Since this is the last issue of the quarter, this seems like a good time to review the fall sporting season and take a look at what’s ahead.
After sending men’s water polo, women’s soccer, men’s cross country and women’s volleyball into postseason play, anyone who isn’t excited about UCSD sports should have their head examined. With both the women’s soccer team and the women’s volleyball team still playing, we have a legitimate chance to house two national championship teams after only one quarter.
UCSD’s Triton Soccer Stadium was selected as the site of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Soccer Final Four for the first time in ages. That our school was picked to host a championship game is a testament to the quality of our facilities and, more importantly, our athletes and their supporters. UCSD students and La Jolla are being offered the chance to see the top four teams in the nation play, which is exciting enough by itself but is all the better because our team is in that elite class.
The women’s volleyball team hasn’t lost since Oct. 31 and is riding an incredible wave of momentum heading into the championships after winning the regionals. It has only improved over the course of the season and stands in good position to hand head coach Duncan McFarland his first Division II women’s volleyball championship.
The men’s cross country team, after placing third in the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship meet, advanced through regionals and traveled to Pennsylvania for the NCAA men’s cross country championships. The team competed against the top programs in the nation and placed 15th. Its excellent season scored UCSD major points in the Sears Directors’ Cup race and established UCSD as a significant player in Division II cross country.
The men’s water polo team, while it did not equal last year’s incredible run to the title game against UCLA, still had an impressive year, finishing with a 20-7 record. The team started its season with a perfect 10-0 record until it lost to Pepperdine. It made it all the way to the finals of the Western Water Polo Association Championship in Los Angeles, before ending the season with a loss to Loyola Marymount University.
Not only have our sports teams been excellent this fall, but the UCSD fans supporting them have also been a pleasant surprise. UCSD has drawn sizable crowds to soccer, volleyball and water polo games this year. The Triton Tide, an Associated Students spirit group, has been present at all the major sporting events throwing T-shirts at the crowds with the same reckless abandon they use to throw insults at the officials.
And it’s not over yet, not by far. The swimming and diving team already has several meets under its belt, has placed second at the Triton Invitational and will be competing in the Speedo Cup this weekend. Crew have been waking up early every day to practice and have already competed in several events to get ready for their season. The UCSD men’s and women’s fencing teams have been destroying their opponents as they head into a long break. Their next matches are in February 2002.
There are more hints of promising seasons to come: The women’s basketball team upset crosstown Division I rival San Diego State in its season opener at SDSU. Led by senior point guard Maya Fok and junior guard Nicholle Bromley, the team is looking to make some noise in the CCAA this year after finishing 11-11 last year.
The men’s basketball team, after a horrible 3-19 league record last year, is looking much better this year. After netting an impressive come-from-behind victory in a preseason game against a touring junior Australian national team, it destroyed Division III University of Redlands 104-44 before losing to two Division I schools: University of San Diego and SDSU. But even Aztec coach Steve Fisher said that the Tritons have significantly improved since last year.
If none of this gets anyone interested or excited about UCSD sports, then I don’t know what will.
