The UC Riverside Athletics Department capped
off the 2001-02 school year with an awards ceremony Sunday at
the UCR Physical Education Building.
The event, which featured a barbecue for
student-athletes hosted by the Athletics Department featured the
presentation of seven awards - The Male and Female Student-Athletes
of the Year, the Scholar Athlete Award, the Lindy Award, the Braveheart
Award and the Rob Roy Award.
The winners of the awards for 2001-02, are:
Male
Athlete of the Year - Adam Seuss
Senior baseball player Adam Seuss has been
named the University of California, Riverside Male Athlete of
the Year for the 2001-2002 academic year.
Seuss, a graduate of Palm Desert HS, posted
a .335 average as a four-year starter for the Highlanders and
his name appears throughout the UCR career top-10 lists. He is
first in doubles with 69, second in games started with 204, second
in at bats with 831, second in hits with 278, second in RBI with
162, fifth in total bases with 393 and sixth in runs scored with
159. In his senior year he led the team with a .383 average, 22
doubles and 50 RBI.
"Adam Seuss is a leader," Coach Jack Smitheran
said. "He leads by example and takes responsibility for the team."
One of the few student-athletes to be with
the program throughout the transition from Division II to Division
I, Seuss was a consistent offensive threat for the Highlanders.
He had an outstanding campaign as a freshman, batting a career-high
.358 with 25 doubles, the third highest total in school history.
As a sophomore he rebounded from a mid-season slump to hit a respectable
.285, then upped his average to .290 in his junior campaign, with
a major career highlight occurring on March 25, 2001 when he hit
for the cycle against Sacramento State, going 4-for-5 with 6 RBI
"We have always been able to look to Adam
for consistency. He is always out there giving his best effort
and has done everything we have asked of him." Smitheran said.
"His hard work has now paid off as he has developed into one of
the best players in the Big West."
Seuss, a senior, is scheduled to graduate
in 2002 with a degree in Liberal Studies.
"Adam Seuss has shown himself to be that
rarest of commodities, a true leader. It is a skill that will
serve him well long after his days of athletic competition are
through." UCR Athletics Director Stan Morrison said. "His ability
to elevate his performance against improved opposition is a wonderful
example of what the concept of "Braveheart is Alive!" is all about,
and his achievements should stand as a shining example to all
those student-athletes who come after him. We are very proud of
this young man."
Female
Athlete of the Year - Amy Houchens
Senior basketball player Amy Houchens has
been named the University of California, Riverside Female Athlete
of the Year for the 2001-2002 academic year.
A four-year starter and four-time team MVP,
Houchens capped off her career with an "iron woman" performance
that may never be duplicated. Houchens was the Highlanders leading
scorer with an average of 15.0 points per game and played a remarkable
1,087 minutes out of a possible 1,160, an average of 37.5 minutes
per game. Following the season she was named first team All-Big
West.
She leaves UCR as the career record holder
in games played and started (110), minutes played (3,869), free
throw percentage (79%) and steals (353) and the single season
record holder in minutes played (1,047) and steals (99).
"Amy's performance on the floor spoke for
itself," Head Coach Jennifer Young said. "She was our leading
scorer and more importantly our great equalizer that instilled
a calming effect on our team. Playing up a level to Division I
was no easy task but Amy's never say die attitude was contagious
and in the end developed a team of winners."
"Amy is the epitome of the definition of
leadership. She is the most mentally and physically tough player
I have ever had the honor to coach," Young said. "She played every
moment with 110% intensity and there is no doubt in my mind that
her passion for the game and competitive nature raised the skill
level of her teammates on a daily basis."
"If there was ever somebody's coattails to
ride, the best compliment I can give is to grab onto Amy's and
hang on tight," Young added.
Houchens, who hails from Yucaipa, was honored
as Academic All-Conference by the Big West and will graduate in
June with a degree in business.
"Watching Amy perform on the basketball floor
has been a delight for basketball fans" UCR Athletics Director
Stan Morrison said. "Amy has constantly raised the bar for herself
and her teammates throughout her career, culminating in first
team All-Big West honors and leading her team to the second round
of the Big West Championships. Her achievements both on and off
the floor have been remarkable and I am proud to call her a Highlander."
UCR
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Amy Houchens
Senior women's basketball player Amy Houchens
has been named the Harper Award winner as the University of California,
Riverside Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2001-2002.
