The Bold Type, with Commissioner Dan Butterly – April 29, 2025
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Hello to all after an exciting week of spring championships around The Big West! We crowned six champions with one more to come on Tuesday to finish out a whirlwind week. Congratulations to all our student-athlete participants and especially our title winners!
If you were able to attend […]
Hello to all after an exciting week of spring championships around The Big West! We crowned six champions with one more to come on Tuesday to finish out a whirlwind week. Congratulations to all our student-athlete participants and especially our title winners!
If you were able to attend a Big West Championship to support our student-athletes this week, THANK YOU. To our campus hosts – thank you for providing a highly positive atmosphere and tremendous experience for our student-athletes. As I was once told, the Big West Championship is a student-athletes first championship experience, but it can also be their last championship experience.
To The Big West staff, THANK YOU! Your preparation has prepared you to provide a first-class experience for our institutions.
Song of the day is “The Champion” by Carrie Underwood. Good luck to our teams and student-athlete that have advanced to NCAA Championships in the weeks ahead. . Let’s get to The Bold Type.
NCAA BOUND – CONGRATULATIONS!
To our two teams and three individuals who punched their tickets to NCAA Women’s Golf Regionals! Read more >>>
To Big West champion Long Beach State and Cal Poly who punched their tickets to the 2025 National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship! Read more >>>
To Big West men’s volleyball champion Hawai’i and Long Beach State, both poised to represent the conference on the national stage as the No 1 and 2 seeds in the bracket! And to UC Irvine, who had an outstanding regular-season and deserved an NCAA at-large bid, but unfortunately narrowly missed out on making the field as the first team out. Read more >>>
To UC Santa Barbara women’s tennis, set to play Rice in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, hosted at Texas A&M’s Mitchell Tennis Center, Friday, May 2. Read more >>>
To UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, who were both selected to the 64-team field for the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship bracket. The Anteaters will play at No. 6 seed San Diego in the first round and the Gauchos are set to take on UCLA in a neutral-site match at California. Read more >>>
To back-to-back Big West champion and No. 4 seed Hawai’i women’s water polo, who will take on California in a rematch of last year’s semifinal in the 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship on May 9 at 2 p.m. Read more >>>
CONGRATULATIONS!
To the 2024-25 All-Big West Women’s Golf Team! Read more >>>
To the 2025 All-Big West Men’s Volleyball Team! Read more >>>
To men’s swimmer Milan Bukovics of Hawai’i who was honored as an Academic All-American! Read more >>>
To Arianna Sakallaris of Hawai’i who was honored as an Academic All-American! Read more >>>
To our three beach volleyball teams ranked in AVCA National Poll!
No. 3 Cal Poly
No. 16 Hawai‘i
No. 9 Long Beach State
To UC Irvine baseball who this week was ranked this week!
To Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara and Hawai‘i baseball programs for receiving votes in various national polls!
To our two men’s tennis teams ranked in ITA Rankings!
No. 34 UC Santa Barbara
No. 49 UC Irvine (LINK)
To our four men’s tennis singles players ranked in ITA Rankings!
No. 63 Gianluca Brunkow (UCSB)
No. 70 Noah Zamora (UCI)
No. 97 Azuma Visaya (UH)
No. 116 Diogo Morais (UCSB) (LINK)
To our men’s tennis doubles pairs ranked in ITA Rankings!
To our three women’s tennis teams ranked in ITA Rankings!
No. 32 UC Santa Barbara
No. 59 Cal Poly
No. 73 Long Beach State (LINK)
To our two women’s tennis singles players ranked in ITA Rankings!
No. 16 Amelia Honer (UCSB)
No. 121 Ana Vilcek (UH) (LINK)
To our women’s tennis doubles pair ranked in ITA Rankings!
To all six men’s volleyball teams ranked in AVCA National Poll!
To our seven women’s water polo teams ranked in CWPA National Poll! SEVEN!
And to our outstanding student-athletes who were recognized as a Big West Player of the Week!
Baseball – Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara (pitcher); Colton Lomanto, UC San Diego (field player)
Softball – Leanna Garcia, Cal State Fullerton (pitcher); Zara Wasserman, UC San Diego (field player); Natalie Lozano, Cal State Fullerton (freshman)
Men’s Volleyball – Hilir Henno, UC Irvine (offiensive); Micah Goss, UC Irvine (defensive); Joe Karlous, UC Irvine (setter); Moni Nikolov, Long Beach State (freshman)
Beach Volleyball- Malia Gementera & Taylor Hagenah, Long Beach State
Track & Field- Aidan McCarthy, Cal Poly (men’s track); Trey Knight, CSUN (men’s field); Tatiana Cornejo, Cal Poly (women’s track); Jenelle Hurley, Long Beach State (women’s field)
Men’s Tennis – Noah Zamora, UC Irvine
Women’s Tennis – Yen Nhi Huynh, UC Irvine
Women’s Water Polo – Kendall Thomas, UC San Diego
MORE ON WOMEN’S GOLF
Our champion Cal State Fullerton is the 10th seed in the Gold Canyon regional which will be at Superstition Mountain Golf Club in Gold Canyon, AZ. Additionally, UC Davis was selected as an at-large as the 9th seed in the Lubbock regional which will be at The Rawls Golf Course in Lubbock, TX.
Having two teams in is great for The Big West but it was topped by adding three individual players selected to compete! Jasmine and Janae Leovao of Long Beach State and Jensen Jalufka of Cal Poly were selected to compete as individuals in the Gold Canyon region.
BOLD BREAK VIDEO FEATURE
For Hawai’i men’s volleyball setter Tread Rosenthal, being an exceptional athlete goes beyond individual accolades. It’s about making a lasting impact on the team and contributing to their success. Good luck to Tread and the Rainbow Warriors in the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyall Championship! Read more >>>
NCAA SETTLEMENT UPDATE #1
On Wednesday, commissioners received an update from Mario Morris, CFO of the NCAA letting us know that the national office surpassed financial revenue goals for the fiscal year, and because of that, the Board of Governors approved the use of $55M to be used to offset the expected damages payments for the preliminarily approved House settlement. The move reduces back damages for each conference this upcoming fiscal year – assuming court approval of the settlement – by 33%. “For example, if your original liability payment was $3M, the liability payment for the first year will now be $2M.”
NCAA SETTLEMENT UPDATE #2
Judge Claudia Wilken is withholding final approval of the House settlement for a period of 14 days and directing the plaintiffs, conference defendants and the NCAA to reach an agreement to delay implementation of Division I roster limits slated to be effective July 1, 2025.
