Anteater

NEWPORT BEACH — It's a common assumption in Newport Beach that kids grow up with a connection to the ocean. However, many children live a 15-minute drive from the water's edge but have rarely, or never, dipped their feet in the Pacific. That's where "Day at the Bay" comes in. On Friday, 23 Santa Ana students, ages 14 to 19, from the Nicholas Academic centers spent their day at the bay. UC Irvine hosted the day, which began with a quick Back Bay lesson at the science center, then the teens took kayaks out on the water.

The UC Irvine men's golf team won the 29th Anteater Invitational by 18 shots held at El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Beach, CA on March 31, 2009.  UCI Junior John Chin was runner-up at 2-under 214 with Cal Poly's Geoff Gonzalez claiming medalist honors at 4-under 216.  The UCI winning team consisted of Freshman Michael Im (223), Senior Sean Shahi (223), Freshman Roberto Francioni (225) and Sophomore Bryan Harris (227) for their first place finish.  Coach Paul Smolinski's team returns to action April 10-11 in the Thunderbird Invitationa at ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, AZ followed by the U.S. Intercollegiate at Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, CA on April 18-19, 2009.

UC Irvine sophomore Mikah Maly-Karros, who averaged 31.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in two victories last week, has been named Big West Conference Player of the Week in women’s basketball. The 6-foot-1 transfer from Loyola Marymount, had a career-high 35 points and six blocked shots, and matched her career high with 17 rebounds, in the Anteaters’ 70-54 Big West win at Pacific on Wednesday. Maly-Karros, who has nine double-doubles in 14 games after being cleared to play in December, produced 28 points and 14 rebounds in a 73-65 win over conference visitor Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.

UC Irvine senior Brian Morton won in singles and doubles to lead the Anteaters to a 4-3 nonconference men's tennis win over host Furman Friday in Greenville, S.C. Morton, a Corona del Mar High product who grew up playing at Mesa Verde Tennis Club in Costa Mesa, defeated Allen Simmons, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1 singles. Morton then teamed with senior Rye Kashiwabara to win at No.1 doubles, 8-5. Peter Surapol, Mustafa Ulukan and Olof Sjorlund also earned singles victories for the 'Eaters (4-4)

UC Irvine student-athletes have earned 2008 Winter Academic All-Big West Conference honors. The 19 Anteaters recognized are spearheaded by the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, including men’s representatives Eddie Erazo, Blaine Fletcher, Danny Giometti, Brian Johnson, David Lefstein, Cina Moheimani, Eric Nugent, Nate Rogers and Walid Wasfy, as well as women’s team members Sarah Deyoreo, Kelly Janicki; Avi...

Former UC Irvine standout Brad Evans scored the game-winning goal, his third of the season, Saturday night to help the Columbus Crew post a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas in a MLS contest in Columbus, Ohio. Evans, a forward making his 10th start in his 18th appearance this season for the Crew, broke a 1-1 tie in the 65th minute by converting an assist from Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Evans, the all-time goal-scoring leader at UCI with 31, is in his second season with Columbus, which drafted him out of UCI after the 2006 collegiate season.

Former UC Irvine baseball player Josh Tavelli, a member of the Anteaters’ 2007 College World Series team, is one of two first-year assistant coaches on Vanguard University head man Ralph Grajeda’s coaching staff this season. Tavelli, also on UCI teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2006 and 2008, will work with hitters and infielders, while also coaching third base. Grajeda’s staff also includes newcomer Erich Pfohl, who will tutor the outfielders, coordinate recruiting and coach first base.

CoCo Goodson was named the Big West Conference Defender of the Year for the second year in a row and led five from the UC Irvine women's soccer team who earned first-team honors. The Anteaters matched last year's All-Big West team by having seven selected in 2011 as well. UCI's Cami Privett was named Big West Freshman of the Year. Goodson has scored three goals and assisted on five others. She manned the backline with fellow defender and first-team All-Big West member Sarah Devine, allowing just 18 goals in 20 matches.

CLAREMONT — The UC Irvine men’s and women’s cross country teams each won the titles at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Saturday. UCI’s men had five runners finish in the top nine spots, led by sophomore Rex Nelson, a former Newport Harbor High standout who won the 8,000-meter race in 25 minutes, 32.37 seconds. Brett Matejka was fourth (25:45.49), Sam Hyams fifth (25:59.33), Victor Bonilla seventh (26:06.53) and Barrett Tilley ninth (26:09.69) in the 110-runner field.

BASEBALL San Diego 4, UC Irvine 1 SAN DIEGO - Six Toreros pitchers limited the visiting Anteaters to six hits in the nonconference game Tuesday. The loss ends a seven-game win streak for UCI (27-18), which missed an opportunity to pad its RPI (59 to San Diego's 25). Freshman catcher Chris Rabago was two for three, while senior shortstop D.J. Crumlich was one for four with a run batted in for UCI. USD, which also had just six hits, but broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the eighth inning, improves to 37-11.