The award is selected by a committee of scholars
and is presented annually to a student-athlete whose athletic
and scholarly achievements are deemed most outstanding.
Houchens, a native of Yucaipa, CA, was selected
not merely for her athletic and academic ability, but also for
her exhibition of leadership and mental toughness during a trying
season as the Highlanders faced their first Division I schedule.
Houchens was also named UC Riverside Female Student-Athlete of
the Year and was named Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Houchens will graduate in June of 2002 with
a degree in business after spending the spring quarter studying
in Italy. She has a 3.212 cumulative GPA. She plans to open her
own line of fitness centers and expand it internationally.
"Amy Houchens was the foundation of this
program and depicts the future to come," Coach Jennifer Young
said. "She set an example for the rest of the team both on and
off the court. Academically, she raised the bar to set a standard
for future players in this program."
"Amy represents all that is good in Intercollegiate
Athletics because she has managed to maintain balance at the highest
level while setting records as an athlete and as a student," UCR
Director of Athletics Stan Morrison said. "She has achieved star
status as an athlete, playing outstanding basketball while demonstrating
why "student" comes first in "student-athlete." This university
is extremely proud to award this outstanding young woman with
an award that reflects those accomplishments."
Braveheart
Award - Jeff Midgett
Freshman high jumper Jeff Midgett was named
winner of the Braveheart Award for the 2001-2002 academic year.
The Braveheart Award is presented to a student-athlete,
coach or staff member who has shown exemplary courage.
A native of Riverside and graduate of La
Sierra High School, Midgett has quickly established himself as
one of the outstanding high jump talents on the West Coast, reaching
the NCAA Championship provisional qualifying marks with a leap
of 7' 2.25" at the Claremont Classic Track Meet on May 11.
Midgett had not always been a high jumper.
A standout track and cross country runner at La Sierra, it took
a great deal of convincing by his good friend and teammate Leo
Lydon to compete in the event. But once Midgett began competing
in the event, he flourished, improving four inches in height each
year he competed in the event.
Following graduation Midgett accepted a scholarship
to UC Riverside while Lydon decided to move away from home to
attend UC Santa Barbara. The duo stayed in contact, sharing the
experience of their freshman years.
On January 7, 2002, Leo Lydon was found dead
in his UCSB dorm room. An autopsy revealed that he had died from
a non-contagious viral infection that had caused the muscle tissue
around his heart to swell, eventually causing his heart to stop
beating. Nothing could have been done to prevent it.
In his memory, Midgett continued to push
himself towards the 7-foot barrier, which he crossed for the first
time in an exhibition jump at the UC Riverside Track Classic on
April 6th.
In a letter written by Lydon to a friend
a year before his death, he wrote, "But you cannot change the
past, you are where you are, if your life could be happier it
is not too late. The past has happened, get over it. Be thankful
for circumstance, be thankful for chance, be thankful for your
life, and make it happen."
"In the memory of his friend, Leo Lydon,
Jeff Midgett is 'making it happen,'" UCR Athletics Director Stan
Morrison said. "To experience such loss at such a young age is
tragic, but Jeff is honoring the memory of his friend and celebrating
his life every time he clears that bar."
Braveheart
Award - Caitlin Blashaw
Sophomore women's tennis player Caitlin Blashaw
was named winner of the Braveheart Award for the 2001-2002 academic
year.
The Braveheart Award is presented to a student-athlete,
coach or staff member who has shown exemplary courage.
Blashaw, who spent her freshman campaign
as the Highlanders' No. 1 singles player, was sidelined by severe
shoulder pain that kept her out of the entire 2001 fall season.
To make matters worse, doctors were unable to tell her why her
shoulder was giving her such pain.
"Caitlin took time off but the pain was still
unbearable. She went to see at least four doctors and none could
give her a clear diagnosis," Coach Mark Henry said. "Finally,
she decided that pain alone was not going to stop her from being
part of the team and giving everything that she could."
The doubt surrounding her health was magnified
when doctors discovered tumors in her shoulder near the bone.
Tests were done to determine if they were cancerous.
"She had a very difficult time for a while,
but when the results indicated that there was no cancer she again
moved right into the lineup," Henry said. "The season was very
difficult for her mentally. Not only was she wondering what was
going on in her shoulder, but she was also competing knowing that,
while she was helping the team, she was not playing at the level
she had reached the season before. Still, she had the courage
to continue coming out, giving everything she had throughout the
season. Caitlin definitely showed the Braveheart Spirit this season."
