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ANNUAL REPORT – INTRODUCTION Dear Bruins, Our athletic department began the 2018-19 school year with the grand opening of Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Aug. 17, 2018, as the women’s soccer team earned win No. 1 of the season for the Bruins. Since then, we collected 353 more wins in all competitions for a final head-to-head record of 354-125-2, compiling a 74% win percentage across all our sports. To put that number in context, the Dodgers set an L.A. franchise record for wins in 2017, when their 104 victories equated to a 64% win percentage. Along the way, we had more special moments than I can list on this page, but it’s only appropriate to start with national championships for the beach volleyball and softball programs. These two teams reached the peak of competitive greatness in 2019, and we could not be more proud of Stein, Jenny, Kelly, Kirk, Lisa, the student-athletes, and the supporting staffs for these accomplishments. While not every team could end their season with a victory, congratulations are also in order for the gymnastics, men’s water polo and women’s water polo night of the year better captures our purpose. Earlier Frankie Amaya was the top selection in the MLS Draft, teams for their Top 3 finishes. In addition, our women’s in the school year, we announced a department-wide marking the sixth time in which a Bruin went first soccer and women’s tennis teams had runs to the Elite Graduation Success Rate of 90% for the first time in overall. Other draft selections included Hailie Mace (No. 8 in their respective postseason tournaments. Four UCLA history. This mark is a testament to the resilience 2, NWSL), Kennedy Burke (WNBA), Jaylen Hands (NBA), programs secured Pac-12 titles in 2018-19, including of our student-athletes, who compete in an increasingly Caleb Wilson (NFL) and a school-record 13 selections our gymnastics, softball, baseball and men’s tennis competitive academic environment at UCLA and still get in the MLB Draft, highlighted by Michael Toglia being a teams. The baseball program had the distinction of the job done. To ensure continued success for future first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies. earning the No. 1 overall seed heading into postseason generations of student-athletes, we also announced play after having been ranked No. 1 in the country for our new goal to fund and build the Mo Ostin Academic As we reflect on the 2018-19 school year, we want to 11 consecutive weeks. Our department also enjoyed Center for Student-Athletes. say a final goodbye and thank you to a pair of coaching watching the football program triumph over our rivals legends, as Coach Val Kondos-Field and Coach Cyndi at the Rose Bowl, as the offense compiled more than Looking at several individual accolades, Rachel Garcia of Gallagher have hung up their respective “whistles”. We 300 rushing yards and our team scored 13 unanswered the softball team earned one of the highest recognitions will miss each of these coaches immensely, but we also fourth quarter points to cement the victory. in all of college sports when she was honored with the have a feeling they won’t be too far. Honda Cup as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the This all added up to another special campaign in Year. She won the fifth Honda Cup in UCLA history, We’re looking forward to the 2019-20 athletic seasons, Westwood, marked by broad-based excellence. We joining an illustrious list that includes Natasha Watley, when we will see the debut of four new UCLA head were proud to learn that UCLA finished sixth overall in Lisa Fernandez, Jackie Joyner Kersee and Ann Meyers coaches. Coach Ryan Jorden will be the first out of the the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup. That marks Drysdale. We also had six UCLA student-athletes earn gate at the helm of our men’s soccer program, followed our department’s eighth top 10 finish in the last 10 individual NCAA National Championships in 2018-19. by Coach Mick Cronin (men’s basketball), Coach Chris years. More than any other metric, the Directors’ Cup Gymnast Kyla Ross won vault and floor exercise titles. Waller (gymnastics) and our newest head coach, Coach reflects the collective accomplishments of the entire Maria Polyakova of the swimming and diving team Jordan Wolfrum of the swimming and diving team. department, as 18 teams scored points and every single won the 3-meter dive individual title. Our men’s tennis staff member contributed to this achievement. doubles duo of Max Cressy and Keegan Smith and the Our athletic department is excited to take part in the women’s tennis doubles team of Ayan Broomfield and University’s