TABLE OF CONTENTS UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Athletics and Recreation Complex In March 2016, UCLA added its final piece to the Jackie Robinson Athletics and Inside the 2015-16 Annual Report Recreation Complex, thanks to the generosity of Casey Wasserman and the Wasserman Foundation. A bronze plaque honoring Jackie Robinson’s legacy is Year-End Recap placed below a 42-inch tall number 42 bronze scultpture that prominently rises In addition to the men’s water from its bronze base, stationed along the south side of the John Wooden Center. polo team’s NCAA Championship, numerous UCLA athletic squads had terrific seasons with strong 2015-16 ANNUAL REPORT postseason results in 2015-16. From the AD’s Desk 3 Capital Projects 12 2015-16 News 4 Wooden Athletic Fund 13 Sport-by-Sport Recap 6 In the News 30 UCLA in the Community Bruins in the Community 8 Corporate Sponsors 31 UCLA’s student-athletes excel as Academics and Life Skills 10 Wooden Athletic Fund 32 community leaders, volunteering over 3,000 hours in community About the Annual Report outreach events each season. The Writing, editing and design by Alex Timiraos (Associate Director, Athletic Communication). Primary athletics department hosted over 20 photography by Don Liebig (ASUCLA Campus Studio), Scott Chandler and Katie Meyers. Photos events on campus. also have been provided by Greg Turk and the NCAA. Special thanks to Neema Barbod, Ric Coy, Liza David, Chris Iacoi, Emily Lerner, Josh Rupprecht and Taylor Swearingen for editorial assistance. Graduation Ceremony The athletic department hosted its DID YOU KNOW? UCLA closed the 2015-16 school year with a nation-leading 113 NCAA student-athlete graduation ceremony team championships. The men’s water polo team won the school’s 113th NCAA team in Pauley Pavilion the night of June title in Dec. 2015, defeating crosstown rival USC in the championship match for the 9, 2016. UCLA had 116 student- second consecutive year. UCLA became the first intercollegiate athletics department to athletes participate in the Class of capture 100 NCAA team titles in May 2007 when the women’s water polo team won 2016 graduation celebration. its third consecutive NCAA Championship. 2 2015-16 UCLA Intercollegiate Athletics Annual Report FROM THE A.D.’S DESK Dear Bruins, Our department enjoyed another year of remarkable growth and sustained excellence both on and off the field of competition in 2015-16. Not only did UCLA place sixth in the annual Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, landing the department’s fifth consecutive top 10 finish and 21st overall in the award’s 23-year history, our men’s water polo team captured UCLA’s record 113th NCAA team championship, tops in the nation. Of even more significance, in June, 116 student-athletes earned their degree from our university and officially began the next chapter of their lives. Throughout the course of 2015-16, student-athletes In all, UCLA Athletics produced seven Top 5 national earning the doubles crown with his partner Martin earned Director’s Honor Roll accolades (3.0 GPA or finishes in 2015-16, including Top 3 podium finishes Redlicki. And completing her career at UCLA in style, higher) over 850 times. In addition, our Graduation from men’s water polo, beach volleyball in the sport’s gymnastics’ Danusia Francis won an individual NCAA Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Report inaugural NCAA championship, women’s golf, women’s Championship on balance beam. (APR) numbers remained high across the board and volleyball and women’s water polo. In addition, both among the best in the nation. UCLA’s overall GSR of the gymnastics and men’s tennis teams each won Off the field and away from the court, our department 86% ranked second in the Pac-12, with each of our Pac-12 Championships while our women’s basketball has seen terrific progress on both the Wasserman teams maintaining multi-year APR rates over 960. team secured its first trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Football Center and the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. Moreover, three teams achieved perfect scores of Sweet 16 since 1999 after successfully defending UCLA broke ground on both buildings in August 2015, 1000 – women’s golf for the seventh straight year, its home court with first and second-round wins in and both state-of-the-art training facilities will be men’s water polo and men’s volleyball. Pauley Pavilion. completed by the end of 2017. Also in the works are plans for a new home for our soccer programs at the One the most exciting moments of 2015-16 took While we always pride ourselves on team North Athletic Field. Construction