NCAA SETTLEMENT UPDATE #3
The Division I Board of Directors acted to eliminate 150 rules for Division I, should the judge approve the House settlement (LINK). Per NCAA President Charlie Baker: “There is significant, positive change underway at the NCAA — from establishing post-eligibility insurance across the Association to new Division I scholarship guarantees — and, with approval of the settlement, a new system where student-athletes could receive up to 50% of athletics department revenue at some schools. While there is a lot more work ahead, NCAA members are making progress in creating a sustainable and stable future for all student-athletes.”
UCI DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS PAULA SMITH ON LEADERSHIP
UC Irvine Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Paula Smith sits down with ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2024 NACDA Convention for a discussion about implementing a “democratic” leadership style, workforce management and succession planning and cross-campus collaboration. (LINK)
WOMEN’S WATER POLO
The NCAA Sports Oversight Committee has formally approved the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship date change, beginning for the 2026 championship. The official championship date formula will now be the last full weekend in April. Attached is a document with the new dates through 2030. (LINK)
MEDIA REPORTS ON NCAA AND LEGAL MATTERS
The NCAA’s national office exceeded its financial goals for the fiscal year, and $55M of the resulting budget surplus will be used to offset payments for damages in the House settlement. The NCAA explains this decision to “direct the surplus to reduce the cost burden was made in consultation with South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, who raised financial concerns of some schools that are not in autonomy conferences.” (link) (link)
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey spoke during the CAA World Congress of Sports yesterday in Nashville and said the House settlement is “not the end of the story. It is a chapter. It’s a necessary chapter. And one of the realities around other ideas related to college sports is they have started at a point ignoring what we have to deal with from the past. … The coping that you hear is we’re trying to figure out what we have to deal with from our past. That’s the chapter we’re in right now.” (link)
Cal Poly AD Don Oberhelman says of the decision to discontinue swimming and diving: “It’s painful. It causes anger and a lot of misdirected rage and things like that. It’s an awful situation to go through, but we didn’t go into it lightly.” Oberhelman cited multiple issues, including budget reduction, the House settlement and Cal Poly’s large number of sports offerings, as factors in the decision. “We’re really, really large and we’re trying to hold on. What it’s starting to do is impact the student-athlete experience.” Oberhelman indicated that the 8% budget cuts to California State universities are impacting athletics, and that’s on top of the $550K the House settlement will cost the Mustangs each year for the next 12 years. “We have to start tightening our belts and figure out how we can function in this new reality without further cuts. … This is just the beginning rather than the end of what these new realities are going to look like for us. We’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, which is prepare for those realities, uncomfortable and painful as they may be. We have to make sure our sports are primed for success, and we were just too big at that point in time.” (link)
Disney CEO Bob Iger during the CAA World Congress of Sports remarked that the launch of ESPN’s DTC Flagship product “might be the biggest move since getting the full season of the NFL. (link)
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.” – Muhammad Ali
“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.” – Walter Bagehot
Thank you to all! Thanks to all of our athletic trainers, game managers, SIDs and volunteers for their work all season long, but particularly at our championships.
Marquette grad named to all-freshman beach volleyball team | Sports
Marquette graduate Mia Scanlon has been named to the all-freshman Florida Atlantic beach volleyball team. The 5-foot-9 Scanlon is 5-7 this season, including a season-best 4-5 record on court three, in addition to going 1-0 at the No. 1 position. This season, Scanlon earned a ranked win against No. 16 Stetson. The Sandy Owls won […]
Marquette graduate Mia Scanlon has been named to the all-freshman Florida Atlantic beach volleyball team.
The 5-foot-9 Scanlon is 5-7 this season, including a season-best 4-5 record on court three, in addition to going 1-0 at the No. 1 position. This season, Scanlon earned a ranked win against No. 16 Stetson.
The Sandy Owls won their second Conference USA title to earn a berth in the NCAA
Ranked No. 13 in the nation, Florida Atlantic beach volleyball’s season came to a close recently when the Sandy Owls fell 3-0 to No. 4 Loyola Marymount University in the opening round of the NCAA Championship.
The Sandy Owls were making the program’s third all-time appearance in the NCAA Championship. FAU ends its campaign 21-15 overall.
Vikings Track & Field preps for National Championships
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CHICAGO, Ill. –– Seven Vikings will represent North Park University Track & Field at the 2025 Outdoor Championships this week. The Vikings will compete at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio. Jereme Ombogo is the lone representative for the Viking men, qualifying for the 200m. His […]
CHICAGO, Ill. –– Seven Vikings will represent North Park University Track & Field at the 2025 Outdoor Championships this week. The Vikings will compete at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio.
Jereme Ombogo is the lone representative for the Viking men, qualifying for the 200m. His PR time of 20.95 in Augustana’a Midwest Twilight Qualifier places him as the seventh-ranked runner in the Division III event.
Thea Ring will be the only Viking to compete in an individual event, looking to match the highs of her winter championships Pentathlon finish in this spring’s Heptathlon. Ring enjoyed a PR total of 4825 to handily win the CCIW Outdoor Championship back on may 3. She’s ranked 10th in the country in the event.
North Park also saw its Women’s 4x100m Relay Team qualify to compete on the national stage with a time of 46.49 at the Wheaton Invitational on April 12. Mariana Costa Riana Hayes, Meja Lindberg, and Ring are expected to race while Julia Klein and Kimoria Oliver will serve as the alternates.
Boys Volleyball Season Recap 2025 – Viking Magazine
The Paly Boys Volleyball team had a season nothing short of successful, ending the season with a 23-12 record. The Vikings won every single one of their league games as well, going 15-0, and placing first in the SCVAL-Foothill league. They started off the season very strong, winning 5 of their first 6 games before […]
Dave Portnoy Won A Massive Caitlin Clark Bet That Paid Out More Than The Highest WNBA Salary
Dave Portnoy and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Imagn Images) Caitlin Clark is off the mark in her second WNBA season, having led the Indiana Fever to a satisfying victory against rival Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Her performance secured a blowout win for the Fever, as well as a massive payday for […]
Dave Portnoy and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Imagn Images)
Caitlin Clark is off the mark in her second WNBA season, having led the Indiana Fever to a satisfying victory against rival Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Her performance secured a blowout win for the Fever, as well as a massive payday for Dave Portnoy.
The Barstool Sports owner risked $25,000 on a Clark triple-double at odds of 13/1.
It must have been a nervy game for Portnoy, as the former Iowa star did not complete the triple-double until very late in the game. She snagged a 10th rebound with 2:22 left in the contest before being pulled out.
Clark finished with 20 points and 10 assists in addition to those 10 rebounds, leaving Portnoy to collect a $350,000 payout.
