really long time and are all fundamentally sound,” Samuels said.

Coach Adam Wright continues to represent the United States as a member of the national team and has also played overseas.

Wr i g ht u ndersta nds the importance of being exposed to international levels of competition.

“Over the last couple years, we’ve been able to bring in good recruiting classes. You’re always looking for athletes with ambition to go as far as they can in their sport,” Wright said. “If you put in the work, and you work hard enough, you can have opportunities like this. And of course, as a coach I’m happy that they have this opportunity to compete in the Junior World Championships and down the road it will help us here at UCLA so I’m a big supporter of it.”

However, just as adjustments were made to be able to successfully compete internationally, the players had to adapt back to the collegiate style.

M. WPOLO | Page 13

RUGBY | Traditions unite opponents from page 8

ing down,” Anders-Richard said.

“It’s massively important.” the increased mental side of the Among the most important game.” of these traditions is the “third That “mental side” of a play- half.” er’s skill is essential T he th i rd ha l f to a game that can alludes to the postbe as strategically g a me fe s t i v it ie s There is a which traditionally complex as it is physically demand- great tradition of follow every rugby ing. game. camaraderie in The fundamenRegardless of the rugby.” tal structure of the game’s roughness or game is similar to outcome, all players Leonard Bragg are obliged to come football, as teams of 15 players face off in UCLA men’s rugby club together in a postattempts to touch a president game celebration ball to the ground replete with tradiinside the end zone for five tional chants, songs and general points or kick it over a goal post revelry. for three.

“There is a great tradition Then it gets complicated.

N o fo r w a r d p a s s i n g i s allowed, although the ball can be run forward or kicked forward by any player, and only the player in possession of the ball can be tackled in order to force the ball to the ground and cause a turnover.

The tack led player must release the ball, creating a ruck – a fight for the ball in which anyone may pick it up and run with it. This moment forms the basis for rugby’s legendary sense of teamwork.

“It does no good for a player to run away from his team because that leads to a turnover,” third-year classics and English student Leonard Bragg, the club’s president, said.

“Teammates cannot simply watch a breakaway runner run, but have to follow him in support to maintain possession.”

Such rapid changes in possession – and the fact that play only stops when a player scores, fouls or goes out of bounds – limit the effectiveness of preset plays. It’s the equivalent of running the option for 80 straight minutes.

C o m bi ne t h a t w it h t he scrums, mauls and line-outs that occu r th rou g hout the game, and there’s a lot to keep track of.

Ru gby’s i ntr icacies have been developed over the last 250 years, since it emerged as a spin-off of the football game played at En gland’s Ru gby School.

But while the game’s long history has made it complicated, it has also created what players maintain is one of rugby’s most meaningful aspects: its traditions. “(The traditions) are an integral part of our sport, and it keeps a lot of people playing when they’re beat up and feel-

of camaraderie in rugby that I think surpasses any other sport,” Bragg said. “Teams socialize after matches – even after tackling each other for 80 minutes, we still provide a postgame meal to teams that play us here at UCLA.” A nd it is that feel i n g of belonging, both with fellow players and with a sport so rich in history, that players say gives rugby such strong appeal.

“You play against a team and you beat each other up, but then you go out and hang out with these guys from all over the world,” Martini said.

“You’re their enemy on the field, but after the game, you’re like a collective rugby family.”

Almost every team in every sport has a defensive specialist – somebody who chooses to embrace the challenge of stopping the other team’s best scorer.

They work as hard as anybody on the team, but often their individual performances become an afterthought, lost in the media frenzy of scoring plays – dunks, goals, kills, runs.

Lainey Gera is that somebody for UCLA women’s volleyball. As libero, she plays on ly i n the back row and cannot attack the ball if it’s above the net. Her stat sheet boasts ma i n ly d i gs a nd assists – nothing that would be deemed a top-10 play by SportsCenter, and she loves it. “ T he l ibero position is kind of a selfless position. You don’t get credit for everything you do. ... You’re the one that

starts the play and you’re the one that kind of does everything for everyone else, but you can never finish the play,” Gera said.

Coach Mike Sealy summed up the libero position and, specifically, Gera’s importance with a smile: “It lets you keep all the other big dummies on the court.”

“Sometimes it gets frustrating but I love what I do, and I love being able to supply some of the stuff I can for the other girls and have them be able to do what they’re doing,” Gera said.

Gera’s family life helped develop this selfless attitude and team mentality. Both her sisters, two and three years her senior, played volleyball at Fresno State University for four years, and Gera was exposed to the sport at a young age.

“I started playing when I was around 8,” Gera said. “I was still in my soccer stage when my sister started playing (volleyball) and I started going to all her games.”

