UCLA women’s water polo player Kelly Rulon exudes the sheer superiority that has come to characterize Bruin athletes.
With four NCAA national championships, an Olympic bronze medal, two NCAA tournament MVP awards, an MPSF tournament MVP award, the UCLA all-time scoring record, and a collection of other various honors under her belt, Rulon is perhaps the most celebrated female athlete to ever go through UCLA.Rulon leaves UCLA with an impressive overall record of 113-10, 237 career goals, and a standard of excellence. Rulon attributes a lot of her success to her teammates.
“I don’t think I could have done anything without my teammates over the past four years,” Rulon said after breaking the Bruins’ all-time scoring record at the NCAA championship.
As assistant coach Coralie Simmons said after Rulon broke Simmon’s scoring record, Rulon has proven herself to be unselfish and a true team player.
“She could have beaten the (all-time scoring) record earlier in the year if she wanted to, but as Kelly said, she just wants to win a championship,” Simmons said. “She is also leading the team in assists this year and I think that speaks for itself.”
Rulon is an all-around asset to any team she plays on, from the Bruins to the U.S. National and Olympic team. For the 2007 Bruin team, Kelly was more than just another senior.
“She’s a really good role model,” sophomore and younger sister Katie Rulon said in an earlier interview with the two siblings. Coach Adam Krikorian acknowledged the team’s asset in the experienced Rulon.
“Kelly has the experience,” Krikorian said at the start of the 2007 season. “She’s older and has been through it all. I’m really proud of Kelly and the leadership she has shown with this whole team. She does a really great job of communicating and a great job instilling confidence in her teammates.”
He later expanded at the press conference after beating the Stanford Cardinal to win the school’s 100th NCAA team title and the team’s sixth.
“This is a great day for us, but it’s also a sad day,” Krikorian said. “This is the last time I’ll get to coach Kelly. She is one of the greatest leaders I have ever had the opportunity to coach.”
Krikorian is not the only coach to recognize Rulon’s exceptional skill in the water. On June 2, Rulon was named the 2006-2007 Peter J. Cutino female award winner, the highest award any U.S. collegiate water polo player can receive. Rulon was selected for the award by the coaches of Division I schools. Two other UCLA women’s water polo players, Natalie Golda and Simmons, have won the Cutino award in its eight-year history.
While the award marks the end of Rulon’s accomplished Bruin career, she may not be done with water polo.
“I haven’t really decided what the future holds for water polo,” Rulon said, “But I think I definitely want to continue playing after college.”
There might even be a second Olympic medal in Rulon’s future.
“(The 2008 Olympics) is in the back of my mind,” she said. “It was a great experience and I wouldn’t mind going back for a second time.”