Dave Portnoy Scored More Than What Any WNBA Player Will Make This Season In One Fell Swoop
Dave Portnoy, Caitlin Clark with Angel Reese (Photos via X)
The aforementioned sum is actually more than any WNBA player will make all year if we’re only counting salaries. It’s certainly more than Clark’s earnings, with the second-year star set to make just under $80,000 this season after agreeing to a four-year, $338,056 deal with Indiana.
Her teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, will make the most money in league salary this season, with earnings of $249,244, which means Portnoy just won over $100,000 more than what the WNBA’s highest-paid player makes by betting on Caitlin Clark.
Clark’s arrival has attracted a lot more attention to the league, and way more people are watching WNBA basketball because of her. It’s why many reckon she’s sorely underpaid, with WNBA salaries now a massive point of contention.
Even so, Clark is guaranteed to make millions as she signed an eight-year deal worth $28 million with Nike and will have a signature sneaker drop next year.
Cal Poly’s Distance Runners Shine at Big West Meet
Cal Poly Track and Field tore it up over the weekend at the Big West Championships at Jack Rose Track in Long Beach. The Mustang men won their second straight Big West title, while the women placed second by just 1.5 points. Both teams combined for eight medals, matching their total from last year when […]
Cal Poly Track and Field tore it up over the weekend at the Big West Championships at Jack Rose Track in Long Beach.
The Mustang men won their second straight Big West title, while the women placed second by just 1.5 points. Both teams combined for eight medals, matching their total from last year when they swept the men’s and women’s titles.
Distances runners take men to victory
Coming into the Big West Championships, Cal Poly’s men were ranked the highest out of any squad in the conference according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Track and Field Ratings Index.
The squad made sure not to disappoint, winning the Big West title with a score of 186 points.
Cal Poly’s distance team made waves at the meet, as two members captured victory in multiple events to help propel the men to a conference title.
Redshirt junior Aidan McCarthy played a large part in the win.
After being out with injury for last year’s conference championships, the indoor All-American continued his dominant 2025, earning titles in both the men’s 800 and 1500-meter dashes.
The Mustangs swept the top four finishes in the 1500, with junior Carson Smith, sophomore Chris Caudillo and senior Spencer Pickren taking the following three finishes, respectively.
McCarthy’s two victories not only marked a personal comeback but also set the tone for the other breakout performances from the distance squad.
Redshirt junior Michael Chambers also won two events, winning his first Big West titles in both the men’s 5000-meter and 3000-meter steeplechase.
The two athletes won all four events for the Mustang men.
Other standout performances are seniors Travis Martin and Colby Neron, who both placed second in the men’s hammer throw and javelin, respectively.
Mustang women come up just short of win
On the women’s side, Cal Poly came just over a point shy of capturing their second straight Big West title.
Junior Tatiana Cornejo captured victory in the women’s 1500-meter dash. The Elk Grove native took her second straight conference title in the event, following up last season where she won in both the 1500 and 800.
Fellow junior Lexi Evans also retained her title, earning the win in the pole vault with a leap of 14 feet.
The rest of the distance team continued it’s dominance over the weekend, with victories in the women’s 5,000 by redshirt senior Schuyler Gooley and the women’s 3,000 steeplechase by redshirt junior Isabel Sanchez.
The Cal Poly women totaled a score of 149, just behind UC Irvine with 150.5.
The Mustangs will now wait for the NCAA Preliminary qualifiers to be announced before preparing for the NCAA West Regionals on Wednesday, May 28.
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2024-25 University Credit Union Athletes of The Week
The University Credit Union Athletes of the Week are selected by the Athletic Communications staff. May 19, 2025
CESAR SALAZAR, MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, SOPHOMORE, THROWS
Cesar Salazar finished fourth in the men’s shot put event at The Big West Championships. His mark of 18.07m […]
2024-25 University Credit Union Athletes of The Week
The University Credit Union Athletes of the Week are selected by the Athletic Communications staff.
May 19, 2025
CESAR SALAZAR, MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, SOPHOMORE, THROWS
Cesar Salazar finished fourth in the men’s shot put event at The Big West Championships. His mark of 18.07m is a new personal record and improved upon his second-best all-time mark in school history.
FEYI OLUKANNI, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, JUNIOR, THROWS
Feyi Olukanni won the women’s shot put title at The Big West Championships with a final mark of 14.82m. She also set personal bests in the hammer and discus. Olukanni is on the school’s all-time leaderboard in all three events, sitting at second in shot put, fifth in discus and eighth in hammer. Her win in the shot put also gave her All-Big West honors.
May 12, 2025
J.C. ALLEN, BASEBALL, JUNIOR, THIRD BASE
Third baseman J.C. Allen knocked four home runs in the final home series of the season against UC Davis over the weekend. The junior led the team with nine RBI, six runs scored and 16 total bases with a 1.778 slugging percentage. Allen finished the weekend 4-for-9 (.444) with five walks and one hit-by-pitch for a .667 on base percentage. His four homers moved him into second place on the team with 12 total this season, which ranks third in the Big West. Allen collected two home runs in the Friday opener—his second game this season with multiple homers—and hit his first Triton grand slam in the Sunday finale.
INDIA CALDWELL, SOFTBALL, SENIOR, RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER
Leading the Tritons to their first Big West conference championship win, India Caldwell allowed zero earned runs on five hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts. The Triton ace held the Gauchos scoreless for six innings before a few unearned runs came in. The right-hander went on to pitch 11.2 more innings over UC San Diego’s next two games. Caldwell’s overall time at the 2025 Big West Softball Championship had her finish with a 2.52 ERA, 2 complete games, 6 earned runs, and 17 strikeouts.
May 5, 2025
ALLYSON ABANDONATO, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, JUNIOR, DISTANCE
Allyson Abandonato set two personal bests and one school record last weekend at UC Irvine’s Steve Scott Invitational. Her school record came on Friday in the 800m, where she ran 2:08.88 to finish fifth. Abandonato then ran 4:56.94 in the mile on Saturday for a new personal best.
Spencer Seid struck out eight of the 14 batters he faced in 3.2 innings to close out the 4-0 shutout of No. 8 UC Irvine on Saturday afternoon. Seid entered in relief for the Tritons in the sixth with two on with one out for UCI, forcing an infield fly and recording a strikeout to end the inning. Another two batters reached in the seventh and one more in the eighth but both times Seid ended the inning with a strikeout to maintain the shutout. The lefty struck out the final four batters he faced in the contest to earn his third save of the season.
April 28, 2025
MICHAEL CROSSLAND, BASEBALL, SOPHOMORE, CENTER FIELD
Michael Crossland finished the week 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles, three walks, five RBI and two runs scored to help the Tritons to a 3-1 week. The sophomore center fielder recorded a .500 slugging percentage and .474 on base percentage helping UC San Diego earn the program’s first series win over UC Santa Barbara.
