Dare.v2Spring2011

INVEST IN ChampionsA LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

{Great Examples}GAUCHO STUDENT-ATHLETES EXCEL IN AND OUT OF COMPETITION

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

The Ryus{Living Scholars}

MADNESS IN THE AIR Seniors Justin Joyner and Margaret Johnson Close Out Their Gaucho Careers with Championship Seasons

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DARE Magazine I Spring 2011

On the Cover – March MadnessJustin Joyner and Margaret Johnson will lead the Gaucho men’s and women’s basketball teams into the Big West Tournament at the Honda Center. (photo by Tony Mastres)

Editorial StaffChristina Baglas, Tom Hastings, Matt Hurst, Bill Mahoney, Steve O’Brien, Lisa Skvarla

Contributing WritersChristina Baglas, Tom Hastings, Matt Hurst, Brittane Johnson, Bill Mahoney, Steve O’Brien, Lisa Skvarla

PhotographyHazel Ando, Matt Brown, Steve Chen, Miranda Chrislock, Randy Lamb, Bill Mahoney, Tony Mastres, Dan Mullins

Design and LayoutRuth A. Von Eberstein Rave&A Graphics

Advertising Design and LayoutAlan Cassinelli, Citrus, Richard Loza

PrintingWilson Printing I 805.964.8875 5777 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117

DARE is published by the UC Santa Barbara Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, ICA Building, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5200

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8 INTERVIEW: Mark Haddow

12 DARE TO BE GREAT Gaucho Fund

23 LIVING SCHOLARS Dr. Richard and Linda Ryu

26 SOFTBALL FEATURE Krista Cobb

29 GREAT EXAMPLE Sweets Underwood Great Examples include: Jordan Weiner (p 11) and Jessica Beristianos (p 35)

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DARE Spring 2011This Issue2 A Letter from Mark Massari, Director of Athletics

4 Sports Glimpse: Fall Sports Recap

9 A Night With An Angel: Mike Scioscia

11 Great Example: Jordan Weiner

16 Tim Vom Steeg’s mantra: “Compete at the Highest Level”

17 Gaucho Fund: One Donation is Gold

18 Walk With Us

19 If You Earn It, Wear It!

20 Visionary Gifts for Major Change

21 The Gaucho Fund Has Impact!

24 Gaucho Fund Events

27 Sports Glimpse: Golf and Men’s Volleyball

30 Star Swimmers

31 Ruth Milne and Bree Strenkowski

32 Sports Glimpse: Men’s and Women’s Tennis

35 Great Example: Jessica Beristianos

36 Legends of the Dome

37 Locker Room: Renovation Update

UCSBgauchos.com UCSBAthletics UCSBgauchos UCSBGauchosAthletics

This ediTion of DARE Magazine is dedicated

to the memory of Faith Harder. The wife

of the late Theodore “Spud” Harder, UCSB’s legendary

former Director of Athletics, football and baseball coach, Mrs. Harder passed away on November 10, 2010.

What’s this?


INVEST IN CHAMPIONS

A letter from the Director of Athletics

We are a campus of champions (and) our vision is bigger than sports.”

“As a campus, we are preparing for the next phase of the comprehensive campaign — Campaign for Santa Barbara — for private giving to ensure our future. UCSB is a remarkable place as evidenced by its alumni, investors, and community who committed $500 million in the first phase. So, it’s no wonder why, in athletics, we are fired-up for the next phase.

The campaign will connect qualities that flow throughout the campus highlighted by creativity, leadership, and innovation. We are billing UCSB as a “Campus of Champions.”

In athletics, we are leading the way. We own the Big West Conference, winning more Commissioner’s Cups (signifying the best all-around athletics program) than all other eight schools combined, and across several sports we compete on the NCAA’s national stage with the best schools in the country.

Our vision is bigger than sports. We dare to be great in all areas of life, by graduating student-athletes at an extremely high rate (84% — the second highest number in the academically challenging UC system and higher than the national average). We are committed to preparing these young men and women as leaders, who give back to their community, and are beacons of what UCSB stands for long after their playing days are over.

We take our role as a window into this wonderful University with tremendous pride. When our men’s basketball team competes in the NCAA Tournament, over 112-million (yes MILLION!) households have the opportunity to see and hear the words “UCSB” and “Santa Barbara” in the March Madness coverage.

This past December our campus and beautiful area was on full display as we successfully hosted the 2010 NCAA Men’s College Cup for two days of heavenly sunshine, live on ESPN (90 million households). Every day the Gauchos are in the media while displaying the letters U-C-S-B across their uniforms. It’s a heavy burden that we fully embrace, as a daily reminder of what is special about Santa Barbara and this extraordinary University.

Supporting our student-athletes and programs through the Gaucho Fund is an investment in their championship drive, their commitment to this community, and to this campus of achievement. Yes, we are a campus of champions, and the over 400 student-athletes are the world’s window within.

It’s all made possible because of you.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Massari Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

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FIRST TEAMSenior forward Kailyn Kugler was named First Team All-Big West for the second straight year, Jacqui Simon was a second team choice; it was the third year she has been honored as an All-Big West player. The Gauchos struggled through the season, finishing with an 8-9-2 overall record and a 3-5-0 conference record.They discovered a gem in freshman goal-keeper Makenna Henry, who had a 0.93 goals against average and 58 saves.

ALL-TIMESenior Milos Golic capped his impressive four-year career at UCSB with First Team All-American honors, making him the fourth four-time All-American in the history of UCSB Athletics. The four-time All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation pick and three-time Academic All-MPSF honoree also ended his career as the most prolific scorer in school history with his 272 career goals. Golic helped the 2011 Gauchos to a No. 6 final Collegiate Water Polo Association national ranking.