Blashaw, a sophomore business major from
Palos Verdes, CA, finished the season as UCR's No. 2 singles and
No. 1 doubles player. She was extremely active in the UCR Student
Athlete Advisory Council.
"Putting aside personal challenges to work
to elevate your teammates is the mark of a leader," UCR Athletics
Director Stan Morrison said. "Caitlin showed that leadership and
more as she overcame physical trauma and mental doubts while still
focusing on the concept of a team. That is what the Braveheart
Award for Courage is all about."
Rob
Roy Award - Stephanie Hughes
Senior women's basketball player Stephanie
Hughes was named winner of the Rob Roy Award for the 2001-2002
academic year.
The Rob Roy Award is given to a student-athlete,
coach or staff member who has shown exemplary integrity.
A fifth-year senior, captain and forward
on the Highlanders' 16-13 squad, Hughes averaged 8.3 points and
4.9 rebounds in her final UCR campaign. But what is even more
impressive about her is her character. For five years she has
been a model student-athlete and citizen at UCR while dealing
with several personal and family obstacles away from the basketball
court, and two catastrophic injuries on the court.
"Stephanie Hughes is a role model for strength
and determination," Coach Jennifer Young said. "After experiencing
a cartilage tear and undergoing knee surgery her sophomore season,
Stephanie considered throwing in the towel. I convinced her to
take a year off to concentrate on rehab and her academics and
to return for her final two years. "
"One week before our first game in her then
junior season, Stephanie caught a teammates elbow to her cheekbone,"
Young added. "She had suffered a shattered eye socket that required
plastic surgery. She sat out the first 15 games, but then returned,
refusing the offer of a protective facemask. She wanted to show
that she had no fear and was going to be able to battle."
Off the court Stephanie has worked hard to
help her family financially while at the same time becoming an
aunt to her twin sister's child. She has maintained a research
position in the psychology lab throughout her UCR career and will
graduate in June with a degree in liberal studies. She was been
nominated as commencement speaker by Director of Athletics Stan
Morrison
"A never-say-die attitude and a devotion
to a quality academic and athletic experience are the qualities
that made Stephanie Hughes our Rob Roy Award winner," Morrison
said. "To watch her achieve her goals on the basketball floor,
after overcoming the challenges that she has faced, is heartwarming.
She made the decision not to quit no matter what challenges were
thrown her way, and that is a quality that will serve her well
the rest of her life."
The
Lindy Award - Tracy Schuster
Freshman soccer player Tracy Schuster was
named winner of the Lindy Award for the 2001-2002 academic year.
The Lindy Award is presented annually to
the student-athlete or service group member who has demonstrated
exceptional dedication by participating in extracurricular activities
in the community and at the university, and who is in satisfactory
academic standing.
Described by Head Coach Veronica O'Brien
as a natural leader with good communication skills, Schuster was
a member of the Highlanders' first-ever Division I women's soccer
team.
"Tracy likes to get involved, she will volunteer
to help with anything. She has been very instrumental in hosting
recruits, participating in fundraisers and volunteering her time,"
O'Brien said. " What I have enjoyed about Tracy the most is what
she has brought to the team. She has worked hard and now challenges
for one of the top starting 11 positions and has grown into a
confident young lady."
Away from the field, Schuster was active
in many activities. She is a member of the Student-Athlete Mentor
Club, is involved in Habitat for Humanity project, and has volunteered
for multiple events, including AIDS Walk, Special Olympics, the
Up 'til Dawn Cancer research fundraiser and campus events such
as Health Week. She has also worked at Loma Linda Hospital and
has volunteered at several UCR events, including the UCR Track
Classic with her soccer teammates.
A member of the UCR honors program, she has
a 3.38 GPA.
"I believe certain awards need to be earned
and when I read the description of this award, Tracy immediately
came to mind," O'Brien said. "I really appreciate her understanding
and need to give back and help with the team and community at
such a young age. With Tracy's perseverance I believe she will
accomplish many great things."
"To give yourself to the service of
your community is one of the greatest personal gifts that
an individual can give," UCR Athletics Director Stan Morrison
said. "To achieve this as a freshman is a remarkable accomplishment.