Gera began playing regularly with her sisters from that point on and learned as much as she could. Her second old-

BLAINE OHIGASHI/ DA I LY

B R U I N S E N I O R STA F F

As libero, Lainey Gera helps her team on the defensive side of the ball. She is responsible for ball control and starting UCLA’s offense.

est sister Lacey was an outside hitter, and her oldest sister Lisa was a setter.

“We always used to go in the front yard and pepper, and she’d always be telling me what to do and I used to get so mad at her, but she was always right so I watched her and listened to her,” Gera said.

Gera played club volleyball with her sisters and also played

W. VBALL | Page 12

Cross country runs for redemption Sense of urgency for men’s, women’s teams stems from last season’s disappointing results

BY ANDREW MONCADA Bruin Sports contributor amoncada@media.ucla. edu The first thing coach Forest Braden does when you meet him up in Mammoth Lakes is run you hard.

Up at an elevation of 7,500 feet, you run at 3-mile intervals, moving your arms and pushing your legs, as the thin air slips into your adjusting lu n gs, the hear t pu mpi n g back and forth, the short compressed breaths going in and out like a flame battered by the wind.

At this altitude you feel light-headed. That’s expected.

The increased partial pressure leads to decreased oxy-

with injuries at some point, and you have to decide in the moment to work through it.” gen, which leads to weakened If the feel i ng i n the air muscles and instant fatigue. seems a bit more tense than it It feels like you’re running used to be, that is because the while wearing upcom i n g cros s a f u l l ba ck pa ck country season is or w ei g ht s t ie d about to begin. The The pain is a urgency has risen, around your ankles. constant battle. ... motivated by the E v e n t h o u g h You have to decide te a m’s deter m iyour Achilles tennation to redeem don burns and you in the moment to itself after a disneed to stretch, work through it.” appoi nt i n g peryou keep on headformance in last ing down the path, Katja Goldring November’s NCAA not wa nti n g to Redshirt junior West Regionals. break the rhythBoth the men mic pace created and women’s teams by your teammates. were ready to make a strong “You have to fight through showing. The squads came it,” said redshirt junior Katja in with momentum and were Goldring.

“The pain is a constant batXCOUNTRY | Page 12 tle. Everyone has had to deal

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DAILY BRUIN | Registration Issue 2011 | sports | dailybruin.com/sports

XCOUNTRY from page 11 fueled by the desire to make a case that they belonged with the Stanfords and Oregons of the cross country world.

“We were prepared. Sometimes, things just don’t go your way,” Braden said.

A few weeks before the race, one of the leading runners for the men, redshirt senior Dylan Knight, came down with an illness. Shortly after, one of the leading female runners, thensenior Shannon Murakami, was hit with a foot problem.

And with rainy skies and damp conditions, several runners tripped and fell underneath the spotlight of the West Regionals race before stumbling across the finish line.

“It was a disappointment,” Knight said. “I was in shape, and something I couldn’t control got in the way in the end.”

“All the athletes worked so hard to get there,” Braden said.

“We just need to be more consistent. We can’t take anything for granted.”

That’s why you keep on pushing past the pain as you make your way through the foothills of Mammoth Lakes. You see Kent Morikawa, Dylan and Spencer Knight – all redshirt seniors – pushing the pack.

They will be counted on to further motivate the No. 8 West Region men’s squad with their experience and leadership.

For the women’s squad, the graduation of standout runners Murakami and Kelcie Wiemann means that success will rest with a youth movement. A class of new runners that includes junior transfer Sarah Toberty and freshman Bronte Golick will come in to complement the steps taken by the No. 10 West Region women’s squad to become a top team. Dominated by underclassmen, the women’s squad will also look to sophomore Sierra Vega in leading the jump to get to the next level.

“A lot of people see having a young team as a disadvantage,” Vega said, “but we’ve done a good job of recruiting girls who know what it’s going to take. Everyone is hungry to do well, and we’re willing to put in the work. We want to put UCLA back on the map, where it

UCLA ATHLETICS

UCLA ATHLETICS

With the graduation of Shannon Murakami, shown here competing last year, the women’s squad will rely on freshmen and transfers to step up.

Redshirt senior Spencer Knight and his twin brother, Dylan, hope to lead the UCLA cross country men’s team to a successful season.

should be.”

“The women are going to be very exciting to watch,” Braden added. “They’re the underdogs, but they can come up and surprise a lot of people. They have a lot of potential.”

The unlocking of that potential begins with those 3-mile morning and afternoon workouts. Despite the initial pain, there is a purpose to these yearly retreats into the mountains that has become a rite of passage for new members to

is more mental than anything.

We’re learning to push through it all and the pain.”

Over the course of a long season, toughness will be a priority. You look to reach the runner’s high, a period during extreme physical activity when the brain releases endorphins and dopamine – the pleasure chemicals – allowing you to surpass your normal physical limits.

