Head tilted back, arms crossed, gazing up at the wall, Justin Saco encouraged Marco Zepeda, 13, to keep climbing. Nervous of the height and unsure of what to do next, Marco asked to come down, but Saco wasn’t ready to let him give up. “Remember to breathe, just relax,” said Saco, prodding Marco to try […]
Category Archives: Features
UCLA’s Maria Polyakova leads Bruins to new diving records
Maria Polyakova constantly checked her email waiting for a response from the diving coaches at Stanford, Texas, USC and UCLA. She waited weeks for responses from the first three schools, but it only took three days for UCLA diving coach Tom Stebbins to reply. “I was very lucky,” Stebbins said. “(Stanford and Texas) essentially said […]
Pacific Ties
Michael “Fish” Fisher and Micah Ma’a are similar in two major ways. For one, both are contributing heavily to the success of the No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball squad. Fisher has come in off the bench to provide the Bruins with height, offensive power and a competitive spark that fires up the team. The junior […]
Runner Kim Mackay balances athletics, master’s work to stay on track
It can be a challenge – sometimes a burden – for student-athletes to balance the weight of heavy classes and more than 20 hours of team activities throughout any given week. But many young adults face harder predicaments in their everyday lives, tougher obstacles to overcome. That’s where one particular Bruin athlete steps in. Kim […]
UCLA swimmer Arlyn Upshaw remains resolute through four seasons
The fact that Arlyn Upshaw considered quitting was not unusual. Swimming at the collegiate level for a full four years is an accomplishment in itself – the early mornings and year-round season have a way of taking a toll on even the toughest athletes. “Coming out of high school, it never really crossed my mind […]
iPhone ringtone transforms UCLA gymnast’s floor routine
Someone’s phone rang a little over half a minute into Angi Cipra’s floor routine. At least that’s what it sounded like. But as the crowd at the season-opening gymnastics meet looked around to find the unfortunate source of the noise, it became clear that the unmistakable iPhone ringtone had been a part of the act. […]
WR Theo Howard stays humble as UCLA football rebuilds offense
Quiet. That seems to be the word most people use when describing Theo Howard. From the secretary to his football coach at Westlake High School, everybody seems to notice the reserved demeanor of UCLA’s nationally heralded recruit. However, even the quiet ones cannot escape the frenzy that is modern-day recruiting. High school football has changed […]