Frank Lindeburg wanted to see to it that such a person was
annually recognized and honored and this year we have found
just such a young woman. We look forward to seeing what
the future has in store for Tracy, both on and off the soccer
field."
Wilson HS and ASU Grad,
Former Emporia State Coach One of Five to Be Honored
(December 18, 2001) - Long-time
UC Riverside Head Baseball Coach Jack Smitheran will be inducted
into the American Baseball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame
on January 4, 2002 at the National Convention at the Marriott
World Center Hotel in Orlando, FL.
Smitheran, who is in his 29th
season of coaching at UCR and 33rd overall joins an impressive
list of previous inductees, including former USC Head Coach Rod
Dedeaux, Stanford's Mark Marquess, UCLA's Art Reichle, as well
as Smitheran's former coach at ASU and mentor Bobby Winkles.
"We feel this is the
highest honor in our association. It honors individuals who have
contributed not only to their own team, but to the sport of baseball
in general," Dave Keilitz, Executive Director of the ABCA
said. "Jack is one of the most highly respected coaches in
the country, and we are happy to have him join our select group."
Joining Smitheran in the
class are Harlow Parker of Poly Prep County Day School, Bill Holowaty
of Eastern Connecticut State University, Jim Dietz of San Diego
State University and Gary Grob of Winona State University. The
Hall of Fame is located at the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville,
KY.
"To be recognized by
your sport and it's Hall of Fame may be the ultimate accolade
for any coach," UCR Director of Athletics Stan Morrison said.
" Anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing Coach Jack Smitheran
understands the intense love he has for his sport and the young
people who have comprised his many successful teams. The discipline
and emphasis he has always demanded for team play have stood the
test of time and his many championships reflect that consistency
of coaching. Jack Smitheran wears Blue and Gold as well as any
coach who has ever graced our campus or our athletics fields.
We are a better university because he coaches here."
Entering this season, Smitheran
had a career record of 993-701-3 overall and an 870-640-3 record
at UCR. He has won two Division II National Championships in 1977
and 1982. In 1998, Smitheran became just the fifth NCAA Division
II coach to achieve 900 victories in his career. Among his coaching
successes are eight CCAA titles, nine NCAA Division II West Regional
appearances, trips to five College World Series, and two NCAA
Division II National Championships. He has also been named CCAA
Coach of the Year eight times in his career.
While at Riverside, Smitheran
has coached 37 All-Americans, including Olympian Daron Kirkreit,
major leaguers Steve Lubratich, Brad Pounders and Rick Rodriguez.
In his tenure, 102 Highlanders have been drafted or signed into
professional baseball, including Anaheim Angels closer Troy Percival.
A 1962 graduate of Wilson
HS in Long Beach, CA, Smitheran was a second baseman during his
collegiate career, playing for Winkles at perennial collegiate
power Arizona State. He was a member of the 1965 national championship
team along with Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. Smitheran remained
with the Sun Devils as an assistant coach from 1967 to 1969, during
which time ASU captured two more national titles.
In 1970, he moved to Emporia
State, posting a 123-61 record. He coached the Kansas school to
the NAIA World Series, and in 1972 was nominated for NAIA Coach
of the Year honors. He was named District 10 Coach of the Year
in 1971 and 1972, and was area Coach of the Year in '72. In 1984,
he garnered Coach of the Year laurels for success at Liberal,
Kansas, in a semi-pro league.
In 1981, he led UCR to a
co-championship in the CCAA, a NCAA West Regional title, and another
berth in the College World Series but fell short in his bid to
lead his team to a second national title. However, in 1982 he
took a Highlander team that had struggled with a sub-.500 record
until late-April and guided them into a tremendous stretch drive
that saw them win 16 of their final 20 games to capture the NCAA
title.
Following the 1982
campaign, Smitheran was named CCAA Coach of the Year, District
Coach of the Year, and Division II National Coach of the
Year for the second time
University of California, Riverside Athletics
Director Stan Morrison formally announced additions to the Athletics
Department staff for the 2001-02 academic year Monday.
Morrison formally welcomed incoming Academic
Coordinator David Spencer, Strength and Conditioning Coach Josh
Everett, Athletic Trainers Tammy Gaw and Carolyn DiChiara, as
well as announcing that assistant softball coach Lisa James
will become assistant sports information director. The moves
are in addition to the previously announced hiring of Associate
Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator Paula Smith.
Brief bios of each individual appear below.
