Equestrian Team
The UCSD equestrian team started its season with a bang at the first English competition of the year on Nov. 2. The competition was hosted by UCSD at Clark’s Ranch in Carmel Valley, Calif., with six schools competing. Out of the six schools, UCSD took home the team champion award.
In the open division, UCSD senior captain Lisa Calvino won first place in open flat and junior Linda Torres took home second. Torres also placed first in intermediate fences, while senior Meredith Tosta won first in intermediate flat.
In the novice division, captain Erica Gross placed second in novice fences and first in novice flat. Also in novice flat, freshman Courtney Chandler placed second. Sandra Johnson took home first in advanced walk-trot-canter and senior Natalie Freeman placed second in walk-trot.
The equestrian team had its second English competition of the year at USD. In open flat, sophomore Kate McComas placed second on Nov. 23 and Calvino placed second on Nov. 24. Senior Meredith Tosta took home second in intermediate fences and freshman Casey Kohler placed second in novice fences. Also in the novice division, Chandler won first place in novice flat on Nov. 23. In the walk-trot division, Amalea Saunders placed second.
Overall, UCSD tied for second with Cal Poly on Nov. 23 and came in a close third on Nov. 24 to Cal Poly. USD took home team championships both days, but UCSD is still in a close second in region standings behind first-place USD.
Ice Hockey
After starting their season 0-3, the Tritons have surged back with several wins, all in the hope of capturing their fourth-consecutive league championship.
The Triton hockey team faced its greatest challenge of the season in mid-November when UCSD traveled to Washington to face four schools in four days. The Tritons, who have been struggling to come together as a team, found their chemistry early to win four in a row.
The first game against Walla Walla University saw the Tritons come out flat. After an inspired speech by the coaching staff, the Tritons responded, scoring three goals in a 15-second span in the second period en route to a 12-6 victory.
The next night, the Tritons took on Boise State in a game that was close until UCSD finally capitalized on one of the many chances it had in the first period. The Tritons continued to pressure Idaho, and UCSD jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on tight, finishing the game with a 7-1 win.
The third game of the trip was against Gonzaga. The Tritons’ spirited play earned them a 7-0 win.
The Tritons then faced their toughest opponent on the trip in University of Idaho. UCSD busted out to a 6-1 lead at the end of the second period, and with a final score of 9-2, the Tritons left the ice with a six-game winning streak.
Since that winning streak, the Tritons have improved their record to 8-4, with eight games left to play in their season.
Sailing Team
The sloops crew of the UCSD sailing team competed in the Southern Sloop Eliminations and the Sloops Pacific Coast Championships in October. In the event, UCSD qualified third and was able to go on to the championship. UCSD earned a sixth-place overall finish on the west coast.
On Oct. 11 through Oct. 13, the team attended the Stoney Burke Intersectional at Treasure Island in San Francisco. This year’s UCSD varsity sailing team consists of senior Rob Grant and Tori Pinto, who is in his first year in the A division, as well as first-years Sean Anderson and Heather Martinelli in the B division. Grant and Pinto took second place in one race. Anderson and Martinelli had a notable first college regatta, placing fourth overall in the B division. Overall, the varsity team took 10th place, just behind UC Santa Barbara by three points.
The UCSD sailing team then hosted the PCIYRA Frosh Soph Regatta on Oct. 19 and 20. This was the first event hosted by UCSD this season and the first run by this year’s team captains, Chris Nilsen and Ryan McDonell.
For the first time in the team’s history, an all-women’s varsity team competed, consisting of Martinelli, Lauren Bailey, Ashlee Goldsmith, Laura Stevens and Pinto.
Women’s Rugby
UCSD successfully hosted the fifth annual Scrum by the Sea tournament on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3. The Scrum is the team’s first competition of the year and generally sets a good precedence for the remainder of the season. This year, the UCSD team finished in first place, and it did not lose a game over the course of the two-day tournament. The women were pleased to echo the results of last year’s Scrum, where they were also undefeated. Jessica Venturi and Tina Evangelou led the onslaught by scoring most of the team’s points, and strong kicking by Kirstin Hartos further boosted UCSD to victory.
Surfing Team
The five-time national champion UCSD Surf Team is back in top form this year, with solid showings at its first two competitions. After a lackluster season last year, UCSD’s surfers are determined to rekindle the energy of previous years. Led by captains Aaron Napier and Clint Edwards, the season began with the team taking third place in the first National Scholastic Surfing Association Event in Ventura, Calif., earlier this quarter.
On Nov. 2, the surf team hosted the second event of the NSSA season at Black’s Beach in La Jolla. The surf team backed up its third place finish in Ventura with a solid second place result, which places UCSD in second place in the conference standings and as the highest-ranking four-year university in the NSSA.
Water Ski Team
Early in the quarter, the UCSD water ski team placed second at the Western Conference Regional Championship in Bakersfield, Calif., qualifying the Tritons to compete in Division 1A at nationals. This was the first time in the history of the team that UCSD has qualified for the prestigious national tournament.
At the regionals, Peter Mehrhof and Katie Ambrose both parlayed fifth place overall finishes. Team co-captain Tim Odell took ninth overall to help the Triton men to a second place finish.
Alicia Adams helped the women’s team with a personal best in the slalom and trick event.
The UCSD team eventually finished with an eighth place finish in the elite Division 1A at nationals.
In November, the team competed at the 2002 UC San Diego Dustin Newell Memorial Oktoberfest.
The UCSD team took honors on the men’s side when Mehrhof finished off a strong season with an overall win in the event hosted by the Tritons. Freshman David Wiens took fifth for the men’s trick team. Odell and Jeff Orr tied for fourth in jump to put three Tritons in the top five in jump. Odell added a third place overall finish. Ambrose led the women’s effort in the Triton victory with three top five performances.
The Tritons’ overall victory ends the 2002 season and is dedicated to the memory of Dustin Newell, a former UCSD skier who died in a tragic car accident en route to the 1999 regional championship.
Men’s Ultimate
The UCSD men’s ultimate team hosted the SoCal Warm-Up Tournament on Nov. 23 and Nov. 24 in a competition intended to give new Air Squids the chance to get accustomed to playing ultimate in a competitive environment. Sixteen teams from nine different colleges competed; the Air Squids themselves divided into three evenly split teams to compete.
The first-year players had an impressive showing in their first tournament of the year, with one team getting to the quarterfinals and another to the semifinals. Overall, the Air Squids took 10th place, seventh place and third place.
— Compiled by Anu Kumar, Sports Editor