ALL AMERICANStacey Schmidt was named an All-West Region First Team choice and an All-American after a terrific junior campaign. Along with senior setter Dana Vargas, who was also named an All-West Region and All-American for the second straight season, Schmidt was an All-Big West First Team pick for the second consecutive season.

«Sports Glimpse »

FALL SPORTS RECAPStacey Schmidt:

ALL-AMERICAN

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Kailyn Kugler: ALL-BIG WEST

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RECORD SETTER Big West ChampionsAmanda Moreno ran a record-shattering 19:57.0 over a 6K course in Riverside to win the 2010 Big West Women’s Cross Country Championship in October. The conference’s Athlete of the Year was followed by teammates Breanne Strenkowski and Crystal Reed as the Gauchos went 1-2-3 en route to their second consecutive team championship. Moreno and Strenkowski went on to compete at the NCAA Championships where each finished among the top-100. Pete Dolan was named Big West Coach of the Year for the eighth time.

TOP-10Junior Andrew Pilavjian recorded top-10 finishes to help the UCSB men’s cross country team to a third-place finish at the 2010 Big West Championships in October. The Gauchos, who did not have any seniors on the roster, went on to finish 11th at the NCAA West Regional in Eugene, Oregon.

FALL SPORTS RECAPAmanda Moreno: BIG WEST CHAMPION

Andrew Pilavjian: TOP-10 FINISHER

Michael Boxall: ALL-AMERICAN

Senior defender Michael Boxall became the 16th All-American in UCSB soccer history this past fall after helping lead UCSB to a 14-5-3 overall record, its first Big West Championship title and its ninth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Big West Defender of the Year — who was also a Far West All-Region First Team pick — was the first pick in the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft, going to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

First Big West Tournament Championship

College cup wrap up

THIS IS SOCCER HEAVEN.

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2010 MEN’S COLLEGE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

LouisviLLe vs. Akron

December 12, 2010

1:00 PM I 80º


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TOUCHING BASE WITH MARK HaddowI’ve been playing baseball since I was four and I was basically there to watch my best friend John Philips play. He was a year older than me and I was on the sideline and one day they had eight guys there, and they threw me in there and I guess I did alright.

[John] didn’t end up going to the same high school as me and we kind of dropped out of touch, but he didn’t play ball in college. I think I might have surpassed him that day when I was four.

I’ve definitely played a bunch of other sports in the meantime and I’ve done all right but the one sport I always seemed to excel at, and the one that has made me the happiest, has been baseball.

No one ever starts in the outfield; they kind of stick the least gifted athlete in the outfield. So all throughout Little League and Pony ball I was mainly pitching and at the corner spots in the infield.

Frankly, I wasn’t the best fielder in the infield. I could still pitch a little bit and so when I went to high school, I still played a little first and third. My coach was like ‘You know what, we’re just going to throw you in right. You can hit the bags from the outfield, you can run a little so we will throw you out in the outfield.’ And it kind of just stuck and now it’s my craft and it is much more of an important job in the higher levels of baseball being in the outfield. They don’t exactly hide you out there.

I enjoy being in the outfield, it lets me concentrate on hitting more. That’s how you are going to make it, is with your bat. So I enjoy that.

UCSB was kind of a dream-come-true type of thing. I remember when I was a sophomore in high school and I went to visit my sister in college — she went to Villanova in Philadelphia. I wanted to sound like I was in college to help me out with the lady folk and so me and my sister scheme up this persona for me to be a baseball player at Santa Barbara. I was a little sophomore in high school running around these snow-covered streets of Villanova telling everyone that I was a baseball player at Santa Barbara.

It was really tough not getting drafted last year, especially because I lived with three guys — two had been drafted beforehand then the third being drafted all at the same time. I expected to go and a lot of people expected me to go. The biggest letdown was probably the phone calls from friends from San Diego that didn’t watch the drafts as intently as we do and they asked me about it and I had to tell them it didn’t go the way I expected.

At the same time, you’ve got to keep a smile on your face because your three best friends just had one of the greatest things happen to them and you want to be there for them. It’s like two halfs pulling at you. I feel like I’m definitely a stronger person now, having gone through that experience.

When we play summer ball, you play with guys from all over the country who have different experiences at different colleges. Hearing what other people have to say about their schools, I mean, you really feel jaded here because stuff that we are able to do and the lifestyle we are able to live, it’s just so much better here. The last six weeks here were winter supposedly, we’ve had 65 degree temperature, and its been sunny everyday. I can walk to the baseball field. You know almost everyone, because we all live in the same community. You can walk three minutes to your best friend’s house. Whereas you talk to people who live in snow barren areas, and they don’t pick up a baseball for six weeks at a time.

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BRYCE TAFELSKI & MIKE SCIOSCIA

rendering of the future gaucho park entrance plaza

For the second straight year, baseball in Santa Barbara started with the Gauchos hosting a special night with their community partners the Santa Barbara Foresters. The keynote speaker for ‘A Night With An Angel’ was former Los Angeles Dodger great and current Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager, Mike Scioscia.

Scioscia was the biggest star in a room full of them. Included among the guests were former Gauchos, including current major leaguers Ryan Spilborghs and Skip Schumaker, and former Forester James Shields, currently a starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.

The night is part of an ongoing effort to improve Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, including adding a park/plaza entrance and lights. The project will not only improve the home of the Gauchos and Foresters, but honor the history of baseball in Santa Barbara as well, and provide for the first time since Laguna Park, night baseball.

