UC Riverside Athletics Press Release

UCR Cross Country/Track & Field Coach
Chris Rinne’s Contract Not to be Renewed

(June 7, 2003) - UC Riverside Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Chris Rinne’s contract will not be renewed for the 2003-04 school year, UCR Athletics Director Stan Morrison announced Friday.

“We are grateful to Coach Rinne for over 30 years of service to UC Riverside, however I have determined that there is a need to go a different direction with the program,” Morrison said.

Morrison said that he plans to retain the current assistant track and field coaches, Mark Moyer, Frederica Bush, Ed Luna and Ken Simons.

“I look forward to speaking with each of the assistant coaches as we work to chart the future of the UCR track and field program,” Morrison said, adding that a search for a new head coach will commence shortly. “We continue to be committed to building a winning program.”

Rinne has been on staff at UCR since 1969 and served as UCR athletic director for five years (1982-87). Rinne did some of his undergraduate work at UCR before transferring to Long Beach State in 1968, where he went on to get a master's degree in physical education in 1970.

UC Riverside Head Athletic Trainer Bill Brewer has announced he is leaving the university, effective July 31, UCR Athletics Director Stan Morrison said Thursday.

Brewer, who has worked at UCR since 1988 and has served as head athletic trainer since 1990, is moving with his family to Nashville, TN, where he and his wife, Sandra intend to open a physical therapy practice. The Brewers have two children, daughter Skyler, 9, and son Tyler, 6.

“This is an exciting opportunity for my family and I, and it is something that we could not pass up,” Brewer said. “I’ll have nothing but great and happy memories of my time at UCR. The staff and student-athletes have been a second family to me, and I will miss them.”

Brewer, joined UCR as a part time assistant trainer in 1988 and became head trainer in 1990. He has also worked at the Riverside Sport Clinic and at the Southern California Sports Clinic.

“Bill has been an outstanding member of our team here at UCR, and he will be missed,” Morrison said. “We certainly wish him well with his and his family’s new adventure in Tennessee.” He added that a national search to fill the position will begin shortly and that interested applicants should contact UCR Human Resources.

(July 22, 2003) - The University of California, Riverside has named Brian Blank as the new assistant director of Athletics Media Relations, UCR Director of Athletics Media Relations Ross French announced Tuesday.

Blank joins UCR after spending two years as a member of the San Jose State University Athletics Media Relations office under the guidance of veteran SID Lawrence Fan.

"We are excited to have Brian joining our team," French said. "He is coming from an outstanding department at San Jose State and we expect him to be a big boost to the UCR athletics programs.”

A graduate of San Jose State University, Blank holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in marketing. While with the Spartans he worked with the men’s and women’s soccer teams, women’s basketball and baseball, in addition to assisting with the Spartans’ 12 other sports.

"I respect the way the university has developed its athletics programs over the past few years and look forward to being able to help take it to the next level," Blank said.

Blank has also worked in public relations in the Silicon Valley prior to his appointment with the Spartans and has worked with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football league.

Blank will begin his new position on August 4. He replaces Lisa Brooks, who left the department in April.

(Sept. 3, 2003) - UC Riverside has the top student-athlete graduation rate among the 10 Division I schools in Southern California, according to a report in Tuesday's (September 3) Los Angeles Times.

The latest NCAA graduation rate report, which tracks student-athletes who began school in the 1996-97 school year, shows UCR with a 77% graduation rate for its student-athletes, compared to 66% for the entire student body. Loyola Marymount was second at 73% for the student-athletes compared to 70% for the student-body at large.

"We are thrilled that UCR is tops among the schools in Southern California," UC Riverside Director of Athletics Stan Morrison said. "It is a tremendous achievement, but all a part of what our student-athletes, coaches, administrators work towards on a daily basis. There is an emphasis on the "student" in student-athlete for a reason."

Friday’s Midnight Madness 2003-04 to Start UCR’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Seasons

(Oct. 10, 2003) -UC Riverside’s Midnight Madness 2003-04 will take place on Friday, October 17th at the UCR Student Recreation Center. The doors open at 11:00 PM, with festivities getting underway around 11:30 PM. There is no cost for admission.