VARSITY EIGHT, WOMEN’S ROWING
The UC San Diego varsity eight crew knocked off crosstown rival USD on Sunday morning at the Triton Invitational, winning the dual by a comfortable nine-second margin. The Tritons finished the 2,000m course in 6:43.72 to USD’s 6:52.86. Rowing for the Tritons was Kiera Cooper, Natasha Vallancey, Laine Bradley, Annica Ford, Samantha Anderson, Lily Feagler, Matti Key and Rachel Cuneo. Sabina Petersen was the coxswain. Six members of the crew were seniors, with Sunday’s race their final at home in their Triton careers.
April 21, 2025
ZARA WASSERMAN, SOFTBALL, SOPHOMORE, FIRST BASE
Leading UC San Diego to a three-game sweep, Zara Wasserman went 6-for-10 over three games with three doubles knocked and nine runners batted in. The sophomore was critical in the finale comeback as she hit two doubles and earned a walk to bring in five to help the Tritons win by one run. In all three games, she was perfect in the field with 16 putouts and one assist – so far this season she is the only consistent starter to not have committed an error.
COLTON LOMANTO, BASEBALL, REDSHIRT SENIOR, FIRST BASE
Colton Lomanto led the Tritons to a 3-1 week, finishing 8-for-16 (.500) with a 1.125 slugging percentage. Lomanto collected eight RBI and seven runs scored. Five of his eight hits were for extra bases, knocking two doubles, one triple and two home runs. Additionally, he tallied two walks and was hit by a pitch for a .579 on base percentage and was 1-for-1 in stolen bases.
April 14, 2025
NATHAN TSENG, MEN’S GOLF, JUNIOR
Nathan Tseng placed a career-best third to help the Tritons win their first full-field tournament at the El Macero Classic. Tseng finished 3-under par with rounds of 74 (+2), 70 (-2), and 69 (-3) in the 111-player field. After Friday’s opening round, Tseng was in 42nd place. His 70 in round two elevated him into 16th place, while his final round 69 on Sunday vaulted him up 13 spots into third on the leader board.
ELISE NISHIMURA, SOFTBALL, SOPHOMORE, SECOND BASE
Helping the Tritons to a series win, sophomore transfer Elise Nishimura led the way at the plate with a .429 batting average scoring three runs on three hits and batting in two more. On defense, the second baseman was critical with 6 putouts and 10 assists.
April 7, 2025
KENDALL THOMAS, WOMEN’S WATER POLO, SENIOR, UTILITY
• In the team’s lone game of the week senior Kendall Thomas was integral in a 19-12 win on the road at No. 22 CSUN
• Scored a game co-high 4 goals
• 4 of her 5 shots found the back of the net
• Both goals were natural and none were scored on a power play
• Thomas has scored 12 goals over her last four games
ANTHONY CHERFAN, MEN’S VOLLEYBALL, SENIOR, OPPOSITE
• Over two Big West matches and 7 sets, led the Tritons with 32 kills (4.57/set) while hitting .385 … His 35 points were also a team best … Also totaled 1 ace, 9 digs, and 4 blocks
• In a 3-1 home win vs. #4 UC Irvine, led all players with 20 kills while hitting .386 … Also had 6 digs and 3 blocks
• In a 3-0 loss at UC Irvine, led all Tritons with 12 kills while hitting .381 … Also contributed 3 digs, a block, and an ace
March 31, 2025
SECOND VARSITY EIGHT+, MEN’S ROWING
The 2V8+ boat claimed the Marine Corps 2V Cup on Sunday at the San Diego Crew Classic, beating six other boats in the grand final. The Tritons finished the race five seconds clear of their nearest competitor and also won Saturday’s prelim race by a comfortable margin. Rowing for the Tritons was Kevork Tchakmakjian, Charlie Josephbek, Bryce Blair, Archie McKirdy, Mattis Hevin, Andrew Saska, Michael McMaster and Charles Talley. Vahram Tchakmakjian was the coxswain.
JULIA HAYNES, WOMEN’S TENNIS, GRAD STUDENT
First year Triton Julia Haynes was 3-0 in singles action, leading UC San Diego to a pair of Big West wins last week. Playing at the No. 1 position as she has all season, Haynes began the week with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Dartmouth’s Peyton Capuano. Haynes was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over UC Riverside’s Ramey Yu on Wednesday – a 4-0 UC San Diego victory. The following day at UC Irvine, Haynes bested UCI’s Kayla Meraz, 6-1, 6-1, in another Tritons’ win. Haynes paired with senior Kelly Leung at first doubles for the first time Wednesday, and that duo earned a pair of conference wins as well: 6-1 over UCR and 6-3 over UCI. Ranked 57th nationally in the latest ITA rankings, Haynes is 13-2 this spring at No. 1 singles, having won seven straight decisions. As a team, the Tritons are 4-2 in The Big West – doubling their previous high for wins in any conference season since moving to Division I.
March 24, 2025
FEYI OLUKANNI, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, JUNIOR, SHOT PUT
Feyi Olukanni won the shot put event at this weekend’s Aztec Invitational with a personal-best mark of 14.80m. That throw is the best in The Big West so far this season and is also good for second-best in program history.
KATHERINE KIM, WOMEN’S FENCING, FRESHMAN, FOIL
Freshman Katherine Kim shined at her first trip to the National Collegiate Fencing Championships, earning Second Team All-American honors. Kim finished seventh, which is the third-best finish all-time by a Triton female fencer. The foilist had a record of 15-8. Her best win came over Harvard’s Lauren Scruggs, who won a team gold and individual silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Kim’s performance came despite spraining her ankle last week, she was on crutches until the day before the competition.
Sophomore guard Sumayah Sugapong led UC San Diego women’s basketball to The 2025 Big West Championship in the Tritons’ first season of eligibility and earned Tournament Most Valuable Player. Sugapong averaged 19.0 points and collected 14 rebounds, eight steals and six assists in three games to help the Tritons clinch a berth to their first NCAA Division I Tournament. The San Diego native shot 40.4 percent from the field (23-of-57) and 75 percent (9-of-12) from the free throw line. Sugapong recorded a career-high 29 points and added six steals to spark a comeback victory over Cal Poly in Thursday’s quarterfinal. On Friday, she scored the game winner with .2 seconds left to upset No. 1-seeded Hawai’i and send the Tritons to the finals. The play earned No. 3 on ESPN’s Sports Center Top 10. In the championship, Sugapong tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists to clinch the conference title for UC San Diego.