“Our vision is to be able to show the history of ballparks in Santa Barbara in the entryway. Plus the lights will rejuvenate a tradition of night baseball for the community, started long ago at Laguna Ballpark. It’s a beautiful plan and we can make it happen,” remarked Bob Brontsema, Head Baseball Coach.

For more information and to help, contact Bob Brontsema at (805) 893-3690; or email: [email protected] or Mark Massari, Athletics Director at (805) 893-3400 or email: [email protected].

A Night With An Angel

page 10GREAT EXAMPLE (spread): No. 1: Jordan Weiner

{Great Example}

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JORDAN WEINER COURTS SUCCESS

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The competition among high school basketball players to become Division 1 college players is fierce. As a player at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, Calif., Jordan Weiner experienced that. As a high school senior, Weiner averaged 18 points per game and set a Birmingham record with 74 three-point baskets. He earned First Team All- West Valley League honors.

Still, he wasn’t recruited.

“I wasn’t really recruited out of high school and I was accepted based on my academics,” Weiner recalled. “But I love the game and I felt that I could play in college.”

So, when he got to UCSB he tried out for the basketball team and made it as a walk-on. But making the team as a walk-on was only the first step, competing at a Division 1 level was another challenge. Weiner parlayed his passion for basketball and his willingness to work hard into becoming an asset to the team.

In the four-plus years since he arrived in Santa Barbara, Weiner has become a key component for the Gauchos. Last year, he was a starter the second half of the season as the team won the Big West regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Weiner’s emergence physically, and in terms of his basketball skills, has been impressive. As a redshirt in 2006-07, he simply wasn’t ready to play Division 1 basketball.

“When I got here I was small and scrawny and not physically able to compete,” Weiner said. “The hardest part for me was getting my body physically fit.”

Weiner struggled with his physical appearance. His body shape didn’t resemble the average basketball player who had a quick jump shot or the ability to drive strong to the basket. But the redshirt year gave him the opportunity to increase his physical strength as well as improve his game. Weiner knew that hard work was his only option if he had any hope of becoming a college basketball player.

“I had to work extremely hard to play with the guys on the team,” he said. “After practice everyday I would be in the weight room lifting to get stronger and also working on my jump shot. I had to work extremely hard just to be ‘average’.”

“He really put the time and work in,” said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. “He made himself into a player and he’s become an important part of this team.”

Weiner needed to increase his knowledge of the game as well. It simply wasn’t at the level it needed to be.

“I wanted to expand and get a better basketball IQ,” he said. “I wanted to be able to read the game and see things before they happened.”

Weiner has done just that and now excels in many ways. He currently ranks third on the team in three-point baskets, second in steals and third in assists.

A political science major, Weiner is a Golden Eagle Award-winner, a two-time Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete honoree and an Academic All-Big West selection. As he closes in on the end of his senior season, he knows there are no guarantees his basketball career will continue. However, basketball didn’t give Weiner the opportunity to be a Gaucho, academics did. He hopes to continue his education in law school once he graduates.

“People always told me that I have a big mouth and I like to argue a lot and law would be a good career for me and that’s what made me decide what I should pursue,” he said. “That was kind of like my thing, going to law school. And, if Weiner approaches his career in law with the same dedication that he has his basketball career, success will most likely result.

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The Gaucho Fund was created to open the door to an exceptional educational opportunity for young men and women. Your support helps them walk through this door, compete on the field, on the court, and in the water. And during their journey, they become well-rounded and prepared for life.

Opening the door changes a life.

OPEN A DOOR CHANGE A LIFE.

LAINEY DePOMPAjunior, catcher

softball

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GREAT. EVERYDAY.

Our slogan is “Dare to Be Great” and it’s not for the weak. We created this mantra to prepare student-athletes for the personal and professional challenges they’ll face after graduation. While at UCSB they represent an incredible university on the fields of play and in the classroom. It’s the complete package, and this idea is at the heart of the Gaucho Fund.

THE GAUCHO FUND IS the Annual Support these driven Gauchos need for their future. Take volleyball’s Andy McGuire, who has set up his future while he set up Gaucho attacks for four years. The senior from Manhattan Beach is ready for life in commercial real estate because he’s prepared.

Because of you.

ANDY McGUIREsenior, libero men’s volleyball

HEART. INVEST IN IT.Her heart shines like the Santa Barbara sun.

The third-year psychology major pours her heart into every minute of every game as the Gauchos’ point guard.

Emilie pours her heart into every minute of every class, as she is one of the hundreds of current Gauchos’ who earn academic honors.

With your support, she is putting a full-court press on life.

EMILIE JOHNSON junior, guard women’s basketball


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LIVING SCHOLARS:A PRICELESS CONNECTION.

The Gaucho Fund is about an opportunity to connect student-athletes with a donor.An opportunity like the one cross country and track’s Juan Paredes is currently thriving in. The Santa Ana native knows he’ll run faster when the wind is at his back. The wind at Juan’s back is the financial support he receives at the Living Scholar level from his Gaucho Fund donor. The connection he’ll make is a lasting one from the generosity of his Living Scholar.

The gift you give is enough for one to chase down his or her opportunity and cross the finish line as a stronger person, fully prepared to win in life after college.

The Living Scholar is there every step of the race.

JUAN PAREDES junior, distance runner men’s cross country & track


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COMPETING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.UCSB desires to compete nationally against the nation’s best. Athletics are no exception. Several sports, led by the excitement the men’s soccer program, and head coach Tim Vom Steeg have achieved, compete with the best. He knows the annual support to achieve a championship mandate is paramount. The nation’s best coach can recruit the nation’s best student-athletes because someone has his back.