LOS ANGELES - All through its postseason run, the deepest team UC Irvine men's volleyball Coach John Speraw ever had kept shuffling the deck. But in the NCAA final against top-ranked USC on Saturday night, the Anteaters merely rode their same hot hand. Senior opposite Carson Clark, a four-time All-American, pounded a match-high 22 kills with a .465 hitting percentage to help the No. 2-ranked 'Eaters top to Trojans, 25-22, 34-32, 26-24, in front of 9,612 at USC's Galen Center.

LOS ANGELES - In this, the men's volleyball version of the Big Dance, UC Irvine did the equivalent of leaning against the wall, before getting fully into its groove. For the third straight match, No. 1-seeded UCI fell behind early, allowing No. 4-seeded Penn State to boogie its way to a one-set lead. But, just like the final two Mountain Pacific Tournament matches, when the Anteaters rallied to win in five games after losing the first two sets, they found their rhythm in time to advance in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship Thursday at USC's Galen Center.

A volleyball team's bench is like winter firewood: all stacked up with the constant promise of delivering a spark. When it comes to wielding the match, few have been more successful at fashioning a blaze with backups than UC Irvine Coach John Speraw. At several points this season, including back-to-back five-set victories in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament last week that propelled the Anteaters (24-5) to the four-team NCAA Championship that begins Thursday at USC's Galen Center, Speraw has summoned a substitute who has proved to be catalytic.

UC Irvine head men's volleyball coach John Speraw was named 2012 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year after capturing the MPSF Tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Championship. Speraw, in his 10th year at UCI, led the Anteaters to their fourth NCAA Championship appearance after the Anteaters won their second MPSF Tournament with a pair of five-set, come-from-behind wins in the semifinal and final. UCI was the fourth seed for the tournament, after finishing in a three-way tie for second a 17-5 record.

The UC Irvine women's water polo team is the No. 4 seed and will play No. 5-seeded Loyola Marymount in the first round of the NCAA Championship, May 11 at 8:15 p.m. at San Diego State. The Anteaters (24-6) won their fourth straight Big West Conference Tournament title and are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. UCI split two matches with Loyola Marymount (20-9) this season, posting a 12-9 win at LMU on Feb. 18 and absorbing a 9-6 loss on Feb. 25 at UCI. Stanford (23-2)

LOS ANGELES - There was nothing to lose … but the season itself. And there is, after all, nothing more important in the extant life of a college athlete. The UC Irvine men's volleyball team gave a lesson on life extension, rallying twice in three days from an 0-2 deficit in games to claim victory and the title of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament at USC's Galen Center. Saturday night, it was a 20-25, 25-27, 25-21, 25-21, 15-12 win over Stanford, as the No. 2-ranked Anteaters followed up their thrilling five-game win over top-ranked USC on Thursday with yet another improbable comeback.

LOS ANGELES - UC Irvine men's volleyball coach John Speraw said USC had managed to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular-season title and the top national ranking without facing a most formidable opponent: pressure. But by rallying from a two-game deficit to force a fifth set in the MPSF Tournament semifinals Thursday at USC's Galen Center, Speraw's Anteaters squarely placed the burden of pressure on the No. 1-seeded hosts. By that time, UCI was at least as formidable a concern for USC, and the Anteaters prevailed to close out a 24-26, 23-25, 25-16, 28-26, 15-9 victory to keep their NCAA title hopes alive.

WOMEN'S GOLF Big West Conference Championships SAN LUIS OBISPO - UC Irvine finished second and Anteaters redshirt freshman Michelle Yang finished third in the three-day event completed Tuesday at the San Luis Obispo Country Club. Yang shot one-under-par 71 in the final round to make her 54-hole total 224, four shots back of champion Bev Vatananugulkit of UC Davis. Sophomore Ronnie Valerio tied for eighth (229) while junior Michelle Park tied for 13th at 231. Senior Lalita Patipaksiri tied for 16th at 233 and sophomore Sara Banke tied for 29th at 238. UCI's team score of 911 was 13 shots behind victorious UC Davis.

BASEBALL Long Beach State 4, UC Irvine 3 LONG BEACH - The Anteaters squandered a 3-1 lead, giving up three runs in the final two innings in the Big West Conference game Saturday. The Dirtbags' Matt Duffy lined a full-count pitch to centerfield to score Johnny Bekakis for the game-winning hit. UCI (20-15, 5-6 in conference) took the early lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Connor Spencer and a steal of home base by Jordan Fox. Christian Ramirez hit a clutch, two-out single up the middle to score Scott Gottschling from second to give UCI a 3-0 lead.