Lauren Cheney is not a household name.
Neither is Courtney Matthewson.
Nobody knows Tasha Schwikert, Nicolette Teo or Anjelica Selden.
You probably have never heard of Al Scates, Adam Krikorian or Jeanette Bolden.
But they’re all just as impressive and talented as the names you do know: the Kevin Loves and Bruce Davises.
Incoming freshmen who follow sports probably know all about UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel. They probably already have heard about high school standout Jrue Holiday, who will join Bruin basketball in the fall.
But true fans of sport, true fans of athleticism and true fans of great competition have a lot in store for them at UCLA, and much of it has nothing to do with football or basketball.
For those who appreciate watching world-class athletics, no matter what the sport, the school with 103 NCAA team championships is the place to be. Yes, 11 of those came from basketball, but the other 92 had to come from somewhere else.
As a freshman, I came in a die-hard basketball fan, probably like most of you who are reading the writing in this section. But whether you realize it yet or not, you’re probably not getting Den season tickets for basketball in your first year. Sorry to break it to you.
And while hot days in Pasadena, were, well, hot, and sitting in the nosebleeds of Pauley Pavilion when we beat Azusa Pacific by 50 in an exhibition was just exhilarating, I have to say that my best UCLA sports experiences in my first year came in places I would not have expected.
It took me almost all year, but spring quarter I let my two friends who played water polo in high school drag me to Sunset Rec for a women’s water polo game against Stanford. UCLA was three-time defending champion and came into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation with an undefeated record. Stanford came in right on our tails at No. 2, setting up a clash of titans that UCLA won, 9-7.
As I sat there and watched the speed at which the game moved, the precision with which both teams ran their set plays, and the cannons the girls had for shooting arms, as a sports fan, I began to realize what I was watching.
I realized I was watching a potential national championship matchup. I realized I was watching at least five girls play who would later surely be named All-Americans. I watched, knowing some of them might even make the Olympics one day. And I watched knowing that I was witnessing the continuation of what has become UCLA’s 21st century dynasty at work. This was John Wooden’s basketball squad in the pool … and female.
I was in the front row, a part of this history for free.
And to think I had resisted going so I could take one last look at my English paper.
When I heard that Josh Shipp had just hit the shot of the year from behind the backboard to beat Cal while I was watching the game, I felt no remorse.
That was when I knew I had turned the corner.
From that moment on, I began to realize and appreciate what we have here at UCLA. Yes, our football and basketball teams are great and in the national spotlight. But at UCLA, you have so much more right at your fingertips.
With a BruinCard, I could bring a blanket to Drake Stadium and see National Player of the Year Lauren Cheney dance on the field and drill a goal from just about anywhere.
I could throw on a visor and some sunglasses, walk to Sunset and watch Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year and All-American Courtney Matthewson score again and again, like there’s no one even in goal.
I could go to Pauley and hold my breath with my jaw hanging open as NCAA Champion Tasha Schwikert performed on the uneven bars. Or I could venture to the SAC pool to watch two-time Olympian Nicolette Teo zip down 50 yards of the pool faster than I can sprint that distance.
But perhaps my favorite experience last year was watching UCLA strikeout-ace Anjelica Selden mow down Team USA batters in a duel with softball legend Lisa Hernandez, whose change-up makes your heart stop.
And while everyone might know Ben Howland, it’s UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates with 19, yes, 19 national championships, water polo coach Adam Krikorian with four in a row, and women’s track and field coach Jeanette Bolden who is coaching the Olympic team.
You see, at UCLA, the world’s best athletes and coaches are literally a 10-minute walk from your dorm on the Hill. You have a chance to see the top teams in the nation compete against one another every day.
You get front row seats for free. Who needs Beijing when you go to UCLA? You’re already in sports heaven.
Who knows, maybe not getting basketball tickets your first year is a blessing.
E-mail Stevens at mstevens@media.ucla.edu.