That someone is you.

TIM VOM STEEG head coach men’s soccer

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ONE DONATION IS GOLD WITH US.

We know that the cushioned seat is comfortable and being able to zip right in and park close to the venue is nice. You choose to support the Gaucho Fund and our amazing student-athletes because of the feeling you get from knowing you make a difference in the lives of these young men and women.

The One Donation is Gold system means that with one donation at the correct level, you can access, if you choose, our Gold Zone seating (and parking, too!) at basketball, and soccer games. Let’s say you, like many people in Santa Barbara, bought soccer season tickets in the Gold Zone. You can pick-up Gold Zone basketball seats too, as part of the One Donation system of giving!

The best seats in the house are within your reach.

Our ticket office can answer any questions about buying these great seats and making a donation to support the Gauchos by calling (805) 893-UCSB (8272).


Last fall an old friend was changed. Generous gifts and partnerships of over $2 million drastically improved 45-year old Meredith Field at Harder Stadium for two purposes: first, to further enhance our nationally renowned soccer program, and second, to host the 2010 NCAA College Cup. Both were huge victories!

Now more steps are being taken to improve our facilities for today’s student-athletes and the recruits who see them. Our conceptual roadmap is called the “Walk Of Champions” campaign, where every athletics venue from Harder Stadium to the Thunderdome will tell the story of both Gaucho greats and the donors who made the vital renovations possible. We must be proud of what we have, what we build, and where we compete.

Harder Stadium improvements are part of three active capital projects for the athletics facilities. The Park/Plaza and lights for Caesar Uyesaka Stadium and basketball Locker Room enhancements at Thunderdome are also underway. At the heart of the Walk Of Champions plan, to improve UCSB Athletics facilities, lies the campaign for the new athletic aquatics center to replace the 70-year old campus pool.

To learn more about our “Walk Of Champions” campaign, contact Steve O’Brien, Associate Athletics Director, at: [email protected] or (805) 893-4960.

A visionary gift to any of these game-changing projects brings us a step closer.

WALK WITH US.

rendering of the new aquatic center

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UCSB is a special place, and for the more than 10,000 men and women who have competed while wearing the blue and gold, it has an even deeper meaning. Yes, it’s about the sweat, the hard work, and the sacrifice; but it’s the connections they made on this campus that matter most.

The Gaucho Order is the letterwinners program that passes down the traditions from one generation to the next. Today’s Gauchos know they walk on the shoulders of those who have come before them. If you are an alum of any program, we need you to stay connected.

Visit UCSBgauchos.com — click “Give” for an easy way to reconnect.

Join The Gaucho Order. It’s free, and it’s priceless.

YOU EARNED IT. WEAR IT.

BRIAN ROTH ‘98 teacher, coach, mentor, gaucho BETHANY NICKLESS ‘08

runner, role model, olympic hopeful, gaucho


A visionary gift of money through the Gaucho Fund can be a game-changer for the next generation of Gauchos. Like a game-winning goal in overtime or a three-pointer at the buzzer, a major gift can change the course of a season; of a life.

Please ask our coaches and development staff how a gift of stock, real estate, or another creative multi-year gift can make a difference.

Your decision can change the game.

A VISIONARYGIFT MAKES A MAJOR CHANGE.

Thank You For Making

A Difference.

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FUNDING LEADSTO SUCCESS.The young men and women we bring to campus are finishing their degrees and leaving prepared for the challenges they’ll face after graduation — that’s our real measure of success. Your support helps us continue to attract top student-athletes who represent the best of UCSB in all areas of life.

Your gift to the Gaucho Fund has real impact, as the cost of providing these opportunities will continue to increase.

$1,000 covers book costs for two student-athletes for one year

$1,650 covers board for a student-athlete for one term

$4,500 covers books, fees, and room and board for one term

$28,000 provides a full in-state scholarship for one year

Whether at practice on a court or field, in the pool, or attending a class — you’ll discover student-athletes who are succeeding. A gift provides this opportunity. We are winning on all levels because of the financial support received through the Gaucho Fund.

You can easily give a tax-deductible gift to

this mission of providing support for student-athletes

or directly to the sport of your choice online at UCSBgauchos.com or by contacting UCSB Development staff at

(805) 893-4960.

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{Living Scholar}

When a UCSB student-athlete has the opportunity to see Dr. Richard Ryu or his wife, Linda, it’s both a good thing and a bad thing. Dr. Ryu is the Gauchos’ Team Physician, and his wife, Linda, is a pharmacist with the Student Health Center, and if an athlete has to see one of them, it often means they have suffered an injury or are in need of a prescription. That’s the bad part.

However, the Ryus’ are more than just UCSB’s Team Physician and one of the Student Health Center’s pharmacists, respectively. They are generous boosters, donors and fans. Anyone who has seen him on the bench during a men’s soccer match or at a basketball game, or her in the stands, knows just how big of fans they are. That’s the good part. They truly care for Gaucho student-athletes, on and off the field and courts.

In his own words: “Supporting the student-athlete has always been a priority for us.”

As the parents of three young women who all competed in NCAA Division 1 sports, we fully understand the tremendous sacrifice that these young people make as they try to excel in their chosen sports while diligently improving their education and life skills.

Their ability to multi-task, to devote countless hours to their teammates, sport and the class room, develops leadership skills and a keen sense of self that will ultimately lead to service to others, our country and to the global community.

Working with the UCSB athletes, the UCSB Training Staff led by Leroy Heu, and the forward-thinking Athletics Department has been a blessing, and we are grateful for many wonderful moments, including being on the field for the 2006 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Soccer national title, followed by a spirited visit to the White House.