“It’s just this feeling,” Toberty said. “When you do a good

the team.

A s Braden sta nds a few yards from the team’s cabin, he watches you and the rest of the runners move day in and day out. For a group that is relatively young and new to the world of collegiate cross country running, the team’s mantra has started to form around two simple principles: Run hard and stay disciplined.

“The training in Mammoth (Lakes) has helped me get tougher,” Knight said. “Running

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KENDO from page 9 room swinging a sword. It’s hard to get out there at first, but once you keep doing it, it becomes kind of ingrained.”

Earning kendo armor is a process in itself. In order to earn an official uniform, Kendo Club members must work hard to solidify their basics. From there, they have to earn their armor, which changes the game completely, as the gear itself weighs about 20 pounds.

Experienced coaches voluntarily come to lead and teach the team, which is filled with a mix of beginners and advanced members. “(The coaches’) ranks are equivalent to a black belt, I guess,” Huang said. “They basically teach us basics and how to perfect those basics since kendo is usually all basics.”

These meticulously practiced basics are put to the test several times every year when UCLA faces off against other schools in collegiate tournaments.

They participate annually in the largest intercollegiate kendo competition in the country, hosted by Harvard-Radcliffe. The team won the national championship during their first-ever

W. VBALL from page 11 with Lacey at Archbishop Mitty High School for one year.

According to Gera, a factor in her development as a player and her knowledge of the game was that her sisters were both different positions and had different perspectives to give advice from. She could hear from Lacey, an outside hitter, how she should pass, and her sister Lisa offered a setter’s viewpoint.

“They would always tell me their own stories. We all fed off each other because we were all different positions. Whenever they would get frustrated about stuff I would tell them why it’s hard for that certain position, or they would tell me, ‘You need to be helping this person out because that’s how I like things.’

We fed off each other. It wasn’t like they were always telling me stuff – we were more unified about it.”

Gera said when it was time for her to graduate high school, Fresno State’s volleyball coach approached her about playing for them, but she decided to go in another direction.

“Both my sisters went to Fresno State, which is a really cool school, but didn’t really fit me. I wanted to do something different and not follow them all the time – that’s how my whole life kinda was, following behind them, so I branched out from what they were doing.”

Her defen sive sk i l l a nd energy spoke for themselves, and Gera found herself playing important minutes in her first year on the team.

“My freshman season was awesome, because I had no expectations of playing or anything. I was ready to book all my flights to go home on the weekend because I was so homesick.

But I ended up traveling the first tournament to Hawaii and actually playing. The seniors on that team were so awesome, and they helped me out a lot,” Gera said.

run, there’s this energy and you feel good, like it’s all worth it.”

By training in the crisp air of Mammoth Lakes, Braden wants to increase his runners’ endurance and achieve that runner’s high. If the men and women’s cross country teams look like they are faster this season, it is because they are.

“We feel like we can compete with anybody and let it all on the line,” Braden said.

And that is how you will find success.

appearance in the tournament in 2004.

UCLA also hosts the biggest intercollegiate kendo tournament on the West Coast during winter quarter, the Yuhihai.

As a freshman, Davenport had to volunteer during this event last year and looks forward to the opportunity to compete this year.

“I just want to get better,” Davenport said. “I want to help the club grow even more. I want to get stronger.”

He will have to as the tournament becomes more competitive. Last year marked the first time Harvard has ever participated in the West Coast event.

“The next one is our fifth year anniversary, so we’re hoping to get a lot more people and more schools,” Davenport said.

The next step is to bring out more of the schools from outside of California, and even outside of the country.

Back i n the Gold Room, swords continue to clash, bringing the art of kendo to life. These masked figures are determined to master every move.

The hardest part of it all?

“The tim ing,” Davenport said. “It’s pretty hard to get it all together.”

But it’s all worth it in the end, when all your moves combine into the perfect strike.

Ger a’s hu m i l it y i s tr u ly impressive when you take a look at her stats. The senior is third all-time in UCLA’s record books with 1,394 digs and averaged 4.92 digs per set last season. A benefactor of those digs for two years has been junior outside hitter Rachael Kidder.

“The libero is very important to our team. She starts off every play, and people hit a lot of balls at her,” Kidder said. “She basically covers the whole court by herself.”

Now a senior, Gera reflects on what advice she would give to herself as a freshman.

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. When you’re a freshman you’re really scared, and you’re timid because you’re worried about ‘Oh my God, the seniors are going to hate me if I’m myself.’ I think you should be who you are.”

Developing an identity has been important for the team this year, and that identity is growing every game. The team’s passing and defense were huge in its sweep of USC last week, and it will continue to be central to the team’s success. Gera is a big part of that defense.