Midnight Madness is the traditional opening of the men's and women's basketball seasons. All NCAA teams are allowed to practice with coaches present beginning at 12:01 AM on October 18th.

The evening will begin with attendees getting the opportunity to win a T-shirt by hitting a free-throw. The teams and coaching staffs will be introduced at midnight, followed by a slam dunk contest and a three-point shootout. A $10,000 shootout by selected fans in attendance will cap off the evening.

“We are looking forward to a great evening and we hope that a lot of our students as well as Highlander fans in the community will come out to get this early preview of our teams,” UCR Athletics Marketing Assistant Jason Perkins said.

17 Highlanders Among 161 Student-Athletes Honored As Big West Academic All-Conference

The Big West Conference honored 161 athletes today as the Academic All-Big West teams were announced. The following list contains the names of student-athletes from the conference’s ten member institutions who have earned honors for the fall sports of women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s soccer, and women’s soccer. To be eligible for the All Academic team, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, have attained a sophomore standing academically and competed in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.

Women's Cross Country
Dena Witthaus	SR	Math	La Quinta, CA

Men's Cross Country
Israel Gonzales	SR	Business	Chino, CA
Joshua Gonzales	SR	Business	Chino, CA

Volleyball
Tiffany Brooks	JR	Business	Anaheim, CA
Valerie Bueno	SO	Undeclared/Life Sciences	Culver City, CA
Lindsay Drennen	JR	Liberal Studies	Hermosa Beach, CA
Kym Murphy	SO	History	San Diego, CA
Rosanna Parizek	SR	Psychology	Sebastopol, CA

Men's Soccer
Matt Bush	SO	Business	Winchester, CA
Luc Harrington	JR	Business	Diamond Bar, CA
Jeff Pusey	JR	Business	Alta Loma, CA
Nick Supergan	SO	Undeclared/Math Sciences	Poway, CA

Women's Soccer
Erin Fahres	SO	Business	Alta Loma, CA
Kerri Fahres	SR	Sociology	Alta Loma, CA
Danielle Geiger	JR	Business	Clovis, CA
Angela Reling	JR	Liberal Studies	Costa Mesa, CA
Allison Stone	SO	Sociology/Law Society	Encino, CA

Highlander fans who cannot make it down to the Anaheim Convention Center for the Big West Tournament will still be able to listen to and watch the UCR women take on Cal State Fullerton and the men take on Cal Poly.

Wednesday’s men’s first round game vs. Cal Poly will be broadcast live at 6:00 PM on KPRO, 1570 AM with Dale Parsons calling the action. The women’s game, which tips off at 2:30 vs. Fullerton, will be broadcast on a tape delay basis immediately following the men’s game.

If the men’s team plays Thursday, the game would be broadcast live at 8:00 PM on KPRO. If the women play, the game will be broadcast on tape delay at 6:30 PM.

All broadcasts will be available on the UCR web site at www.athletics.ucr.edu.

Wednesday’s opening round games will also be televised by Charter Cablevision. The women’s game will be broadcast on channel 101 at 9:00 PM (tape delayed) and the men’s game will be shown at 11:00 PM (tape delayed). Dan Hubbard and Dusty Garza will call the action.

(March 9, 2004) - Senior Syreeta Waller and 2003 graduate Nate Irvin will be honored at the Big West Scholar-Athlete Recognition Breakfast on Thursday, March 11 at 9:00 at the Coast Anaheim Hotel.

The two are among 20 student-athletes, two from each Big West school, to be honored at the 19th annual event.

Waller is a three-year track and field letterwinner for the Highlanders and is the two-time UC Riverside Female Athlete of the Year. She holds UCR records in the Hammer and Discus and finished third in the Hammer at the 2003 Big West Championships. She also placed among the top-20 in the Hammer and Discus at the 2003 NCAA West Regional. Waller graduated in June with a degree in Biology and is currently working toward her California Teaching Credential in Life Sciences.