We would encourage you to make a commitment to UCSB Athletics and to the legion of student-athletes who, because of the generosity of so many, continue to excel and represent the very best of UCSB.

Dr. Richard Ryu and his wife, Linda, have been a part of UCSB Athletics for many years. Dr. Ryu, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, has served as UCSB’s Team Physician since 1986. He has been a UCSB Foundation Trustee since 1996. Linda Ryu has been an active volunteer for the National Charity League and for numerous local charities, and has served as a board member for several non-profit organizations. The Ryus’ are members of the Lancaster Society and the Chancellor’s Council. The Ryus’ giving does not stop with UCSB. Dr. Ryu has been the Head Team Physician at Westmont College since 1989 as well as Team Physician for Santa Barbara High School, Bishop Diego High School and Cate School.

Dr. Ryu is the Immediate Past President of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

KEEPING THE GAUCHOS WHOLE dr. richard ryu — ucsb athletics donor and team physician

linda ryu, pharm d.— ucsb athletics donor and student health pharmacist

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SPOTLIGHT

GAUCHO FUND EVENTS


SAVE THE DATE

April 26:00 p.m. Baseball – Meet The Team Sponsored by The Kelt Group Tennis Club Of Santa Barbara

April 2All Day Men’s Volleyball Golf Tournament Sandpiper Golf Club

April 34:00 p.m. Softball — Meet the Team Hosted by the McQueen Family

April 95:30 p.m. Swim & Dive Team Banquet ICA Womble Hall of Champions

April 135:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball Team Banquet ICA Womble Hall of Champions

April 295:30 - 8:00 p.m. All Gaucho Athletic Reception ICA Womble Hall of Champions

May 1All Day Women’s Soccer Golf Tournament Glen Annie Golf Club

May 19All Day Women’s Basketball Golf Tournament Sandpiper Golf Club

May 20Tennis Team Banquet

May 255:00 SB Awards Show IV Theater

For all Gaucho Fund Events, please contact Christina Baglas.«

For information on the Gaucho Fund and our events, contact Christina Baglas at: (805) 893-5372 or by email:[email protected]

Christina Baglas: GAUCHO FUND DIRECTOR

An Evening With JIM ROMEJim Rome, one of the most respected voices in sports broadcasting, will be headlining a number of campus and UCSB Athletics events during the 2011 All Gaucho Reunion. “An Evening with Jim Rome,” presented by Intercollegiate Athletics, the Alumni Association, and Arts & Lectures, is set for Saturday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. in Campbell Hall. Rome’s successful radio program — “The Jim Rome Show” — airs on more than 200 radio stations with more than two million listeners.

Additionally, he hosts a provocative sports talk show on ESPN, which features his opinions, debates and famous names in sports.

Rome graduated from UCSB in 1986 with a degree in communi-cation and was a former student broadcaster on KCSB 91.9 FM.

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I was actually a third baseman, which is funny now. I had a girl on my team, she was really good, and I wanted to pitch just like her. She taught me a couple things and I just fell in love with pitching and just being able to have the ball 24/7. That was definitely how I wanted to spend my softball career.

Once I started softball I just couldn’t give it up. I just loved it.

There are some times when I get pretty nervous, but the excitement of being able to play and show everything that we have worked on (overrides that). Just as a team in general, too, they really support how I am doing. Even if I am not doing that great, I know the girls behind me have it.

It’s more like you are living on the bus. You definitely get used to it. You get used to sleeping on the bus and you get used to seeing your teammates 24/7 and it brings us really close.

We are a very close bunch, so to have that off the field just makes it natural on the field. It’s not a fake chemistry on the field.

This year, we got very close very fast and that is really exciting.

This year is just flying. The games are just so exciting. We all just get along and have fun and we’ll laugh about the weirdest things. It’s fun, very fun.

I have learned how to fail. You get here because you are good and don’t really know what it’s like to fail. Me, personally, I know what it’s like to fail and I know how to recover from it. Being able to recover is what I have learned, and this year is going to be completely different.

KRISTA COBB junior, pitcher softball

KRISTA COBB Makes Her Pitch. It’s been a big growing up

experience, going from having your parents doing almost everything for you. I have grown up a lot from being here and that is exciting because I want to be successful.

I want to be known as the girl who all her teammates could go to no matter what. I want to be known as a good teammate.

We always talk about Big West Champions, so that is definitely what we want. But we just want to take it one game at a time. All the details — that is what our team is completely about this season. As long as we get the details down, I am sure we can do pretty much anything we set our minds to.

«Sports Glimpse »

Tyler WeirSENIOR, MEN’S GOLF

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I think we have a chance to compete for the Big West championship.

Playing collegiate golf gives you a new perspective on the sport because playing with the team makes you think about each other.

I got into golf through my dad. He played in college and on tour.

All of the guys on our team have potential. It’s difficult because in golf, everyone’s game clicks at different times so getting everyone to play consistently and up to their potential at the right time is crucial.

«Sports Glimpse »

Cullen IronsSENIOR, MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Tyler WeirSENIOR, MEN’S GOLF

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CULLEN IRONS Serves It UpFive times. We’ve beaten UCLA five times this year. Three in the regular season and twice in the fall.

Getting that first win at Pauley confirmed everything that we’ve been telling ourselves. We can be the best and now there’s no doubt in our minds.

When we’re serving well, like we did against UCLA, it improves our block, our defense and gives us more opportunities to attack.

We have, at any given time on the court, four options to hit. It can be an unstoppable combination because we can all hit from anywhere on the court.