of Wallis Annenberg place at Spieker Aquatics Center in December. For the accomplishments, our department also produced Stadium was made possible by a $5 million lead gift second consecutive year, our men’s water polo team some outstanding individual efforts. UCLA had three from the Annenberg Foundation. And last but certainly won the NCAA title in its home pool. But this time, the student-athletes named National Player of the Year in not least, Easton Stadium received a new scoreboard Bruins had an undefeated season (30-0), capped by a their respective sports – men’s water polo goalkeeper and various other upgrades as a result of a generous 10-7 win over rival USC in the national title match. Our Garrett Danner, men’s tennis player Mackenzie two million dollar gift from Jim and Phyllis Easton. 10th men’s water polo championship was a testament McDonald and women’s golfer Bronte Law. McDonald to the tireless work of our student-athletes, as well as had a terrific campaign by sweeping the singles and Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the final piece of head coach Adam Wright and his staff. doubles titles at the NCAA men’s tennis championships, the Jackie Robinson Athletics and Recreation Complex, which was unveiled this past March. Standing tall just off Bruin Walk is an iconic “42” monument that we hope will remind people what real courage and sacrifice look like as well as what great heights we can reach when we fully commit ourselves to embracing adversity and affecting positive change. With our past year’s successes now in the books, we eagerly anticipate 2016-17 with an optimism indicative of this great university. The tradition and all-around excellence universally associated with UCLA endures, and your continued support is invaluable to our department. I look forward to seeing you at our venues in the coming year and thank you for supporting the hard work and efforts of our student-athletes and coaches. Go Bruins! Dan Guerrero 2015-16 UCLA Intercollegiate Athletics Annual Report 3 2015-16 NEWS Men’s Water Polo Captures Back-to-Back NCAA Titles Garrett Danner registered 13 saves in the championship match and Ryder Roberts was named MVP Top-ranked UCLA won its second consecutive NCAA title with a 10-7 victory over No. 3 USC at Dirks Pool at UCLA’s Spieker Aquatics Center during a late evening contest on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. The Bruins concluded their season with a perfect 30-0 overall record and extended their winning streak to 33 games (the second-longest streak in program history). This marked the first undefeated season for UCLA since the 1969 team went 19-0. It was also the program’s 10th title and the school’s nation-leading 113th NCAA team championship. The undefeated season for the Bruins was just the fourth all-time in NCAA men’s water polo history, joining the 2008 and 2012 USC squads and the 1992 California team. “Not too many teams have been able to go and do what these guys have done,” head coach Adam Wright said after the victory. “It’s something that they’ll be able to look back on the rest of their lives and know that they left a special mark here at UCLA.” 5 situation with 1:08 left in the quarter. with a power play score from Lachlan Edwards to cut Eight different Bruins scored in the title game, led it to 7-6 with just 0:25 remaining to end the period. by juniors Ryder Roberts and Patrick Fellner, each McClintick gave the Bruins their first lead of the game with two goals. Junior goalkeeper Garrett Danner at 4-3 with a goal at the 5:22 mark in the second Sophomore Max Irving opened the scoring in the registered 13 saves for UCLA. quarter. In a defensive-minded period, Roberts found fourth quarter, scoring with 7:32 to play as UCLA Marshall at two meters for a power play goal (0:10) extended its margin to 8-6. Daboub gave the Bruins Roberts was named the tournament’s Most Valuable and the Bruins pitched a shutout in the second period their largest lead of the game at 9-6 (4:20). USC’s Player and secured first-team all-tournament honors. to secure a 5-3 halftime lead. Blake Edwards cut the UCLA advantage to 9-7 Joining Roberts as first-team selections included with his first goal of the contest at the 3:21 mark. Danner and seniors Daniel McClintick and Anthony Mac Carden cut the Bruins’ lead to 5-4 with a power play goal (5:12) to open the scoring in the third period. Fellner scored the game’s final goal with one second Daboub. Junior Gordon Marshall secured second- remaining left to provide the 10-7 final margin. team all-tournament acclaim. Fellner scored his first goal of the game on a power play (3:03) to push the leadto 6-4.