An email was sent around the UCLA women’s basketball office marked “classified” and “top secret.” The team was in the middle of a battle – as it is every year – to recruit the best players in the country. The subject of the email was Natalie Chou, a highly touted player visiting from Texas. She […]
Category Archives: Features
Manager Tony Luftman reflects on 1995 men’s basketball championship
Like clockwork, Jim Harrick’s cell phone buzzed on April 3. So did those of other members of UCLA’s 1995 men’s basketball championship team, like Ed O’Bannon, Tyus Edney and Steve Lavin. Another year, another text from Tony Luftman, a manager on the 1995 team, with the same simple message: “Thank you for letting me be […]
Track and field coach Rob Jarvis returns as volunteer director
For many of the UCLA track and field athletes, Rob Jarvis is a new face. He has a premier position in the program he hasn’t had in the past, but he’s no stranger to Westwood. From 2010-13 Jarvis worked as the UCLA jumps coach and coached three record-setting athletes in the decathlon, all of whom […]
Cycling team’s Eric Bryan continues to pursue biking dream in college
Mount Tamalpais, Marin County, Caifornia – a 2,572-foot peak often considered symbolic of Eric Bryan’s hometown. That’s where the vice president of the UCLA club cycling team found his passion for the sport, but it was years later and thousands of miles away where he experienced a biker’s dream. Last fall, Bryan was invited to […]
Kyla Ross brings gold talent to UCLA after quitting elite gymnastics
In 2012, the O2 Arena in London hosted the Olympic Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team final. Team USA, dubbed the “Fierce Five,” after a great start on vault, struggled a little on the uneven bars. The Russians, on the strength of two solid rotations, were less than half a point behind and gaining momentum. Kyla Ross, […]
Humor, work ethic boost TJ Leaf to unexpected prominence
For two weeks, T.J. Leaf was the best-kept secret in college basketball, the forward’s dazzling play overshadowed by the wizardry of fellow freshman Lonzo Ball. Then UCLA played Kentucky, and Leaf exploded onto the national stage with 17 points and 13 rebounds in the Bruins’ victory. As Wildcat coach John Calipari put it afterward, Leaf […]
Women’s water polo duo documents mouth-watering adventures
A daily consumption of classes at UCLA mixed with early-morning practices can be easy sources of stress for women’s water polo players Aubrie Monahan and Kelsey O’Brien. But whenever they feel overwhelmed, the seniors rely on a recipe that they’ve kept near and dear to their hearts, or in this case, their stomachs. It typically […]