Before every single play, everyone is talking. We call out their hitters, we call out what we are going to do. If we don’t have that communication, it won’t happen. But when we talk together, we tend to gel and it gets tough to compete with us.

Rick tends to leave the motivational speeches to us. We’re a veteran squad and we know what makes each other tick.

UCSB DARE > 29

{Great Example}

Sweets Underwood has faced many tragic situations in her life, including the death of both her parents, but she has managed to embrace the losses and use them as tools for motivation. Through hard work, dedication, and passion for the game of basketball, she has earned the opportunity to live out her dream.

“Do it for your mom. Do it for your dad and obviously do it for yourself,” said Underwood, in an inspirational tone.

Underwood lost her mother to cancer, her father to a heart attack, and a cousin to murder at a young age, forcing her to move in with her aunt. However, that did not stop her from having a standout high school basketball career at Compton Centennial High School and earning a scholarship to UCSB.

“The deaths in my family are my motivation,” Underwood said.

Underwood began her athletic career running middle distance races on her high school track team, but her obvious physical gifts eventually led her to the basketball court.

The process of switching from the track to the hardwood was a struggle for Underwood as she initially lacked the coordination and ball skills needed to flourish in basketball. With an athletic frame and nimble feet, Underwood undertook the challenge of learning the game of basketball. Within a short amount of time she began to come into her own.

“When I started playing basketball I was horrible,” she recalled. “I could barely catch a ball. There were times when I wanted to give up and go back to track.”

But she didn’t. Underwood stuck to her plan through thick and thin.

“Hours after hours, day after day, I would stay in the gym consistently working on the things that would make me a better player,” she said.

Her dedication and hard work in high school gave her the opportunity to choose from a variety of colleges. However, her plan was to play at UCSB while simultaneously receiving an outstanding education at a prestigious university that was surrounded by beaches.

“I amazed myself, and realized that if I could do that (make significant progress in basketball) in a month’s time, what could I do in a year from now, therefore I stuck with basketball,” Underwood said. Underwood was a three- year varsity letter winner at Compton’s Centennial High, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals per game as a senior. Sweets earned her nickname because of her “sweet feet,” and in her two seasons at UCSB, those feet have helped her display her talents on the court.

As a freshman, she was one of just five players on the team to see action in all 32 games and she was named to the Big West All-Freshmen Team after averaging 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. This year, Underwood improved in virtually every facet of the game. She puts on a performance each game, showing off her special talents and utilizing the skills she cultivated spending countless hours in the gym.

“She is incredibly efficient with her ability to score and get rebounds,” said UCSB head coach Lindsay Gottlieb in reference to Underwood’s basketball skills. Regarding her forward as a person, she was even more effusive.

“She is special on and off the court,” Gottlieb said. “Since the first time I saw her, I knew I wanted her to be a part of this program. She has been a great addition to Gaucho Athletics. Sweets is an incredible young person and she’ll go far.”

Underwood’s goals are simple. She wants to win.

“My goal for the team is to play as a unit and get our Big West Championship crown back,” she declared. “And I want to continue playing a role in our success.”

After college, Underwood would like to continue playing basketball professionally, either overseas or in the WNBA, and with her work ethic it’s a pretty good bet she will make it.SW

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THE SWEETS LIFE


Taking a Dip with SOPHIA YAMAUCHI

First I was a gymnast and I dislocated my knee a few times, so I moved to diving and I dove for a year during my junior year. My dive coach stopped showing up. I was good friends with the guy that ran the pool and he said, ‘Why don’t you just swim with the high school team?’

Gregg (Wilson) recruited me off of word of mouth, because I was not good. I was one of the slowest guys on the team when I joined.

At practice everyone is getting out, looking at one another and being like, ‘Hey, why aren’t you going fast?’ and getting on each other’s cases. At the same time, it’s friendly competition. That helps a lot.

We are hoping that I will maybe take down Jason Lezak’s record, but we will see. That has definitely been a goal in the both the 50 and the 100 free.

I have always liked being the small fish in the big pond, so we are kind of moving into that in the Pac-10. We were the big fish in the small pond, and it was great — we were on top and it was fun.

The true goal is to get guys to the NCAAs. That is really tough. It’s the fastest swimming in the world. They say sometimes it’s faster than the Olympics because everyone from around the world comes to train at our universities.

Off the Block With CHRIS PETERSON

I went on recruiting trips to three other schools: Arizona State, San Diego State and Cal Poly. I noticed that the Santa Barbara swim team, they act really closely with each other, like a family almost.

The campus is amazing. I felt like everything just fell into place when I came here for my recruit trip. I had a really good feeling about it and that it was the right school.

Gregg finds a way to make practice fun. It’s not that it is easy, because it is hard a lot of the time, but he randomly during practice will start singing a song or make a joke.

In high school I would kind of dread going to practice a little bit. It was like, ‘Ugh, another day. I don’t want to go.’ Here, it is not something I dread, it’s something I want to go to and I look forward to it.

I came in with the attitude that I want to succeed and I want to do well, and I really wanted to prove to Gregg that I was capable of succeeding.

I grew six inches in one year, so I have a lot of room to grow and get stronger and get better as I grow older.

I started lifting and I have gained 15 pounds of muscle, I feel like I don’t look like I have gained a lot of weight, but it shows in my swimming because I feel a lot stronger.

I like it (breaststroke) because I am good at it. It is fun to be fast and to win your event.

NCAAs are such a big deal in college, and if I had the opportunity to go, I would be so excited. That is the goal that I have been working towards this whole season.

I don’t think I would be having the same really fun, great experience if I weren’t on the swim team here. It’s just a great program.

