As the UCSD sports season wraps up, lots of attention has been given to the major intercollegiate sports. But there are other teams that are wrapping up their season as well, namely the UCSD club sports teams.
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This eclectic group of teams competed all year long while keeping a commitment to having fun and building friendships.
The newest sports club, badminton, started the year off strong with a second-place finish in a match against UCLA and UC Irvine. The team maintained its level of success throughout the year and closed its season at the NCAA Badminton National Tournament in Philadelphia, where the women’s team took first in the team sections and the men’s doubles took second place.
Dancesport had many top performances throughout the year, most notably the Day by the Shores Competition in which the formation team took first place. Dancesport also competed at the Stanford Classic Competition where the alumni team, the formation team and the show team made a clean sweep of first, second and third places, respectively.
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No one could question the endurance of the UCSD cycling team: Its cyclists biked up to 90 miles in a single competition. The team finished fifth in its conference, but was unable to qualify for nationals. Cyclists Pete Knudsen and Sharon Smith were admitted to the nationals as independents.
The UCSD competition dance team competed in two major events for the 2000-01 season: the USA Nationals in Las Vegas, where they placed sixth, and the NCAA Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla., where they finished ninth.
The equestrian team posted several big wins during the year despite beginning with only five returnees from last year’s team. Heather Thurgood’s performance in the intermediate equitation on the flats and over fences earned her the High Point Champion title.
The ice hockey team posted a 10-1-1 record and repeated as Pacific Coast Collegiate Hockey Association Champions. Leading the team were top scorer Steven Cohen, goalie Scott Friedman and assist-leader Andrew Jacobsen. Due to its stellar record during the past two years, the group will have a tougher schedule to take on next year.
Men’s lacrosse finished this year at 5-1, a turnaround from last season’s 0-6 record. The team finished as West Coast Lacrosse League Division A South Champions. UCSD beat eighth-ranked Arizona in league and took down Loyola Marymount University to win the league championship. The team finished the season 20th in the nation.
The women’s lacrosse team didn’t have as much luck as its male counterpart did because it was plagued by administrative difficulties. With rookies making up a majority of the team, the team pulled together under its new captain, Kabe Pabst, and gained valuable experience for next year.
Men’s rugby squared off against a lot of tough Division I competition. The team came up with several big victories, the most notable a 25-24 victory over UCLA. Captain Brian Kennedy was named to the Southern California Territorial Representative team in recognition of his outstanding play.
Women’s rugby finished the season in fourth place, a definite accomplishment for the young team. The team placed second at the Champage Classic and, after being able to score only once in four years of face-offs with Arizona State University, was able to scare ASU with 12 points, though UCSD ended up losing 17-12.
The UCSD sailing team unfurled its sails and sped to a successful season last year. Both the A and B teams posted several major wins in the South Series Competition. The highlight of the season occurred when UCSD beat nationally ranked UC Santa Barbara in consecutive regattas. The Tritons placed eighth in the Pacific Coast Sailing Championships at the end of the year, sailing against the best teams on the West Coast.
The UCSD ski/snowboard team took an eight-hour van ride to Mammoth Mountain every other weekend. It was the top combined ski and snowboard team in the league. The individual snowboard team took second while the individual ski team placed first in the league overall.
The surf team, led by nationally ranked surfer Holly Beck, is still in the middle of its season. This month it will travel to Dana Point, Calif., to compete in the National Scholastic Surfing Association Surfing Championships.
The men’s ultimate disc team earned a third-place title at the regional competition and was the only team in the league able to beat the Santa Barbara Black Tide this year.
The women’s ultimate disc team is still throwing the Frisbee after breezing through sectionals and regionals. It is preparing for nationals in Boston.
The UCSD water ski team’s season was overshadowed by the death of teammate Dustin Newell on his way to an Arizona competition earlier this year. Despite this tragedy, the team pulled together to have a good season. Nikki Kennedy set a school record with a jump of 81 feet, shattering the old record of 73 feet, and Brian Kennedy was named Most Impressive Forward, while Courtney Geigle was voted Most Impressive Back.
All in all, this year was extremely tumultuous for UCSD club sports teams as some rose, some fell, some struggled, some dominated, some ended the year early, and some fortunate ones are still competing.
All are doing exciting things and are definitely worth checking out next year.
– Compiled by Isaac Pearlman
Associate Sports Editor
