Tony Parker slumped back into his seat on the bench with his long arms hanging over his knees. The lone senior on UCLA men’s basketball stared blankly up at the MGM Grand Garden Arena scoreboard hanging high above him. “USC 81, UCLA 59,” read the display. Six minutes and 19 seconds slowly ticked off the […]
Category Archives: Features
Freshman athlete races to improvement, focuses on high goals
Confidence usually isn’t a problem for an athlete who has set personal bests four weeks in a row. But then there’s Suzie Acolatse. The freshman opened her collegiate debut running an event she had never competed in, the 60-meter race. She would, however, go on to drop her time by more than half a second […]
Women’s water polo player brings national team experience to Bruins
It is rare to find someone in Canada playing water polo. The pools are located inside due to the cold, rain, and snow. There are swimming leagues in the summer, but the window to compete is small. So when redshirt Alexa Tielmann took up the sport, she was surprised how much she took to it. […]
Gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field shapes more than just routines
Perched on a worn stool in the corner of Yates Gymnasium, Valorie Kondos Field bobbed her head in tune with the array of sounds blasting out of the stereo next to her. The music stopped and the gymnastics coach turned to face the chalk-covered gymnasts surrounding her, leaning in as they gestured their powdered hands […]
How UCLA swim alumna Karen Moe turned the tide for women’s sports
It was only 43 years ago that Karen Moe became the first woman to receive an athletic scholarship to UCLA. Over the course of the decades since then, the swimmer and eventual Cal coach would break records and barriers, leaving a lasting impact on the sport she loves. Before enrolling at UCLA, Moe became one […]
Bruin hitting star Eric Filia gets second chance after two seasons away
John Savage believes in second chances, but this decision wasn’t easy. “I went back and forth,” the UCLA baseball coach said. “I didn’t really ask other people’s opinion. I didn’t go that direction, I basically used my experience.” Night after night, Savage slept on it – running through the conversations he’d had with Eric Filia, […]
UCLA Kendo Club’s tournament encourages growth, spirit of community
Vicki Lau fiercely struck her opponent with her shinai, a bamboo sword, and let out a strong yell. The shinpan, or referees, raised their red flags, awarding Lau a point. A section of the crowd erupts. It’s over. The final match in a long day at the Ninth Annual Yuhihai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament. She has […]