VARSITY EIGHT, MEN’S ROWING

The Tritons competed in the IRA National Championship for the eighth-straight time last weekend, with varsity eight finishing 23rd nationally. The boat improved its race times as the regatta progressed, culminating in a 5:46.64 in Sunday’s finals. Rowing for the Tritons was Kevork Tchakmakjian (stroke), Sebastian Navarro, Jake Lopez, Camden Park-Coburn, Adam Moakher, Kyle Pellegrini, Charlie Josephbek and Davis Schroeder (bow). Vahram Tchakmakjian was the coxswain.

AMARI JENKINS, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, GRADUATE STUDENT, HURDLES

Fifth-year senior Amari Jenkins made the most of UC San Diego’s first season of Division I postseason eligibility. After running a career-best 58.21 at The Big West Championships, Jenkins qualified for last week’s West First Round of the NCAA Track & Field Championships. At that meet in Texas, Jenkins ran the second-fastest time of her career, coming home in 59.47.

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.

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.

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.

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, BASEBALL, JUNIOR, LEFT-HANDED PITCHER

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.

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.

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.

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 42^nd place. His 70 in round two elevated him into 16^th 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.

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

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.

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.

SUMAYAH SUGAPONG, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, SOPHOMORE, GUARD

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.

ANIWANIWA TAIT-JONES, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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.

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.

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.

SPENCER SEID, BASEBALL, JUNIOR, LEFT-HANDED PITCHER

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. 

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.

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).

ANIWANIWA TAIT-JONES, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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.

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.

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.

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.

ANIWANIWA TAIT-JONES, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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.

BRYCE DVORAK, MEN’S VOLLEYBALL, GRADUATE STUDENT, SETTER

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, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, SOPHOMORE, GUARD 

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.

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.

ANIWANIWA TAIT-JONES, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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.

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.

KAYANNA SPRIGGS, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, FORWARD

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.

KAYANNA SPRIGGS, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, FORWARD

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.

TYLER MCGHIE, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, FORWARD

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.

GRACIE GALLEGOS, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE, GUARD

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.

JUSTIN ROCHELIN, MEN’S BASKETBALL, JUNIOR, FORWARD

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.

KYLIE PRIES, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL, GRADUATE STUDENT, OUTSIDE HITTER

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.

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).

 

TYLER McGHIE, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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.

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.

 

 

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.

TYLER McGHIE, MEN’S BASKETBALL, SENIOR, GUARD/FORWARD

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.

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.

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 12^th-ranked UC San Diego over two games last week. He registered his fourth hat trick of the season in an overtime loss at 11^th-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.

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.

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 16^th-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.

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.

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.

AUDREY HOLLIS, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL, FRESHMAN, SETTER/OPPOSITE

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.

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.

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.

JASMINE SARAN, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL, JR., MIDDLE BLOCKER

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.

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.

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.