Centennial celebration in 2019-20. This Our athletic success was paired again with another year Gabby Andrews also won NCAA titles. is a fantastic milestone for UCLA, worthy of a year- of academic excellence. We had 136 student-athletes long celebration. We look forward to incorporating the reach the ultimate goal in June, walking across the Katelyn Ohashi of the gymnastics team assembled University’s celebration within the athletic seasons for stage at our Student-Athlete Graduation Celebration a floor routine that remains the most watched sports all 25 sports, and we can’t wait to have you join us at before their coaches, families and friends. No other video of the year, as it recorded nearly 44 million views. these games, meets and matches. This is an exciting time for our University, and your support means so much to us. Thank you for your continued contributions and dedication to our student-athletes and coaches, TABLE OF CONTENTS and I look forward to seeing you in 2019-20. 2018-19 News 3 Go Bruins! Sport-by-Sport Recap 5 Bruins in the Community 8 Academics and Life Skills 10 Capital Projects 12 Centennial Update 13 Wooden Athletic Fund 14 UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame 26 Dan Guerrero Corporate Sponsors 27 Kennedy Burke, selected by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA Draft. About the Annual Report Writing, editing and design by Alex Timiraos (Associate Director, Athletic Communications). Primary photography by Don Liebig (ASUCLA Campus Studio), Scott Chandler and Greg Turk. Special thanks to Neema Barbod, Ric Coy, Chris Iacoi, Emily Lerner, Taylor Swearingen and Shana Wilson for their editorial assistance. 2 2018-19 IN REVIEW NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! UCLA’s beach volleyball and softball programs captured NCAA titles in 2019. Beach Volleyball Repeats as NCAA Champs Softball Downs Oklahoma to Win NCAA Title No. 2-seed UCLA defeated USC to win second straight NCAA title. Kinsley Washington’s two-out single snapped a 4-4 tie at the WCWS The UCLA beach volleyball team entered the 2019 NCAA Tournament having lost three The UCLA softball team won in dramatic fashion against Oklahoma in Game 2 of the consecutive matches to crosstown rival USC, the Bruins’ only setbacks of the season. Women’s College World Series, as Kinsley Washington lined a run-scoring single with UCLA avenged those losses in the NCAA Championship match on Sunday, May 5, two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Jacqui Prober from second base. repeating as NCAA champs with a 3-0 victory over No. 1-seed USC. The thrilling victory helped UCLA capture its 13 national championship in softball (12 The Bruins concluded their 2019 campaign with a 35-3 overall record after defeating NCAA titles) before a capacity crowd in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Tuesday, June 4. USC in the championship match at Gulf Shores Public Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala. Trailing 4-3 in the top of the seventh, Oklahoma belted a two-out solo home run to tie UCLA opened the dual against USC in style, winning in straight sets on courts four and the contest at 4-4. The Bruins responded in the bottom half of the frame. Taylor Pack five in the first of two flights. Juniors Madi Yeomans and Savvy Simo took down Joy reached safely with a base-hit, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt and was Dennis and Maja Kaiser (21-16, 21-19) on court four to put UCLA ahead, 1-0. out on an ensuing fielder’s choice that allowed Colleen Sullivan to safely reach first Senior Izzy Carey and freshman Lindsey Sparks registered a 21-16, 21-15, triumph base. The first pitch to Washington got away on a wild pitch, allowing Sullivan to take over Cammie Dorn and Mollie Ebertin on court five, making the score 2-0 in UCLA’s second base before UCLA inserted Prober as a pinch-runner. Washington stroked the favor. next pitch to left field, allowing Prober to scamper home with the game-winning run. Needing just one win in flight two, consisting of courts one, two, and three, the Bruins “They were convicted and they bought into the process,” UCLA head coach Kelly got off to a great start, winning all three first sets. The championship-clinching victory Inouye-Perez said. “They had each other’s back. There were so many selfless took place on court three, as senior Zana Muno and freshman Abby Van Winkle teammates, as far as not everyone got to get what they wanted, but they were defeated USC’s Haley Hallgren and Alexandra Poletto (22-20, 21-13). The win for the committed to doing whatever they could to help this team. They’re a really gutsy, Bruins’ pair snapped a three-game losing streak to the Trojans’ pair, as well.