Irvin was a three-year letterwinner and team captain for the Highlander track team. he was awarded the Arthur Ashe National Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award for 2003-04. he placed fourth in the 200 meters at the 2003 Big West Championships. Irvin made the Dean's List in 11-of-12 quarters at UC Riverside and graduated cum laude in 2003. He is currently finishing up his first year at Harvard Medical School

The UC Riverside men's and women's tennis teams will compete at the Big West Tennis Championships at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden beginning on Friday, April 23rd.

The No. 7 seeded men open play at 8:00 AM on Friday vs. No. 2 seed UC Irvine, with the winner moving on to play the winner of Pacific/Utah State on Saturday at 2:00 PM. The loser will play at 2:00 PM Saturday vs. the loser of the Pacific/Utah State match.

The No. 5 seeded women begin play at 8:00 AM Friday vs. No. 4 seed UC Irvine, with the winner going on to face the winner of the Pacific vs. CS Fullerton/CS Northridge match on Saturday at 11:00 AM. The Titans and Matadors will play a qualifying match on Thursday, with the winner getting the right to go on and face the top seeded Tigers. The loser will go on to play the loser of the aforementioned match at 8:00 AM Saturday.

Admission and parking at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden are both free. Teams will be playing on the perimeter courts. A map of the facility, tournament brackets, and information about the facility are available below. Complete tournament results will be available on the Big West web site.

The UC Riverside Athletics Department announced the winners of it's 2003-04 Season Awards at a Student-Athlete Bar-be-que held May 19, 2004.

The event featured the presentation of seven awards - The Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, the Scholar Athlete Award, the Lindy Award, and the Braveheart Award.

Junior golfer Brendan Steele has been named the University of California, Riverside Male Student-Athlete of the year for the 2003-04 Academic Year.

Coming off of a 2003 season that saw him earn First Team-All Big West honors and a berth at the NCAA West Regional, Steele used that as a springboard to put together an outstanding junior campaign. His season of triumph began even before his collegiate season began as he won the Inland Empire Amateur Championship in September. In season, he posted six top five finishes, including a win at the Fidelity National Title Tournament at Cal Poly with a five-under 211, and third place finishes at the US Intercollegiate Golf Tournament at Stanford with a four under 209 and at the Bite/Pacific Coast Intercollegiate at UCSB.

At the Big West Championships, he finished tied for seventh at one-under 215, helping his team to UC Riverside’s first-ever team championship. He was named first team All-Big West, and will be recognized as Big West Academic All-Conference.

On the season, Steele averaged 72.24 strokes per round and had a team-low round of 63. He is unable to join us tonight as he and four of his teammates are traveling to Sun River, Oregon, for the NCAA West Regional.

Casey Cross • Co-Female Athlete of the Year
Sophomore women’s tennis player Casey Cross has been named the University of California, Riverside Co-Female Student-Athlete of the year for the 2003-04 Academic Year, sharing the honor with women’s volleyball player Rosanna Parizek.

Despite coming in as a highly regarded recruit, Casey has still accomplished more than expected and has elevated her game to become one of the top tennis players in the Big West.

An athlete with great competitive and leadership skills, she helped her team to a 10-11 record and the squad’s first-ever Division I national ranking. She was 18-6 overall and 16-4 in dual matches at No. 2 singles, both school records.

What’s more impressive is the fact that Cross had an abbreviated fall season due to shoulder problems. After many doctors visits, it was determined that the best course of treatment would be to inject a bundle of nerves attached in the back of her neck to relieve the pain and numbness. To reach the nerves, the needle had to be injected into the front of her neck. She had these injections three times during the season to manage the pain. Though this kept her from practicing as much as her teammates, she was able to stay motivated and have an incredible season.

Cross is a vocal leader, and she can be heard throughout tennis matches encouraging her teammates, while taking on her opponent at the same time.

“Her season was one of the most consistent, high level seasons that I have seen in my 17 years of college coaching,” her coach, Mark Henry said.

Rosanna Parizek • Co-Female Athlete of the Year
Senior women’s volleyball player Rosanna Parizek has been named the University of California, Riverside Co-Female Student-Athlete of the year for the 2003-04 Academic Year, sharing the honor with women’s tennis player Casey Cross.