For more information check out the UCR web site at www.ucr.edu/athletics.
Academic Coordinator David Spencer
- In nearly 30 years of coaching, Spencer has been to five NCAA
Tournaments and worked under some big names in the college coaching
ranks, including Pat Foster at Nevada, Seth Greenberg at Long
Beach State, and Stan Morrison at USC and Pacific. As academic
coordinator, Spencer is the direct liaison with the Registrar's
Office, Admissions and Records, and with faculty. He will oversee,
in concert with head coaches, the academic progress of student-athletes
and will monitor appropriate NCAA academic guidelines, along
with the Compliance Office. He will also oversee UCR's Rhodes
Scholar Team program. A native of Wilmington, DE, where he earned
All-State, All-Conference and State Player of the Year honors
in high school, Spencer played collegiately at Virginia Tech
before transferring to the University of Delaware, from where
he graduated with a bachelor's degree in history in 1972. He
played professionally in Chilé for two years and was the
head coach of the Chiléan Junior National Team from 1972
to 1974.
Strength and Conditioning Coach Josh
Everett - Everett came to UCR from UCLA, where he had served
as the assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1999 to
2001. Everett is a certified strength and conditioning specialist
through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
He also is certified as a club coach through USA Weightlifting.
Everett was a two-sport athlete as an undergraduate at Ohio
Northern University, competing in football and track and field.
He was a five-time conference champion in hurdle and relay events
and earned All-American Outdoor Track and Field honors in the
4x100 relay. He also starred as the starting running back on
the football team. After graduating with a BA in Physical Education
from Ohio Northern, he went on to Ohio University to obtain
a MS in Athletic Administration while serving as a graduate
assistant strength and conditioning coach from August 1998 to
June 1999.
Assistant Sports Information Director
Lisa James - A 1999 graduate of UC Riverside, James joined
the UCR SID Office on a part-time basis in 2000 and became assistant
sports information director this summer. An outstanding student-athlete,
James was a three-time All-CCAA selection at second base, earning
first team honors in 1998 and second team honors in 1996 and
1999. As a senior, James batted a team best .350 with a .488
on base percentage. She had a better than three-to-one walk
to strike out ratio and added 19 runs and 16 RBI. She graduated
from UCR in the winter of 1999 with a BA in Liberal Studies
with an emphasis in statistics and a minor in chemistry and
biology. James will be responsible for the media coverage of
several sports, including women's volleyball and women's basketball.
Athletic Trainer Tammi Gaw - Gaw
is a 1999 graduate of California Baptist University, where she
received her master's degree in Sports Management. She earned
her bachelor's degree in Health and Sport Sciences from the
University of Oklahoma in 1997. Gaw attended Rampart HS in Colorado
Springs, where she played varsity baseball. She is a member
of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the California
Athletic Trainers Association.
Athletic Trainer Carolyn DiChara
- DiChara is a 2001 graduate of Boston University with a degree
in athletic training. A native of Warren, NJ, she graduated
from Watchung Hills Regional HS in 1997 before attending BU.
She is currently pursuing a master's degree in education from
Cal Baptist University. DiChiara is a certified strength and
conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified lifeguard. She
is a member of the National Athletic Training Association (NATA)
and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Associate Athletics Director/Senior
Woman Administrator Paula Smith - In her role as SWA
at UCR, Smith works closely with the director of athletics
and oversees several men's and women's teams. She also represents
the athletics program in Big West and NCAA committee work
and is involved in mediation and negotiation of internal
issues. Smith joined UCR from UC Irvine, where she was in
her second academic year as Assistant Athletic Director
for Student Services. Her responsibilities included developing
and directing the academic support programs and supervising
and evaluating the CHAMPS Life Skills program. Prior to
UC Irvine, Smith worked for 11 years at the Big West Conference
Offices, starting as an administrative intern in 1988 and
elevating herself to Assistant Commissioner, primary compliance
administrator and liaison for selected men's and women's
championships in 2000. Smith graduated from New Mexico State
University in 1988 with a Bachelor's degree in marketing
with a special emphasis in transportation and physical distribution.
University of California, Riverside
Athletics Director Stan Morrison formally announced additions
to the Athletics Department staff for the 2001-02 academic
year Monday.