“They’ve done studies internationally, and after the two left side hitters, the libero is the most important spot. She does all the garbage and takes care of all the ball control to let the big hitters not have to worry about it,” Sealy said.

Kidder cited Gera’s attitude as inspirational and an invaluable member of the team.

“She’s really confident and she’s a great leader – she knows how to communicate with her teammates. She makes me want to be a better player,” Kidder said.

She may not care about stats, but that doesn’t make her a slouch.

In describing her goals for this season, Gera answered frankly.

“Winning – winning the Pac12 and bringing home a national championship. I think it’d be really great to be my senior year and go out big and know I left something behind.”

dailybruin.com/sports | sports | Registration Issue 2011 | DAILY BRUIN

M. WPOLO from page 11 “These players have only been back for a few days. We knew going into this season that we were going to have to put things together quickly before our first game,” Wright said.

“They even missed our first two games. We’re still trying to mix them back in.

“It also takes times for the players to know each other with freshmen and transfers arriving. But I do believe the Junior World Championships is a pretty good level that will translate to the college level. I believe that these opportunities can only help our program,” he added.

Not only did UCLA provide players for the United States, but also for Italy with sophomore utility players Cristiano Mirarchi and Aimone Barabino.

While in Greece, the tournament became very time consuming, and the five Bruins competing there tried to stay in contact with each other as much as they could.

“We saw each other a little bit. When you get over there you’re pretty much on lock-

down,” Samuels said. “I saw them in passing in trainings and I was able to talk to them over the phone. I mean those guys, just over the last year, they became brothers of ours so I was really happy to see them at the tournament when I could.”

The United States didn’t fare as well as they had hoped in the tournament, falling to the eventual champion Serbia in the early rounds.

However, the Bruins competing abroad were able to grasp the true intensity and pride of representing an entire country.

“I f we be at a t e a m , for instance, 20 to one, they’re still fighting. That one goal they scored they fought for it. Everyone is fighting every minute of every game and it’s a new sense of pride you feel when you play for your country,” Samuels said. “It’s pretty neat to see and it’s a unique experience. You definitely have pride for your colors.”

“You’ve got USA across the cap and you real ize you’re representing a lot of people at home. You understand there are a lot of people that want to be in your spot so you have to represent your country well,” Wendt added.

M. GOLF from page 8 overall and first among amateurs.

Within a month, Cantlay played as an amateur at the Travelers Championship, the AT&T National, the Canadian Open and the SCGA Amateur Championship, where he took home first place.

A l so compet i n g i n t he SCGA Amateur Championship was senior Alex Shi Yup Kim, who finished seventh.

Despite the success Cantlay has seen as an amateur in PGA Tour events, he has repeatedly told numerous media outlets that he plans to graduate and complete his four years at UCLA before turning pro.

Fo r t e a m m a t e G r e g o r Main, however, that was not the case.

Main, who finished as one of the top Bruins in scoring last season, would have been a senior, but decided after the NCAA Championships to forego his final season as a Bruin and turn pro.

“I had been thinking about it all year long,” said Main,

whose next tournament will be PGA Tour qualifying tournament. “I talked to (Freeman) months before I made the decision and we just felt like it was the best decision for me to turn pro.”

“I really enjoyed the time at UCLA, I met a lot of great people and built really good friendships within the team.”

Me a nw h i le, a cro s s t he Atlantic Ocean, two Bruin golfers were busy competing against each other in amateur tournaments all over Europe.

Junior Pedro Figueiredo, who hails from Portugal, and junior Pontus Widegren, from Sweden, both went home for the summer and continued to compete in Europe’s most prestigious amateur tournaments.

“In the European Championship, I was with Pontus,” Figueiredo said. “He played for Sweden and I played for Portugal. I didn’t play against him, but we saw each other there.”

Widegren and Cantlay had already competed agai nst each other in the Palmer Cup in June, which pits Europe’s top amateurs against the top amateurs from the United States.

Cantlay helped lead the American team to victory in the tournament.

Although scattered across different continents throughout the summer, five Bruin gol fers were able to come together and post strong numbers at the U.S. Amateur tournament at the end of August.

These strong performances across the globe surely justify the Bruins’ No. 1 pre-season ranking.

With a team that lost only two golfers, Main and Connor Driscoll, and added three capable freshmen, the Bruins should have no problem building upon last year’s success.

“Whether we’re ranked No. 1 in the beginning of the season or ranked No. 10 in the beginning of the season, our goals don’t change,” Freeman said.

“We’re trying to become the best possible golf team we can every single week, and we have to work hard. We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure we get better every day.”

And if getting better every day means never taking time away from the game, then the Bruins should be more than able to meet Freeman’s goal.

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DAILY BRUIN | Registration Issue 2011 | sports | dailybruin.com/sports