Parizek was a highly recruited middle blocker out of high school who chose to pursue her academic and athletic goals at UCR, despite the fact that the school was going to be new to Division I and that it would be a tremendous challenge.

An outstanding hitter and blocker out of high school, she worked hard and became one of the team’s best defensive players and the best back row attacker. Her hard work and determination could be seen on the court, on the track and in the weight room. She was a role model for other student-athletes.

In 2003 she led the team with a .280 hitting percentage and had 428 kills. She was Named All-Big West Honorable Mention. She leaves a lasting legacy in the UCR record book, appearing in the top 10 in several categories, including third in single match kills with 31, seventh in single match hitting percentage at .640, tied for eighth in single match aces with five, tied for second in single match solo blocks with six, tied for second in single match block assists with 11, tied for second twice in single match blocks with 12, seventh in single season kills with 428, seventh in single season kills per game at 3.9, seventh in single season assisted blocks with 99 , tied for third in single season blocks per game at 1.3, seventh in career games played with 400, fourth in career kills with 1,051, sixth in career total attacks at 2,706, second in career assisted blocks with 272 and second in career total blocks with 324.

Academically, the psychology major has a GPA of 3.618 and has earned Big West Academic All-Conference honors. She has been committed to her campus and to her teammates. She has participated in the Student Athlete Advisory Council, was a Student-Athlete Mentor, a member of the HIV and AIDS Committee, a member of Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society, a Biofeedback Technician Intern at the Counseling Center, a volunteer at the Air Force Village West Nursing Home and a research assistant in the psychology lab.

“She was committed to her sport to become the best and inspired her team by practicing and playing with heart.” Her coach, Sue Gozansky said. “Very few players have ever worked as hard and with as much intensity as Rosanna did on a daily basis. She never had a bad day.”

Israel Gonzales • Lindy Award
Senior cross country and track and field athlete Israel Gonzales has been awarded the University of California, Riverside Lindy Citizenship Award for the 2003-04 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.

Israel has been an excellent student-athlete throughout his four years at UCR, earning four letters in cross country and three in track and field. He has a 3.68 GPA and will graduate with honors with a business degree.

But it is his work away from the track that makes Israel stand out. He is a senior leader among the Native American student population at UCR and is actively involved in all aspects of the community. He organized and directed the Cesar Chavez 5K run and fundraised over $3,000 for the Native American organization in each of the last two years.
Israel has also given to his community and church, and has been involved with major campus groups. He is a team captain in cross country and track and has volunteered his time on the Student Athlete Advisory Council.

Junior volleyball player Tiffany Brooks has been named the University of California, Riverside Harper Scholar-Athlete Award winner for the 2003-04 academic year.

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.

An economics major, Tiffany has a 3.9 GPA and has been on the Dean’s Honor list since 2001 and the Chancellor’s Honor list in both 2002 and 2003. She has been a member of the UCR Rhodes Scholar Team and was recognized by the Big West as a member of the Academic All-Conference Team in 2002 and 2003. She is a recipient of the Community Foundation Clara Brouse Scholarship and participated in the UCR Undergraduate Honors Convocation for Academic Program excellence.

She is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Academic Honors Society for Freshman, the Gamma Beta Phi National Honors and Service Organization, Phi Sigma Theta National Honors Society and the Golden Key Society International Honors Society.

She has participated as a coach for the NCAA Yourth Education Through Sports (YES) Division I Women’s Volleyball clinic at the University of New Orleans in 2002, participated in Keep Riverside Beautiful in 2002 and has participated in the Special Olympics with the Rhodes Scholar team.

Finally, she has served as a volunteer coach at Rosary High School, Servite High School and with the North Orange County Volleyball Club.

Dani Geiger • Braveheart Award
Junior women’s soccer player Dani Geiger has been awarded the University of California, Riverside Braveheart Award for the 2003-04 Academic Year.

The Braveheart Award is presented to a student-athlete, coach or staff member who has shown exemplary courage.