Morrison formally welcomed incoming
Academic Coordinator David Spencer, Strength and Conditioning
Coach Josh Everett, Athletic Trainers Tammy Gaw and Carolyn
DiChiara, as well as announcing that assistant softball
coach Lisa James will become assistant sports information
director. The moves are in addition to the previously announced
hiring of Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator
Paula Smith.
Brief bios of each individual appear
below. For more information check out the UCR web site at
www.ucr.edu/athletics.
Academic Coordinator David Spencer
- In nearly 30 years of coaching, Spencer has been to five
NCAA Tournaments and worked under some big names in the
college coaching ranks, including Pat Foster at Nevada,
Seth Greenberg at Long Beach State, and Stan Morrison at
USC and Pacific. As academic coordinator, Spencer is the
direct liaison with the Registrar's Office, Admissions and
Records, and with faculty. He will oversee, in concert with
head coaches, the academic progress of student-athletes
and will monitor appropriate NCAA academic guidelines, along
with the Compliance Office. He will also oversee UCR's Rhodes
Scholar Team program. A native of Wilmington, DE, where
he earned All-State, All-Conference and State Player of
the Year honors in high school, Spencer played collegiately
at Virginia Tech before transferring to the University of
Delaware, from where he graduated with a bachelor's degree
in history in 1972. He played professionally in Chilé
for two years and was the head coach of the Chiléan
Junior National Team from 1972 to 1974.
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Josh Everett - Everett came to UCR from UCLA, where
he had served as the assistant strength and conditioning
coach from 1999 to 2001. Everett is a certified strength
and conditioning specialist through the National Strength
and Conditioning Association. He also is certified as a
club coach through USA Weightlifting. Everett was a two-sport
athlete as an undergraduate at Ohio Northern University,
competing in football and track and field. He was a five-time
conference champion in hurdle and relay events and earned
All-American Outdoor Track and Field honors in the 4x100
relay. He also starred as the starting running back on the
football team. After graduating with a BA in Physical Education
from Ohio Northern, he went on to Ohio University to obtain
a MS in Athletic Administration while serving as a graduate
assistant strength and conditioning coach from August 1998
to June 1999.
Assistant Sports Information Director
Lisa James - A 1999 graduate of UC Riverside, James
joined the UCR SID Office on a part-time basis in 2000 and
became assistant sports information director this summer.
An outstanding student-athlete, James was a three-time All-CCAA
selection at second base, earning first team honors in 1998
and second team honors in 1996 and 1999. As a senior, James
batted a team best .350 with a .488 on base percentage.
She had a better than three-to-one walk to strike out ratio
and added 19 runs and 16 RBI. She graduated from UCR in
the winter of 1999 with a BA in Liberal Studies with an
emphasis in statistics and a minor in chemistry and biology.
James will be responsible for the media coverage of several
sports, including women's volleyball and women's basketball.
Athletic Trainer Tammi Gaw -
Gaw is a 1999 graduate of California Baptist University,
where she received her master's degree in Sports Management.
She earned her bachelor's degree in Health and Sport Sciences
from the University of Oklahoma in 1997. Gaw attended Rampart
HS in Colorado Springs, where she played varsity baseball.
She is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association
and the California Athletic Trainers Association.
Athletic Trainer Carolyn DiChara
- DiChara is a 2001 graduate of Boston University with a
degree in athletic training. A native of Warren, NJ, she
graduated from Watchung Hills Regional HS in 1997 before
attending BU. She is currently pursuing a master's degree
in education from Cal Baptist University. DiChiara is a
certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and
a certified lifeguard. She is a member of the National Athletic
Training Association (NATA) and the National Strength and
Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Associate Athletics Director/Senior
Woman Administrator Paula Smith - In her role as SWA
at UCR, Smith works closely with the director of athletics
and oversees several men's and women's teams. She also represents
the athletics program in Big West and NCAA committee work
and is involved in mediation and negotiation of internal
issues. Smith joined UCR from UC Irvine, where she was in
her second academic year as Assistant Athletic Director
for Student Services. Her responsibilities included developing
and directing the academic support programs and supervising
and evaluating the CHAMPS Life Skills program. Prior to
UC Irvine, Smith worked for 11 years at the Big West Conference
Offices, starting as an administrative intern in 1988 and
elevating herself to Assistant Commissioner, primary compliance
administrator and liaison for selected men's and women's
championships in 2000. Smith graduated from New Mexico State
University in 1988 with a Bachelor's degree in marketing
with a special emphasis in transportation and physical distribution.