New Zealand native Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones lifted the Tritons to their first Big West Championship with a pair of wins in Henderson. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Tait-Jones scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and registered nine assists with just one turnover as the Tritons topped UC Santa Barbara in Friday’s semifinal. Tait-Jones scored 14 with eight rebounds in the championship game, a win over UC Irvine. For the week, he averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, and 8.5 assists as the Tritons ran their win streak to 15 straight games. The team’s 30 overall wins to date have matched a program single season record.
March 10, 2025
SUNNY SHARMA, MEN’S FENCING, JUNIOR, EPEE
Sunny Sharma won the NCAA West Regional Men’s Epee Championship on Saturday with a 9-1 record, two wins clear of the next-closest competitor. On Sunday, Sharma helped the UC San Diego men capture the first MPSF Team Championship in program history with a 30-25 victory over Air Force. He finished second in the MPSF individual event.
KATHERINE KIM, WOMEN’S FENCING, FRESHMAN, FOIL
Freshman Katherine Kim made a splash in her first career postseason appearance, winning the NCAA West Regional Women’s Foil Championship on Saturday with a perfect 9-0 record. On Sunday, Kim helped the UC San Diego women win the first MPSF Team Championship in program history with a 30-20 victory over Air Force. Kim captured the clinching point for the Tritons. In the MPSF individual event she finished second.
March 3, 2025
SYLVANA NORTHROP, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, SENIOR, DISTANCE
Sylvana Northrop crushed one of the Tritons’ longest-standing school records by over 10 seconds en route to winning the 3000m at the Riverside City College Invitational. Her time of 9:24.62 bested a mark that had stood since 2000.
Junior Spencer Seid set UC San Diego’s Division I single game record with 13 strikeouts to earn the 8-2 win over No. 23 Cincinnati on Saturday. Seid pitched a career-long 7.0 innings, allowing one run on six hits with no walks. The lefthander used 97 pitched to hold the Bearcats in check for his second win of the season.
February 24, 2025
ALEX LEOPARD, BASEBALL, JUNIOR, OUTFIELDER
Alex Leopard had a stellar week as UC San Diego won all three of its games in the Tony Gwynn Legacy. The lefty was 6-for-12 (.500) with five of those hits going for extra bases: three doubles, a triple, and two homers. He drove in seven runs and scored seven runs for the week, posting a 1.417 slugging percentage. Leopard was 3-3 with two doubles and a homer in a win over Pepperdine, and he was 2-4 with a key two-run homer as the Tritons handed Utah its first loss of the season on Sunday night.
CAROLINE CHRISTL, WOMEN’S WATER POLO, SENIOR, UTILITY
Caroline Christl scored a team-high 12 goals over four games to lead UC San Diego to a sixth-place finish, the team’s highest ever, at UC Irvine’s 16-team Barbara Kalbus Invitational. In a win against UCI, she racked up a career-high 7 goals and added an assist to match her career best with 8 points. She opened the tourney with a goal and an assist as the Tritons defeated UC Davis. In a loss to No. 1 Stanford, Christl scored once. Finally, she finished with a hat trick in a loss to fourth-ranked California.
February 17, 2025
ASIA KOZAN, WOMEN’S SWIM, SOPHOMORE, MEDLEY
Dominating the first Big West Swim and Dive Championships since 2010, sophomore Asia Kozan won four championship titles and set four UC San Diego program records and Big West meet records. Setting the tone on the first night, the sophomore standout swam the opening leg of the women’s 800 free relay and won the title with a time of 7:11.65 – 11 seconds than their seed time. As the lead leg of the relay, Kozan’s 200 free broke another UC San Diego and Big West meet record with a time of 1:45.32. On night two, Kozan secured another championship title, Big West meet record, UC San Diego program record, and the NCAA B cut in the 200 IM when she swam a time of 1:57.67. Winning her third title on night three, she earned another NCAA B cut and championship title in the 400 IM. Making a mark on the final night, Kozan won her fourth Big West title in the 100 free with a blazing time of 48.47.
HAYDEN GRAY, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD
UC San Diego point guard Hayden Gray led the Tritons to a pair of Big West wins last week. He averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game as UC San Diego won by 19 at Cal State Bakersfield and 25 at home over UC Davis. The Tritons have won a league-best seven straight. Gray leads the nation in steals (90) and steals per game (3.5).
Triton senior Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones led UC San Diego to a pair of Big West wins, propelling the Tritons into a tie atop the conference standings. The New Zealand native scored 28 on 9-of-15 shooting in a home win over UC Riverside and followed that up with a 22 point, eight rebound, eight assist performance in the Tritons’ win at UC Irvine – snapping UCI’s 22-game home win streak. For the week, Tait-Jones averaged 25 points, 7.5 rebounds and six assists per game. The nation’s leader in made free throws and free throw attempts, Tait-Jones was 16-of-19 from the stripe last week (84.2%).
KELLY LEUNG, WOMEN’S TENNIS, SENIOR
Triton senior Kelly Leung clinched a dramatic comeback win for UC San Diego with her straight sets win at No. 3 as UC San Diego came from down 3-0 to top Long Beach State, 4-3, in The Big West opener for both teams. Leung battled for a 7-6 (6), 7-5 win over LBSU’s Daria Malaescu needing a quadruple match point to earn her first win of the season at third singles, and, more importantly, lock up the Tritons’ first-ever win over the Beach. Earlier Saturday in doubles, Leung teamed with Adriana Tabares for a 6-2 win over LBSU’s Diana Di Simone/Thea Jagare on court two.
February 3, 2025
CAROLINE CHRISTL, WOMEN’S WATER POLO, SENIOR, UTILITY
• Led all Tritons with 13 goals over four Triton Invitational games
• Scored five goals including the game-winner in sudden victory overtime against No. 7 Arizona State
• Totaled four points on three goals and an assist vs. No. 1-ranked UCLA
• Also registered four points on three goals and an assist vs. No. 10 Long Beach State
• Five points on two goals and three assists vs. No. 7 Fresno State
• Team went 1-3 and placed 8th of 16 teams
SUNNY SHARMA, MEN’S FENCING, JUNIOR, EPEE
Sunny Sharma went 17-3 (.850) across 10 matches at the Schiller Duals, UC San Diego’s final regular season contest of the season. His epee squad went 8-2, while the men’s team as a whole finished 7-3. Sharma’s best performances were a 3-0 result against Stanford and 2-1 records versus Air Force, No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 6 Ohio State. The junior’s .850 winning percentage and 17 wins are both the best marks of his career at a single competition.