It would be a huge milestone in getting to the national level that I am hoping to get to with Olympic Trials coming up my graduating year.

I would love to go with a relay team. If we get a relay there, anyone who has NCAA ‘B’ cuts, they get to swim those individual events. So, all of a sudden, UCSB is at the national level and everyone sees us there.

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CHRIS PETERSON junior, men’s swim team

UCSB DARE > 31

I started out doing all the normal sports like softball, soccer, and basketball. I did all those three starting when I was about five. I quickly dropped softball because it was too boring, not enough action.

I wound up picking soccer. I did that until I was about 11. At that point, my coach was super intense. I didn’t get that much playing time and wasn’t having much fun.

There were all these people out where we practiced soccer that would just run around and around. I told my dad one day that I thought it looked really fun. That was my favorite part of playing sports, the running.

I decided to drop soccer and I joined a local track club when I was in seventh grade. That’s how I got into it.

For me, running is a big outlet. I have a ton of energy almost all the time and it’s the only sport that lets me run myself into the ground.

BREE STRENKOWSKI junior, distance runner, women’s track

Getting theRunaround withBREE STRENKOWSKI

THE TRUTH WITHRuth MilneI was actually forced to play water polo by my dad when I was 11. He has forced me to play sports my whole life. The first week he offered to pay me to go to practice. It was awful. After a week, I felt bad, so he didn’t have to pay me, but I didn’t really like it.

I am much more of a defensive player; I have always been that way.

It is hard to be a goalkeeper. I know that all the goals that go in aren’t always my fault, but I am so hard on myself.

Lately, I have been talking more and trying to pump up the team more. Last year I was a little nervous and the older girls kind of scared me. So I am getting more vocal. I think every year — once I get older, I will have earned a place to say more.

I am really excited about the team this year. We have Claire, Kathryn, Christie — all great players. Northridge lost their main goalie, so, I feel we are really the team that will win the Big West title this year and go to NCAAs.

We have been starting out a little slow, but we have been conditioning so much. Last year we started out really good in the beginning, and kind of didn’t end well at the Big West’s. So I am hoping that we are starting out slowly, build up and win the Big West.

Oh my gosh! Even making it to NCAAs — it is so important because it would give our team so much more respect in the athletics program. That’s the one thing I want to win this (Big West title) mostly for is respect for our team. I think we deserve it.

Sometimes it is kind of intimidating because Wolf gets in the pool with us and he plays one-on-one, shows us what to do. It’s intimidating because he is really good; he’s a great coach. He knows how to talk to us, how to pump us up. He knows the right things to say, the right plays to do. He’s just really an awesome coach.

I have good friends; I am in a good place. I love it.

Being on this team, being able to play and seeing this team grow and get so much better, is an awesome feeling.

A lot of sports, you can’t just go out and exhaust yourself all at one time. With running, you’re guaranteed every time you race you’re gonna be keeling over, exhausted. That’s what I like.

It’s become a lot more than that now. It’s an emotional release, an energy release, my therapy. It’s everything. It helps clear my mind. It keeps me centered.

It’s really cool because the guys and girls are one big team. Everybody is cheering for everyone. You know that not only do the girls have your back, but the guys too.

With the girls, we really broke out last year on the national scene. People are finally starting to realize that we have a good track team. We set that standard for us at the end of last year and I think we’re looking to match that again.

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We did have a tough opening. The scores didn’t reflect how close we were to winning some of those matches.

To us, that’s just a part of the game. To spectators, it seems like we get blown out when that’s not the case.

The whole dynamic changes when you start winning these matches because we feed off the energy.

We are a bunch of experienced guys out there and we’ve been there before. We don’t back down so there is no intimidation factor on this team.

I love playing in front of my hometown fans. The local support is great. I’ve got a big base of friends that I’ve maintained throughout high school and college. It’s great to see them at the matches, they bring out the community and different clubs and schools. We all feed off the energy.

«Sports Glimpse »

I started playing tennis when I was four years old.

I really wanted to go to an east coast school. I ended up coming on a recruiting trip here and loved it. I cancelled the rest of my recruiting trips and said ‘I want to be a Gaucho!’

This year we have such a great team. We’re so close.

We hang out not only on the court, but outside of practice, too, which is great. I think some teams don’t really have that kind of chemistry.

I definitely feel this team can win a Big West title. This is the strongest team we’ve had since I’ve been here.

As long as we keep working hard and winning, and don’t have any slip-ups, we’re there.

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Taylor Chavez-GogginJUNIOR, MEN’S TENNIS

Sofia NovakJUNIOR, WOMEN’S TENNIS

UCSB DARE > 33

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UCSB DARE > 10UCSB DARE > 35

CORNERSTONE JESSICA BERISTIANOS

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When leadership is spoken about in reference to the 2011 UCSB softball team, one name is conjured: Jessica Beristianos. The senior third baseman was the team’s unanimous pick for team captain this year and it is not hard to see why.

“She does everything that you hope everyone else will do, every day,” head coach Brie Galicinao said. “She has done that since she has gotten here. She is quick to make corrections. She does what is asked of her, no questions asked.”

Beristianos, for her part, does not take the role that she has earned lightly.

“It is a huge honor to be seen as the team leader,” Beristianos said. “I remember being a freshman and looking up to the team leaders and hoping that one day I would get the opportunity to be a leader just like them. It wasn’t just that they were amazing players; they had great attitudes and were always such great examples. They worked hard, and even during tough times, they always kept their heads up.

“Now that I have been given the opportunity as the team leader, I feel that it is very important to be a great example for the players both on and off the field. They look to me for answers during the good and the bad.”