Geiger was signed in February, 2001 as one of the first recruits for the new UC Riverside Women’s Soccer team. A month later she suffered a torn meniscus in a CIF soccer match and underwent surgery immediately to ensure she would be able to start her collegiate career. Two days into her first preseason camp, she tore the lateral meniscus and again required surgery. She redshirted the season.

The surgery required removing the entire meniscus and a good portion of cartilage. With bone rubbing against bone, her doctors told her that she should no longer play soccer. However, she was not convinced and began a ferocious rehabilitation plan designed to build muscle around the knee. She was cleared to return to the team in the spring of 2002. In her first game back at Pepperdine, she suffered a severe ankle injury that put her out for two more months. In the meantime, her knee began to act up again.
Continuing to rehab, she is cleared to play in the fall of 2002, but her knee could not withstand training more than twice per week. When the knee continued to swell, she was sidelined.

More intense rehab allowed her to be cleared for the final three games of the season, and while she did not score, she was central to the Highlanders success over the final three games, including a 1-0 win over No. 25 Cal State Fullerton in the finale.

The 2003 season marked the first year that she was able to compete the entire season without suffering an injury. After a strong fall season in which she played in 17 games, starting 3 and scoring one goal, she was asked to learn a new position for Spring games. She moved to defender and was, in the words of her coach, stellar. She was voted most valuable player following the spring campaign and is still going strong,

“She is thankful for every day that she has to play on the field. She succeeded where many others may have quit,” Head Coach Veronica O’Brien said. “She fought the odds and won.”

Tom Rector • Rob Roy Award
UC Riverside Equipment Room Manager Tom Rector has received the University of California, Riverside Rob Roy Award for the 2003-04 school year.

The Rob Roy Award is presented to a student-athlete, coach or staff member who has shown exemplary integrity.

Rector, who joined the Athletics Department in the Winter of 2001 has proven to be an indispensable backbone to the Athletics Department, frequently going above and beyond the call to assist the programs. Whether it is lining the field prior to a sporting event, staying late to launder and fold uniforms, keeping tabs on the thousands of dollars worth of uniforms and equipment in his charge, or just being the smiling face handing a towel to a customer in the locker room, he is always giving his best effort. He firmly believes in doing the right thing, even when it might not be the most popular thing. It is fair to say that without the frequently unsung efforts of Tom Rector, this athletics department would not have reached the heights it has.

RIVERSIDE – Applications are now being accepted for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) at the University of California, Riverside. NYSP is an award-winning sports and educational program for at-risk youth between the ages of 10 and 16. NYSP combines athletic activities such as swimming, soccer, karate, basketball, and track & field with academic classroom instruction focusing on alcohol/drug awareness and prevention, college opportunities and career development, nutrition and health, and mathematics and sciences.

Children residing in Riverside County who meet U.S. Department of Health and Human Services income guidelines are eligible for this free program. Students will be drawn from Riverside/Moreno Valley schools where at least 50% of the enrolled students receive reduced-cost or free lunches.

UCR’s NYSP summer program will run each Monday through Friday from June 14 through July 17 (includin gone Saturday on July 17) with each session beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 1:00 p.m.

Founded in 1968, NYSP is sponsored jointly by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). NYSP at UCR is being administered by the Intercollegiate Athletics Department. This year will be the seventh consecutive year that UCR has hosted NYSP. UCR students, faculty, staff and other volunteers from both the campus and community will staff the program.

In addition to the academic, athletic, and social programs, participants will receive a free breakfast and lunch, bus transportation to and from the campus as well as a free physical examination (to be administered on June 5 and 6 by area volunteer physicians, dentists, and nurses). Passing the physical examination is required before any child can be officially admitted into the program. Individuals may enter the program after the physical dates, but must secure their own examinations prior to admission.

Registration for NYSP is on a first-come, first-served basis only. To receive application materials and/or for more information, please send e-mail to dorrie.royce@ucr.edu or call the UCR Athletics Department at (951) 827-5536.

UCR Head Athletic Trainer Bill Brewer Resigns

UC Riverside Basketball Tournament Appearances to be on Radio, Television

Waller, Irvin Two of 20 Big West Scholar Athletes

UCR Athletics Presents 2003-04 Season Ending Awards