January 27, 2025
BEKZHAN YESSENGELDY, MEN’S SWIM, FRESHMAN, MEDLEY
Wrapping up the regular season with a win, Triton newcomer Bekzhan Yessengeldy represented the gold and blue in four events to help the men to victory over CBU on Saturday afternoon in La Jolla. Yessengeldy won the 200 breast with a time of 1:59.94 and went on to win the 200 IM with a time of 1:50.09. Finishing third in the 100 breast, Yessengeldy tallied a total of 23 points for the Tritons.
EVA BOEHKE, WOMEN’S SWIM, SOPHOMORE, MEDLEY
Wrapping home competition, sophomore Eva Boehlke scored 29 points for the Triton women to propel them to a resounding victory over the visiting Lancers. Boehlke opened the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay swimming the backstroke leg for a final time of 1:39.43 – only a second away from the program record. The sophomore went on to win the 100 back with a time of 54.87 and won the 100 fly with a time of 54.20.
January 20, 2025
SABRINA MA, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, JUNIOR, GUARD
Sabrina Ma recorded back-to-back 17-point performances to propel UC San Diego to a 2-0 week. The junior guard was 9-of-15 (60 percent) from three-point range and shot 57.9 percent from the floor to lead the Tritons with 34 total points. Ma scored a team-high 17 points—including four made three-pointers—to help UC San Diego hand Long Beach State its first conference loss, 79-68. She began Saturday’s contest against UC Riverside 5-for-5 from beyond the arc and led the team once again with 17 points in a 59-58 victory. The Tritons have now won five consecutive games in LionTree Arena. Ma also finished the week with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.
Senior Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones led the Tritons in a pair of road games last week, averaging 25 points, 5.5 rebounds and three assists. Tait-Jones scored 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting in a 26-point win at Long Beach State. On Saturday, he posted the fourth 30-plus point game in the program’s Division I era, scoring 32 at UC Riverside. Tait-Jones was remarkably efficient last week, connecting on 15-of-26 shot attempts (57.7%). From the free throw line, he shot 80% – draining 20 of 25 attempts. The New Zealand native leads the nation in both made free throws (134) and free throw tries (168) this season.
Over three wins – all sweeps – setter Bryce Dvorak paced the Tritons to a .376 (100-26-197) attack. He racked up 84 assists over nine sets, good for a 9.3 assists per set average. In addition, Dvorak totaled 12 service aces, 11 digs, and seven kills. He hit .778 with the seven kills and zero errors in nine attacks. Dvorak’s seven aces against Saint Francis are the most by any Triton in the team’s Division I/II era (since 2001).
Sumayah Sugapong averaged 17.0 points to lead UC San Diego women’s basketball last week. The sophomore guard collected six rebounds, six assists and five steals, totaling 34 points in two games for the Tritons. She finished two points shy of her career high at Cal Poly, adding four rebounds—including three offensive boards—and three steals. At UC Irvine, Sugapong tallied 11 points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds. She currently ranks first in the Big West in assists, steals and field goal attempts.
January 6, 2025
KATHERINE KIM, WOMEN’S FENCING, FRESHMAN, FOIL
Katherine Kim finished third out of 142 fencers at this weekend’s North American Cup. She went 4-1 in pool play and won five consecutive knockout bouts to reach the semifinal round, where she fell to the No. 1 seed. Kim entered the competition ranked 23rd nationally and picked up three victories in the knockout rounds over fencers seeded above her.
UC San Diego senior Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was remarkably efficient in the Tritons’ 39-point win at Cal State Fullerton. The New Zealand native connected on 8-of-10 field goal tries and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, finishing with a game-high 24 points in just 27 minutes played. Tait-Jones added five rebounds and four assists in the win. UC San Diego has won 11 straight, the second-longest active win streak in the nation.
December 30, 2024
NORDIN KAPIC, MEN’S BASKETBALL, JUNIOR, FORWARD
First-year Triton Nordin Kapic knocked down a pair of threes and scored 15 points in UC San Diego’s 58-point win over Occidental Saturday in the team’s final non-conference game. Kapic grabbed five rebounds and was 3-4 from the free throw line over 15 minutes played. The Austria native was one of seven Tritons to score in double figures. UC San Diego won its final ten games in 2024.
Senior forward Kayanna Spriggs led the Tritons with 17 points for the second consecutive game—one shy of her career mark—helping UC San Diego wrap its non-conference schedule with a victory over Life Pacific, 71-30. Spriggs finished 8-for-9 from the floor and collected nine rebounds—including four offensive boards in the contest. She added a career-best four blocks and two steals to help the Triton defense match their lowest point total for an opponent in the Division I era.
Senior forward Kayanna Spriggs averaged a double-double for UC San Diego with 11.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in a 1-1 week. Spriggs tallied her first double-figure rebounding performance of the season against Northern Kentucky with 10 boards in the contest. She followed it up with a season-high 17 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Tritons to victory against La Salle. Saturday’s game against the Explorers marked Spriggs’ first double-double at UC San Diego, finishing two boards shy of her career high. She added three assists and one steal for the week.
Sharpshooter Tyler McGhie paced the Tritons in a pair of road wins last week. McGhie scored 26 and was 6-of-14 from distance with six rebounds and three steals as the Tritons won at Utah State Tuesday – handing the Aggies their first loss of the season and just their fourth at home in their last 46 games. On Saturday, McGhie matched his season high with 27, draining seven-of-10 from beyond the arc as the Tritons won at USD. The seven threes matched a career high. McGhie averaged 26.5 points with no turnovers and was 13-for-24 from distance (54.2%) this week. UC San Diego is in the midst of a nine-game win streak, the program’s longest in Division I. The Tritons won three true road games over a seven-day stretch from Dec. 15-21.
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones scored 21 points in UC San Diego’s win at Idaho on Sunday. Tait-Jones was remarkably efficient, connecting on 8-of-9 field goal tries (.889). The New Zealand native finished with five rebounds, a block, and a steal in the win. The victory was the team’s seventh straight – the longest win streak in the program’s Division I era.
Damilola Sule recorded a career-high 18 points and matched her career high with 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season at California Baptist. The senior forward put together a nearly perfect game, shooting 5-for-6 (.833) from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line with no turnovers to help the Tritons earn the program’s first Division I win over CBU, 81-58.
UC San Diego guard Gracie Gallegos averaged 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds for the Tritons in the opening week of Big West play. Gallegos recorded a career-high 20 points including 3-for-3 from three-point range and was one rebound shy of her second career double-double at Cal State Bakersfield. She also scored double figures against UC Santa Barbara with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. For the week, Gallegos collected 31 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals. She shot 83.3 percent (5-for-6) from beyond the arc and 57.9 percent from the field on the week.