Beristianos’ emergence as the team leader was not a given. Known more for her sweet nature, frequent giggling and accommodating attitude, Beristianos may not come across as someone with the take-charge disposition often attributed to those in leadership positions.

“She has been surprising because she is very unassuming and very kind, but she has developed that other part of her personality where she understands that we need her to take charge,” Galicinao said. “With her personality and how much she cares and how nice she was, I wasn’t sure of how she was going to step into that role, but she has found a way to make it work for her. She can organize the team and tell them what needs to be done, all the while it fitting with her caring way. I think she has found a way that is comfortable and works for her, and the team is really buying into her, which is huge.”

The Newark, Calif. native does not just lead the Gauchos emotionally; she has also been a consistent performer on the field while wearing the blue and gold. Beristianos has started every game since coming to UCSB — over 160, in the infield. She earned All-Big West honors last season and has already made her mark in the UCSB record book ranking in the all-time Top 10 for career doubles and RBI. After spending two seasons as the Gauchos’ starting shortstop, she moved to third base last season, where she has taken up permanent residence.

“I love playing third base because it really tests your reactions and natural instincts,” Beristianos said. “You really just have to trust your glove and that your arm is good enough to get the ball to first, or wherever, in time.”

In addition to her dedication to UCSB softball, Beristianos is an active member of the community. She is a Board Member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and is also a member of the Dare Referendum Committee, which is attempting to get the student body at UCSB to approve a fee that will help fund the building of a new pool as well as fund improvements and upgrades to several of the intercollegiate athletics venues on campus.

Beristianos has participated in Relay for Life, the Adopt-a-Family project, has volunteered with Adopt-a-Block, an Isla Vista clean-up project; as well as the Red Cross Blood Drive, the Special Olympics and Cops Care Foundation. On the field, she has worked the Nike Softball Camp and the Softball Advanced Winter Camp, helping pass on her knowledge and enthusiasm for the game to younger players.

“She doesn’t talk about it (her community service),” Galicinao said. “A lot of time I hear it from other people. She doesn’t make a big display about it. We ask her to show up to a lot of things, but she winds up making connections just by talking to people and being genuinely interested in them. You could just show up to those things and be there and be a figure, but I think she goes there and really tries to get to know the community. She wants to be there.”

Following graduation this spring, Beristianos, who is majoring in sociology, intends to pursue a degree in nursing, a career that couldn’t coincide better with her caring nature.

Before she leaves UCSB though, she has unfinished business on the diamond.

“We are all so motivated and want the best for one another. We have great chemistry and are ready to show everyone all the hard work we have put in during the off-season. We have become the type of team that when faced with a challenge, we are not going to lie down and die. We are not a team that will let the little things brings us down.”

{Great Example}

For over 30 years, from the mythic men’s basketball teams that slayed the UNLV power-houses of the late 80’s and 90’s; to women’s Gaucho hoops teams that excited a community and a campus, owned a conference, and produced WNBA players; to a volleyball program that for 26 years was one of just three teams in the nation to make the NCAA Tournament every year, the Thunderdome has housed some of the best players and teams to ever make their imprint at UCSB.

The name is also legendary — the Thunderdome. The loud, passionate fans, clad in gold t-shirts, scared the competition away and baptized it as such. The Thunderdome is not a place of sanction.

To immortalize the Gaucho athletes that consistently turned in legendary performances inside of a legendary building, UCSB Athletics implemented its Legends of the ‘Dome program in 2009. Each year, fans will be asked to vote for the next Legend or Legends to be raised in tribute.

In 2009-10 the inaugural Legends class was introduced: Mark French and Barb Beainy (women’s basketball), Brian Shaw and Carrick DeHart (men’s basketball), and Roberta Gehlke (women’s volleyball).

In 2010-11, three more Legends were added to the list.

Kathy Gregory, UCSB’s only head women’s volleyball coach, led the charge as her banner was raised on October 1. To cap off the night, the Gauchos came back from two sets down to defeat 21st-ranked Long Beach State in five sets! Men’s basketball legend Eric “Freeze” McArthur was introduced February 16 and women’s basketball great Kristen Mann’s banner was unveiled February 24.


LEGENDS OF THE ‘DOMERoberta GehlkeWOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Introduced Fall of 2009

Carrick DeHart MEN’S BASKETBALL Introduced Winter of 2010

Brian ShawMEN’S BASKETBALL Introduced Winter of 2010

Barb Beainy WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Introduced Winter of 2010

Mark FrenchWOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH Introduced Winter of 2010

Kathy Gregory WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL COACH Introduced Fall of 2010

Eric “The Freeze” McArthurMEN’S BASKETBALL Introduced Winter of 2011

Kristen Mann WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Introduced Winter of 2011

UCSB DARE > 37

Last April, the effort to renovate both the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms was launched, with several commitments being made by generous donors to the critically needed project. The first part of the project, which included enhanced team areas (Founders Room and media/film room), was completed prior to the 2010-11 season by private gifts. Phase II calls for renovated locker rooms, showers and student-athlete amenities for each program and an upgraded training room. As of press time, roughly half of the estimated $400,000 total project has been raised.

Thunderdome basketball locker room improvements are part of UCSB Athletics’ three active capital campaigns in the conceptual “Walk of Champions” plan.

LOCKER ROOM PROJECTGains Momentum

To assist with the basketball locker room project please contact Steve O’Brien in Athletics Development at (805) 893-4960 or email: [email protected]. For more Walk of Champions projects visit UCSBgauchos.com

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Dare.v2Spring2011