NORDIN KAPIC, MEN’S BASKETBALL, JUNIOR, FORWARD
First-year Triton Nordin Kapic paced UC San Diego in a pair of Big West wins. Kapic averaged 22 points per game on 56% shooting. He scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in Thursday’s win at UCSB. On Saturday, Kapic sank a career-high seven three-pointers on eight tries and finished with a season-high 25 points as the Tritons downed Bakersfield. Kapic was 8-9 from the free throw line for the week.
First-year Triton Justin Rochelin was one of six in double figures in UC San Diego’s record-setting win over La Verne Saturday. Rochelin scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He also pulled down four rebounds over 17 minutes off the bench in the 76-point Triton win.
In the opening round of the Big West Championship, Kylie Pries led the Tritons with 20 kills and finished just shy of a double-double with nine digs against Long Beach State. The Tritons’ outside hitter also collected one ace for a team-best 21.0 points. Her 20 kills were a season best for the graduate transfer and set a new career high for the San Juan Capistrano native in her fifth season.
November 25, 2024
AVA McINNES, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL, SENIOR, OUTSIDE HITTER
On her senior night, outside hitter Ava McInnes set the UC San Diego women’s volleyball all-time program record with 1,531 career kills. With the achievement, she becomes the first Triton competing her entire career in the Division I era to hold an all-time career record in any sport at UC San Diego.
In Saturday’s regular season finale, McInnes recorded a match-high 15 kills to help the Tritons clinch their first ever berth to the Big West Championship. She hit .483 against Cal State Bakersfield with just one error in 29 swings and finished with 17 points on her senior night. For the week, McInnes averaged 4.33 points, 3.50 kills, 1.83 digs and 1.00 block per set. She now holds the program’s career kills record (1,531), the single match kills record (31) and the second place spot in single season kills (469).
Triton senior Tyler McGhie averaged 21 points on 4.3 made threes per game and also dished out 4.3 assists with just one turnover as UC San Diego won three games in three days to claim the Boardwalk Battle championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. McGhie was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. In the opening game, he set a new Division I career high with 27 points scored in a win over La Salle. In the championship game – an 80-45 rout of four-time MAC champion Toledo – McGhie scored 27 more and was 7-for-11 in three-point field goal tries.
November 18, 2024
ANTE BUZOV, MEN’S WATER POLO, SENIOR, UTILITY
Ante Buzov matched his career-best with three goals in Thursday’s Senior Night victory against Westcliff. Two of his goals came in the first quarter and his third was in the fourth period. It was his third career hat trick. He also contributed a drawn exclusion in the game.
MADISON O’CONNELL, WOMEN’S SWIM, FRESHMAN, MEDLEY
Returning to competition after a two week hiatus, UC San Diego women’s swim returned to action against Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara. Madison O’Connell helped the Triton women to victory over the Waves in a 184.5-109.5 decision and fell to the Gauchos by four points in a final result of 133-129. The freshman was the starter for 200 medley relay and 200 free relay and led the Tritons to victory both times. In her individual performance, O’Connell finished second with a time of 1:49.58 in the 200 free.
November 11, 2024
AVA McINNES, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL, SENIOR, OUTSIDE HITTER
Ava McInnes led the Tritons with 29 points and 26 kills in a 2-0 weekend to help UC San Diego move into a tie for first place in the Big West. The senior outside hitter averaged 3.63 points and 3.25 kills per set, inching closer to UC San Diego’s all-time kills record. She is currently 32 kills away from moving solely into first place all-time with 1,493 career kills. McInnes led the Tritons offensively in both matches, collecting 14 kills and hitting .294 against UC Irvine on Friday and tallying 12 kills at Cal State Fullerton and hitting .400. For the week she finished with 26 kills on 59 swings with six errors to hit .339.
Triton sharpshooter Tyler McGhie paced UC San Diego over its first two games, averaging 20.5 points per game. He scored a game-high 21 points at San Diego State and followed that up with a 20-point performance in a win over Pepperdine. McGhie connected on a Big West-best ten three-pointers in 20 attempts (50%). He also averaged four rebounds per game and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
November 4, 2024
SUNNY SHARMA, FENCING, JUNIOR, EPEE
Junior Sunny Sharma paced UC San Diego over the weekend at the West Invitational, held in San Diego. Sharma went 12-6 on the weekend including a pair of wins over Ohio State. As a team, the Tritons went 4-2 for the weekend including a 15-12 victory over Ohio State.
SYLVANA NORTHROP, WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, SENIOR
Making their Big West championship debut, the Triton women finished fourth overall with two top 15 finishes. Sylvana Northrop led the way again for the sixth time this season. The Cupertino runner earned a sixth-place finish running a time of 20:04.1. She is the first cross country Triton to earn All-Conference honors for her top 10 performance.
October 28, 2024
ASIA KOZAN, WOMEN’S SWIM, SOPHOMORE, FREE/MEDLEY
Opening the 2024-25 season on the road, Asia Kozan led the Triton women to victory over UC Davis with three first-place finish swims. The sophomore standout led the sweep of the 200 free with a time of 1:50.17 as the Tritons took first through fourth. Posting a time of 50.78, Kozan won the 100 free and then won the 400 IM with a time of 4:20.16. The Tritons took second in the 200 free relay to end the meet with Kozan swimming the fastest split of her group at 23.05 to end her day with a total of 27 points.
LUCAS ROMAGUERA, MEN’S WATER POLO, SENIOR, ATTACKER
Senior Lucas Romaguera totaled six points on five goals and an assist for 12th-ranked UC San Diego over two games last week. He registered his fourth hat trick of the season in an overtime loss at 11th-ranked Big West opponent Long Beach State. The Brazilian also had two drawn exclusions, a steal, and a field block against the Beach. The next day in La Jolla, he tallied two goals, an assist, and a steal in a victory vs. Whittier. Romaguera extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with his performances.
October 21, 2024
FELIPE FERREIRA, MEN’S WATER POLO, SENIOR, ATTACKER
Felipe Ferreira played a major role in UC San Diego earning its first Big West win of the season this past week. Against Cal State Fullerton Friday in La Jolla, the senior attacker totaled three points on a pair of goals and an assist while also grabbing a steal. It was Ferreira’s 10th-straight game with at least one point.
SYLVANA NORTHROP, WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, SENIOR
UC San Diego cross country wrapped the regular season on the road at the Highlander Invite where team captain and senior Sylvana Northrop won the women’s 6K for a second-place team finish. The senior jumped out with the front group of the race right away and stuck with them until making a move in the final 800m to pull away and win the race with a time of 20:27.7.
October 14, 2024
LANDON AKERSTROM, MEN’S WATER POLO, SOPHOMORE, ATTACKER
Landon Akerstrom continued his scoring ways this past week for No. 13 UC San Diego, racking up seven points on six goals and an assist over two road games. In the team’s Big West opener, a 12-11 loss at No. 5 UC Irvine, Akerstrom found the net four times, a game-high, while adding a steal and a drawn exclusion. The next night at 16th-rankeed Loyola Marymount, he registered two goals, an assist, two drawn exclusions, and a steal as the Tritons defeated the Lions 10-3 in Los Angeles. Akerstrom is now the Big West lead in goals scored with 45. He has notched at least one goal in his last 11 games and had multiple goals in eight of those.
AVA McINNES, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL, SENIOR, OUTSIDE HITTER
Senior outside hitter Ava McInnes averaged 3.75 kills per set, with 30.5 total points to lead UC San Diego to a 2-0 weekend on the road. McInnes recorded her 200th kill of the season and 1,400th career kill for the Tritons at CSUN (Oct. 12). She recorded a .328 hitting percentage with 30 total kills in eight sets. On Friday at Cal State Bakersfield, McInnes collected a match-high 17 kills, hitting at a .394 clip. On Saturday at CSUN, she finished in double-figures once again with 13 kills.
October 7, 2024
JULIA HAYNES, WOMEN’S TENNIS, GRAD STUDENT
Playing as a Triton for the first time, UC San Diego grad student Julia Haynes won the singles championship at the Beach Tennis Fall Tournament, hosted by Long Beach State. Playing as the tournament’s top seed in an event which featured nine Big West schools, Haynes went a perfect 5-0 over the four-day event to win the title in dominant fashion. In Sunday’s championship, Haynes was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over UC Santa Barbara’s Raphaelle Leroux, the tournament’s third seed. For the weekend, Haynes won 10 of the 11 sets she played.
MAX CARVALHO, MEN’S SOCCER, SENIOR, FORWARD
The senior forward led the Tritons in the opening week of Big West conference play earning a goal and tallying an assist. Against No. 22 UC Santa Barbara, Carvalho’s goal in the sixth minute held strong into the second half as the lone goal scored between both squads. Returning home on Saturday, Carvalho continued his offensive action against CSUN as he assisted Quinn Sellers in scoring the game winner and earning the Tritons’ second win of the season.
September 30, 2024
BENNETT AXLINE, MEN’S WATER POLO, JUNIOR, UTILITY
Junior Bennett Axline scored five goals over two games for the Tritons this past week including a hat trick against No. 1 Loyola Marymount. His three scores against the Lions led to a 12-9 Triton victory in the annual Battle of the Kings game in front of 1,300 fans in La Jolla. Axline also contributed four drawn exclusions, two steals, and a field block in the game. Against Pacific, the fifth-ranked team in the country, the San Diego native scored twice, both coming during power plays. In addition, he logged two drawn exclusions and two steals. Axline is riding a seven-game goal-scoring streak with multiple goals in four of those. He is second on the team with 23 goals so far this season.
Freshman Audrey Hollis recorded a double-double in each of UC San Diego’s matches on the opening weekend of Big West play. The Tritons’ setter/opposite averaged 2.00 kills, 6.13 assists and 2.13 digs with 20.5 total points in two matches. Hollis collected a career-high 15 kills, adding 22 assists, six digs, two aces and one block against UC Riverside on Thursday. Against UC Davis, she finished with 27 assists, 11 digs, two blocks and one kill on Saturday.
September 16, 2024
RAQUEL KALPAKOFF, WOMEN’S SOCCER, SENIOR, FORWARD
UC San Diego senior forward Raquel Kalpakoff led the way for the Tritons again last week, scoring the team’s lone goal in a 1-0 road win at San Diego State – the Tritons’ first-ever victory over the Aztecs. In the 18th minute, Kalpakoff raced into the box, taking a centering feed and firing a left-footed rocket into the back of the net to put UC San Diego in front. Kalpakoff leads the team and ranks third in The Big West with four goals scored this season. Her pair of game-winners sits second in the conference.
JACOB LEVY, MEN’S FENCING, JUNIOR, FOIL
Triton junior Jacob Levy won gold in the men’s foil at UC San Diego’s BladeRunner at LionTree Arena. Seeded 20th, Levy posted a perfect 7-0 record to take the top spot in the men’s Division I-A foil. Last year at BladeRunner, Levy finished 12th in the event.
September 9, 2024
LOGAN ESTES, MEN’S WATER POLO, SR., GK
Senior goalie Logan Estes was instrumental in guiding UC San Diego to a 3-1 record at its own season-opening Triton Invitational. Over the four games, Estes racked up 34 saves, an average of 8.5 stops per contest. He also accumulated seven steals, the most by any Triton during the tourney. Estes had a double-digit save total in two games, matching his career-high with 14 against Pomona-Pitzer and turning aside 11 scoring chances vs. UCLA, the No. 1-ranked team in the country. He also had seven stops vs. Bucknell and two against UC Merced. Estes’ four steals vs. Bucknell also equaled his career best.
Junior Jasmine Saran was named tournament MVP at the Kristen Dickmann Invitational, hosted at Navy. The Tritons’ middle blocker averaged 2.00 kills and 1.00 blocks per set to help UC San Diego go 2-1 over the weekend. Saran totaled 12 blocks and three solo stops, adding 24 kills in three matches. The Temecula native tallied six kills and four blocks in a three-set victory over Navy on Friday. She followed up with 12 kills and five blocks against Liberty and ended the weekend with six kills and three blocks against Cornell.
September 2, 2024
SYLVANA NORTHROP, WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, SR., 5K
Opening the season at the Mark Covert Classic, senior captain Sylvana Northrop led the Triton women to a first place team victory on Saturday, Aug. 31. Coming from behind and nearly stealing the race on a late kick, Northrop posted the highest finish for both squads taking second place with a time of 17:48.0.
ZENO CASTIGLIONI, MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, SR., 8K
Opening the season at the Mark Covert Classic, the Triton men were led by Zeno Castiglioni for a third-place finish as a team. Castiglioni posted a time of 24:31.3 for eighth place. His time was a full minute faster than the team’s fast time in 2023.
August 26, 2024
COURTNEY HILLIARD, WOMEN’S SOCCER, SR., FORWARD
Women’s soccer senior captain Courtney Hilliard scored a goal and added an assist as UC San Diego posted a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory over Nevada on August 25. Through two weeks of play, Hilliard leads the team with five points and is tied for the team lead with a pair of goals. Hilliard has scored six career goals, good for third in the program’s brief Division I history.
NOLAN PREMACK, MEN’S SOCCER, SR., GOALKEEPER
Making his UC San Diego debut this week, senior transfer Nolan Premack tallied a total of 12 saves over 180 minutes. Facing No. 20 Duke on Sunday night, Premack faced a total of 20 shots and made a total of nine saves for a new career high.